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General Assembly Bill No. 7001
September 26 Special Session, 2023
LCO No. 10303
Referred to Committee on No Committee
Introduced by:
REP. RITTER M., 1
st
Dist.
SEN. LOONEY, 11
th
Dist.
REP. ROJAS, 9
th
Dist.
SEN. DUFF, 25
th
Dist.
AN ACT CONCERNING THE ADMINISTRATION OF EPINEPHRINE BY
EMERGENCY MEDICAL SERVICES PERSONNEL AND PROVISIONS
RELATED TO ELECTIONS.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in General
Assembly convened:
Section 1. Subsection (a) of section 9-164 of the general statutes is 1
repealed and the following is substituted in lieu thereof (Effective October 2
1, 2023): 3
(a) (1) (A) On and after January 1, 2022, and notwithstanding any 4
contrary provision of law, there shall be held in each municipality, 5
biennially, a municipal election on the Tuesday after the first Monday 6
of November of the odd-numbered years, except that such municipal 7
election may be held on the first Monday of May of the odd-numbered 8
years if the legislative body of such municipality so determines by a 9
three-fourths vote. 10
(B) In any municipality where the legislative body determines to hold 11 Bill No.
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its municipal election on the first Monday of May of the odd-numbered 12
years in accordance with the provisions of subparagraph (A) of this 13
subdivision, such legislative body may subsequently determine by a 14
majority vote to hold such municipal election on the Tuesday after the 15
first Monday of November of the odd-numbered years. 16
(2) In any municipality where the term of any incumbent municipal 17
elected official would expire prior to the next regular election held 18
under the provisions of this section, the term of such official shall be 19
extended to [the date of such election] conform to the beginning of the 20
succeeding term under section 9-187a. 21
Sec. 2. Section 9-464 of the general statutes is repealed and the 22
following is substituted in lieu thereof (Effective October 1, 2023): 23
On the [last] first Tuesday in April of each year in which the President 24
of the United States is to be elected, each party shall conduct a primary 25
in each town if the names of two or more candidates are to be placed on 26
such party's ballot in accordance with the provisions of this chapter. 27
Sec. 3. Subsection (a) of section 9-238 of the general statutes is 28
repealed and the following is substituted in lieu thereof (Effective July 1, 29
2025): 30
(a) Except as provided in section 9-272, voting tabulators shall be 31
used at all elections held in any municipality, or in any part thereof, for 32
voting and registering and counting votes cast at such elections for 33
officers, and upon all questions or amendments submitted at such 34
elections. The board of selectmen of each town, the common council of 35
each city and the warden and burgesses of each borough shall purchase 36
or lease, or otherwise provide, for use at elections in each such 37
municipality a number of voting tabulators approved by the Secretary 38
of the State. Different voting tabulators may be provided for different 39
voting districts in the same municipality. Notwithstanding any 40
provision of this subsection, [to the contrary,] the registrars of voters of 41
a municipality [may determine the number of voting tabulators that 42
shall be provided for use at any special election in such municipality, 43 Bill No.
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provided the registrars shall provide at least one voting tabulator in the 44
municipality or, in a municipality divided into voting districts, at least 45
one voting tabulator in each such district] shall ensure that each voting 46
district at any such election uses a dedicated voting tabulator or 47
tabulators that only registers and counts votes cast for such voting 48
district. The provisions of this subsection shall not apply to the counting 49
of ballots at a central location designated for such purpose or to the 50
conduct of a recanvass. 51
Sec. 4. (NEW) (Effective January 1, 2024) The Secretary of the State shall 52
develop an instructional training video on recanvass procedures, based 53
on the most recent Recanvass Procedure Manual published on the 54
Internet web site of the office of the Secretary of the State. Whenever a 55
recanvass is required to be conducted, the Secretary shall distribute such 56
instructional training video to the recanvass officials and such recanvass 57
officials shall view such instructional training video immediately before 58
commencing such recanvass. 59
Sec. 5. Section 9-311 of the general statutes, as amended by section 27 60
of public act 23-22, is repealed and the following is substituted in lieu 61
thereof (Effective October 1, 2023): 62
(a) If, within three days after an election, it appears to the moderator 63
that there is a discrepancy in the returns of any voting district, such 64
moderator shall forthwith within said period summon, by written 65
notice delivered personally, the recanvass officials, consisting of at least 66
two checkers of different political parties and at least two absentee ballot 67
counters of different political parties who served at such election, and 68
the registrars of voters of the municipality in which the election was 69
held and such other officials as may be required to conduct such 70
recanvass. Such written notice shall require the clerk or registrars of 71
voters, as the case may be, to bring with them the depository envelopes 72
required by section 9-150a, the package of write-in ballots provided for 73
in section 9-310, the absentee ballot applications, the list of absentee 74
ballot applications, the registry list and the moderators' returns and 75
shall require such recanvass officials to meet at a specified time not later 76 Bill No.
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than the fifth business day after such election to recanvass the returns of 77
a voting tabulator or voting tabulators or absentee ballots or write-in 78
ballots used in such district in such election. If any of such recanvass 79
officials are unavailable at the time of the recanvass, the registrar of 80
voters of the same political party as that of the recanvass official unable 81
to attend shall designate another elector having previous training and 82
experience in the conduct of elections to take his place. Before such 83
recanvass is made, such moderator shall give notice, in writing, to the 84
[chairman] chairperson of the town committee of each political party 85
which nominated candidates for the election, and, in the case of a state 86
election, not later than twenty-four hours after a determination is made 87
regarding the need for a recanvass to the Secretary of the State, of the 88
time and place where such recanvass is to be made; and each such 89
[chairman] chairperson may send party representatives to be present at 90
such recanvass. Such party representatives may observe, but no one 91
other than a recanvass official may take part in the recanvass. If any 92
irregularity in the recanvass procedure is noted by such a party 93
representative, he shall be permitted to present evidence of such 94
irregularity in any contest relating to the election. 95
(b) The moderator shall determine the place or places where the 96
recanvass shall be conducted and, if such recanvass is held before the 97
tabulators are boxed and collected in the manner required by section 9-98
266, the moderator may either require that such recanvass of such 99
tabulators be conducted in each place where the tabulators are located, 100
or he may require that they be removed to one central place, where such 101
recanvass shall be conducted. All recanvassing procedures shall be open 102
to public observation, subject to the provisions of subsection (d) of this 103
section. Such recanvass officials shall, in the presence of such moderator 104
and registrars of voters, make a record of the number on the seal and 105
the number on the protective counter, if one is provided, on each voting 106
tabulator specified by such moderator. Such registrars of voters in the 107
presence of such moderator shall turn over the keys of each such 108
tabulator to such recanvass officials, and such recanvass officials, in the 109
presence of such registrars of voters and moderator, shall immediately 110 Bill No.
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proceed to recanvass the vote cast thereon, and shall then open the 111
package of absentee ballots and recanvass the vote cast thereon. In the 112
course of the recanvass of the absentee ballot vote the recanvass officials 113
shall check all outer envelopes for absentee ballots against the inner 114
envelopes for such ballots and against the registry list to verify 115
postmarks, addresses and registry list markings and also to determine 116
whether the number of envelopes from which absentee ballots have 117
been removed is the same as the number of persons checked as having 118
voted by absentee ballot. The write-in ballots shall also be recanvassed 119
at this time. Any party representative present shall have a right to view 120
each ballot as it is being recanvassed by the recanvass officials, so as to 121
be able to discern the markings on such ballot. All of the recanvass 122
officials shall use the same forms for tallies and returns as were used at 123
the original canvass and the absentee ballot counters shall also sign the 124
tallies. 125
(c) The votes shall be announced and recorded in the manner 126
prescribed in section 9-309, as amended by [this act] public act 23-22, on 127
return forms provided by the registrars of voters and appended thereto 128
shall be a statement signed by the moderator indicating the time and 129
place of the recanvass and the names, addresses, titles and party 130
affiliations of the recanvass officials. The write-in ballots shall be 131
replaced in a properly secured sealed package. Upon the completion of 132
such recanvass, any tabulator used in such recanvass shall be locked and 133
sealed, the keys thereof shall immediately be returned to such registrars 134
of voters and such tabulator shall remain so locked until the expiration 135
of fourteen days after such election or for such longer period as is 136
ordered by a court of competent jurisdiction. The absentee ballots shall 137
be replaced in their wrappers and be resealed by the moderator in the 138
presence of the recanvass officials. Upon the completion of such 139
recanvass, such moderator and at least two of the recanvass officials of 140
different political parties shall forthwith prepare and sign such return 141
forms which shall contain a written statement giving the result of such 142
recanvass for each tabulator and each package of absentee ballots whose 143
returns were so recanvassed, setting forth whether or not the original 144 Bill No.
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canvass was correctly made and stating whether or not the discrepancy 145
still remains unaccounted for. Such return forms containing such 146
statement shall forthwith be filed by the moderator in the office of such 147
clerk. If such recanvass reveals that the original canvass of returns was 148
not correctly made, such return forms containing such statement so filed 149
with the clerk shall constitute a corrected return. In the case of a state 150
election, a recanvass return shall be made in duplicate on a form 151
prescribed and provided by the Secretary of the State, and the 152
moderator shall file one copy with the Secretary of the State and one 153
copy with the town clerk not later than ten days after the election. Such 154
recanvass return shall be substituted for the original return and shall 155
have the same force and effect as an original return. 156
(d) The moderator may, when any disorder arises that interferes with 157
the conduct of a recanvass, including any attempt by a person other than 158
a recanvass official to take part in such recanvass or by such a person to 159
communicate with a recanvass official other than the moderator, and the 160
offender refuses to submit to the moderator's lawful authority, order 161
that the offender be removed by the recanvass officials from such 162
recanvass until the offender conforms to order or, if need be, until such 163
recanvass is completed. 164
[(d)] (e) As used in this section, (1) "moderator" means, in the case of 165
municipalities not divided into voting districts, the moderator of the 166
election and, in the case of municipalities divided into voting districts, 167
the head moderator of the election, and (2) "registrars of voters", in a 168
municipality where there are different registrars of voters for different 169
voting districts, means the registrars of voters in the voting district in 170
which, at the last-preceding election, the presiding officer for the 171
purpose of declaring the result of the vote of the whole municipality was 172
moderator. 173
Sec. 6. Section 19a-197a of the general statutes, as amended by section 174
42 of public act 23-97, is repealed and the following is substituted in lieu 175
thereof (Effective October 1, 2023): 176 Bill No.
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(a) As used in this section, "emergency medical services personnel" 177
means (1) any class of emergency medical technician certified pursuant 178
to sections 20-206ll and 20-206mm, including, but not limited to, any 179
advanced emergency medical technician, (2) any paramedic licensed 180
pursuant to sections 20-206ll and 20-206mm, and (3) any emergency 181
medical responder certified pursuant to sections 20-206ll and 20-182
206mm. 183
(b) Any emergency medical services personnel who has been trained, 184
in accordance with national standards recognized by the Commissioner 185
of Public Health, in the administration of epinephrine using automatic 186
prefilled cartridge injectors, similar automatic injectable equipment or 187
[by] prefilled vial and syringe and who functions in accordance with 188
written protocols and the standing orders of a licensed physician 189
serving as an emergency department director may administer, on or 190
before June 30, 2024, and shall administer, on and after July 1, 2024, 191
epinephrine using such injectors, equipment or prefilled vial and 192
syringe when the use of epinephrine is deemed necessary by the 193
emergency medical services personnel for the treatment of a patient. All 194
emergency medical services personnel shall receive such training from 195
an organization designated by the commissioner. 196
(c) All licensed or certified ambulances shall be equipped with 197
epinephrine in such injectors, equipment or prefilled vials and syringes 198
[that the emergency medical services personnel shall administer] to be 199
administered as described in subsection (b) of this section and in 200
accordance with written protocols and standing orders of a licensed 201
physician serving as an emergency department director. 202
Sec. 7. (Effective from passage) (a) There shall be, in any municipality 203
with a population of at least one hundred forty thousand, an election 204
monitor for the municipal election in 2023 and the state election in 2024 205
to detect and prevent irregularity and impropriety in the management 206
of election administration procedures and the conduct of said elections 207
in such municipality. The office of the Secretary of the State shall 208
contract with an individual to serve in such capacity as election monitor 209 Bill No.
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until December 31, 2024, unless such contract is terminated for any 210
reason by the Secretary of the State prior to said date. Such election 211
monitor shall: (1) Not be considered a state employee; (2) be 212
compensated in accordance with such contract; and (3) be reimbursed 213
for necessary expenses incurred in the performance of his or her duties. 214
Costs related to the service of such election monitor shall be paid from 215
moneys appropriated to the Secretary for such purpose. Such 216
municipality shall provide for such election monitor any office space, 217
supplies, equipment and services necessary to properly carry out the 218
duties and responsibilities of the position. As used in this section, 219
"population" means the estimated number of people according to the 220
most recent version of the State Register and Manual prepared pursuant 221
to section 3-90 of the general statutes. 222
(b) An election monitor appointed under subsection (a) of this section 223
shall: (1) Conduct inspections, inquiries and investigations relating to 224
any duty or responsibility under title 9 of the general statutes to be 225
carried out by any official of the municipality or appointee of such 226
official; (2) have access to all records, data and material maintained by 227
or available to any such official or appointee; and (3) immediately report 228
to the Secretary of the State any irregularity or impropriety in the 229
performance of any duty or responsibility described in subdivision (1) 230
of this subsection. Nothing in this section shall be construed to prohibit 231
the State Elections Enforcement Commission from taking any action 232
authorized under section 9-7b of the general statutes. 233
Sec. 8. (Effective from passage) The sum of $150,000 of the amount 234
appropriated in section 1 of public act 23-204, to the Elections 235
Enforcement Commission, for Elections Enforcement Commission, for 236
the fiscal year ending June 30, 2024, shall be transferred to the Secretary 237
of the State, for Other Expenses, and made available during said fiscal 238
year to support the cost of one election monitor position for the city of 239
Bridgeport. 240 Bill No.
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This act shall take effect as follows and shall amend the following
sections:
Section 1 October 1, 2023 9-164(a)
Sec. 2 October 1, 2023 9-464
Sec. 3 July 1, 2025 9-238(a)
Sec. 4 January 1, 2024 New section
Sec. 5 October 1, 2023 9-311
Sec. 6 October 1, 2023 19a-197a
Sec. 7 from passage New section
Sec. 8 from passage New section