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

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 to Prevent Cities from Punishing Homeless People for Daily Activities

This law stops cities from making rules that punish homeless people for doing normal daily activities.

What This Bill Does

Stops cities from making laws that stop homeless people from moving freely in public places like parks and streets.
Allows homeless people to sleep or rest in their cars or recreational vehicles if they are parked legally.
Permits homeless individuals to use public bathrooms, showers, and other hygiene facilities just like everyone else.
Gives homeless people the right to eat, drink, protect themselves from weather, get medical help, and ask for donations in public places.

Who It Names or Affects

Homeless people
Cities and towns

Terms To Know

Public place: Land owned or managed by a city that anyone can access, like parks or sidewalks. It does not include the inside of buildings.
Municipality: A town, city, or other local government area.

Limits and Unknowns

The law still allows cities to make rules that protect public health and safety.
It does not say what happens if someone breaks the new rules before October 1, 2026.

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