KLS Keeping Law Simple Legislation in plain English

Straight-ahead summaries built from the official bill text. We keep the source links front and center and leave the decision up to you.

Back to Connecticut

SB00273 • 2026

AN ACT CONCERNING LOCAL GOVERNMENT.

AN ACT CONCERNING LOCAL GOVERNMENT.

Labor
Passed Legislature

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

Sponsor
Planning and Development Committee
Last action
2026-03-18
Official status
File Number 53
Effective date
Not listed

Plain English Breakdown

The official source material does not provide details on exemptions for high-level officials and their confidential staff, nor does it explicitly state a requirement for appointments to follow board rules.

Clarifying Responsibilities of the Civil Service Board

This act changes the deadline for the civil service board to classify officers and employees in departments with a merit system.

What This Bill Does

  • Removes outdated language from the law about when the civil service board must classify officers and employees.
  • Sets a new deadline of ninety days for the civil service board to classify all officers and employees after their initial appointment.

Who It Names or Affects

  • Civil service boards in local governments
  • Officers and employees working under a merit system

Terms To Know

Merit System
A system used to hire government workers based on their skills and abilities rather than personal connections.
Civil Service Board
The group responsible for managing the hiring process in local government departments.

Limits and Unknowns

  • Does not specify any financial impact.
  • Only affects departments that have adopted a merit system.

Bill History

  1. 2026-03-18 LCO

    Reported Out of Legislative Commissioners' Office

  2. 2026-03-18 Connecticut General Assembly

    Favorable Report, Tabled for the Calendar, Senate

  3. 2026-03-18 Connecticut General Assembly

    Senate Calendar Number 64

  4. 2026-03-18 LCO

    File Number 53

  5. 2026-03-12 LCO

    Referred to Office of Legislative Research and Office of Fiscal Analysis 03/17/26 5:00 PM

  6. 2026-03-09 LCO

    Filed with Legislative Commissioners' Office

  7. 2026-03-06 PD

    Joint Favorable

  8. 2026-02-20 Connecticut General Assembly

    Public Hearing 02/27

  9. 2026-02-19 Connecticut General Assembly

    Referred to Joint Committee on Planning and Development

Official Summary Text

To clarify certain responsibilities of the civil service board.

Current Bill Text

Read the full stored bill text 
Senate
SB273 / File No. 53 1

General Assembly File No. 53
February Session, 2026 Senate Bill No. 273

Senate, March 18, 2026

The Committee on Planning and Development reported
through SEN. RAHMAN of the 4th Dist., Chairperson of the
Committee on the part of the Senate, that the bill ought to pass.

AN ACT CONCERNING LOCAL GOVERNMENT.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in General
Assembly convened:

Section 1. Section 7 -411 of the general statutes is repealed and the 1
following is substituted in lieu thereof (Effective October 1, 2026): 2
[Such] The civil service board shall, [within] not later than ninety 3
days after the initial appointment of such commissioners, classify all the 4
officers and employees in the departments for which the merit system 5
has been adopted, except elective officers, as provided in section 7 -407. 6
[; and the] The board may, [also,] in its discretion, exempt from test and 7
competition the officer responsible for the policy of any department, and 8
one deputy, private secretary or other confidential employee of such 9
officer. The officers and employees so classified by such board shall 10
constitute the classified civil service, and no appointment of any such 11
officer or employment of any such employee shall be made except in 12
accordance with the rules hereinafter provided for. 13
SB273 File No. 53

SB273 / File No. 53 2

This act shall take effect as follows and shall amend the following
sections:

Section 1 October 1, 2026 7-411

PD Joint Favorable

SB273 File No. 53

SB273 / File No. 53 3

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: None
Municipal Impact: None
Explanation
The bill makes technical changes which do not result in a fiscal
impact.
The Out Years
State Impact: None
Municipal Impact: None

SB273 File No. 53

SB273 / File No. 53 4

OLR Bill Analysis
SB 273

AN ACT CONCERNING LOCAL GOVERNMENT.

SUMMARY
This bill makes a technical change in a law on municipal civil service
boards.
EFFECTIVE DATE: October 1, 2026
COMMITTEE ACTION
Planning and Development Committee
Joint Favorable
Yea 18 Nay 2 (03/06/2026)