Connecticut 2026 Session Status: In Committee 17 D cosponsors

HB 5328 — AN ACT ESTABLISHING A WORKING GROUP TO ADDRESS ANTI-MUSLIM AND ANTI-ARAB RACISM IN SCHOOLS.

Last action — FILE NO. 516

  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 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 chance

Based on the sponsor, cosponsors, and committee posture, this bill has a low chance of becoming law.

Upgrade to see the exact probability and what's driving it.

A statistical estimate from our own model of past outcomes — an insight, not a guarantee. Policymaking is volatile.

Prognosis

Stalled 26% · moderate confidence

  • In Committee

    Current position in the legislative process.

  • 17 sponsors

    17 primary, 0 co-sponsors signed on.

  • Single-party support

    Sponsorship is currently within one party (17 D).

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

79 added · 92 removed

Plain-language change summary

The updated version of Bill HB 5328 shifts its focus from addressing "anti-Muslim and anti-Arab racism" to specifically tackling "Islamophobia" in public schools. This change includes a commitment to provide support and resources for schools, particularly in the areas of policy amendments and training for educators. Additionally, the new version has eliminated the emphasis on creating curriculum materials related to Islamic and Arab studies. This matters because it streamlines the focus to directly combat Islamophobia, while still ensuring that students, families, and educators have the necessary support to create a safer school environment.

→
Previous
Latest
General Assembly Raised Bill No.
House of Representatives General Assembly File No.
5328 February Session, 2026 LCO No.
516 February Session, 2026 Substitute House Bill No.
2092 Referred to Committee on EDUCATION Introduced by:
5328 House of Representatives, April 8, 2026 The Committee on Education reported through REP.
(ED) AN ACT ESTABLISHING A WORKING GROUP TO ADDRESS ISLAMOPHOBIA IN SCHOOLS.
LEEPER of the 132nd Dist., Chairperson of the Committee on the part of the House, that the substitute bill ought to pass.
AN ACT ESTABLISHING A WORKING GROUP TO ADDRESS ANTI- MUSLIM AND ANTI-ARAB RACISM IN SCHOOLS.
(NEW) (Effective from passage) (a) There is established a working group to address Islamophobia in public schools.
(NEW) (Effective from passage) (a) There is established a working group to address anti-Muslim and anti-Arab racism in public schools.
The working group shall provide assistance and resources to the Department of Education.
The working group shall develop guidance and resources to address issues relating to anti-Muslim and anti-Arab racism that affect students, families, educators and school personnel.
The Commissioner of Education may provide such assistance and resources to local and regional boards of education to address issues relating to Islamophobia that affect students, families, educators and school personnel.
Such guidance and resources may include, but need not be limited to, (1) suggested amendments to school district policies to ensure that all students, educatorsandschoolpersonnelfeelsafeinside andoutsideoftheschool setting, (2) recommended training relating to anti-Muslim and anti- Arab racism for educators and administrators, and (3) guidance in the creation or provision of curriculum materials and resources relating to Islamic and Arab studies, pursuant to the provisions of section 10-16b of the general statutes, and genocide education and awareness, pursuant to the provisions of section 10-18f of the general statutes, sHB5328 / File No.
Such assistance and resources may include, but need not be limited to, (1) proposing amendments to school district policies to ensure that all students, educators and school personnel feel safe inside and outside of the school setting, and (2) offering training relating to Islamophobia for educators and administrators.
516 1 sHB5328 File No.
516 including, but not limited to, the history, heritage, contributions and persecution of Muslim communities.
(1) Two appointed by the speaker of the House of Representatives, one of whom shall be a representative from a national civil rights LCO No.
(1) Two appointed by the speaker of the House of Representatives, one of whom shall be a school administrator with expertise and knowledge in developing and implementing curricula in public schools in the state, and one of whom shall be a representative of the Connecticut chapter of the Muslim Justice Center;
2092 1 of 3 Raised Bill No.5328 organization that represents individuals facing Islamophobia and one of whom shall be a representative of a Muslim nonprofit organization in the state;
(2) Two appointed by the president pro tempore of the Senate, one of whom shall have knowledge and national and local expertise and experience in developing innovative and collaborative resources to addressanti-Muslimandanti-Arabracism in elementary andsecondary schools, and one of whom shall be a representative of the Connecticut chapter of Muslim Advocacy for Rights, Unity and Fairness;
(2) Two appointed by the president pro tempore of the Senate, one of whom shall have experience with developing innovative and collaborative resources to address Islamophobia in schools and one of whom shall be a representative of a Muslim religious organization in the state;
(3) Two appointed by the majority leader of the House of Representatives, who shall be teachers with professional knowledge and proven experience in addressing and combatting anti-Muslim or anti-Arab racism in public schools, one of whom shall be a member of the American Federation of Teachers-Connecticut and one of whom shall be a member of the Connecticut Education Association;
(3) One appointed by the majority leader of the House of Representatives, who shall be a teacher with professional knowledge and proven experience in addressing and combatting religious bigotry in public schools;
(4) Two appointed by the majority leader of the Senate, who shall be faculty members of an institution of higher education with expertise in curriculum development and knowledge and experience in addressing anti-Muslim and anti-Arab racism and teaching Muslim heritage, one of whom shall be a member of the Congress of Connecticut Community Colleges, SEIU Local 1973, and one of whom shall be a member of the Connecticut State Conference of theAmericanAssociation of University Professors;
(4) One appointed by the majority leader of the Senate, who shall have experience in school administration and expertise in addressing and combatting religious bigotry in public schools;
(5) Two appointed by the minority leader of the House of Representatives, one of whom shall have experience in school administrationandexpertiseinaddressingandcombattinganti-Muslim sHB5328 / File No.
(5) One appointed by the minority leader of the House of Representatives, who shall be a current or former faculty member of an institution of higher education with expertise in curriculum development and knowledge and experience in combatting religious bigotry;
516 2 sHB5328 File No.
(6) One appointed by the minority leader of the Senate, who shall have professional experience addressing Islamophobia in the state;
516 and anti-Arab racism in public schools, and one of whom shall be a parent of a Muslim student in the state;
and (7) One appointed by the Governor, who shall be a school administrator with expertise and knowledge in developing and implementing curricula in public schools in the state.
(6) Two appointed by the minority leader of the Senate, one of whom shall have professional experience addressing anti-Muslim and anti- Arab racism in the state, and one of whom shall be a Muslim student in the state;
(c) Any member of the task force appointed under subsection (b) of this section may be a member of the General Assembly.
(7) Two appointed by the Governor, one of whom shall be a representative of the Connecticut chapter of the Council on American Islamic Relations, and one of whom shall be a representative of the Muslim Coalition of Connecticut;
(d) All initial appointments to the working group shall be made not later than thirty days after the effective date of this section.
(8) The executive director of the Connecticut Association of Boards of Education, or the executive director's designee;
Any vacancy LCO No.
(9) The executive director of the Connecticut Association of Public School Superintendents, or the executive director's designee;
2092 2 of 3 Raised Bill No.5328 shall be filled by the appointing authority.
(10) The president of the Connecticut Education Association, or the president's designee;
(e)The speaker oftheHouse ofRepresentativesandthepresident pro tempore of the Senate shall each select a cochairperson of the working group from among the members of the working group.
and (11)The Commissioner ofEducation,orthecommissioner'sdesignee.
(c) All initial appointments to the working group shall be made not later than thirty days after the effective date of this section.
Any vacancy shall be filled by the appointing authority.
(d) The speaker of the House of Representatives and the president pro tempore of the Senate shall each select a cochairperson of the working group from among the members of the working group.
(f) The administrative staff of the joint standing committee of the General Assembly having cognizance of matters relating to education shall serve as administrative staff of the working group.
(e) The administrative staff of the joint standing committee of the General Assembly having cognizance of matters relating to education shall serve as administrative staff of the working group.
(g) Not later than January 1, 2027, the working group shall submit a report on its findings and recommendations to the Commissioner of Education and the joint standing committee of the General Assembly having cognizance of matters relating to education, in accordance with the provisions of section 11-4a of the general statutes.
sHB5328 / File No.
The working group shall terminate on the date that it submits such report or January 1, 2027, whichever is later.
516 3 sHB5328 File No.
516 (f) Not later than January 1, 2027, the working group shall submit the guidance and resources developed pursuant to subsection (a) of this section and any recommendations for legislation to the joint standing committee of the General Assembly having cognizance of matters relating to education, in accordance with the provisions of section 11-4a of the general statutes.
from passage Section 1 New section Statement of Purpose:
Section 1 from passage New section ED Joint Favorable Subst.
To establish a working group to address Islamophobia in schools.
sHB5328 / File No.
[Proposed deletions are enclosed in brackets.
516 4 sHB5328 File No.
Proposed additions are indicated by underline, except that when the entire text of a bill or resolution or a section of a bill or resolution is new, it is not underlined.] LCO No.
516 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.
2092 3 of 3
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:
None Explanation The bill, which establishes a working group to address anti-Muslim and anti-Arab racism in public schools, has no fiscal impact.
It is anticipated that the working group has the necessary expertise to meet the requirements.
Show all 67 changed rows (27 more)
Previous
Latest
The Out Years State Impact:
None Municipal Impact:
None sHB5328 / File No.
516 5 sHB5328 File No.
516 OLR Bill Analysis sHB 5328 AN ACT ESTABLISHING A WORKING GROUP TO ADDRESS ANTI- MUSLIM AND ANTI-ARAB RACISM IN SCHOOLS.
SUMMARY This bill establishes an 18-member working group to address anti- Muslim and anti-Arab racism in public schools and develop guidance and resources on the topic.
The working group must report on its guidance and resources, as well as recommendations for legislation, to the Education Committee by January 1, 2027.
EFFECTIVE DATE:
Upon passage WORKING GROUP ON ANTI-MUSLIM AND ANTI-ARAB RACISM IN SCHOOLS Group Charge The bill establishes a working group to (1) address issues related to anti-Muslim and anti-Arab racism that affect students, families, educators, and school personnel in public schools and (2) develop guidance and resources on the topic.
Under the bill, guidance and resources may include:
1.
suggestions to amend school policies to ensure that all students, educators, and school personnel feel safe inside and outside of the school;
2.
recommendations on training for educators and administrators;
and 3.
guidance in creating or providing curriculum materials and resources relating to Islamic and Arab studies and genocide education awareness, including the history, heritage, sHB5328 / File No.
516 6 sHB5328 File No.
516 contributions, and persecution of Muslim communities.
Membership In addition to the education commissioner, Connecticut Association of Boards of Education (CABE) executive director, Connecticut Association of Public School Superintendents (CAPSS) executive director, and Connecticut Education Association (CEA) president, or their respective designees, the group includes 14 members who must be appointed within 30 days after the bill’s passage, as shown in the table below.
Table:
Working Group to Address Anti-Muslim and Anti-Arab Racism in Schools Appointed Members Appointing Number of Qualifications Authority Appointments House speaker Two Connecticut school administrator with expertise and knowledge in developing and implementing public school curricula Representative of the Connecticut chapter of the Muslim Justice Center Senate president Two Individual with knowledge and national and local expertise pro tempore and experience in developing innovative and collaborative resources to address anti-Muslim and anti-Arab racism in elementary and secondary schools Representative of the Connecticut chapter of Muslim Advocacy for Rights, Unity and Fairness House majority Two Two teachers with professional knowledge and proven leader experience in addressing and combatting anti-Muslim or anti-Arab racism in public schools, with one teacher being a member of the American Federation of Teachers-CT and the other being a member of the CEA Senate majority Two Two higher education institution faculty members with leader expertise in curriculum development and knowledge and experience in addressing anti-Muslim and anti-Arab racism and teaching Muslim heritage, with one being from the Congress of Connecticut Community Colleges, SEIU Local 1973, and the other being a member of the Connecticut State Conference of the American Association of University Professors House minority Two Individual with experience in school administration and leader expertise in addressing and combatting anti-Muslim and anti-Arab racism in public schools Parent of a Muslim student in the state Senate minority Two Individual with professional experience addressing anti- sHB5328 / File No.
516 7 sHB5328 File No.
516 Appointing Number of Qualifications Authority Appointments leader Muslim and anti-Arab racism Muslim student in the state Governor Two Representative of the Connecticut chapter of the Council on American-Islamic Relations Representative of the Muslim Coalition of Connecticut The House speaker and Senate president pro tempore must each select a co-chairperson from the working group members.
These co- chairpersons must convene the working group within 60 days after the bill’s passage.
The Education Committee’s administrative staff must serve as the group’s administrative staff.
COMMITTEE ACTION Education Committee Joint Favorable Substitute Yea 45 Nay 1 (03/18/2026) sHB5328 / File No.
516 8
⬇ Download PDF
View plain text versions (3)

Action History

  1. FILE NO. 516

  2. HOUSE CALENDAR NUMBER 336

  3. FAV. RPT., TABLED FOR HOUSE CALENDAR

  4. RPTD. OUT OF LCO

  5. REFERRED TO Office of Legislative Research AND Office of Fiscal Analysis 04/07/26

  6. FILED WITH LCO

  7. Joint Favorable Substitute

  8. PUBLIC HEARING 0304

  9. REF. TO JOINT COMM. ON Education

Sponsors

Sponsorship breakdown

Export CSV (upgrade) →

17 sponsors · 0 co-sponsors · 170 not signed on

Sponsors (17)

Co-sponsors (0)

None.

Not signed on (170)

170 members have not signed on to this bill.

Show all 170 →

"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

civil-rights education
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 5328?
HB 5328 is sponsored by Jillian Gilchrest (Democratic), Raghib Allie-Brennan (Democratic), Jason Doucette (Democratic), Steven Winter (Democratic), Travis Simms (Democratic), Savet Constantine (Democratic), Julie Kushner (Democratic), Derek Slap (Democratic), Nick Gauthier (Democratic), Saud Anwar (Democratic), Eleni Kavros DeGraw (Democratic), Matthew L. Lesser (Democratic), Josh Elliott (Democratic), Jonathan Jacobson (Democratic), Matt Blumenthal (Democratic), Geoff Luxenberg (Democratic), and MD Rahman (Democratic).
What is the current status of HB 5328?
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 5328?
Track HB 5328 free on One Click Politics — get push/email alerts when it moves.

Make your voice heard on HB 5328

Find the representatives who decide this bill and tell them where you stand — for yourself, or mobilize your whole list in one click with One Click Politics advocacy software.

Find my representatives → Run a campaign

Stay ahead of HB 5328

Last checked for changes 3 months ago · updated continuously

One Click Politics tracks every bill in Congress and all 50 states.

Track this bill →