Public Safety and Security Committee
JOINT FAVORABLE REPORT
Bill No.: HB-5420
AN ACT CONCERNING MENTAL HEALTH NEEDS OF AND SERVICES FOR
POLICE OFFICERS, CERTAIN REQUIREMENTS REGARDING POLICE
Title: TRAINING AND CERTAIN REPORTS.
Vote Date: 3/22/2022
Vote Action: Joint Favorable Substitute
PH Date: 3/17/2022
File No.:
Disclaimer: The following JOINT FAVORABLE Report is prepared for the benefit of the
members of the General Assembly, solely for purposes of information, summarization and
explanation and does not represent the intent of the General Assembly or either chamber
thereof for any purpose.
SPONSORS OF BILL:
Public Safety and Security
Co-sponsor(s):
Rep. Corey P. Paris, 145th Dist.
Rep. Christine Palm, 36th Dist.
Rep. John-Michael Parker, 101st Dist.
Sen. Christine Cohen, 12th Dist.
Rep. Robin E. Comey, 102nd Dist.
REASONS FOR BILL:
No law enforcement unit, shall discharge, discipline, or discriminate against a police officer,
who is employed by law enforcement unit solely because the police officer seeks or receives
mental health care services, this including behavioral health assessment nor shall surrender
his or her firearm, ammunition or electronic defense weapon used in the performance of the
police officer's official duties to such law enforcement unit during the time the police officer
receives mental health care services. However, this is not applicable to a police officer who
seeks or receives mental health care services to avoid disciplinary action by such law
enforcement unit or refuses to submit himself or herself to an examination. This bill would
require the Training Council to develop a training curriculum for police officer interactions people
who have mental or physical incapacities and people who are difficult of hearing and
sight. This bill would also initiate further study into determining the percentage of 9-1-1 dispatch
calls that would be more appropriately directed to the 2-1-1 Infoline This bill expresses the
importance of suitable cash for an emergency intercession preparing for police officers as
well as further study of mental health needs of law enforcement officers. After these studies
Training Council and Police Officer Chambers are to appropriately identify barriers to
accessing such programs, such as issues regarding confidentiality and disclosure of
information regarding treatment and make recommendations to address the mental health
needs of officers and encourage officers to access programs. The Department of Mental
Health and Addiction Services shall then submit a report that includes an examination of the
Community and Law Enforcement for Addiction Recovery project, including an analysis of
whether such project has been successful and recommendations as to improvements to such
project and whether should be expanded throughout the state.
Proposed Substitute Language
The changes in the proposed substitute language in states that no later than July 1, 2023, the
Police Officer Standards and Training Council, develop a training curriculum for police
officers regarding interactions. Effective as of July 1st, 2022 the sum of one hundred thousand
dollars is appropriated to the Department of Mental Health and Addiction Services from the
General Fund, for the purpose of providing grants to nonprofit organizations to provide crisis
intervention training for police officers. The task force shall examine the mental health needs
of law enforcement officers. Not later than January 1, 2023, the Institute for Municipal and
Regional Policy at The University of Connecticut, in consultation with the United Way of
Connecticut, shall submit a report that shall include a study of a representative sample of 9-1-
1 dispatch call data and an analysis of the percentage of such calls that would be more
appropriately directed to the 2-1-1 Infoline program. Not later than January 1, 2023, the
Police Officer Standards and Training Council as well as the Department of Mental Health
and Addiction Services shall submit the reports.
RESPONSE FROM ADMINISTRATION/AGENCY:
Amy Porter, Commissioner of the Department of Aging and Disability Services (ADS)
supports this bill. The department strongly supports Section 2 of the bill. If enacted, this
section of the bill would ensure that the disability community is involved in the development of
a training curriculum that increases awareness and maximizes the effectiveness of
interactions between police officers and members of the disability community.
NATURE AND SOURCES OF SUPPORT:
Brian Anderson Legislative Director for Council 4 AFSCMEs Public Safety Chapter
supports this bill. This bill broadens the protection to include officers who have had an
adverse mental health assessment. It is only fair to offer protection to officers who receive a
bad assessment or who voluntarily seek treatment. Policing is a high stress field. They
support section 4 which sets up a law enforcement officer mental health task force. There are
some additional protections that they would like to see in state law, such as a rebuttable
presumption for workers compensation behavioral health coverage for police officers.
Connecticut State Senate Christine Cohen supports this bill. As well as in support she also
urges the committee to consider such funding which would further the collaboration between
Connecticut law enforcement officers with mental health professionals and continue to
support and advance the good work officers do to assist those experiencing a mental health
crisis every day.
Page 2 of 4 HB-5420
Kathleen Flaherty, ESQ. Executive Director, CT Legal Rights Projects, INC supports this
bill. This bill would appropriately recognize that there are consequences for failure to
participate in the behavioral health assessments or for seeking care only to avoid discipline.
She encourages all the members of the committee to support the exploration of true
alternatives to crisis response. Alternatives that do not rely on law enforcement, but instead
are community based and community led and do not depend on the legal authority to coerce
someone into care.
Ed Hawthorne, President of Connecticut AFL-CIO supports this bill. He states that H.B
5240 provides some job protection to police officers who seek behavioral health treatment
and broadens the protection to include officers who have an adverse behavioral health
assessment. However, section 4 establishes a law enforcement officer mental health task
force. They respectfully request that this language be amended to include a seat on the
commission for an elected member of the Council 4 AFSCMEs Public Safety Chapter. They
also ask that it be amended to include a licensed mental health practitioner specializing in
treating law enforcement officers.
Mike Muszynski, State and Federal Relations Manager of The Connecticut Conference
of Municipalities supports this bill. CCM supports efforts that will streamline and improve
police officer training. In particular, if greater efforts are focused on virtual training
opportunities this may assist local departments reduce overtime and travel costs associated
with sending officers to complete mandated training at remote facilities.
Louise Pyers, Founder of the CT Alliance to Benefit Law Enforcement (CABLE)
supports this bill. CABLE strongly supports the changes to subsection (a) of section 7-291d of
the general statutes regarding removing possible penalties for any police officer who is
referred to mental health services as a result of a behavioral health assessment. Officers
should be free to actively participate in such services and encouraged to do so without fear of
penalty.
The Commission on Women, Children, Seniors, Equity and Opportunity supports this
bill. The Commission supports section 2, 4 and 5. The provisions in both Section 2 and 4 of
this legislation speak to improving relations from an asset-based approach of better
understanding others health and our own. Officers will learn how to navigate interactions with
people who have mental of physical disabilities, establishing a better interpersonal
relationship between them and community. While officers take on bigger workloads, Section
5 of this bill will help alleviate 911 calls that are made but are not emergency situations.
Mark Barillaro, Sandra Baseggio, Laura Berkowitz, Christine Blumberg, Susan Cayer,
Annette Cohen, Ellen Creane, Jennifer DAmato, Marc Degregorio, Therese DeMatteo,
Margot DiLieto, Kristine DiMartino, Elizabeth Dock Early, Suzanne Frisch, Kathleen
Gambardella, Bonnie Garmisa, Lisa Labadia, Amy Lee, Kate Lee, Jill Lesae, Pat Lore,
Susan Lustig, Lauretta Lyons, Sonjia Murray, Denise Pale, Julie Schlessel, Divina
Schmitt, Eric Tibere, Marjee Daniels Wolfgang residents of Guilford CT, Madison CT,
Clinton CT, Branford CT, Branford CT, Shelton CT, Durham CT, and Killingworth CT all
support this bill. As awareness among mental health needs grows, so should access to this
care for police officers whose occupation may directly expose them to trauma and increased
Page 3 of 4 HB-5420
need of services. Mental health care services should not be subject to discrimination and
receipt for officers should be safely available.
NATURE AND SOURCES OF OPPOSITION:
Jess Zaccagnino, Policy Counsel for the American Civil Liberties Union of Connecticut
(ACLU-CT) opposes this bill. They have concerns with House Bill 5420 because of the its
failure to reduce the role of policing in our communities, particularly with regard to some of
our most vulnerable residents when they are in need of medical care for a mental health
crisis.
Reported by: Fabializ N Najera Date: 3/22/2022
Page 4 of 4 HB-5420


Statutes affected:
Raised Bill: 7-294r
PS Joint Favorable Substitute: 7-294r
File No. 339: 7-294r
APP Joint Favorable: 7-294r
File No. 589: 7-294r
Public Act No. 22-64: 7-294r