HB05448 • 2026

AN ACT CONCERNING FEDERAL OFFICERS, EMPLOYEES OR AGENTS.

Crime Labor

Passed Legislature

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

Sponsor: Judiciary Committee
Last action: 2026-03-05
Official status: Public Hearing 03/09
Effective date: Not listed

Plain English Breakdown

The bill text defines 'malfeasance' only by its common usage without providing specific examples in the definition section.

HB05448: Federal Officer Immunity and Hiring Rules

This law restates the rules for when federal workers have legal immunity and stops police departments from hiring former federal officers who were fired or left while under investigation for serious misconduct.

What This Bill Does

States that a federal officer, employee, or agent does not have immunity in court unless their action was authorized by federal law and necessary to do their job.
Stops local police units from hiring anyone as a police officer if they were previously fired from a federal role due to malfeasance or serious misconduct.
Prohibits hiring former federal officials who resigned or retired while an investigation into their serious misconduct was still happening.
Requires current police departments to tell other agencies and the training council if a former employee with these issues applies for a job elsewhere.
Excludes people from these hiring bans if they are officially cleared of all allegations against them.

Who It Names or Affects

Federal officers, employees, or agents who face prosecution for their actions.
Local law enforcement units that hire police officers.
Former federal law enforcement officials applying to become local police officers.
The Police Officer Standards and Training Council.

Terms To Know

Immunity: Legal protection from being sued or punished for actions taken while working, which this law limits unless specific conditions are met.
Malfeasance: The commonly approved usage of the word 'malfeasance' as defined in the bill.
Serious misconduct: Improper or illegal actions by a federal law enforcement official that could cause unfair results, such as fabricating evidence, using excessive force repeatedly, taking bribes, committing fraud, or being convicted of a felony.

Limits and Unknowns

The hiring restrictions do not apply if the former federal official is exonerated, meaning they are cleared of all allegations.
Section 1 takes effect immediately upon passage, while Section 2 does not start until October 1, 2026.

Bill History

2026-03-05 Connecticut General Assembly
Public Hearing 03/09
2026-03-04 Connecticut General Assembly
Referred to Joint Committee on Judiciary

Official Summary Text

To restate the law concerning immunity for actions taken by a federal officer, an employee or an agent and extend prohibitions against hiring a police officer dismissed for malfeasance, or who resigned or retired while under investigation to the hiring of a federal law enforcement official as a police officer.

Current Bill Text

Read the full stored bill text

LCO No. 2546 1 of 3

General Assembly Raised Bill No. 5448
February Session, 2026 LCO No. 2546

Referred to Committee on JUDICIARY

Introduced by:
(JUD)

AN ACT CONCERNING FEDERAL OFFICERS, EMPLOYEES OR
AGENTS.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in General
Assembly convened:

Section 1. (NEW) ( Effective from passage ) In any prosecution for an 1
offense, no federal officer, employee or agent shall have immunity for 2
any action taken under color of federal law, unless such officer's, 3
employee's or agent's action was: (1) Authorized by federal law; and (2) 4
necessary and proper to execute such officer's, employee's or agent's 5
official duties as a federal officer, employee or agent. 6
Sec. 2. Section 7 -291c of the general statutes is repealed and the 7
following is substituted in lieu thereof (Effective October 1, 2026): 8
(a) No law enforcement unit, as defined in section 7 -294a, shall hire 9
any person as a police officer, as defined in said section 7-294a, who was 10
previously employed as a federal law enforcement official or police 11
officer by such unit or in any other jurisdiction and who (1) was 12
dismissed for malfeasance or other serious misconduct calling into 13
question such person's fitness to serve as a police officer; or (2) resigned 14
or retired from such official's or officer's position while under 15

Raised Bill No. 5448

LCO No. 2546 2 of 3

investigation for such malfeasance or other serious misconduct. 16
(b) Any law enforcement unit that has knowledge that any former 17
police officer of such unit who (1) (A) was dismissed for malfeasance or 18
other serious misconduct, or (B) resigned or retired from such officer's 19
position while under investigation for such malfeasance or other serious 20
misconduct; and (2) is an applicant for the position of police officer with 21
any other law enforcement unit, shall inform such other unit and the 22
Police Officer Standards and Training Council established under section 23
7-294b of such dismissal, resignation or retirement. 24
(c) The provisions of this section shall not apply to any federal law 25
enforcement official or police officer who is exonerated of each 26
allegation against such official or officer of such malfeasance or other 27
serious misconduct. 28
(d) For purposes of this section, (1) "malfeasance" means the 29
commonly approved usage of "malfeasance"; and (2) "serious 30
misconduct" means improper or illegal actions taken by a federal law 31
enforcement official or police officer in connection with such official's or 32
officer's official duties that could result in a miscarriage of justice or 33
discrimination, including, but not limited to, (A) a conviction of a felony, 34
(B) fabrication of evidence, (C) repeated use of excessive force, (D) 35
acceptance of a bribe, or (E) the commission of fraud. 36
This act shall take effect as follows and shall amend the following
sections:

Section 1 from passage New section
Sec. 2 October 1, 2026 7-291c

Statement of Purpose:
To restate the law concerning immunity for actions taken by a federal
officer, an employee or an agent and extend prohibitions against hiring
a police officer dismissed for malfeasance , or who resigned or retired
while under investigation to the hiring of a federal law enforcement
official as a police officer.

Raised Bill No. 5448

LCO No. 2546 3 of 3

[Proposed deletions are enclosed in brackets. Proposed additions are indicated by underline, except
that when the entire text of a bill or resolution or a section of a bill or resolution is new, it is not
underlined.]