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HB 5456 Connecticut House · 2026 Regular Session

AN ACT CONCERNING THE NUMBER OF DEPUTY COMMISSIONERS APPOINTED BY THE COMMISSIONER OF EMERGENCY SERVICES AND PUBLIC PROTECTION.

This bill changes the staffing structure of the Department of Emergency Services and Public Protection by increasing the number of deputy commissioners the department head can appoint from two to three. The change takes effect on October 1, 2026, and allows the commissioner to appoint an additional deputy to assist with administering the department under their direction. The legislation does not alter the existing requirement that two deputy commissioners lead specific divisions, but simply adds the option for a third deputy position. Implementing this change will require state funding for salary and benefits costs in fiscal years 2027 and 2028.
Tags: Public Safety
Bill status in committee 1 of 4 stages cleared
Introduction
Mar 2026
Committee Review
Floor Vote
Governor
Introduced Mar 4, 2026 Last action Apr 1, 2026
Maddy AI version diff · 1 comparison

What changed between versions

Raised Bill → PS Joint Favorable Substitute · 3 edits
MINOR
The bill was amended to streamline the creation of the Department of Emergency Services and Public Protection by removing the specific requirement to appoint three distinct deputy commissioners. Instead, the bill now grants the Commissioner broad authority to appoint up to three deputies as needed, allowing for greater flexibility in staffing based on operational requirements rather than a fixed structure.
Scope change
The scope of the bill shifted from mandating a specific organizational hierarchy with defined roles to establishing a flexible staffing model where the number and specific titles of deputy commissioners are determined by the Commissioner.
REQUIREMENT

Changed the requirement for exactly three deputy commissioners (one First Deputy and two operational deputies) to a flexible limit of 'not more than three' deputy commissioners at the Commissioner's discretion.

Removed the specific definitions and responsibilities for the 'First Deputy Commissioner of Administration' and the two 'Operational Deputy Commissioners', eliminating the need to assign specific duties to these fixed roles.

TIMELINE

Updated the effective date of the act from October 1, 2026, to July 1, 2025, and changed the effective date for the amendment of existing statutes to October 1, 2026.

Floor votes

How they voted

No floor votes recorded yet.
Full legislative history

Actions timeline

Total actions
9
Key actions
1
Committee
2
Mar 17, 2026
Lower · Passed
Joint Favorable Substitute
lower
Mar 4, 2026
Committee
REF. TO JOINT COMM. ON Public Safety and Security
lower
0 primary · 0 co-sponsors

Sponsors

No sponsor information available.