Connecticut 2026 Session Status: In Committee Bipartisan · 2 R · 1 D cosponsors

HB 5273 — AN ACT REQUIRING CHILDREN UNDER THE AGE OF TWELVE TO WEAR PERSONAL FLOTATION DEVICES ON DOCKS, WHARFS AND PIERS.

Last action — FILE NO. 15

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  1. ✓
    Introduced
  2. 2
    In Committee
  3. 3
    Passed House
  4. 4
    Passed Senate
  5. 5
    To Executive
  6. 6
    Enacted

This bill is in committee in the House. Introduced February 19, 2026. It must pass committee before a floor vote.

Next likely step: a committee vote, then a floor vote in the House.

Prognosis

Advancing 36% · moderate confidence

Where this bill stands today.

Odds of enactment

Low

How often bills like it became law.

  • In Committee

    Current position in the legislative process.

  • 3 sponsors

    3 primary, 0 co-sponsors signed on.

  • Bipartisan support

    Sponsored across 2 parties (2 R · 1 D) — cross-party backing.

Prognosis reads this bill's own signals — stage, sponsorship breadth, committee status, recorded votes and cross-state momentum. Odds come from a model trained on which bills have become law.

Bill Text

What changed in the latest version

51 added · 6 removed

Plain-language change summary

The changes to House Bill 5273 include new language about its fiscal impact and a clearer identification of the committee responsible for its review. Notably, the bill now outlines that there will be a minimal cost of up to $10,000 for the Department of Energy and Environmental Protection in the next fiscal year. This information is important because it helps lawmakers understand the potential financial implications of the bill, ensuring that budget considerations are factored into legislative decisions.

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Latest
General Assembly Raised Bill No.
House of Representatives General Assembly File No.
5273 February Session, 2026 LCO No.
15 February Session, 2026 House Bill No.
1659 Referred to Committee on COMMITTEE ON CHILDREN Introduced by:
5273 House of Representatives, March 11, 2026 The Committee on Children reported through REP.
(KID) AN ACT REQUIRING CHILDREN UNDER THE AGE OF TWELVE TO WEAR PERSONAL FLOTATION DEVICES ON DOCKS, WHARFS AND PIERS.
PARIS of the 145th Dist., Chairperson of the Committee on the part of the House, that the bill ought to pass.
AN ACT REQUIRING CHILDREN UNDER THE AGE OF TWELVE TO WEAR PERSONAL FLOTATION DEVICES ON DOCKS, WHARFS AND PIERS.
Section 1 October 1, 2026 New section KID Joint Favorable LCO 1659 1 of 1
Section 1 October 1, 2026 New section KID Joint Favorable HB5273 / File No.
15 1 HB5273 File No.
15 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 $ Department of Energy and GF – Minimal Cost Up to 10,000 Environmental Protection Note:
GF=General Fund Municipal Impact:
None Explanation The bill will result in a minimal cost in FY 27, of up to $10,000, to the Department of Energy and Environmental Protection.
The cost is associated with the purchase of additional personal flotation devices, to support educational programs run by DEEP, which would be required for all children under 12 years old, while on any public dock, wharf, or pier in the state.
Additionally, DEEP would require new signage at public docks, wharfs and piers, to inform the public of the required change.
The Out Years There would be minimal outyear costs associated with the replacement of personal flotation devices.
HB5273 / File No.
15 2 HB5273 File No.
15 OLR Bill Analysis HB 5273 AN ACT REQUIRING CHILDREN UNDER THE AGE OF TWELVE TO WEAR PERSONAL FLOTATION DEVICES ON DOCKS, WHARFS AND PIERS.
SUMMARY This bill requires all children under 12 years old to wear a personal flotation device while onany publicdock, wharf, or pier inthestate.The bill specifies that this requirement applies regardless of any existing special act, municipal charter, or home rule ordinance provisions.
EFFECTIVE DATE:
October 1, 2026 COMMITTEE ACTION Committee on Children Joint Favorable Yea 15 Nay 2 (03/03/2026) HB5273 / File No.
15 3
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Action History

  1. FILE NO. 15

  2. HOUSE CALENDAR NUMBER 40

  3. FAV. RPT., TABLED FOR HOUSE CALENDAR

  4. RPTD. OUT OF LCO

  5. REFERRED TO Office of Legislative Research AND Office of Fiscal Analysis 03/10/26

  6. FILED WITH LCO

  7. Joint Favorable

  8. PUBLIC HEARING 0224

  9. REF. TO JOINT COMM. ON Committee on Children

Sponsors

Sponsorship breakdown

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3 sponsors · 0 co-sponsors · 184 not signed on

Sponsors (3)

Co-sponsors (0)

None.

Not signed on (184)

184 members have not signed on to this bill.

Show all 184 →

"Not signed on" means a member has not sponsored or co-sponsored this bill — it does not imply opposition. Members flagged Voted No have a recorded No vote on this bill.

Whip count is in markup. Polling the chamber and every recorded vote this session. Only the first open is slow. It’s instant for you after this. Calling the roll · Tallying · Engrossing

Subjects

public-safety
Cross-referencing the record. Reading this bill against every other bill in the corpus by meaning, not keywords. Only the first open is slow. It’s instant for you after this. Matching · Ranking · Engrossing

Frequently asked questions

Who sponsors HB 5273?
HB 5273 is sponsored by Ben McGorty (Republican), Jason Perillo (Republican), and Joseph P. Gresko (Democratic).
What is the current status of HB 5273?
This bill is in committee in the House. Introduced February 19, 2026. It must pass committee before a floor vote.
Where can I track HB 5273?
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Last checked for changes 3 months ago · updated continuously

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