AN ACT CONCERNING VOTING PROCEDURES FOR AND STATE ELECTIONS ENFORCEMENT COMMISSION OVERSIGHT OF FIRE DISTRICTS.

House of Representatives
sHB5253 / File No. 319 1

General Assembly File No. 319
February Session, 2026 Substitute House Bill No. 5253

House of Representatives, April 1, 2026

The Committee on Government Oversight reported through
REP. DATHAN of the 142nd Dist., Chairperson of the
Committee on the part of the House, that the substitute bill
ought to pass.

AN ACT CONCERNING VOTING PROCEDURES FOR AND STATE
ELECTIONS ENFORCEMENT COMMISSION OVERSIGHT OF FIRE
DISTRICTS.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in General
Assembly convened:

Section 1. (NEW) ( Effective July 1, 2027 ) (a) The provisions of this 1
section shall apply to each fire district within the state, whether 2
operating under a special act or under sections 7-324 to 7-329, inclusive, 3
of the general statutes, and shall be in addition to the provisions of any 4
such special act or of said sections, as applicable. Where there is any 5
conflict between a provision of any such special act or of said sections 6
and this section, the provisions of this section shall apply. 7
(b) At each annual or special meeting of a fire district, for the election 8
of fire district officers or the transaction of such other business as may 9
properly come before such meeting, each item on the call of such 10
meeting shall be submitted to the persons qualified to vote in such 11
meeting for a vote by paper ballots. Only those such persons present at 12
sHB5253 File No. 319

sHB5253 / File No. 319 2

such meeting shall be permitted to cast a vote, and no person shall be 13
permitted to cast a vote by absentee ballot. 14
(c) Any person qualified to vote in a meeting of a fire district 15
described in subsection (b) of this section who claims to be aggrieved by 16
a violation of the provisions of this section, or of section 7 -327 of the 17
general statutes, as amended by this act, applicable to such fire district, 18
may file a written complaint under oath with the State Elections 19
Enforcement Commission alleging such violation. Upon receipt of such 20
complaint, the commission may exercise with respect to such fire district 21
the duties and powers set forth in section 9-7b of the general statutes, as 22
amended by this act, and render a decision on such complaint. Any 23
party aggrieved by the decision of the commission may appeal such 24
decision to the Superior Court in accordance with the provisions of 25
section 4-183 of the general statutes. In any such appeal to the Superior 26
Court or any subsequent judicial proceeding related to such violation, 27
the court may (1) award reasonable attorneys' fees, litigation costs and 28
punitive damages, in addition to any civil penalties levied by the 29
commission, (2) hold any fire district officer personally liable for such 30
fees, costs and penalties whenever the court finds such fire district 31
officer to have knowingly and wilfully engaged in such violation or any 32
other similar malfeasance related to voting procedures at such meeting, 33
and (3) grant such other relief as the court deems appropriate, including, 34
but not limited to, ordering that a new vote be taken for the election of 35
fire district officers or the transaction of such other business as may 36
properly come before such meeting. 37
Sec. 2. Subsection (a) of section 9 -7b of the 2026 supplement to the 38
general statutes, as amended by section 97 of public act 26-1, is repealed 39
and the following is substituted in lieu thereof (Effective July 1, 2027): 40
(a) The State Elections Enforcement Commission shall have the 41
following duties and powers: 42
(1) (A) To make investigations on its own initiative or with respect to 43
statements filed with the commission by the Secretary of the State, any 44
town clerk or any registrar of voters or upon written complaint under 45
sHB5253 File No. 319

sHB5253 / File No. 319 3

oath by any individual, with respect to alleged violations of any 46
provision of the general statutes relating to any election or referendum, 47
any primary held pursuant to section 9 -423, 9 -425 or 9 -464 or any 48
primary held pursuant to a special act, [and to ] or upon written 49
complaint under oath by any eligible voter of a fire district, with respect 50
to alleged violations of any provision of section 1 of this act or section 7-51
327, as amended by this act, that is applicable to fire districts and 52
relating to a vote at a meeting of such fire district; 53
(B) To hold hearings when the commission deems necessary to 54
investigate violations of any provisions of the general statutes relating 55
to any such election, primary, [or] referendum or vote at a meeting of a 56
fire district, and for the purpose of such hearings the commission may 57
administer oaths, examine witnesses and receive oral and documentary 58
evidence, and shall have the power to subpoena witnesses under 59
procedural rules the commission shall adopt, to compel their attendance 60
and to require the production for examination of any books and papers 61
which the commission deems relevant to any matter under investigation 62
or in question. Until the commission determines that it is necessary to 63
investigate a violation, commission members and staff shall keep 64
confidential any information concerning a complaint or preliminary 65
investigation, except upon request of the treasurer, deputy treasurer, 66
chairperson or candidate affiliated with a committee that is the subject 67
of the complaint or preliminary investigation; [.] 68
(C) In connection with its investigation of any alleged violation of any 69
provision of chapter 145, [or] of any provision of section 9-359 or section 70
9-359a, or of any provision of section 7-327, as amended by this act, that 71
is applicable to fire districts or of any provision of section 1 of this act, 72
the commission shall also have the power to subpoena any municipal 73
clerk or clerk of a fire district and to require the production for 74
examination of any absentee ballot, inner and outer envelope from 75
which any such ballot has been removed, depository envelope 76
containing any such ballot or inner or outer envelope as provided in 77
sections 9-150a and 9-150b and any other record, form or document as 78
provided in section 9-150b, in connection with the election, primary, [or] 79
sHB5253 File No. 319

sHB5253 / File No. 319 4

referendum or vote at a meeting of a fire district to which the 80
investigation relates. In case of a refusal to comply with any subpoena 81
issued pursuant to this subsection or to testify with respect to any matter 82
upon which that person may be lawfully interrogated, the superior 83
court for the judicial district of Hartford, on application of the 84
commission, may issue an order requiring such person to comply with 85
such subpoena and to testify; failure to obey any such order of the court 86
may be punished by the court as a contempt thereof. In any matter 87
under investigation which concerns the operation or inspection of or 88
outcome recorded on any voting tabulator, the commission may issue 89
an order to the registrars of voters or clerk of the fire district to impound 90
such tabulator until the investigation is completed; 91
(2) To levy a civil penalty not to exceed (A) two thousand dollars per 92
offense against any person the commission finds to be in violation of 93
any provision of chapter 145, part V of chapter 146, part I of chapter 147, 94
chapter 148, section 7-9, any provision of section 7 -327, as amended by 95
this act, that is applicable to fire districts, any provision of section 9-12, 96
subsection (a) of section 9 -17, section 9 -19b, 9 -19e, 9 -19g to 9 -19k, 97
inclusive, 9-20, 9-21, 9-23a, 9-23g, 9-23h, 9-23j to 9-23o, inclusive, 9-23r, 98
9-26, 9 -31a, 9 -32, 9 -35, 9 -35b, 9 -35c, 9 -40a, 9 -42, 9 -43, 9 -50a, 9 -50d, as 99
amended by [this act] public act 26-1, 9-56, 9-59, 9-163aa, as amended by 100
[this act ] public act 26 -1, 9 -168d, 9 -170, 9 -171, 9 -172, 9 -232i to 9 -232o, 101
inclusive, 9-404a to 9 -404c, inclusive, 9 -409, 9-410, 9-412, 9-436, 9-436a, 102
9-453e to 9-453h, inclusive, 9-453k or 9-453o, or section 1 of this act, (B) 103
two thousand dollars per offense against any town clerk, registrar of 104
voters, an appointee or designee of a town clerk or registrar of voters, 105
fire district officer or any other election or primary official whom the 106
commission finds to have failed to discharge a duty imposed by any 107
provision of chapter 146 or 147, or any provision of section 7 -327, as 108
amended by this act, that is applicable to fire districts or any provision 109
of section 1 of this act, (C) two thousand dollars per offense against any 110
person the commission finds to have (i) improperly voted in any 111
election, primary, [or] referendum or meeting of a fire district , and (ii) 112
not been legally qualified to vote in such election, primary , [or] 113
referendum or meeting, or (D) two thousand dollars per offense or twice 114
sHB5253 File No. 319

sHB5253 / File No. 319 5

the amount of any improper payment or contribution, whichever is 115
greater, against any person the commission finds to be in violation of 116
any provision of chapter 155 or 157. The commission may levy a civil 117
penalty against any person under subparagraph (A), (B), (C) or (D) of 118
this subdivision only after giving the person an opportunity to be heard 119
at a hearing conducted in accordance with sections 4 -176e to 4 -184, 120
inclusive. In the case of failure to pay any such penalty levied pursuant 121
to this subsection within thirty days of written notice sent by certified 122
or registered mail to such person, the superior court for the judicial 123
district of Hartford, on application of the commission, may issue an 124
order requiring such person to pay the penalty imposed and such court 125
costs, state marshal's fees and attorney's fees incurred by the 126
commission as the court may determine. Any civil penalties paid, 127
collected or recovered under subparagraph (D) of this subdivision for a 128
violation of any provision of chapter 155 applying to the office of the 129
Treasurer shall be deposited on a pro rata basis in any trust funds, as 130
defined in section 3-13c, affected by such violation; [.] 131
(3) (A) To issue an order requiring any person the commission finds 132
to have received any contribution or payment which is prohibited by 133
any of the provisions of chapter 155 or 157, after an opportunity to be 134
heard at a hearing conducted in accordance with the provisions of 135
sections 4 -176e to 4 -184, inclusive, to return such contribution or 136
payment to the donor or payor, or to remit such contribution or payment 137
to the state for deposit in the General Fund or the Citizens' Election 138
Fund, whichever is deemed necessary to effectuate the purposes of 139
chapter 155 or 157, as the case may be; 140
(B) To issue an order when the commission finds that an intentional 141
violation of any provision of chapter 155 or 157 has been committed, 142
after an opportunity to be heard at a hearing conducted in accordance 143
with sections 4-176e to 4-184, inclusive, which order may contain one or 144
more of the following sanctions: (i) Removal of a treasurer, deputy 145
treasurer or solicitor; (ii) prohibition on serving as a treasurer, deputy 146
treasurer or solicitor; and (iii) in the case of a party committee or a 147
political committee, suspension of all political activities, including, but 148
sHB5253 File No. 319

sHB5253 / File No. 319 6

not limited to, the receipt of contributions and the making of 149
expenditures, provided the commission may not order such a 150
suspension unless the commission has previously ordered the removal 151
of the treasurer and notifies the officers of the committee that the 152
commission is considering such suspension; 153
(C) To issue an order revoking any person's eligibility to be appointed 154
or serve as an election, primary or referendum official or unofficial 155
checker or in any capacity at the polls on the day of an election, a 156
primary, [or] a referendum or a meeting of a fire district , when the 157
commission finds such person has intentionally violated any provision 158
of the general statutes relating to the conduct of an election, a primary, 159
[or] a referendum or in the case of a violation of section 1 of this act, a 160
meeting of a fire district , after an opportunity to be heard at a hearing 161
conducted in accordance with sections 4-176e to 4-184, inclusive; 162
(D) To issue an order to enforce the provisions of the Help America 163
Vote Act, P.L. 107-252, as amended from time to time, as the commission 164
deems appropriate; 165
(E) To issue an order following the commission's determination of the 166
right of an individual to be or remain an elector when such 167
determination is made (i) pursuant to an appeal taken to the commission 168
from a decision of the registrars of voters or board of admission of 169
electors under section 9 -31l, or (ii) following the commission's 170
investigation pursuant to subdivision (1) of this subsection; 171
(F) To issue a cease and desist order for violation of any general 172
statute or regulation under the commission's jurisdiction and to take 173
reasonable actions necessary to compel compliance with such statute or 174
regulation; 175
(4) To issue an order to a candidate committee that receives moneys 176
from the Citizens' Election Fund pursuant to chapter 157, to comply 177
with the provisions of chapter 157, after an opportunity to be heard at a 178
hearing conducted in accordance with the provisions of sections 4-176e 179
to 4-184, inclusive; 180
sHB5253 File No. 319

sHB5253 / File No. 319 7

(5) (A) To inspect or audit at any reasonable time and upon 181
reasonable notice the accounts or records of any treasurer or principal 182
treasurer, except as provided for in subparagraph (B) of this 183
subdivision, as required by chapter 155 or 157 and to audit any such 184
election, primary or referendum held within the state; provided, (i) (I) 185
not later than two months preceding the day of an election at which a 186
candidate is seeking election, the commission shall complete any audit 187
it has initiated in the absence of a complaint that involves a committee 188
of the same candidate from a previous election, and (II) during the two-189
month period preceding the day of an election at which a candidate is 190
seeking election, the commission shall not initiate an audit in the 191
absence of a complaint that involves a committee of the same candidate 192
from a previous election, and (ii) the commission shall not audit any 193
caucus, as defined in subdivision (1) of section 9-372; [.] 194
(B) When conducting an audit after an election or primary, the 195
commission shall randomly audit not more than twenty per cent of 196
candidate committees, which shall be selected through the process of a 197
weighted lottery conducted by the commission that takes into account 198
the selection frequency of a district served by the office of state senator 199
or state representative, as applicable, for the immediately preceding 200
three regular elections for such office and increases or decreases the 201
likelihood that such district will be selected for audit based on such 202
selection frequency, except that the commissioner shall audit all 203
candidate committees for candidates for a state -wide office. Any such 204
lottery shall be duly noticed and open to the public; [.] 205
(C) The commission shall notify, in writing, any committee of a 206
candidate for an office in the general election, or of any candidate who 207
had a primary for nomination to any such office, of its selection for an 208
audit not later than May thirty -first of the year immediately following 209
such election. In no case shall the commission audit any such candidate 210
committee that the commission fails to provide notice to in accordance 211
with this subparagraph; [.] 212
(D) Not later than twelve months after the selection of candidate 213
sHB5253 File No. 319

sHB5253 / File No. 319 8

committees through the lottery described in subparagraph (B) of this 214
subdivision, the commission shall complete the audit of each candidate 215
committee so selected and issue the commission's findings. Not later 216
than January 1, 2026, and annually thereafter, the commission shall 217
submit a report to the joint standing committee of the General Assembly 218
having cognizance of matters relating to government oversight, in 219
accordance with the provisions of section 11 -4a, concerning whether 220
there were any audits during the preceding calendar year that the 221
commission was unable to complete during such twelve -month period 222
and, if so, the reasons for such inability to complete such audits; 223
(6) To attempt to secure voluntary compliance, by informal methods 224
of conference, conciliation and persuasion, with any provision of 225
chapter 149, 151 to 153, inclusive, 155, 156 or 157 , any provision of 226
section 7-327, as amended by this act, that is applicable to fire districts, 227
any provision of section 1 of this act or any other provision of the general 228
statutes relating to any such election, primary , [or] referendum or 229
meeting of a fire district; 230
(7) To consult with the Secretary of the State, the Chief State's 231
Attorney or the Attorney General on any matter which the commission 232
deems appropriate; 233
(8) To refer to the Chief State's Attorney evidence bearing upon 234
violation of any provision of chapter 149, 151 to 153, inclusive, 155, 156 235
or 157 or any other provision of the general statutes pertaining to or 236
relating to any such election, primary or referendum; 237
(9) To refer to the Attorney General evidence for injunctive relief and 238
any other ancillary equitable relief in the circumstances of subdivision 239
(8) of this subsection. Nothing in this subdivision shall preclude a 240
person who claims that he is aggrieved by a violation of any provision 241
of chapter 152 or any other provision of the general statutes relating to 242
referenda from pursuing injunctive and any other ancillary equitable 243
relief directly from the Superior Court by the filing of a complaint; 244
(10) To refer to the Attorney General evidence pertaining to any 245
sHB5253 File No. 319

sHB5253 / File No. 319 9

ruling which the commission finds to be in error made by election 246
officials in connection with any election, primary or referendum. Those 247
remedies and procedures available to parties claiming to be aggrieved 248
under the provisions of sections 9 -323, 9 -324, 9 -328 and 9 -329a shall 249
apply to any complaint brought by the Attorney General as a result of 250
the provisions of this subdivision; 251
(11) To consult with the United States Department of Justice and the 252
United States Attorney for Connecticut on any investigation pertaining 253
to a violation of this section, section 9 -12, subsection (a) of section 9 -17 254
or section 9-19b, 9-19e, 9-19g, 9-19h, 9-19i, 9-20, 9-21, 9-23a, 9-23g, 9-23h, 255
9-23j to 9-23o, inclusive, 9-26, 9-31a, 9-32, 9-35, 9-35b, 9-35c, 9-40a, 9-42, 256
9-43, 9-50a, 9-56 or 9 -59 and to refer to said department and attorney 257
evidence bearing upon any such violation for prosecution under the 258
provisions of the National Voter Registration Act of 1993, P.L. 103-31, as 259
amended from time to time; 260
(12) To inspect reports filed with town clerks pursuant to chapter 155 261
and refer to the Chief State's Attorney evidence bearing upon any 262
violation of law therein if such violation was committed knowingly and 263
wilfully; 264
(13) To intervene in any action brought pursuant to the provisions of 265
sections 9-323, 9-324, 9-328 and 9-329a upon application to the court in 266
which such action is brought when in the opinion of the court it is 267
necessary to preserve evidence of possible criminal violation of the 268
election laws; 269
(14) To (A) adopt and publish regulations and issue declaratory 270
rulings pursuant to chapter 54 to carry out the provisions of section 9 -271
7a, this section, and chapters 155 and 157, (B) issue upon request and 272
publish advisory opinions in the Connecticut Law Journal upon the 273
requirements of chapters 155 and 157, (C) subject to the provisions of 274
subsection (c) of this section, issue and publish guidance documents 275
relating to the requirements of chapters 155 and 157, and (D) make 276
recommendations to the General Assembly concerning suggested 277
revisions of the election laws, except that the commission shall not issue 278
sHB5253 File No. 319

sHB5253 / File No. 319 10

any declaratory ruling or advisory opinion relating to the provisions of 279
chapter 157 during the one -hundred-eighty-day period immediately 280
preceding a state election, provided nothing in this subdivision shall be 281
construed to limit the commission's ability during such period to 282
provide general guidance and clarification relating to the provisions of 283
chapter 157; 284
(15) To the extent that the [Elections Enforcement Commission ] 285
commission is involved in the investigation of alleged or suspected 286
criminal violations of any provision of the general statutes pertaining to 287
or relating to any such election, primary, [or] referendum or in the case 288
of a violation of section 1 of this act, a meeting of a fire district, and is 289
engaged in such investigation for the purpose of presenting evidence to 290
the Chief State's Attorney, the [Elections Enforcement Commission ] 291
commission shall be deemed a law enforcement agency for purposes of 292
subdivision (3) of subsection (b) of section 1 -210, provided nothing in 293
this section shall be construed to exempt the [Elections Enforcement 294
Commission] commission in any other respect from the requirements of 295
the Freedom of Information Act, as defined in section 1-200; 296
(16) To enter into such contractual agreements as may be necessary 297
for the discharge of its duties, within the limits of its appropriated funds 298
and in accordance with established procedures; 299
(17) To provide the Secretary of the State with notice and copies of all 300
decisions rendered by the commission in contested cases, advisory 301
opinions and declaratory judgments, at the time such decisions, 302
judgments and opinions are made or issued; 303
(18) To receive and determine complaints filed under the Help 304
America Vote Act, P.L. 107 -252, as amended from time to time, by any 305
person who believes there is a violation of any provision of Title III of 306
P.L. 107-252, as amended from time to time. Any complaint filed under 307
this subdivision shall be in writing, notarized and signed and sworn by 308
the person filing the complaint. At the request of the complainant, there 309
shall be a hearing on the record, conducted in accordance with sections 310
4-167e to 4 -184, inclusive. The commission shall make a final 311
sHB5253 File No. 319

sHB5253 / File No. 319 11

determination with respect to a complaint prior to the expiration of the 312
ninety-day period beginning on the date the complaint is filed, unless 313
the complainant consents to a longer period for making such 314
determination. If the commission fails to meet the applicable deadline 315
under this subdivision with respect to a complaint, the commission shall 316
resolve the complaint within sixty days after the expiration of such 317
ninety-day period under an alternative dispute resolution procedure 318
established by the commission. 319
Sec. 3. Section 7 -327 of the general statutes is repealed and the 320
following is substituted in lieu thereof (Effective July 1, 2027): 321
(a) At the meeting called for the purpose of establishing a district, as 322
provided in section 7-325, the voters shall, by ordinance, fix the date of 323
the annual meeting of the voters for the election of district officers and 324
transaction of such other business as may properly come before such 325
annual meeting. At the organization meeting of the district, the voters 326
shall elect from their number a president, vice president, five directors, 327
a clerk and a treasurer to serve until the first annual meeting for the 328
election of officers and thereafter such officers shall be elected annually. 329
Not fewer than fifteen voters of the district shall constitute a quorum for 330
the transaction of business at the organization meeting of the district; 331
and if fifteen voters are not present at such meeting, the selectmen may 332
adjourn such meeting from time to time, until at least fifteen voters are 333
present. Special meetings of the district may be called on the application 334
of ten per cent of the total number of persons qualified to vote in the 335
meeting of a district or twenty of the voters of such district, whichever 336
is less, or by the president or any three directors upon giving notice as 337
hereinafter provided. Any special meeting called on the application of 338
the voters shall be held within twenty -one days after receiving such 339
application. Notice of the holding of the annual meeting and all special 340
meetings shall be given by publication of a notice of such meetings in a 341
newspaper having a general circulation in such district at least ten days 342
before the day of such meetings, signed by the president or any three 343
directors, which notice shall designate the time and place of such 344
meetings and the business to be transacted [thereat] at such meetings . 345
sHB5253 File No. 319

sHB5253 / File No. 319 12

Two hundred or more persons or ten per cent of the total number of 346
persons qualified to vote in the meeting of a district, whichever is less, 347
may petition the clerk of such district, in writing, at least twenty -four 348
hours prior to any such meeting, requesting that any item or items on 349
the call of such meeting be submitted to the persons qualified to vote in 350
such meeting not less than seven nor more than fourteen days thereafter, 351
on a day to be set by the district meeting or, if the district meeting does 352
not set a date, by the board of directors, for a vote by paper ballots or by 353
a "yes" or "no" vote on the voting [machines] tabulators, during the 354
hours between twelve o'clock noon and eight o'clock p.m., except that 355
any district may, by vote of its board of directors, provide for an earlier 356
hour for opening the polls but not earlier than six o'clock a.m. The paper 357
ballots or voting [machine ballot labels ] tabulator ballots , as the case 358
may be, shall be provided by the clerk. When such a petition has been 359
filed with the clerk, the president, after completion of other business and 360
after reasonable discussion shall adjourn such meeting and order such 361
vote on such item or items in accordance with the petition; and any item 362
so voted may be rescinded in the same manner. The clerk shall phrase 363
such item or items in a form suitable for printing on such paper ballots 364
or [ballot labels] tabulator ballots. Not fewer than fifteen voters of the 365
district shall constitute a quorum for the transaction of business at any 366
meeting of the district; and if fifteen voters are not present at such 367
meeting, the president of the district or, in [his] the president's absence, 368
the vice president may adjourn such meeting from time to time, until at 369
least fifteen voters are present; and all meetings of the district where a 370
quorum is present may be adjourned from time to time by a vote of a 371
majority of the voters voting on the question of adjournment. At any 372
annual or special meeting, the voters may, by a majority vote of those 373
present, discontinue any purposes for which the district is established 374
or undertake any additional purpose or purposes enumerated in section 375
7-326. 376
(b) The president of the district shall be the chief executive officer 377
thereof and shall be a member of the board of directors. [He] The 378
president shall preside at all meetings of the voters of the district and at 379
all meetings of the directors, and at all meetings where [he] the president 380
sHB5253 File No. 319

sHB5253 / File No. 319 13

presides, [he] the president shall vote to dissolve a tie when necessary. 381
[He] The president shall designate the duties devolving upon each of 382
the five directors, shall approve all bills for payment by the treasurer 383
and shall be, ex officio, a member of all committees and boards of the 384
district. The vice president shall be a member of the board of directors, 385
and shall have all the authority, power and duties of the president 386
whenever the president vacates his or her office, is absent or from any 387
cause is unable to perform his or her duties. The clerk shall be a member 388
of the board of directors, shall keep a record of the minutes of all 389
meetings of the voters and of the board of directors and shall keep at all 390
times a list of the voters of the district. The treasurer shall have charge 391
of the collection and payment of all moneys of the district, under such 392
rules and regulations as shall be prescribed by the board of directors, 393
and shall prepare the annual budget, which shall be reviewed by the 394
board of directors and transmitted with the board's comments and 395
recommendations to the annual budget meeting of the district for 396
adoption. 397
(c) The fiscal year of the district shall begin on July first and shall end 398
the following June thirtieth. Annually, not less than thirty days prior to 399
the beginning of the fiscal year, there shall be a meeting of the voters of 400
the district for the purpose of adopting the annual budget, laying the tax 401
and fixing the tax rate. 402
(d) Notwithstanding any provision of this chapter or any special act, 403
[to the contrary, ] a district may, at its annual meeting or at a special 404
meeting called in accordance with the provisions of this section, (1) 405
increase the membership of the board of directors of the district to nine 406
members, three of whom may be elected each year to three -year terms, 407
and in such case, require the officers of the district to be chosen from 408
among the members of the board, or (2) provide for one member of the 409
board of directors of the district to serve as both clerk and treasurer of 410
the district. 411
Sec. 4. ( Effective from passage ) Not later than July 1, 2027, the State 412
Elections Enforcement Commission shall coordinate with each fire 413
sHB5253 File No. 319

sHB5253 / File No. 319 14

district in the state to promote implementation of and compliance with 414
the provisions of section 7 -327 of the general statutes, as amended by 415
this act that are applicable to fire districts and the provisions of section 416
1 of this act. 417
This act shall take effect as follows and shall amend the following
sections:

Section 1 July 1, 2027 New section
Sec. 2 July 1, 2027 9-7b(a)
Sec. 3 July 1, 2027 7-327
Sec. 4 from passage New section

GOS Joint Favorable Subst.

sHB5253 File No. 319

sHB5253 / File No. 319 15

The following Fiscal Impact Statement and Bill Analysis are prepared for the benefit of the members of
the General Assembly, solely for purposes of information, summarization and explanation and do not
represent the intent of the General Assembly or either chamber thereof for any purpose. In general,
fiscal impacts are based upon a variety of informational sources, including the analyst’s professional
knowledge. Whenever applicable, agency data is consulted as part of the analysis, however final
products do not necessarily reflect an assessment from any specific department.

OFA Fiscal Note

State Impact:
Agency Affected Fund-Effect FY 27 $ FY 28 $
Elections Enforcement
Commission
GF - Cost None 91,000
State Comptroller - Fringe
Benefits1
GF - Cost None 36,000
Resources of the General Fund GF - Potential
Revenue Gain
None Minimal
Note: GF=General Fund
Municipal Impact: None
Explanation
The bill creates new requirements around elections and oversight for
fire districts within the state and expands the authority of the State
Elections Enforcement Commission (SEEC) to oversee those elections,
resulting in a General Fund cost of $127,000 in FY 28 and $124,000
annually thereafter.
Section 1 imposes a series of requirements on the conduct of elections
within fire districts and empowers SEEC to investigate and issue civil
penalties for violations of up to $2,000 per offense, resulting in a
potential minimal revenue gain to the General Fund beginning in FY 28.
The exact revenue gain will depend on the number and value of
additional penalties imposed by SEEC and the courts in response to the
legislation.

1The fringe benefit costs for most state employees are budgeted centrally in accounts
administered by the Comptroller. The estimated active employee fringe benefit cost
associated with most personnel changes is 41.82% of payroll in FY 27.
sHB5253 File No. 319

sHB5253 / File No. 319 16

Sections 2 and 3 expand SEEC's authority and oversight
responsibilities for elections within fire districts, resulting in a cost of
$91,000 to SEEC in FY 28 and $88,000 annually thereafter, with an
associated annual fringe cost of $ 36,000 beginning in FY 28. SEEC will
need to hire one legal investigator at a salary of $86,000 to support the
expanded responsibilities and oversight created by the bill's provisions.
Other expenses costs for the position total $5,000 in FY 28 and $2,000
annually thereafter, for a one-time equipment cost of approximately
$3,000 in FY 2 8 and an ongoing annual legal software cost of $ 2,000
beginning in FY 28.
The Out Years
The annualized ongoing fiscal impact identified above would
continue into the future , subject to inflation and the number of
additional fines imposed in response to the bill.

sHB5253 File No. 319

sHB5253 / File No. 319 17

OLR Bill Analysis
sHB 5253

AN ACT CONCERNING VOTING PROCEDURES FOR AND STATE
ELECTIONS ENFORCEMENT COMMISSION OVERSIGHT OF FIRE
DISTRICTS.

SUMMARY
This bill requires that all votes at a fire district meeting be conducted
using paper ballots and only those present at a meeting may vote. The
bill also explicitly prohibits using absentee ballots for these votes . The
bill’s provisions apply regardless of whether the fire district operates
under special act or state law.
Correspondingly, the bill allows any person qualified to vote at a fire
district meeting who alleges a violation of th ese provisions or the state
law’s special taxing district meeting requirements (if concerning a fire
district) and is wronged as a result, to file a complaint with the State
Elections Enforcement Commission (SEEC).
The bill authorizes SEEC to investigate these complaints and make
decisions on them. These decisions may be appealed to the court, as
allowed under the Uniform Administrative Procedures Act, which may
(1) award reasonable attorney ’s fees, litigation costs, and punitive
damages; (2) hold fire district officers personally liable for these costs if
they knowingly and willfully violated these provisions or any other
similar wrongdoing related to voting at fire district meetings ; and (3)
grant any other relief t he court deems appropriate ( for example,
ordering a new vote).
Additionally, the bill requires SEEC, by July 1, 2027, to coordinate
with fire districts to promote compliance with the bill.
The bill also updates outdated references to “voting machines” and
“voting machine ballot labels” that may be used during special taxing
sHB5253 File No. 319

sHB5253 / File No. 319 18

district meetings by replacing these references with “voting tabulator”
and “voting tabulator ballots” (§ 3).
Finally, the bill makes technical and conforming changes.
EFFECTIVE DATE: July 1, 2027, except that provision regarding
SEEC’s coordination with fire districts is effective upon passage.
SEEC AUTHORITY OVER FIRE DISTRICTS
Investigative Authority
Existing law authorizes SEEC to conduct investigations on its own
initiative or in response to statements from the secretary of the state or
any town clerk or registrar, as well as when any individual submits a
written complaint under oath. Under current l aw, SEEC may generally
investigate state law violations relating to an election, referendum, or
primary as defined under the state’s election laws.
The bill expands this authority to include considering sworn written
complaints from eligible voters of fire districts about violations of (1) the
bill’s voting requirements and (2) state law’s requirements for voting
during a special taxing district meeting.
Fire districts, like other special taxing districts, are wholly within a
town and have the power to make appropriations or to levy taxes.
Unlike voters under federal and state election law, special taxing district
voters do not necessarily need to live in the applicable district, but
instead may have the right to vote if they are a U.S. citizen and own
qualifying property in the district (CGS § 7-6).
The bill explicitly expands SEEC ’s authority to, among other things,
(1) hold hearings on and investigate these matters; (2) subpoena any fire
district clerk for its investigations; (3) administer oaths, examine
witnesses, and receive evidence; (4) compel production of records,
forms, and documents related to votes at fire district meetings; (5) order
fire district clerks to impound voting tabulators for an investigation; and
(6) voluntarily secure compliance, through informal methods, with the
bill’s restrictions or fire district meetings.
sHB5253 File No. 319

sHB5253 / File No. 319 19

Under current law, if someone violates the state’s election
administration laws, SEEC may revoke their eligibility to serve as an
election, primary, or referendum official, and unofficial checker, and
any other official capacity at a polling place on the day of an election,
primary, referendum. The bill expands this authority to include
prohibiting serving in these roles at fire district meetings.
Under the bill, SEEC may also do so if it finds a person intentionally
violated the bill’s voting requirements. Current law already generally
authorizes SEEC to take these actions for elections, primaries, and
referendums unrelated to fire districts.
Under existing law and the bill, SEEC is deemed a law enforcement
agency if investigating to provide evidence to the chief state’s attorney.
As with similar criminal investigations SEEC conducts, the bill exempts
certain investigatory records concerning fire district investigations from
the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA). Under FOIA, investigatory
records of law enforcement agencies that are not available to the public
may be exempt from FOIA if their release would not be in the public
interest because it would, among other things, (1) identify informants or
minor witnesses, (2) disclose signed or sworn witness statements, or (3)
reveal investigatory techniques the public is not aware of.
Fines
Under existing law, SEEC may levy a civil penalty of up to $2,000
against a person for violating certain election -related laws or against
certain specified officials for failing to discharge a duty under the state’s
laws on elections and voting methods. The bill additionally allows for a
fine against any person who (1) violates the state’s law on fire district
meetings or the bill’s voting requirements or (2) improperly votes at a
fire district meeting, including if they were not legally qualified to vote.
The bill also (1) adds fire district officers to the list of officials that
may be fined for failing to discharge their duty and (2) expands SEEC’s
authority to levy fines against violators of the state’s special taxing
district meeting law or the bill’s v oting requirements, as well as any
sHB5253 File No. 319

sHB5253 / File No. 319 20

official failing to discharge a duty under these laws. (It appears to
authorize SEEC to issue a fine for violations of the state’s special taxing
district meeting law unrelated to any voting.)
COMMITTEE ACTION
Government Oversight Committee
Joint Favorable Substitute
Yea 9 Nay 3 (03/17/2026)