HB 5566

General Assembly  Substitute Bill No. 5566
  February Session, 2026
 AN ACT CONCERNING ACCELERATED REHABILITATION IN THE
 CASE OF ANIMAL CRUELTY.
 Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in General
 Assembly convened:
1Section 1. Subsection (c) of section 54-56e of the general statutes is
2     repealed and the following is substituted in lieu thereof (Effective October
3     1, 2026):
4(c) This section shall not be applicable: (1) To any person charged
5    with (A) a class A felony, (B) a class B felony, except a violation of
6    subdivision (1) or (2) of subsection (a) of section 53a-122 that does not
7    involve the use, attempted use or threatened use of physical force
8    against another person, or a violation of subdivision (3) of subsection (a)
9    of section 53a-122 that does not involve the use, attempted use or
10    threatened use of physical force against another person and does not
11    involve a violation by a person who is a public official, as defined in
12    section 1-110, or a state or municipal employee, as defined in section 1-
13    110, or (C) a violation of section 53a-70b of the general statutes, revision
14    of 1958, revised to January 1, 2019, or section 14-227a or 14-227m,
15    subdivision (1) or (2) of subsection (a) of section 14-227n, subdivision (2)
16    of subsection (a) of section 53-21 or section 53a-56b, 53a-60d, 53a-70, 53a-
17    70a, 53a-71, except as provided in subdivision (5) of this subsection, 53a-
18    72a, 53a-72b, 53a-90a, 53a-196e or 53a-196f, (2) to any person charged
19    with a crime or motor vehicle violation who, as a result of the
20    commission of such crime or motor vehicle violation, causes the death
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21 of another person, (3) to any person accused of a family violence crime
22 as defined in section 46b-38a who (A) is eligible for the pretrial family
23 violence education program established under section 46b-38c, or (B)
24 has previously had the pretrial family violence education program
25 invoked in such person's behalf, (4) to any person charged with a
26 violation of section 21a-267, 21a-279 or 21a-279a, who (A) is eligible for
27 the pretrial drug education and community service program established
28 under section 54-56i or the pretrial drug intervention and community
29 service program established under section 54-56q, or (B) has previously
30 had (i) the pretrial drug education program, (ii) the pretrial drug
31 education and community service program established under the
32 provisions of section 54-56i, or (iii) the pretrial drug intervention and
33 community service program established under section 54-56q, invoked
34 on such person's behalf, (5) unless good cause is shown, to (A) any
35 person charged with a class C felony, or (B) any person charged with
36 committing a violation of subdivision (1) of subsection (a) of section 53a-
37 71 while such person was less than four years older than the other
38 person, (6) to any person charged with a violation of section 9-359 or 9-
39 359a, (7) to any person charged with a motor vehicle violation (A) while
40 operating a commercial motor vehicle, as defined in section 14-1, or (B)
41 who holds a commercial driver's license or commercial learner's permit
42 at the time of the violation, (8) to any person charged with a violation of
43 subdivision (6) of subsection (a) of section 53a-60, (9) to a health care
44 provider or vendor participating in the state's Medicaid program
45 charged with a violation of section 53a-122 or subdivision (3) of
46 subsection (a) of section 53a-123, [or] (10) to any person charged with a
47 violation of section 15-132a, 15-133 or 15-140n, or (11) to any person
48 charged with a violation of section 22-329 or 53-247 who has previously
49 participated in the program pursuant to this section, unless fifteen or
50 more years have passed since the date of dismissal by the court of any
51 charge or charges for which the program was invoked on the
52 defendant's behalf.
  This act shall take effect as follows and shall amend the following
  sections:
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 Section 1      October 1, 2026  54-56e(c)
Statement of Legislative Commissioners:
In Subsec. (c), a reference to the date of dismissal was added for internal
consistency.
JUD  Joint Favorable Subst. -LCO
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