AN ACT CONCERNING ACCELERATED REHABILITATION IN THE CASE OF ANIMAL CRUELTY.

House of Representatives
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General Assembly File No. 644
February Session, 2026 Substitute House Bill No. 5566

House of Representatives, April 15, 2026

The Committee on Judiciary reported through REP.
STAFSTROM of the 129th Dist., Chairperson of the Committee
on the part of the House, that the substitute bill ought to pass.

AN ACT CONCERNING ACCELERATED REHABILITATION IN THE
CASE OF ANIMAL CRUELTY.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in General
Assembly convened:

Section 1. Subsection (c) of section 54 -56e of the general statutes is 1
repealed and the following is substituted in lieu thereof (Effective October 2
1, 2026): 3
(c) This section shall not be applicable: (1) To any person charged 4
with (A) a class A felony, (B) a class B felony, except a violation of 5
subdivision (1) or (2) of subsection (a) of section 53a -122 that does not 6
involve the use, attempted use or threatened use of physical force 7
against another person, or a violation of subdivision (3) of subsection (a) 8
of section 53a -122 that does not involve the use, attempted use or 9
threatened use of physical force against another person and does not 10
involve a violation by a person who is a public official, as defined in 11
section 1-110, or a state or municipal employee, as defined in section 1 -12
110, or (C) a violation of section 53a-70b of the general statutes, revision 13
of 1958, revised to January 1, 2019, or section 14 -227a or 14 -227m, 14
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subdivision (1) or (2) of subsection (a) of section 14-227n, subdivision (2) 15
of subsection (a) of section 53-21 or section 53a-56b, 53a-60d, 53a-70, 53a-16
70a, 53a-71, except as provided in subdivision (5) of this subsection, 53a-17
72a, 53a-72b, 53a-90a, 53a-196e or 53a -196f, (2) to any person charged 18
with a crime or motor vehicle violation who, as a result of the 19
commission of such crime or motor vehicle violation, causes the death 20
of another person, (3) to any person accused of a family violence crime 21
as defined in section 46b -38a who (A) is eligible for the pretrial family 22
violence education program established under section 46b -38c, or (B) 23
has previously had the pretrial family violence education program 24
invoked in such person's behalf, (4) to any person charged with a 25
violation of section 21a-267, 21a-279 or 21a-279a, who (A) is eligible for 26
the pretrial drug education and community service program established 27
under section 54 -56i or the pretrial drug intervention and community 28
service program established under section 54-56q, or (B) has previously 29
had (i) the pretrial drug education program, (ii) the pretrial drug 30
education and community service program established under the 31
provisions of section 54 -56i, or (iii) the pretrial drug intervention and 32
community service program established under section 54 -56q, invoked 33
on such person's behalf, (5) unless good cause is shown, to (A) any 34
person charged with a class C felony, or (B) any person charged with 35
committing a violation of subdivision (1) of subsection (a) of section 53a-36
71 while such person was less than four years older than the other 37
person, (6) to any person charged with a violation of section 9 -359 or 9-38
359a, (7) to any person charged with a motor vehicle violation (A) while 39
operating a commercial motor vehicle, as defined in section 14 -1, or (B) 40
who holds a commercial driver's license or commercial learner's permit 41
at the time of the violation, (8) to any person charged with a violation of 42
subdivision (6) of subsection (a) of section 53a -60, (9) to a health care 43
provider or vendor participating in the state's Medicaid program 44
charged with a violation of section 53a -122 or subdivision (3) of 45
subsection (a) of section 53a-123, [or] (10) to any person charged with a 46
violation of section 15 -132a, 15 -133 or 15 -140n, or (11) to any person 47
charged with a violation of section 22-329 or 53-247 who has previously 48
participated in the program pursuant to this section, unless fifteen or 49
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more years have passed since the date of dismissal by the court of any 50
charge or charges for which the program was invoked on the 51
defendant's behalf. 52
This act shall take effect as follows and shall amend the following
sections:

Section 1 October 1, 2026 54-56e(c)

Statement of Legislative Commissioners:
In Subsec. (c), a reference to the date of dismissal was added for internal
consistency.

JUD Joint Favorable Subst. -LCO

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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 $
Correction, Dept.; Judicial Dept.
(Probation)
GF - Potential
Cost
Minimal Minimal
Note: GF=General Fund

Municipal Impact: None
Explanation
The bill prohibits individuals charged with certain animal cruelty
crimes from participating in the accelerated rehabilitation (AR) program
if they have already participated in the program within the past 15
years, resulting in a minimal potential cost to the Department of
Correction and the Judicial Department for incarceration or probation,
to the extent any individuals who would have been eligible for AR are
no longer eligible because of the bill. On average, the marginal cost to
the state for incarcerating an offender for the year is $3,300 1 while the
average marginal cost for supervision in the community is less than
$6002 each year for adults and $450 each year for juveniles.

1 Inmate marginal cost is based on increased consumables (e.g., food, clothing, water,
sewage, living supplies, etc.) This does not include a change in staffing costs or utility
expenses because these expenses would only be realized if a unit or facility op ened.
2 Probation marginal cost is based on services provided by private providers and only
includes costs that increase with each additional participant. This does not include a
cost for additional supervision by a probation officer unless a new offense is
anticipated to result in enough additional offenders to require additional probation
officers.
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The Out Years
The annualized ongoing fiscal impact identified above would
continue into the future subject to the number of individuals who would
have been eligible for AR.

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OLR Bill Analysis
HB 5566

AN ACT CONCERNING ACCELERATED REHABILITATION IN THE
CASE OF ANIMAL CRUELTY.

SUMMARY
This bill generally prohibits people charged with certain animal
cruelty crimes from participating in the pretrial diversionary program,
accelerated rehabilitation ( AR) (see BACKGROUND) if they have
already participated in the program. The bill makes an exception if it is
at least 15 years since the prior charges were dismissed under the
program. Existing law already limits defendants to using the program
once, unless, among other things, at least 10 years have passed since the
prior charges were dismissed under the program . Therefore, violators
of second or subsequent animal cruelty crimes are already generally
ineligible for the program.
The bill applies to the primary animal cruelty crimes which are
primarily C and D felonies: cruelty to animals, malicious or intentional
cruelty to animals, engaging in exhibition of animal fighting, and
intentionally injuring or killing police animals or dogs in volunteer
canine service and rescue teams . It also applies to the crime of
interfering with or obstructing or resisting an animal control officer or
law enforcement officer in carrying out their duty to prevent animal
cruelty, which is a class D misdemeanor. Existing law prohibits people
charged with a class A felony, most class B felonies, class C felonies
(unless good cause is shown), and certain other crimes from
participating in AR.
EFFECTIVE DATE: October 1, 2026
ELEMENTS OF ANIMAL CRUELTY CRIMES INELIGIBLE FOR AR
Under the bill, an individual is generally ineligible for AR if he or she:
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1. maliciously and intentionally maims, mutilates, tortures,
wounds, or kills an animal;
2. knowingly (a) owns, possesses, keeps, or trains an animal
engaged in a fighting exhibition for amusement or gain; (b)
possesses, keeps, or trains an animal to engage in such an
exhibition; (c) permits such an exhibition to take place on
premises under his or her control; (d) acts as a judge or spectator
for such an exhibition; or (e) bets or wagers on the outcome of
such an exhibition; or
3. intentionally injures (a) an animal while the animal is performing
its duties under a peace officer’s supervision or (b) a dog that is a
member of a volunteer canine search and rescue team while the
dog is performing its duties under an active team member’ s
supervision.
BACKGROUND
Accelerated Rehabilitation
AR is a pretrial diversionary program that allows certain criminal
defendants charged with certain crimes or motor vehicle violations to
avoid prosecution and incarceration by successfully completing a court-
sanctioned, community -based treatment program. Defendants who
successfully complete the program have their charges dismissed (CGS §
54-56e).
COMMITTEE ACTION
Judiciary Committee
Joint Favorable
Yea 41 Nay 0 (03/30/2026)