Task Force PA 17-225 established a task force to examine the use of body-worn recording equipment by state and local police in accordance with the law. A new law expands the task force’s charge by requiring it to examine under what circumstances, if any, (1) a police officer should be permitted to review a recording from such equipment before giving a formal statement about his or her or another officer’s use of force and (2) members of the public or alleged victims or their family members should be permitted to review a recording from such equipment during an investigation or following an allegation that a police officer used excessive force. The new law also extends the task force’s reporting deadline from February 1, 2018, to January 1, 2019 (PA 18-187, effective upon passage)

The legislature passed a law regarding (1) law enforcement’s use of force, (2) body-worn and dashboard camera recording disclosures, and (3) police pursuits. Among other things, the act requires law enforcement units to submit an annual use of force report to the Office of Policy and Management (OPM). OPM must (1) complete a preliminary status report 2019-R-0144 July 22, 2019 Page 6 of 10 when a peace officer uses physical force that results in death, which must be submitted to the legislature, and (2) make certain use of force reports available on its website. The act also (1) makes certain body-worn or dashboard camera recordings disclosable to the public within 96 hours after the incident, (2) narrows the instances during which use of deadly force is justified, and (3) generally prohibits a pursuing police officer from discharging a firearm into or at a fleeing motor vehicle. Lastly, the act (1) establishes a task force to study police transparency and accountability and (2) requires POST to study and review police officers using firearms during a pursuit (PA 19-90, effective October 1, 2019, except the task force and POST study provisions are effective upon passage).

The legislature passed a new law requiring POST and the Commission on Fire Prevention and Control to develop and promulgate a model critical incident and peer support policy to support the mental health care and wellness of police officers and firefighters. The act also requires resilience and self-care technique training for new police officers and firefighters (PA 19- 17, §§ 7-10, effective July 1, 2019).

A new law expands first responders’ access to training on handling incidents involving children and adults with ASD, nonverbal learning disorder (NLD), and cognitive impairment. It also requires the UConn Center for Excellence in Developmental Disabilities to develop and publish on its website a communication aid for certain first responders to use to communicate with individuals with ASD, NLD, or cognitive impairment during emergencies when verbal communication may be hindered or impossible (PA 19-147, most provisions effective July 1, 2019).

A new law requires the Sentencing Commission to study potential disparities in pretrial and sentencing outcomes related to the racial, ethnic, gender, and socioeconomic status of a criminal defendant. Under the new law, the commission must have access to the state's criminal justice databases and Information Sharing System. The commission must also submit (1) an interim report on the study to the Judiciary Committee by January 1, 2020, and (2) a final report with any recommendations to the Judiciary Committee and the governor by January 1, 2021 (SA 19-17, effective upon passage).