SB 506

General Assembly  Raised Bill No. 506
  February Session, 2026  LCO No. 3092
 Referred to Committee on JUDICIARY
 Introduced by:
   (JUD)
 AN ACT CONCERNING CRIMINAL PENALTIES FOR INTENTIONAL
 DAMAGE TO CRITICAL INFRASTRUCTURE.
 Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in General
 Assembly convened:
1Section 1. Section 53a-115 of the general statutes is repealed and the
2     following is substituted in lieu thereof (Effective October 1, 2026):
3(a) A person is guilty of criminal mischief in the first degree when: (1)
4    With intent to cause damage to tangible property of another and having
5    no reasonable ground to believe that such person has a right to do so,
6    such person damages tangible property of another in an amount
7    exceeding one thousand five hundred dollars, or (2) with intent to cause
8    (A) (i) damage to tangible property of another and having no reasonable
9    ground to believe that such person has a right to do so, or (ii) an
10    interruption or impairment of service rendered to the public, and
11    [having] (B) with no reasonable ground to believe that such person has
12    a right to do so, such person damages or tampers with tangible property
13    of a utility or mode of public transportation, power or communication,
14    and thereby causes an interruption or impairment of service rendered
15    to the public, or (3) with intent to cause damage to any electronic
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16 monitoring equipment owned or leased by the state or its agent and
17 required as a condition of probation or conditional discharge pursuant
18 to section 53a-30, as a condition of release pursuant to section 54-64a or
19 as a condition of community release pursuant to section 18-100c, and
20 having no reasonable ground to believe that such person has a right to
21 do so, such person damages such electronic monitoring equipment and
22 thereby causes an interruption in its ability to function, or (4) with intent
23 to cause (A) damage to tangible property of another and having no
24 reasonable ground to believe that such person has a right to do so, or (B)
25 an interruption or impairment of service rendered to the public and
26 having no reasonable ground to believe that such person has a right to
27 do so, such person damages or tampers with [(A)] (i) any tangible
28 property owned by the state, a municipality or a person for fire alarm or
29 police alarm purposes, [(B)] (ii) any telecommunication system operated
30 by the state police or a municipal police department, [(C)] (iii) any
31 emergency medical or fire service dispatching system, [(D)] (iv) any fire
32 suppression equipment owned by the state, a municipality, a person or
33 a fire district, or [(E)] (v) any fire hydrant or hydrant system owned by
34 the state or a municipality, a person, a fire district or a private water
35 company, or (5) with intent to cause damage to tangible property owned
36 by the state or a municipality that is located on public land and having
37 no reasonable ground to believe that such person has a right to do so,
38 such person damages such tangible property in an amount exceeding
39 one thousand five hundred dollars.
40   (b) Criminal mischief in the first degree is a class D felony.
41    Sec. 2. Section 53a-116 of the general statutes is repealed and the
42 following is substituted in lieu thereof (Effective October 1, 2026):
43    (a) A person is guilty of criminal mischief in the second degree when:
44 (1) With intent to cause damage to tangible property of another and
45 having no reasonable ground to believe that such person has a right to
46 do so, such person damages tangible property of another in an amount
47 exceeding two hundred fifty dollars; or (2) with intent to cause (A)
48 damage to tangible property of another and having no reasonable
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49 ground to believe that such person has a right to do so, or (B) an
50 interruption or impairment of service rendered to the public and having
51 no reasonable ground to believe that such person has a right to do so,
52 such person damages or tampers with tangible property of a public
53 utility or mode of public transportation, power or communication, and
54 thereby causes a risk of interruption or impairment of service rendered
55 to the public; or (3) with intent to cause damage to tangible property
56 owned by the state or a municipality that is located on public land and
57 having no reasonable ground to believe that such person has a right to
58 do so, such person damages such tangible property in an amount
59 exceeding two hundred fifty dollars.
60   (b) Criminal mischief in the second degree is a class A misdemeanor.
  This act shall take effect as follows and shall amend the following
  sections:
  Section 1      October 1, 2026  53a-115
  Sec. 2  October 1, 2026  53a-116
 JUD  Joint Favorable
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