HB 5367 — AN ACT CONCERNING THE REMOVAL OF UNAUTHORIZED PERSONS FROM RESIDENTIAL PROPERTY.
Last action — FILE NO. 166
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✓Introduced
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2In Committee
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3Passed House
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4Passed Senate
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5To Executive
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6Enacted
This bill is in committee in the House. Introduced February 26, 2026. It must pass committee before a floor vote.
Next likely step: a committee vote, then a floor vote in the House.
Odds of enactment
Low chanceBased on the sponsor, cosponsors, and committee posture, this bill has a low chance of becoming law.
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A statistical estimate from our own model of past outcomes — an insight, not a guarantee. Policymaking is volatile.
Prognosis
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In Committee
Current position in the legislative process.
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2 sponsors
2 primary, 0 co-sponsors signed on.
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Bipartisan support
Sponsored across 2 parties (1 R · 1 D) — cross-party backing.
Based on stage, sponsorship breadth, committee status, recorded votes, and cross-state momentum — a description of the observable signals, not a prediction.
Bill Text
What changed in the latest version
156 added · 10 removedPlain-language change summary
The recent update to Bill HB 5367 includes a change in the bill's title and the clarification of its introduction process within the General Assembly. Specifically, the new version emphasizes the roles of the committee and chairperson responsible for its reporting, while also omitting some redundant lines about the bill’s section and timeline. These adjustments help streamline the document and make it more focused, ensuring that lawmakers can quickly understand its purpose and intent. This matters because clearer communication can facilitate a more efficient legislative process.
House of Representatives General Assembly SubstituteFile Bill No.
5367166 February Session, 2026 ANSubstitute ACTHouse CONCERNINGBill THENo. REMOVAL OF UNAUTHORIZED PERSONS FROM RESIDENTIAL PROPERTY.
5367 House of Representatives, March 25, 2026 The Committee on Housing reported through REP.
FELIPE of the 130th Dist., Chairperson of the Committee on the part of the House, that the substitute bill ought to pass.
AN ACT CONCERNING THE REMOVAL OF UNAUTHORIZED PERSONS FROM RESIDENTIAL PROPERTY.
(b)sHB5367 A/ realFile propertyNo. owner, or the authorized agent of the real property owner, may request the law enforcement agency for the municipality in which the property is located to immediately remove a person unlawfully occupying a dwelling unit pursuant to this section if all of the following conditions are met:
LCO166 1 ofsHB5367 4File Substitute Bill No.
5367166 (1)(b) TheA requestor is the real property ownerowner, or the authorized agent of the real property owner;owner, may request the law enforcement agency for the municipality in which the property is located to immediately remove a person unlawfully occupying a dwelling unit pursuant to this section if all of the following conditions are met:
(1) The requestor is the real property owner or authorized agent of the real property owner;
The affidavit shall certify the following:sHB5367 / File No.
166 2 sHB5367 File No.
166 following:
(B) The date on which the real property owner obtained title to the LCOreal 2property offrom 4which Substituteremoval Billis No.sought;
5367 real property from which removal is sought;
If verified, the local law enforcement agency shall, without delay, serve a notice to immediately vacate on each unauthorized person who is unlawfully occupyingsHB5367 the/ propertyFile andNo. shall put the owner in possession of the real property.
166 3 sHB5367 File No.
166 occupying the property and shall put the owner in possession of the real property.
The police officer serving such notice shall also attempttoverifytheidentitiesofallpersonsoccupyingthepropertyand LCOnote 3the ofidentities 4on Substitutethe Billreturn No.of service.
5367 note the identities on the return of service.
Section 1 October 1, 2026 Section 1 New section Statement of Legislative Commissioners:
-LCO LCOsHB5367 4/ ofFile 4No.
166 4 sHB5367 File No.
166 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:
Municipalities Effect FY 27 $ FY 28 $ All Municipalities Potential Minimal Minimal Savings Explanation The bill, which creates a process for the removal of unauthorized persons from residential property, results in a potential savings to municipalities related to a possible decrease in evictions.
To the extent the bill results in fewer evictions, there may be a potential savings to municipalities associated with storing fewer possessions of evicted tenants, beginning in FY 27.
The bill also allows individuals who are allegedly wrongfully removed to bring a civil cause of action, which does not result in a fiscal impact.
The court system disposes of over 250,000 cases annually and the number of cases is not anticipated to be great enough to have a material change on court operations.
The Out Years The annualized ongoing fiscal impact identified above would continue into the future subject to the actual number of evictions.
sHB5367 / File No.
166 5 sHB5367 File No.
166 OLR Bill Analysis sHB 5367 AN ACT CONCERNING THE REMOVAL OF UNAUTHORIZED PERSONS FROM RESIDENTIAL PROPERTY.
SUMMARY This bill creates a new process by which a real property owner, or their authorized agent, may ask the municipality’s law enforcement agency to immediately remove a person unlawfully occupying all or part of a residence (an “unauthorized person”), under certain circumstances.
A “law enforcement agency” is an organized municipal police department or the State Police, as applicable.
Under the bill, an “unauthorized person” is someone who (1) entered or remains in a residential property without the owner’s or lawful occupant’s consent and (2) is not the property owner’s (a) current or former tenant under a rental agreement the owner authorized or (b) immediate family member.
Existing law, unchanged by the bill, allows owners (landlords) to use the summary process (eviction) to remove tenants based on certain grounds (see BACKGROUND).
The bill’s new removal process is available to owners or their agents only if there is no pending litigation related to the property between the owner and any known unauthorized person, and only in situations in which the:
Show all 82 changed lines (42 more)
1.
unauthorizedpersonunlawfullyenteredtheproperty,wasasked by the property owner to leave, and stayed or continues to live on the property, and 2.
property was not open to the public when the unauthorized person entered.
Under the bill, a property owner or authorized agent can submit a sHB5367 / File No.
166 6 sHB5367 File No.
166 request to begin the removal process by giving the municipality’s law enforcement agency a (1) signed affidavit certifying certain information and (2) copy of the property owner’s valid, government-issued identification or, for an authorized agent, documents showing his or her authority to act on the property owner’s behalf.
If the law enforcement agency verifies the removal request, it must serve a notice to immediately vacate on the unauthorized person and put the owner in possession.
A police officer may arrest any unauthorized person found on the property for trespass, outstanding warrants, or any other legal cause, if appropriate.
The bill also creates a civil cause of action for wrongful removal.
EFFECTIVE DATE:
October 1, 2026 AFFIDAVIT REQUIRED TO INITIATE REMOVAL PROCESS Under the bill, the required affidavit must certify the date the owner obtained title to the property and that:
1.
the requestor owns the property from which removal is being requested, or their authorized agent;
2.
an unauthorized person unlawfully entered and remains on the property after being directed to leave;
3.
the property was not open to the public when the unauthorized person entered;
4.
the unauthorized person is not (a) the property owner’s immediate family member, (b)theproperty’sowner or co-owner, or (c) listed on the property title (unless due to title fraud);
5.
there is no pending litigation related to the property between the owner and any unauthorized person unlawfully occupying the property;
and 6.
the unauthorized person subject to removal may bring a cause of action against the requestor for any false statements he or she sHB5367 / File No.
166 7 sHB5367 File No.
166 made in the request and affidavit (and that the requestor may be liable for actual damages, penalties, costs, and reasonable attorney fees).
NOTICE TO IMMEDIATELY VACATE After receiving a removal request, the bill requires the law enforcement agency to verify that the person who submitted it is the property’s record owner (or their authorized agent) and appears otherwise entitled to relief.
If verified, the law enforcement agency must, without delay, (1) serve a notice to immediately vacate on each unauthorized person unlawfully occupying the property and (2) put the owner in possession (presumably by removing the unauthorized person).
(The bill does not specify whether the law enforcement agency must, after serving notice, remove the unauthorized person’s possessions and personaleffects, ifany, or what happensto these itemsafter theperson’s removal.
Additionally, it does not specify the notice’s required form or content.) Proper Service Under the bill, a police officer (a sworn member of the State Police or a municipal police department, as applicable) (1) may serve the notice to immediately vacate by hand to an unauthorized person or post it on the property’s front door or entrance and (2) must try to verify the identity of anyone occupying the property and note this on the return of service.
Wrongful Removal Under the bill, a person harmed by wrongful removal (1) has a civil cause of action;
(2) may be restored to possession of the property;
and (3) may recover actual costs and damages incurred, court costs, reasonable attorney’s fees, and statutory damages equal to three times the property’s fair market rent.
BACKGROUND Summary Process sHB5367 / File No.
166 8 sHB5367 File No.
166 By law, once a landlord has a ground for eviction, he or she begins the process by serving the tenant with a notice to quit possession.
The landlord must serve it at least three days before a rental agreement is terminated or before the time thenotice to quit specifies (in other words, the landlord must give the tenant at least three full days to move out).
If the tenant fails to respond to this notice by refusing to move from the rented premises, the landlord may start proceedings in Superior Court by filing a summons and complaint.
The tenant may respond to the complaint;
if he or she contests the action, the court may try the case and enter judgment.
If the court rules for the landlord, it orders the judgment executed, and a state marshal removes the tenant and his or her belongings.
COMMITTEE ACTION Housing Committee Joint Favorable Yea 11 Nay 8 (03/10/2026) sHB5367 / File No.
166 9
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Action History
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FILE NO. 166
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HOUSE CALENDAR NUMBER 141
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FAV. RPT., TABLED FOR HOUSE CALENDAR
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RPTD. OUT OF LCO
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REFERRED TO Office of Legislative Research AND Office of Fiscal Analysis 03/24/26
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FILED WITH LCO
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Joint Favorable
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PUBLIC HEARING 0303
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REF. TO JOINT COMM. ON Housing
Sponsors
- Rob Sampson · Primary
- Geraldo C. Reyes · Primary
Sponsorship breakdown
Export CSV (upgrade) →2 sponsors · 0 co-sponsors · 185 not signed on
Sponsors (2)
- Rob Sampson Republican
- Geraldo C. Reyes Democratic
Co-sponsors (0)
None.
Not signed on (185)
185 members have not signed on to this bill.
Show all 185 →"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.
Subjects
Frequently asked questions
- Who sponsors HB 5367?
- HB 5367 is sponsored by Rob Sampson (Republican) and Geraldo C. Reyes (Democratic).
- What is the current status of HB 5367?
- This bill is in committee in the House. Introduced February 26, 2026. It must pass committee before a floor vote.
- Where can I track HB 5367?
- Track HB 5367 free on One Click Politics — get push/email alerts when it moves.
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