Connecticut 2023 2023 Regular Session

Connecticut Senate Bill SB01118 Chaptered / Bill

Filed 06/15/2023

                     
 
Substitute Senate Bill No. 1118 
 
Public Act No. 23-136  
 
 
AN ACT CONCERNING THE ESTABLISHMENT AND DUTIES OF 
THE DOMESTIC VIOLENCE CRIMINAL JUSTICE RESPONSE AND 
ENHANCEMENT ADVISORY COUNCIL. 
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in General 
Assembly convened: 
 
Section 1. Section 46b-38j of the general statutes is repealed and the 
following is substituted in lieu thereof (Effective July 1, 2023): 
(a) There is established a Family [Violence Model Policy Governing 
Council] Domestic Violence Criminal Justice Response and 
Enhancement Advisory Council for the purpose of evaluating and 
advising on the following matters, including, but not limited to: (1) 
[evaluating policies] Policies and procedures used by law enforcement 
agencies when responding to incidents of family violence, [and 
violations of restraining orders and protective orders, (2)] including 
reviewing and updating the model law enforcement policy on family 
violence for the state established in section 46b-38b, as amended by this 
act, [and (3) evaluating] (2) the accuracy of data collected by the 
Department of Emergency Services and Public Protection under section 
46b-38d, and the Court Support Services Division under section 46b-38f, 
and collecting and analyzing any additional data related to domestic 
violence and the criminal justice response available from Judicial Branch 
court operations, state's attorneys, public defenders, domestic violence  Substitute Senate Bill No. 1118 
 
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advocates, or domestic violence offender programs; (3) the domestic 
violence offender program standards established in section 46b-38m, as 
amended by this act, including reviewing and updating such standards 
as needed; (4) the pretrial family violence education program 
established in section 46b-38c, including eligibility criteria for such 
program; (5) dedicated domestic violence dockets established in section 
51-181e, including state-wide expansion of such dockets; (6) the use of 
electronic monitoring as provided in section 46b-38c; (7) risk 
assessments used throughout a family violence case from arrest through 
adjudication; (8) arrest, prosecution, penalties and monitoring for 
violations of family violence restraining orders issued pursuant to 
section 46b-15 or criminal protective orders issued pursuant to section 
46b-38c, 54-1k or 54-82r issued in family violence cases; (9) processing 
and execution of arrest warrants for incidents of family violence; (10) 
monitoring compliance, enforcement and victim notification of firearm 
seizure and surrender in family violence cases; (11) programming 
offered to individuals convicted of a family violence crime and currently 
incarcerated with the Department of Correction; and (12) training and 
education for criminal justice stakeholders including, but not limited to, 
training established pursuant to sections 46b-38b, as amended by this 
act, 46b-38c and 46b-38i. 
(b) The council shall consist of the following members: 
(1) One appointed by the speaker of the House of Representatives; 
(2) One appointed by the president pro tempore of the Senate; 
(3) One [municipal police officer with experience in domestic 
violence training,] appointed by the majority leader of the House of 
Representatives, who shall be a municipal police officer with experience 
in domestic violence training; 
(4) One [victim of domestic violence,] appointed by the majority  Substitute Senate Bill No. 1118 
 
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leader of the Senate, who shall be a representative of a community-
based organization that provides group counseling or treatment to 
persons who have committed acts of domestic violence; 
(5) One appointed by the minority leader of the House of 
Representatives; 
(6) One appointed by the minority leader of the Senate; 
(7) One appointed by the Governor; 
(8) [One representative] The chairperson of the Police Officer 
Standards and Training Council, [with experience in domestic violence 
training, appointed by the chairperson of the council] or the 
chairperson's designee; 
(9) [One representative of the Office of the Chief State's Attorney, 
appointed by the] The Chief State's Attorney, or the Chief State's 
Attorney's designee; 
(10) [One representative of the Office of the Chief Public Defender, 
appointed by the] The Chief Public Defender, or the Chief Public 
Defender's designee; 
(11) [One representative of the Office of the Victim Advocate, 
appointed by the] The Victim Advocate, or the Victim Advocate's 
designee; 
(12) [One representative of the Division of State Police with 
experience in domestic violence training, and one commanding officer 
in the Division of State Police, each] Two appointed by the 
Commissioner of Emergency Services and Public Protection, one of 
whom shall be a representative of the Division of State Police with 
experience in domestic violence training and one of whom shall be 
commanding officer in the Division of State Police;  Substitute Senate Bill No. 1118 
 
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(13) [One judge of the Superior Court assigned to hear criminal 
matters,] Four appointed by the Chief Court Administrator, one of 
whom shall be a judge of the Superior Court assigned to hear criminal 
matters, one of whom shall be a family relations counselor or supervisor 
within the Court Support Services Division of the Judicial Branch, one 
of whom shall be an administrator within the Court Support Services 
Division of the Judicial Branch and one of whom shall be an 
administrator of the Office of Victim Services within the Judicial Branch; 
(14) [One victim of domestic violence, one victim advocate with 
courtroom experience in domestic violence matters and one 
representative of the Connecticut Coalition Against Domestic Violence, 
Inc., each appointed by the executive director of the Connecticut 
Coalition Against Domestic Violence, Inc.] Four appointed by the chief 
executive officer of the Connecticut Coalition Against Domestic 
Violence, Inc., one of whom shall be a victim of domestic violence, one 
of whom shall be a victim advocate with courtroom experience in 
domestic violence matters, one of whom shall be an executive director 
of a community-based organization that provides direct services to 
persons impacted by domestic violence and one of whom shall be a 
representative of the Connecticut Coalition Against Domestic Violence, 
Inc.; 
[(15) One representative of the legal aid programs in Connecticut, 
appointed by the executive director of the Legal Assistance Resource 
Center of Connecticut; and] 
[(16)] (15) One representative of the Connecticut Police Chiefs 
Association, appointed by the president of the association; 
(16) The Secretary of the Office of Policy and Management, or the 
secretary's designee; 
(17) The chairperson of the Board of Pardons and Paroles, or the  Substitute Senate Bill No. 1118 
 
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chairperson's designee; 
(18) The Commissioner of Emergency Services and Public Protection, 
or the commissioner's designee; and 
(19) The Commissioner of Correction, or the commissioner's 
designee. 
(c) Any member of the council appointed under subdivision (1), (2), 
(5) or (6) of subsection (b) of this section may be a member of the General 
Assembly. 
(d) All members of said council shall be appointed on or before July 
1, 2012, and quadrennially thereafter, to serve for a term of four years. 
Any member may be reappointed, and any member may continue to 
serve until such member's successor is appointed and qualified. Any 
vacancy shall be filled by the appointing authority. 
(e) The members of the council shall select two chairpersons of the 
council from among the members of the council. Said chairpersons shall 
[schedule the first meeting of the council, which shall be held not later 
than sixty days after June 8, 2012] be responsible for scheduling the 
meetings of the council. 
(f) The administrative staff of the joint standing committee of the 
General Assembly having cognizance of matters relating to [public 
safety] the judiciary shall serve as administrative staff of the council. 
(g) Not later than January 15, 2013, and annually thereafter, the 
council shall submit a report in accordance with section 11-4a to the joint 
standing committees of the General Assembly having cognizance of 
matters relating to the judiciary and public safety. [regarding the 
effectiveness of the model law enforcement policy on family violence for 
the state established in section 46b-38b and identifying any amendments 
to such model policy adopted during the prior calendar year] The report  Substitute Senate Bill No. 1118 
 
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shall include any recommendations for statutory or policy changes 
within the purview of the council, including any recommended updates 
or amendments to the model law enforcement policy on family violence 
for the state, established in section 46b-38b, as amended by this act, or 
the domestic violence offender program standards, established in 
section 46b-38m, as amended by this act. 
Sec. 2. Section 46b-38m of the general statutes is repealed and the 
following is substituted in lieu thereof (Effective July 1, 2023): 
[Not later than thirty days after June 30, 2015, the Criminal Justice 
Policy Advisory Committee shall submit to the Chief Court 
Administrator the domestic violence offender program standards that 
were presented to said committee on September 25, 2014.] The Chief 
Court Administrator shall ensure that [such] the domestic violence 
offender program standards, and any updates or revisions [thereto] 
such standards provided to the Chief Court Administrator by the 
[Domestic Violence Offender Program Standards Advisory Council] 
Domestic Violence Criminal Justice Response and Enhancement 
Advisory Council, are accessible electronically on the Internet web site 
of the Judicial Branch. 
Sec. 3. Subdivision (2) of subsection (g) of section 46b-38b of the 
general statutes is repealed and the following is substituted in lieu 
thereof (Effective July 1, 2023): 
(2) There is established a model law enforcement policy on family 
violence for the state. Such policy shall consist of the model policy 
submitted by the task force established in section 19 of public act 11-152 
on January 31, 2012, to the joint standing committee of the General 
Assembly having cognizance of matters relating to the judiciary, as 
amended from time to time by the [Family Violence Model Policy 
Governing Council] Domestic Violence Criminal Justice Response and 
Enhancement Advisory Council established pursuant to section 46b-38j,  Substitute Senate Bill No. 1118 
 
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as amended by this act. 
Sec. 4. Section 2 of public act 23-106 is repealed and the following is 
substituted in lieu thereof (Effective October 1, 2023): 
(a) Notwithstanding the provisions of sections 46b-82, 46b-83 and 
46b-86 of the general statutes, no court may enter an order of payment 
of temporary or permanent alimony from an injured spouse to a spouse 
who, at any time after the date of marriage, is convicted of: (1) Criminal 
attempt to commit murder of the other spouse, under section 53a-49 of 
the general statutes and sections 53a-54a to 53a-54d, inclusive, of the 
general statutes; (2) conspiracy to commit murder of the other spouse, 
under section 53a-48 of the general statutes and sections 53a-54a to 53a-
54d, inclusive, of the general statutes; (3) a class A or B felony sexual 
assault of the other spouse, under section 53a-70, 53a-70a, 53a-71 or 53a-
72b of the general statutes; (4) a class A or B felony family violence crime 
as defined in section 46b-38a of the general statutes; or (5) any crime in 
another state, the essential elements of which are substantially the same 
as the crimes enumerated in subdivisions (1) to (4), inclusive, of this 
subsection. 
(b) The existence of any conviction for a crime set forth in subsection 
(a) of this section shall preclude a court from ordering an award of 
attorney's fees from an injured spouse to a spouse convicted of such 
crime. 
(c) Any order of temporary or permanent alimony entered by a court 
from an injured spouse to a spouse subsequently convicted of a crime 
set forth in subsection (a) of this section against the injured spouse shall 
be terminated by the court upon a motion to terminate alimony based 
upon the conviction filed by the injured spouse. 
[(c)] (d) As used in this section, "injured spouse" means the spouse 
who has been the victim of a crime set forth in subsection (a) of this  Substitute Senate Bill No. 1118 
 
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section, irrespective of whether physical injury occurred in the 
commission of such crime. 
Sec. 5. Section 46b-38l of the general statutes is repealed. (Effective July 
1, 2023)