Substitute House Bill No. 5550 proposes an amendment to the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) by adding a new exemption for course syllabi created by or for faculty or staff at public institutions of higher education. Specifically, it introduces a new subdivision (29) to subsection (b) of section 1-210 of the general statutes, which states that records consisting of course syllabi will not be subject to public disclosure. This change is set to take effect on October 1, 2026.

The bill does not have any fiscal impact on the state or municipalities, as indicated in the fiscal note. It aligns with existing FOIA exceptions that protect certain types of records, such as test questions and examination data. Additionally, it is related to another bill, HB 5548, which seeks to exempt other records maintained by faculty or staff related to teaching or research from FOIA disclosure. The Government Administration and Elections Committee has favorably reported this bill, reflecting a majority support for the proposed changes.

Statutes affected:
Raised Bill: 4-38j