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General Assembly Substitute Bill No. 7150
January Session, 2025
AN ACT CONCERNING JUSTICES OF THE PEACE.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in General
Assembly convened:
Section 1. (NEW) (Effective October 1, 2025) (a) For the purposes of this 1
section and sections 2 to 4, inclusive, of this act: 2
(1) "Justice of the peace" means any person that holds the office of 3
justice of the peace pursuant to section 9-183b, 9-183c, 9-184 or 9-184c of 4
the general statutes, as amended by this act; 5
(2) "Official misconduct" means, in the performance of the duties of a 6
justice of the peace, (A) a justice of the peace's performance of an act 7
prohibited by the general statutes or failure to perform an act mandated 8
by the general statutes, or (B) a justice of the peace's performance of an 9
act in a manner found to be negligent, fraudulent, unlawful or against 10
the public interest, including any conduct prohibited by subsection (a) 11
of section 2 of this act; and 12
(3) "Secretary" means the Secretary of the State. 13
(b) To be qualified to hold the office of justice of the peace, a person 14
shall: 15
(1) Be appointed pursuant to section 9-183b, 9-183c, 9-184 or 9-184c of 16
the general statutes, as amended by this act; and 17 Substitute Bill No. 7150
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(2) Pass the examination developed and administered by the 18
Secretary pursuant to subsection (c) of this section not later than (A) one 19
hundred twenty days after an appointment made after January 1, 2026, 20
or (B) May 1, 2026, if such appointment is made on or before January 1, 21
2026. 22
(c) The Secretary shall, not later than July 1, 2026, (1) publish on the 23
Internet web site of the Secretary of the State a manual concerning the 24
duties of a justice of the peace, and (2) administer a written examination 25
for persons seeking to hold the office of justice of the peace. 26
Sec. 2. (NEW) (Effective January 1, 2026) (a) No justice of the peace shall 27
(1) perform any official action with intent to deceive or defraud any 28
person, (2) use the title of justice of the peace in an endorsement or 29
promotional statement for any product, third-party service, contest or 30
other offering, or (3) perform a marriage that the justice of the peace 31
knows or should have known is (A) unlawful under any provision of 32
the general statutes, or (B) fraudulent in violation of 8 USC 1325, as 33
amended from time to time. 34
(b) A justice of the peace shall be liable to any person for any damages 35
proximately caused to that person as a result of the justice of the peace's 36
official misconduct. 37
(c) An employer of an individual who holds the office of justice of the 38
peace shall be liable to any person for damages proximately caused to 39
that person resulting from the justice of the peace's official misconduct 40
if (1) such misconduct occurred in the course of business of such 41
employer, and (2) such employer directed, encouraged, consented to, 42
ratified or approved the justice of the peace's official misconduct, either 43
(A) in the particular transaction constituting official misconduct, or (B) 44
implicitly by such employer's previous actions in at least one similar 45
transaction constituting official misconduct. 46
(d) An employer of an individual who holds the office of justice of 47
the peace shall be liable to the justice of the peace for any damages (1) 48
recovered from the justice of the peace resulting from official 49 Substitute Bill No. 7150
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misconduct that was coerced by threat of such employer, if such threat, 50
including, but not limited to, a threat of demotion or dismissal, was 51
made by such employer (A) in reference to a particular act of the justice 52
of the peace in the course of business of such employer, or (B) implicitly 53
by such employer's previous actions in at least one similar transaction, 54
or (2) caused to the justice of the peace by a demotion, dismissal or other 55
action by such employer resulting from the justice of the peace's refusal 56
to commit official misconduct in the course of such employer's business. 57
Sec. 3. (NEW) (Effective January 1, 2026) (a) The Secretary shall 58
investigate any allegations of official misconduct by a justice of the 59
peace and issue a finding at the conclusion of any such investigation. 60
(b) When the Secretary determines that a justice of the peace has 61
engaged in official misconduct or otherwise violated any provision of 62
the general statutes in the performance of the duties of a justice of the 63
peace, the Secretary may (1) deliver a written warning or reprimand to 64
such justice of the peace, or (2) notwithstanding the provisions of any 65
special act, municipal charter or ordinance to the contrary, suspend or 66
revoke a justice of the peace's appointment. 67
(c) The voluntary or involuntary termination, revocation or lapse of 68
the appointment of a justice of the peace shall not interrupt or preclude 69
an investigation into any allegation of official misconduct against such 70
justice of the peace under this section. 71
(d) The Secretary may adopt regulations, in accordance with the 72
provisions of chapter 54 of the general statutes, to carry out the purposes 73
of this section and sections 2 and 3, inclusive, of this act. 74
Sec. 4. (NEW) (Effective from passage) (a) Notwithstanding the 75
provisions of section 9-183b, 9-183c or 9-184c of the general statutes, as 76
amended by this act, any vacancy in the office of a justice of the peace, 77
if such vacancy is created by the adoption of an ordinance or charter 78
amendment by a municipality that (1) increases the number of justices 79
of the peace in such municipality, and (2) is effective not less than 80
ninety-one days prior to the next quadrennial appointment of justices of 81 Substitute Bill No. 7150
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the peace in the municipality, may be filled by appointment prior to the 82
next quadrennial appointment by the town committee of any major 83
party according to the provisions of this section. 84
(b) (1) (A) The town clerk shall select one-third of the total number of 85
justices of the peace to fill vacancies that are created by the adoption of 86
such ordinance or charter amendment. 87
(B) The political parties that are major political parties, as defined in 88
subparagraph (B) of subdivision (5) of section 9-372 of the general 89
statutes, shall be entitled to nominate an equal number of the total 90
number of justices of the peace to fill the remaining vacancies created by 91
the adoption of such ordinance, except in any town where the number 92
of justices of the peace to be nominated under this section is not divisible 93
by the number of political parties entitled to nominate justices of the 94
peace under this section, the registrars of voters shall determine by lot 95
which of said parties may nominate one more justice of the peace than 96
may be nominated by the other party or parties. Such nomination by 97
such parties shall qualify a nominee to serve as a justice of the peace. 98
(2) (A) In the event that a political party that is a major party, as 99
defined in subparagraph (A) of subdivision (5) of section 9-372 of the 100
general statutes, but is not a major party, as defined in subparagraph (B) 101
of said subdivision, is entitled to nominate an individual or individuals 102
to serve as a justice of the peace to fill any such vacancy, such party shall 103
be entitled to nominate twenty per cent of the total number of justices of 104
the peace to fill such vacancies, provided such percentage shall be 105
rounded down to the nearest whole number. Such nomination by such 106
parties shall qualify a nominee to serve as a justice of the peace. 107
(B) The town clerk shall select one-third of the total number of justices 108
of the peace to fill vacancies that are created by the adoption of such 109
ordinance or charter amendment less the number of justices of the peace 110
selected under subparagraph (A) of this subdivision to fill such 111
vacancies. 112
(c) Notwithstanding the provisions of section 9-183b, 9-183c or 9-184c 113 Substitute Bill No. 7150
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of the general statutes, as amended by this act, any person appointed to 114
fill a vacancy in the office of a justice of the peace pursuant to subsection 115
(b) of this section shall serve until the next quadrennial appointment of 116
justices of the peace in the municipality. 117
(d) If a vacancy in the office of a justice of the peace has been filled by 118
appointment by a town committee, the chairperson or secretary of such 119
town committee shall file with the town clerk a certificate of each such 120
appointment, and the town clerk shall record the certificate with the 121
records of the town meeting. The town clerk shall notify the secretary of 122
any such appointment. 123
Sec. 5. Section 9-184c of the general statutes is repealed and the 124
following is substituted in lieu thereof (Effective October 1, 2025): 125
(a) In 1994, 1996, and quadrennially thereafter, the town clerk of each 126
town shall appoint as justice of the peace a number of electors of the 127
town who are not members of major parties, as defined in section 9-372, 128
which shall not exceed (1) where no justices of the peace are selected 129
under section 9-183c, one-third of the total number of justices of the 130
peace in the town, or (2) where justices of the peace are selected under 131
section 9-183c, one-third of the total number of justices of the peace in 132
the town less the number of justices of the peace in the town selected 133
under section 9-183c. Such percentage shall be rounded up to the nearest 134
whole number of justices of the peace. Any such appointment shall be 135
made upon written application submitted on or after August first and 136
on or before November first, in such year. No person who has 137
enrollment privileges in the town in a political party which selected 138
justices of the peace under section 9-183b or under section 9-183c within 139
the period beginning three months before said August first and ending 140
on the date the person is to be appointed under this section, shall be 141
eligible for such appointment. Not later than August 1, 1996, and 142
quadrennially thereafter, the town clerk shall send a written notice to 143
each incumbent justice of the peace appointed under this section. Such 144
notice shall inform such justices of the peace of the procedures set forth 145
in this section concerning the reappointment of such justices of the 146 Substitute Bill No. 7150
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peace. 147
(b) If, on November first in such year, the number of applications for 148
justice of the peace filed with the town clerk under subsection (a) of this 149
section exceeds the number of justices of the peace allowed under this 150
section, (1) each such applicant who is an incumbent justice of the peace 151
appointed under this section shall be reappointed if there are sufficient 152
openings, and (2) the town clerk shall, on or before the fifteenth business 153
day of November, select the remaining applicants to be appointed as 154
justices of the peace by lot in a ceremony which shall be open to the 155
public and held on five days' public notice. At such lottery the town 156
clerk shall determine the order of all such remaining applications for the 157
purpose of filling future vacancies under subsection (d) of this section. 158
If a town clerk receives a number of applications that is less than the 159
number of justices of the peace that he is authorized to appoint under 160
this section in any year, he shall not appoint any additional justices of 161
the peace, except as prescribed by subsections (d) and (e) of this section. 162
(c) Justices of the peace appointed in 1994 [,] shall serve a term of two 163
years beginning on the first Monday in 1995, and justices of the peace 164
appointed in 1996 and thereafter shall serve a term of four years 165
beginning on the first Monday in January in the succeeding year. 166
(d) Any vacancy in the office of any such justice of the peace shall be 167
filled by appointment by the town clerk of an elector qualifying under 168
subsection (a) of this section in the order determined in the lottery held 169
under [said] subsection (b) of this section. If no such lottery is held, or 170
the number of vacancies exceeds the number of remaining applicants 171
determined in the lottery held under subsection (b) of this section, the 172
vacancy shall [not] be filled pursuant to subsection (e) of this section. 173
(e) If the number of vacancies exceeds the number of remaining 174
applicants determined in the lottery held under subsection (b) of this 175
section or if no such lottery was held, the town clerk shall make public 176
the number of vacancies and the procedure for appointing new justices 177
of the peace under this subsection. Any such appointment shall be made 178 Substitute Bill No. 7150
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upon written application submitted not more than thirty days following 179
such public notice. No person who has enrollment privileges in the town 180
in a political party that selected justices of the peace under section 9-181
183b or 9-183c within the period beginning three months before the 182
public notice under this subsection and ending on the date the person is 183
to be appointed under this subsection shall be eligible for such 184
appointment. If the number of applications for justice of the peace filed 185
with the town clerk under this subsection exceeds the number of 186
vacancies, the town clerk shall, not less than ten and not more than 187
fifteen days following the close of such applications, select the 188
remaining applicants to be appointed as justices of the peace by lottery 189
in a ceremony which shall be open to the public and held within not less 190
than five days after the giving of public notice by the town clerk. At such 191
lottery, the town clerk shall determine the order of all such remaining 192
applications for the purpose of filling future vacancies under subsection 193
(d) of this section. If a town clerk receives a number of applications 194
under this subsection that is less than the number of justices of the peace 195
that the town clerk is authorized to appoint under this section in any 196
year, the town clerk shall not appoint any additional justices of the 197
peace. 198
Sec. 6. (NEW) (Effective from passage) (a) There is established a 199
working group to examine and make recommendations on (1) the 200
methods of determining the number of justice of the peace positions in 201
each municipality and state wide; (2) the portability of a justice of the 202
peace appointment in one municipality to other municipalities; (3) the 203
process by which justices of the peace are selected; (4) potential training, 204
minimum qualifications, application processes and background check 205
requirements for justices of the peace; (5) oversight of justices of the 206
peace, including the potential for levying fines; (6) potential legal 207
consequences for misrepresenting a person's status as a justice of the 208
peace; and (7) issues related to reporting human trafficking, forced 209
marriage and marriage fraud. 210
(b) The working group shall consist of the following members: 211 Substitute Bill No. 7150
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(1) Two appointed by the speaker of the House of Representatives, 212
one of whom is a justice of the peace and one of whom is a representative 213
of a professional organization for justices of the peace; 214
(2) Two appointed by the president pro tempore of the Senate, who 215
are town clerks; 216
(3) One appointed by the majority leader of the House of 217
Representatives, who is a town party chairperson; 218
(4) One appointed by the majority leader of the Senate, who is a 219
justice of the peace and not a member of a major political party; 220
(5) Two appointed by the minority leader of the House of 221
Representatives, one of whom is a town party chairperson and one of 222
whom is a town clerk; 223
(6) Two appointed by the minority leader of the Senate, one of whom 224
is a justice of the peace and one of whom is a town clerk; and 225
(7) The Secretary of the State, or the Secretary's designee. 226
(c) All initial appointments to the working group shall be made not 227
later than thirty days after the effective date of this section. Any vacancy 228
shall be filled by the appointing authority. 229
(d) The Secretary of the State, or the Secretary's designee, shall be the 230
chairperson of the working group and shall schedule the first meeting 231
of the working group, which shall be held not later than sixty days after 232
the effective date of this section. 233
(e) Not later than January 1, 2026, the working group shall submit a 234
report on its findings and recommendations to the joint standing 235
committee of the General Assembly having cognizance of matters 236
relating to government administration and elections, in accordance with 237
the provisions of section 11-4a of the general statutes, and to the 238
Secretary of the State. The working group shall terminate upon the 239
submission of such report. 240 Substitute Bill No. 7150
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This act shall take effect as follows and shall amend the following
sections:
Section 1 October 1, 2025 New section
Sec. 2 January 1, 2026 New section
Sec. 3 January 1, 2026 New section
Sec. 4 from passage New section
Sec. 5 October 1, 2025 9-184c
Sec. 6 from passage New section
PD Joint Favorable Subst.