AN ACT PROHIBITING A MUNICIPALITY FROM IMPOSING A PENALTY FOR THE PERFORMANCE OF CERTAIN ACTIVITIES OF DAILY LIVING.

Education Healthcare Housing

Passed Legislature

This bill passed both chambers and reached final enrollment, even if later executive action is not shown here.

Sponsor: Housing Committee
Last action: 2026-04-07
Official status: Tabled for the Calendar, House
Effective date: Not listed

Plain English Breakdown

Checked against official source text during the last sync.

Law Stopping Cities from Punishing Homeless People for Daily Activities

This law stops cities in Connecticut from making rules that punish homeless people for doing basic things like sleeping, eating, or resting in public places.

What This Bill Does

Stops municipalities from passing laws that ban homeless people from moving freely in public areas.
Prevents penalties against homeless people who sleep or rest inside a legally parked car or recreational vehicle on public land.
Requires cities to allow homeless people to use publicly accessible hygiene facilities just like other residents.
Bans rules that stop homeless people from sleeping, resting, eating, drinking, protecting themselves from weather, getting medical care, or asking for donations in public places.

Who It Names or Affects

Homeless persons as defined by federal law
Municipalities and city governments

Terms To Know

Public place: Land that the public can access, which is owned or run by a city. This does not include inside buildings, state roads managed by the Department of Transportation, commercial airports, or school grounds.
Homeless person: A person who meets the definition found in federal law (42 USC 11302).

Limits and Unknowns

Cities can still make rules to stop activities that endanger public health, safety, or welfare.
The law does not apply inside buildings located on public land.

Bill History

2026-04-07 LCO
Filed with Legislative Commissioners' Office
2026-04-07 LCO
Reported Out of Legislative Commissioners' Office
2026-04-07 Connecticut General Assembly
No New File by Committee on Planning and Development
2026-04-07 Connecticut General Assembly
Tabled for the Calendar, House
2026-04-06 PD
Joint Favorable
2026-03-31 Connecticut General Assembly
Referred by House to Committee on Planning and Development
2026-03-25 LCO
Reported Out of Legislative Commissioners' Office
2026-03-25 Connecticut General Assembly
Favorable Report, Tabled for the Calendar, House
2026-03-25 Connecticut General Assembly
House Calendar Number 136
2026-03-25 LCO
File Number 161
2026-03-19 LCO
Referred to Office of Legislative Research and Office of Fiscal Analysis 03/24/26 5:00 PM
2026-03-11 LCO
Filed with Legislative Commissioners' Office
2026-03-10 HSG
Joint Favorable
2026-02-20 Connecticut General Assembly
Public Hearing 02/24
2026-02-19 Connecticut General Assembly
Referred to Joint Committee on Housing

Official Summary Text

To prohibit municipalities from enacting or enforcing a prohibition on the performance of certain activities of daily living.

Current Bill Text

Read the full stored bill text

LCO 1679 1 of 2

General Assembly Raised Bill No. 5260
February Session, 2026 LCO No. 1679

Referred to Committee on HOUSING

Introduced by:
(HSG)

AN ACT PROHIBITING A MUNICIPALITY FROM IMPOSING A
PENALTY FOR THE PERFORMANCE OF CERTAIN ACTIVITIES OF
DAILY LIVING.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in General
Assembly convened:

Section 1. (NEW) (Effective October 1, 2026) (a) As used in this section: 1
(1) "Homeless person" has the same meaning as provided in 42 USC 2
11302, as amended from time to time; 3
(2) "Motor vehicle" has the same meaning as provided in section 14-1 4
of the general statutes; 5
(3) "Public place" means publicly accessible land owned or managed 6
by a municipality. "Public place" does not include the interior area of a 7
structure located on publicly accessible land, any real property owned 8
by the state and in the custody of the Department of Transportation, 9
commercial airports or parcels of land containing a school; 10
(4) "Recreational vehicle" has the same meaning as provided in 11
section 14-1 of the general statutes; 12
Raised Bill No. 5260

LCO 1679 2 of 2

(5) "School" means nursery schools, kindergarten and grades one to 13
twelve, inclusive; and 14
(6) "Municipality" has the same meaning as provided in section 7-148 15
of the general statutes. 16
(b) Notwithstanding the provisions of section 7 -148 of the general 17
statutes, no municipality may enact or enforce any ordinance that 18
prohibits a homeless person's ability to: 19
(1) Use or move freely in public places in the same manner as other 20
persons; 21
(2) Occupy or sleep in a motor vehicle or recreational vehicle that is 22
legally parked in a public place; 23
(3) Use any publicly accessible hygiene facility in the same manner as 24
other persons; or 25
(4) Perform the following activities in a public place: (A) Sleep or rest; 26
(B) eat or drink; (C) protect himself or herself from the elements; (D) 27
access medical care; or (E) solicit food, water, money or other donations. 28
(c) Nothing in this section shall be construed to prohibit a 29
municipality from enacting or enforcing an ordinance to prohibit 30
activities that endanger or are likely to endanger the health, welfare or 31
safety of the public. 32
This act shall take effect as follows and shall amend the following
sections:

Section 1 October 1, 2026 New section

HSG Joint Favorable
PD Joint Favorable