- H.R. 10171August 27, 2026
- H.R. 10156August 27, 2026
- H.R. 10172August 27, 2026
- H.R. 10160August 27, 2026
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- H.R. 10176August 27, 2026
- H.Res. 1496August 27, 2026
- H.R. 10164August 27, 2026
- H.R. 10170August 27, 2026
- H.Res. 1494August 27, 2026
- H.R. 10163August 27, 2026
- H.R. 10157August 27, 2026
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HB 5460
Connecticut House•Signed by Governor
Summary
HB 5460, the An Act Concerning State-wide Fire Protection, was introduced in the House on Mar 4, 2026 by Public Safety and Security Committee with 10 co-sponsors. It last saw action on Jun 4, 2026: Signed by the Governor.
Record
Text
HB 5460 has 10 co-sponsors and 4 roll calls.
hb05460/chaptered.txtSubstitute House Bill No. 5460Public Act No. 26-144AN ACT CONCERNING STATE-WIDE FIRE PROTECTION.Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in GeneralAssembly convened:Section 1. (NEW) (Effective October 1, 2026) (a) As used in this section:(1) "Entity" has the same meaning as provided in section 20-474 of thegeneral statutes;(2) "Fire protection" means the prevention and suppression of fires,the investigation of the origin and cause of fires, the response tohazardous materials incidents and technical rescues;(3) "Municipality" has the same meaning as provided in section 7-148of the general statutes;(4) "District or subdivision" includes any entity or subdivision of amunicipality with a responsibility for fire protection services pursuantto statute, charter or ordinance; and(5) "National Emergency Response Information System" means thenational data system developed or designated by the United States FireAdministration, or its successor system, for the collection, reporting andanalysis of fire and emergency incident data.Substitute House Bill No. 5460(b) On or before July 1, 2027, and annually thereafter, each fireprotection entity responsible for providing fire protection serviceswithin one or more of the geographic areas of a municipality shallregister with such municipality. Such registration shall include, butneed not be limited to, the demographic information of the geographicarea served by such entity and the name and contact information of suchentity. Such entity shall file amendments to the registration reportingany material change to the information contained in such registrationnot later than thirty days after the entity knows or should know of suchmaterial change.(c) Each municipality shall enter such registration and thedemographic and contact information related to such entities in theNational Emergency Response Information System. The municipalityshall maintain and review such demographic and contact informationnot less than annually.(d) On or before July 1, 2027, each municipality shall establish a localfire protection plan and submit such plan to the chief elected officer,legislative body and emergency management director of suchmunicipality. Each municipality may submit such plan to the State FireAdministrator, unless the Commission on Fire Prevention and Controlrequires the submission of such plan to the State Fire Administratorpursuant to subsection (b) of section 7-323l, in which case such plan shallbe submitted in the form and manner specified by the commission. Suchplan shall include, but need not be limited to:(1) A general statement of how fire protection services are providedwithin the municipality;(2) A disclosure of the districts or subdivisions responsible for fireprotection services throughout all geographic areas within themunicipality;Public Act No. 26-144 2 of 19Substitute House Bill No. 5460(3) The name of each fire protection entity responsible for providingfire protection services within one or more of the geographic areas ofsuch municipality;(4) A description of any written agreements or contracts between themunicipality and the entities that provide fire protection services to themunicipality;(5) An identification of the specific geographic boundaries of theareas within the municipality that are served by each entity thatprovides fire protection services to the municipality;(6) The name of the person, including, but not limited to, the fire chief,responsible for each fire protection entity that provides fire protectionservices to the municipality;(7) A description of the fire protection performance standards towhich the municipality adheres, including, but not limited to, responsetimes, minimum fireground staffing levels and apparatus requirements;(8) A description of the process used for collecting and trackingpersonnel and response data, including, but not limited to, any softwareused; and(9) A description of any mutual aid agreements to which themunicipality is a party.(e) If, pursuant to the provisions of subsection (b) of section 7-323l ofthe general statutes, as amended by this act, the Commission on FirePrevention and Control establishes a standardized protocol, the StateFire Administrator shall, not less than once every five years, review andassign a rating to each local fire protection plan submitted to the StateFire Administrator pursuant to subsection (c) of this section inaccordance with such standardized protocol. The State FireAdministrator (1) may require any municipality whose local firePublic Act No. 26-144 3 of 19Substitute House Bill No. 5460protection plan is assigned an unsatisfactory rating to submit aperformance improvement plan not later than ninety days after theassignment of such unsatisfactory rating, and (2) shall assist suchmunicipality with the development of such performance improvementplan.(f) On and after July 1, 2032, and every five years thereafter, eachmunicipality shall review, and revise as needed, its local fire protectionplan and may communicate any substantial changes to such plan to theState Fire Administrator.Sec. 2. Section 7-323l of the 2026 supplement to the general statutes isrepealed and the following is substituted in lieu thereof (Effective October1, 2026):(a) The commission shall:(1) Recommend minimum standards of education and physicalcondition for candidates for any firefighter position;(2) Recommend minimum standards for firefighter safety andemergency response protocols. Such standards and protocols shalladdress, but need not be limited to, operational safety strategies usedduring fire suppression operations, hazardous materials mitigation andtechnical rescue operations and methods for ensuring the health andwellness of fire service personnel;[(2)] (3) Establish standards for fire service training and educationprograms, and develop and conduct an examination program to certifythose fire service personnel who satisfactorily demonstrate their abilityto meet the requirements of the fire service training and educationprogram standards;[(3)] (4) Establish an optional fire service training and educationprogram that provides information relative to the blue envelopesPublic Act No. 26-144 4 of 19Substitute House Bill No. 5460designed pursuant to section 14-11j and yellow envelopes designedpursuant to section 14-11l and techniques for the handling of incidents,such as wandering, that involve juveniles and adults with autismspectrum disorder, cognitive impairment or nonverbal learningdisorder, provided the curriculum for such techniques is made availableat no cost from (A) institutions of higher education, health careprofessionals or advocacy organizations that are concerned withjuveniles and adults with autism spectrum disorder, cognitiveimpairment or nonverbal learning disorder, or (B) collaborations of suchinstitutions, professionals or organizations;[(4)] (5) Conduct fire fighting training and education programsdesigned to assist firefighters in developing and maintaining their skillsand keeping abreast of technological advances in fire suppression, fireprotection, fire prevention and related fields;[(5)] (6) Recommend standards for promotion to the various ranks offire departments;[(6)] (7) Be authorized, with the approval of the Commissioner ofEmergency Services and Public Protection, to apply for, receive anddistribute any state, federal or private funds or contributions availablefor training and education of fire fighting personnel;[(7)] (8) Recommend that the Commissioner of Emergency Servicesand Public Protection approve or reject the establishment of, or, whenappropriate, suspend or revoke the approval of, regional fire schools inaccordance with section 7-323u;[(8)] (9) Advise the Division of Fire Services Administration withinthe Department of Emergency Services and Public Protection on themanagement of the Statewide Fire Service Disaster Response Plan;[(9)] (10) Implement the recommendations of the study of the fireservice authorized pursuant to subdivision (36) of subsection (b) ofPublic Act No. 26-144 5 of 19Substitute House Bill No. 5460section 41 of public act 23-204; and[(10)] (11) Submit to the Governor, the joint standing committee of theGeneral Assembly having cognizance of matters relating to public safetyand security, in accordance with the provisions of section 11-4a, and theCommissioner of Emergency Services and Public Protection an annualreport (A) relating to the activities, recommendations andaccomplishments of the commission, and (B) making recommendationson the funding necessary for the operation of, the maintenance of andcapital improvements to the state fire school and regional fire schools.(b) The commission may:(1) [recommend] Recommend, and the Commissioner of EmergencyServices and Public Protection may adopt, regulations in accordancewith the provisions of chapter 54 as necessary to implement theprovisions of this section;(2) Require municipalities to submit local fire protection plans, andany revisions to such plans, to the State Fire Administrator;(3) Establish, in coordination with the State Fire Administrator, a (A)standardized protocol by which the State Fire Administrator shallreview, not less than once every five years, local fire protection plansand assign a rating to such plan based on such standardized protocol,and (B) standardized classification system by which the State FireAdministrator may evaluate and grade the operational performance ofthe fire protection services provided by each municipality or fire district.In establishing such standardized classification system, the commissionshall consider nationally recognized standards, including, but notlimited to, standards developed by the National Fire ProtectionAssociation and the Center for Public Safety Excellence; and(4) Require the submission of operational data by each fire protectionentity in the state and specify the form and manner of such submission.Public Act No. 26-144 6 of 19Substitute House Bill No. 5460The commissioner shall submit such requirement to the State FireAdministrator for adoption.Sec. 3. (NEW) (Effective October 1, 2026) (a) As used in this section,"municipality" has the same meaning as provided in section 7-148 of thegeneral statutes.(b) In the event fire protection services in a municipality arediscontinued or interrupted, including, but not limited to, thedissolution or cessation of operations of any fire department, fire districtor fire company, the municipality shall take such actions as necessary toensure the continuation and uninterrupted provision of fire protectionservices within its territorial limits, except as otherwise provided byspecial act or municipal charter. Such actions may include, but need notbe limited to, the establishment or operation of a municipal firedepartment, the entering into of contracts or agreements for fireprotection services, the designation of a temporary or permanentprovider or participation in a mutual aid or regional fire servicearrangement.Sec. 4. (NEW) (Effective from passage) (a) As used in this section andsections 5 and 6 of this act:(1) "Fire protection" has the same meaning as provided in section 1 ofthis act; and(2) "Municipality" has the same meaning as provided in section 7-148of the general statutes.(b) There is established within the Division of Fire ServicesAdministration within the Department of Emergency Services andPublic Protection a program to be known as "Connecticut Fire". Thepurpose of the Connecticut Fire program shall be to establish aframework for the state to provide administrative and operationalassistance to municipalities or fire authorities that choose to receive suchPublic Act No. 26-144 7 of 19Substitute House Bill No. 5460assistance. The program shall include, but not be limited to, provisionsfor resident firefighters to staff and augment volunteer fire departmentsand fire districts with paid personnel while preserving the localautonomy and command structures of fire protection services.(c) The State Fire Administrator shall oversee the Connecticut Fireprogram. Upon approval of the framework for the Connecticut Fireprogram by the Commission on Fire Prevention and Control pursuantto section 6 of this act, the State Fire Administrator may include in abudget request for the subsequent fiscal year the cost of implementingsuch framework. Upon the inclusion of appropriations for said programin an approved state budget, the State Fire Administrator shall, withinavailable appropriations, implement such framework.(d) The Connecticut Fire program may utilize the facilities andequipment of the Connecticut Fire Academy, the Forestry Division ofthe Department of Energy and Environmental Protection and theregional fire schools to achieve the objectives of the program.Sec. 5. (NEW) (Effective from passage) (a) Upon implementation of theConnecticut Fire program by the State Fire Administrator pursuant tothe provisions of section 4 of this act, the Secretary of the Office of Policyand Management shall administer a Connecticut Fire grant program.Pursuant to said grant program, the secretary shall provide grants-in-aid to municipalities that participate in the Connecticut Fire program toincentivize the regionalization of fire protection services and the sharingof fire protection resources among municipalities. A municipality maysubmit an application for a grant under this subsection in a form andmanner prescribed by the secretary.(b) Not later than the start of the subsequent fiscal year afterawarding the first grant under the Connecticut Fire grant program, thesecretary shall submit a report on the grant program to the jointstanding committee of the General Assembly having cognizance ofPublic Act No. 26-144 8 of 19Substitute House Bill No. 5460matters relating to public safety and security in accordance with theprovisions of section 11-4a of the general statutes. Such report shallinclude, but need not be limited to, an accounting of the grants paidpursuant to the program, a description of each grant awarded under theprogram and an evaluation of the success of the program and the fireprotection services funded under this section.Sec. 6. (Effective from passage) (a) The Comptroller shall establish aworking group to develop the administrative, operational, fiscal andpersonnel framework for the Connecticut Fire program, establishedpursuant to section 4 of this act.(b) The working group shall include, but need not be limited to:(1) The Comptroller, or the Comptroller's designee;(2) The Secretary of the Office of Policy and Management, or thesecretary's designee;(3) The Commissioner of Emergency Services and Public Protection,or the commissioner's designee;(4) The State Fire Administrator, or the administrator's designee;(5) The chairperson and vice-chairperson of the Commission on FirePrevention and Control, or their designees;(6) Three members of the Joint Council of Connecticut Fire ServiceOrganizations, who shall be appointed by the joint council;(7) The executive director of the Connecticut Conference ofMunicipalities if such executive director agrees to participate in theworking group, or the executive director's designee; and(8) The executive director of the Council of Small Towns if suchexecutive director agrees to participate in the working group, or thePublic Act No. 26-144 9 of 19Substitute House Bill No. 5460executive director's designee.(c) The Comptroller shall: (1) Schedule the first meeting of theworking group, which shall be held not later than sixty days after theeffective date of this section; and (2) select two cochairpersons fromamong the members of the working group.(d) Not later than September 1, 2027, the Comptroller shall submit therecommended framework for the Connecticut Fire program developedby the working group to the Commission on Fire Prevention andControl. The Comptroller may terminate the working group on the datethat the commission approves such framework pursuant to subsection(e) of this section or January 1, 2028, whichever is later.(e) Not later than January 1, 2028, the Commission on Fire Preventionand Control shall (1) review the working group's recommendedframework for the Connecticut Fire program, (2) approve suchframework, with or without modifications, and (3) submit the approvedframework to the State Fire Administrator.Sec. 7. (NEW) (Effective from passage) (a) The State Fire Administratorshall coordinate with the Division of Emergency Management andHomeland Security within the Department of Emergency Services andPublic Protection to establish fire service regions within the state thatmatch the emergency preparedness regions established by said division.The State Fire Administrator shall appoint, subject to confirmation bythe Commission on Fire Prevention and Control, a regional firecoordinator for each such region. In any region where a recognizedregional fire chiefs' organization exists, such organization may submitto the State Fire Administrator recommendations for candidates forregional fire coordinator for such region.(b) Each regional fire coordinator shall serve in a voluntary,nonsalaried capacity as a liaison between the Division of Fire ServicesPublic Act No. 26-144 10 of 19Substitute House Bill No. 5460Administration within the Department of Emergency Services andPublic Protection and the local fire departments within the regionserved by such regional fire coordinator for the purposes of facilitatingthe Connecticut Fire program established pursuant to section 4 of thisact and coordinating fire protection resources through such region. Forthe purposes of this subsection, "fire protection" has the same meaningas provided in section 1 of this act.(c) The State Fire Administrator may submit a plan to theCommissioner of Emergency Services and Public Protection totransition the position of regional fire coordinator to a salariedemployee position. Upon approval of such plan, the commissioner mayinclude such position in the estimates of expenditure requirements inaccordance with the provisions of section 4-77 of the general statutes.Sec. 8. (NEW) (Effective July 1, 2026) The Department of EmergencyServices and Public Protection, in coordination with the office of theComptroller, shall, within the availability of appropriations approvedfor such purpose, establish and maintain a system for collectingcomputer-aided dispatch data pursuant to the provisions of subsection(f) of section 28-25b of the general statutes, as amended by this act. Thedepartment shall aggregate such data and monitor informationregarding emergency services requests managed by fire departmentsand emergency medical services providers.Sec. 9. Subsection (f) of section 28-25b of the general statutes isrepealed and the following is substituted in lieu thereof (Effective July 1,2026):(f) [On and after January 1, 2001, each] Each public safety answeringpoint and regional emergency telecommunications center shall submitto the division, on a quarterly basis, a report of all 9-1-1 calls for servicesreceived through the enhanced 9-1-1 service and the next generation 9-1-1 telecommunication system by the public safety answering point orPublic Act No. 26-144 11 of 19Substitute House Bill No. 5460regional emergency telecommunications center. Such report shallinclude, but not be limited to, the following information: (1) The numberof 9-1-1 calls during the reporting quarter; [and] (2) for each such call,the elapsed time period from the time the call was received to the timethe call was answered, and the elapsed time period from the time thecall was answered to the time the call was transferred or terminated,expressed in time ranges or fractile response times; and (3) any otherinformation requested by the division for inclusion in the systemestablished and maintained by the Department of Emergency Servicesand Public Protection pursuant to the provisions of section 8 of this act.The information required under this subsection shall be produced usingdata generated from a computer-aided dispatch system if a public safetyanswering point or regional emergency telecommunications centerutilizes such system, and may be submitted in any written or electronicform selected by such public safety answering point or regionalemergency telecommunications center and approved by theCommissioner of Emergency Services and Public Protection, providedthe commissioner shall take into consideration the needs of such publicsafety answering point or regional emergency telecommunicationscenter in approving such written or electronic form. On a quarterlybasis, the division shall make such information available to the publicand [shall post such information on its Internet web site] input suchinformation in the system established pursuant to section 8 of this act.Sec. 10. (NEW) (Effective from passage) (a) The office of theComptroller, in coordination with the Department of EmergencyServices and Public Protection, shall study the feasibility of centralizingwithin one state agency access to all public benefits available tofirefighters, including, but not limited to, claims related to thefirefighters cancer relief account established pursuant to section 7-313hof the general statutes, claims related to the Fallen Hero Fundestablished pursuant to section 3-122a of the general statutes, injuryclaims, workers' compensation claims and disability claims. Such accessPublic Act No. 26-144 12 of 19Substitute House Bill No. 5460to benefits through one state agency shall include, but need not belimited to, such state agency making eligibility determinations,receiving applications and disseminating information for such benefits.(b) Not later than July 1 2027, the Comptroller shall submit, inaccordance with the provisions of section 11-4a of the general statutes,to the joint standing committee of the General Assembly havingcognizance of matters relating to public safety and security a report onthe results of the study conducted pursuant to subsection (a) of thissection.Sec. 11. Subsection (b) of section 7-323o of the general statutes isrepealed and the following is substituted in lieu thereof (Effective frompassage):(b) The Division of Fire Services Administration shall:(1) Administer federal funds and grants allocated to the fire servicesof the state;(2) Provide technical assistance and guidance to fire fighting forces ofany state or municipal agency;(3) Develop a centralized information and audiovisual libraryregarding fire prevention and control;(4) Accumulate, disseminate and analyze fire prevention data;(5) Recommend specifications of fire service materials and equipmentand assist in the purchasing thereof;(6) Assist in mutual aid coordination;(7) Coordinate fire programs with those of the other states;(8) Assist in communications coordination;Public Act No. 26-144 13 of 19Substitute House Bill No. 5460(9) Establish and maintain a fire service information program;(10) Review and approve the purchase of fire apparatus or equipmentat state institutions, facilities and properties;(11) Recommend and provide reports on revisions to statutes relatingto firefighter training and fire prevention and control;(12) Advise and assist the Commission on Fire Prevention andControl regarding legislative proposals;(13) Encourage the expansion and improvement of existing regionalfirefighter training facilities in cooperation with the Commission on FirePrevention and Control;(14) Administer the state fire school and regional fire schools;(15) Administer certification examinations, testing procedures andreciprocity recognition for credentials in the fire service disciplines;(16) Manage the Statewide Fire Service Disaster Response Plan, withthe advice of the Commission on Fire Prevention and Control; [and](17) Make recommendations to the Commission on Fire Preventionand Control and the Commissioner of Emergency Services and PublicProtection pertaining to the operational funding of the state fire schooland regional fire schools; and(18) Not later than July 1, 2027, establish, and annually thereafterupdate as needed, a registry identifying the fire chief for eachmunicipality and fire district in the state.Sec. 12. (NEW) (Effective from passage) Not later than July 1, 2027, theoffice of the Comptroller, in coordination with the Department ofEmergency Services and Public Protection, shall establish and maintaina registry of all career and volunteer firefighters in the state, for thePublic Act No. 26-144 14 of 19Substitute House Bill No. 5460purpose of verifying such firefighters' training, credentials and benefiteligibility.Sec. 13. Section 14-96q of the general statutes is repealed and thefollowing is substituted in lieu thereof (Effective October 1, 2026):(a) A permit is required for the use of colored or flashing lights on allmotor vehicles or equipment specified in this section except: (1) Motorvehicles not registered in this state used for transporting or escortingany vehicle or load, or combinations thereof, which is either oversize oroverweight, or both, when operating under a permit issued by theCommissioner of Transportation pursuant to section 14-270; or (2)motor vehicles or equipment that are (A) equipped with lights inaccordance with this section, (B) owned or leased by the federalgovernment, the state of Connecticut, or any other state, commonwealthor local municipality, and (C) registered to such governmental entity.When used in this section, the term "flashing" shall be considered toinclude the term "revolving".(b) The Commissioner of Motor Vehicles, or such other personspecifically identified in this section, may issue permits for the use ofcolored or flashing lights on vehicles in accordance with this section, atthe commissioner's or such person's discretion. Any person, firm orcorporation other than the state or any metropolitan district, town, cityor borough shall pay an annual permit fee of twenty dollars to thecommissioner for each such vehicle. Such fee shall apply only to permitsissued by the commissioner.(c) A [flashing] blue light or lights, including flashing blue lights, maybe used on a motor vehicle operated by an active member of a volunteerfire department or company or an active member of an organized civilpreparedness auxiliary fire company who has been issued a permit bythe chief executive officer of such department or company to use such a[flashing] blue light or lights while on the way to or at the scene of a firePublic Act No. 26-144 15 of 19Substitute House Bill No. 5460or other emergency requiring such member's services. Such permit shallbe on a form provided by the commissioner and may be revoked by suchchief executive officer or such chief executive officer's successor. Thechief executive officer of each volunteer fire department or company ororganized civil preparedness auxiliary fire company shall keep on file,on forms provided by the commissioner, the names and addresses ofmembers who have been authorized to use a [flashing] blue light orlights as provided in this subsection. Such listing shall also designate theregistration number of the motor vehicle on which an authorized [aflashing] blue light or lights are to be used.(d) A flashing green or blue light or lights may be used on a motorvehicle operated by an active member of a volunteer ambulanceassociation or company who has been issued a permit by the chiefexecutive officer of such association or company to use such a light orlights, while on the way to or at the scene of an emergency requiringsuch member's services. Such permit shall be on a form provided by thecommissioner and may be revoked by such chief executive officer orsuch chief executive officer's successor. The chief executive officer ofeach volunteer ambulance association or company shall keep on file, onforms provided by the commissioner, the names and addresses ofmembers who have been authorized to use a flashing green or blue lightor lights as provided in this subsection. Such listing shall also designatethe registration number of the motor vehicle on which the authorizedflashing green or blue light or lights are to be used.(e) The commissioner may issue a permit for a [flashing] red light orlights, including flashing red lights, which may be used on a motorvehicle or equipment (1) used by paid fire chiefs and their deputies andassistants, up to a total of five individuals per department, (2) used byvolunteer fire chiefs and their deputies and assistants, up to a total offive individuals per department, (3) used by members of the fire policeon a stationary vehicle as a warning signal during traffic directingPublic Act No. 26-144 16 of 19Substitute House Bill No. 5460operations at the scene of a fire or emergency, (4) used by chief executiveofficers of emergency medical service organizations, as defined insection 19a-175, the first or second deputies, or if there are no deputies,the first or second assistants, of such an organization that is a municipalor volunteer or licensed organization, (5) used by local fire marshals, (6)used by directors of emergency management, including, but not limitedto, the deputy commissioner of the Division of Emergency Managementand Homeland Security within the Department of Emergency Servicesand Public Protection and the regional coordinators for said division, or(7) used by a constable, appointed pursuant to an ordinance authorizedby section 9-185 or elected pursuant to section 9-200, on a stationaryvehicle as a warning signal during traffic directing operations.(f) The commissioner may issue a permit for a yellow or amber lightor lights, including a flashing yellow or amber light or lights, which maybe used on motor vehicles or equipment that are (1) specified insubsection (e) of this section, (2) maintenance vehicles, or (3) vehiclestransporting or escorting any vehicle or load or combinations thereof,which is or are either oversize or overweight, or both, and beingoperated or traveling under a permit issued by the Commissioner ofTransportation pursuant to section 14-270. A yellow or amber light orlights, including a flashing yellow or amber light or lights, may be usedwithout obtaining a permit from the Commissioner of Motor Vehicleson wreckers registered pursuant to section 14-66, on vehicles of carriersin rural mail delivery service or on vehicles operated by constructioninspectors employed by the state of Connecticut, authorized by theCommissioner of Transportation, used during the performance ofinspections on behalf of the state. The Commissioner of Transportationshall maintain a list of such authorized construction inspectors,including the name and address of each inspector and the registrationnumber for each vehicle on which the light or lights are to be used.(g) The Commissioner of Motor Vehicles may issue a permit for aPublic Act No. 26-144 17 of 19Substitute House Bill No. 5460white light or lights, including a flashing white light or lights, whichmay be used on a motor vehicle or equipment as specified in subdivision(1), (2), (4), (5) or (6) of subsection (e) of this section. A vehicle beingoperated by a member of a volunteer fire department or company or avolunteer emergency medical technician may use flashing white headlamps, provided such member or emergency medical technician is onthe way to the scene of a fire or medical emergency and has receivedwritten authorization from the chief law enforcement officer of themunicipality to use such head lamps. Such head lamps shall only beused within the municipality granting such authorization or from apersonal residence or place of employment, if located in an adjoiningmunicipality. Such authorization may be revoked for use of such headlamps in violation of this subdivision. For the purposes of thissubsection, the term "flashing white lights" shall not include thesimultaneous flashing of head lamps.(h) The commissioner may issue a permit for emergency vehicles, asdefined in subsection (a) of section 14-283, to use a blue, red, yellow, orwhite light or lights, including a flashing light or lights or anycombination thereof. [, except as provided in subsection (k) of thissection.](i) The commissioner may issue a permit for ambulances, as definedin section 19a-175, which may, in addition to the flashing light or lightsallowed in subsection (h) of this section, use flashing lights of othercolors specified by federal requirements for the manufacture of anambulance. If the commissioner issues a permit for any ambulance, suchpermit shall be issued at the time of registration and upon each renewalof such registration.(j) A green, yellow or amber light or lights, including a flashing green,yellow or amber light or lights or any combination thereof, may be usedon a maintenance vehicle owned and operated by the Department ofTransportation.Public Act No. 26-144 18 of 19Substitute House Bill No. 5460[(k) No person, other than a police officer or inspector of theDepartment of Motor Vehicles operating a state or local police vehicle,shall operate a motor vehicle displaying a steady blue or steady redilluminated light or both steady blue and steady red illuminated lightsthat are visible externally from the front of the vehicle.][(l)] (k) Use of colored and flashing lights except as authorized by thissection shall be an infraction.Governor's Action:Approved June 4, 2026Public Act No. 26-144 19 of 19
To establish various state-wide fire protection provisions relating to (1) fire protection services registrations, (2) local fire protection plans, (3) the Commission on Fire Prevention and Control, (4) municipal fire protection requirements, (5) a Deputy State Fire Administrator position, (6) the Connecticut Fire program, (7) regional fire coordinators, (8) collection of dispatch data, (9) a First Responder Health and Benefits Unit, (10) requirements applicable to the State Comptroller, and (11) lights on fire protection vehicles.
Sponsors
Public Safety and Security Committee sponsors HB 5460, and 10 members have co-sponsored it.

· Sponsor

Rep. · D–82 · Co-sponsor

Rep. · D–50 · Co-sponsor

Rep. · D–9 · Co-sponsor

Rep. · R–122 · Co-sponsor

Rep. · R–14 · Co-sponsor

Rep. · R–67 · Co-sponsor

Rep. · D–138 · Co-sponsor

Rep. · D–25 · Co-sponsor

Rep. · R–87 · Co-sponsor
Committees
HB 5460 went before 2 committees: Public Safety and Security and Appropriations.
History
HB 5460 has taken 28 actions since Mar 4, 2026, the latest on Jun 4, 2026.
| Chamber | Action | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
Jun 4, 2026 | House | Signed by the Governor | ||
May 28, 2026 | House | Transmitted to the Secretary of State | ||
May 28, 2026 | House | Transmitted by Secretary of the State to Governor | ||
May 20, 2026 | House | Public Act 26-144 | ||
May 6, 2026 | Senate | Senate Adopted House Amendment Schedule A |
Votes
HB 5460 went to 4 roll calls across both chambers, the latest on May 6, 2026 at 36–0.
| Chamber | Question | Yea | Nay | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
May 6, 2026 | Senate | Senate Roll Call Vote 382 | 36 | 0 | ||
May 1, 2026 | House | House Roll Call Vote 192 AS AMENDED | 143 | 0 | ||
Apr 30, 2026 | J | APP Vote Tally Sheet (Joint Favorable) | 47 | 1 | ||
Mar 17, 2026 | J | PS Vote Tally Sheet (Joint Favorable) | 29 | 0 |
Source: cga.ct.gov · legiscan.com