Connecticut 2026 Session Status: In Committee Bipartisan · 9 D · 5 R cosponsors

HB 5403 — AN ACT CONCERNING HEALTH INSURANCE COVERAGE FOR SURVIVORS OF UNPAID VOLUNTEER FIREFIGHTERS AND STATE MARSHALS.

Last action — FILE NO. 266

  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.

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

Prognosis

Advancing 42% · moderate confidence

  • In Committee

    Current position in the legislative process.

  • 14 sponsors

    14 primary, 0 co-sponsors signed on.

  • Bipartisan support

    Sponsored across 2 parties (9 D · 5 R) — 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

273 added · 115 removed

Plain-language change summary

The latest version of Bill HB 5403 adds a section detailing the Fiscal Impact Statement and Bill Analysis to give lawmakers a better understanding of the financial implications of the bill. This change is important because it helps provide context and clarity regarding how the proposed legislation may affect state finances, ensuring that representatives have the necessary information to make informed decisions. Additionally, some repetitive lines from the previous draft have been removed for clarity and brevity.

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General Assembly Raised Bill No.
House of Representatives General Assembly File No.
5403 February Session, 2026 LCO No.
266 February Session, 2026 Substitute House Bill No.
1422 Referred to Committee on PUBLIC SAFETY AND SECURITY Introduced by:
5403 House of Representatives, March 31, 2026 The Committee on Public Safety and Security reported through REP.
(PS) AN ACT CONCERNING HEALTH INSURANCE COVERAGE FOR SURVIVORS OF UNPAID VOLUNTEER FIREFIGHTERS, CORRECTION OFFICERS AND STATE MARSHALS.
BOYD of the 50th Dist., Chairperson of the Committee on the part of the House, that the substitute bill ought to pass.
AN ACT CONCERNING HEALTH INSURANCE COVERAGE FOR SURVIVORS OF UNPAID VOLUNTEER FIREFIGHTERS AND STATE MARSHALS.
For purposes of this subsection, "unpaid volunteer firefighter" has the same meaning as LCO No.
For purposes of this sHB5403 / File No.
1422 1 of 5 Raised Bill No.5403 provided in section 5-259, as amended by this act.
266 1 sHB5403 File No.
(2) A nonstate public employer that did not provide coverage pursuant to a partnership plan to a first responder or unpaid volunteer firefighter who is killed in the line of duty shall apply for coverage pursuant to a partnership plan for those survivors of such first responder or unpaid volunteer firefighter who were receiving health care benefit coverage through a plan offered to such first responder or unpaid volunteer firefighter at the time of such first responder's or unpaid volunteer firefighter's death, at the request of such survivors.
266 subsection, "unpaid volunteer firefighter" means a uniformed member of a fire department who performs firefighting duties for the fire department but is unpaid for performing such firefighting duties.
The Comptroller shall accept such application upon the terms and conditions applicable to the partnership plan for enrollment and provision of coverage to such survivors for one year.
(2) (A) A nonstate public employer that did not provide coverage pursuant to a partnership plan to a first responder or unpaid volunteer firefighter who is killed in the line of duty shall apply for coverage pursuant to a partnership plan for those survivors of such first responder or unpaid volunteer firefighter who were receiving health care benefit coverage through a plan offered to such first responder or unpaid volunteer firefighter at the time of such first responder's or unpaid volunteer firefighter's death, at the request of such survivors.
(B) A nonstate public employer shall apply for such coverage pursuant to a partnership plan (i) regardless of whether such first responder was an employee of the nonstate public employer at the time of such first responder's death, and (ii) despite such unpaid volunteer firefighter not havingbeenanemployee ofthenonstate publicemployer at the time of such unpaid volunteer firefighter's death.
For any first responder who was not an employee of a nonstate public employer at the time of such first responder's death, and for any unpaid volunteer firefighter, the nonstate public employer to which the first responder or unpaid volunteer firefighter provided services in the capacity of a first responder or unpaid volunteer firefighter at the time of such first responder's or unpaid volunteer firefighter's death shall apply for such coverage.
(C)The Comptroller shallaccept suchapplicationuponthetermsand conditions applicable to the partnership plan for enrollment and provision of coverage to such survivors for one year.
(3) In accordance with the provisions of subsection (b) of section 3- 122a and subdivision (2) of subsection (c) of section 3-123eee, the Comptroller shall reimburse a nonstate public employer making sHB5403 / File No.
266 2 sHB5403 File No.
266 payments pursuant to this subsection for thetotal cost of such payments from the Fallen Hero Fund established pursuant to subsection (b) of section 3-122a.
(a) The Comptroller, with the approval of the Attorney General and of the Insurance Commissioner, shall arrange and procure a group hospitalization and medical and surgical insurance plan or plans for (1) state employees, (2) members of the General Assembly who elect coverage under such plan or plans, (3) participants in an alternate retirement program who meet the service requirements of section 5-162 or subsection (a) of section 5-166, (4) anyone receiving benefits under section 5-144 or from any state-sponsored retirement system, except the teachers' retirement system and the municipal employees retirement system, (5) judges of probate and Probate Court employees, (6) the surviving spouse, and any dependent children of a state police officer, a member of an organized local police department, a firefighter, an unpaid volunteer firefighter, a correction officer, a state marshal or a constable who performs criminal law enforcement duties who dies LCO No.
(a) The Comptroller, with the approval of the Attorney General and of the Insurance Commissioner, shall arrange and procure a group hospitalization and medical and surgical insurance plan or plans for (1) state employees, (2) members of the General Assembly who elect coverage under such plan or plans, (3) participants in an alternate retirement program who meet the service requirements of section 5-162 or subsection (a) of section 5-166, (4) anyone receiving benefits under section 5-144 or from any state-sponsored retirement system, except the teachers' retirement system and the municipal employees retirement system, (5) judges of probate and Probate Court employees, (6) the surviving spouse, and any dependent children of a state police officer, a member of an organized local police department, a firefighter or a constable who performs criminal law enforcement duties who dies before, on or after June 26, 2003, as the result of injuries received while acting within the scope of such officer's or firefighter's or constable's employment andnot astheresult ofillnessor naturalcauses,andwhose surviving spouse and dependent children are not otherwise eligible for a group hospitalization and medical and surgical insurance plan.
1422 2 of 5 Raised Bill No.5403 before, on or after June 26, 2003, as the result of injuries received while acting within the scope of such officer's, [or] firefighter's, unpaid volunteer firefighter's, correction officer's, state marshal's or constable's employment andnot astheresult ofillnessor naturalcauses,andwhose surviving spouse and dependent children are not otherwise eligible for a group hospitalization and medical and surgical insurance plan.
or attains the age of twenty-six, (7) employees of the Capital Region Development Authority established by section 32-601, (8) the surviving spouse and dependent children of any employee of a municipality who dies on or after October 1, 2000, as the result of injuries received while acting within the scope of such employee's employment andnot astheresult ofillnessor naturalcauses,andwhose surviving spouse and dependent children are not otherwise eligible for a group hospitalization and medical and surgical insurance plan, and (9) state marshals.
or attains the age of twenty-six, (7) employees of the Capital Region Development Authority established by section 32-601, (8) the surviving spouse and dependent children of any employee of a municipality who dies on or after October 1, 2000, as the result of injuries received while acting within the scope of such employee's employment andnot astheresult ofillnessor naturalcauses,andwhose sHB5403 / File No.
266 3 sHB5403 File No.
266 surviving spouse and dependent children are not otherwise eligible for a group hospitalization and medical and surgical insurance plan, [and] (9) state marshals, and (10) the surviving spouse and any dependent children of a state marshal who dies as the result of injuries received while serving a temporary restraining order and not as the result of illness or natural causes, and whose surviving spouse and dependent children are not otherwise eligible for a group hospitalization and medical and surgical insurance plan.
For purposes of subdivision (6) of this subsection, "correction officer" means anindividualemployed by theDepartment ofCorrectionasacorrection officer, "firefighter" means any person who is regularly employed and paid by any municipality for the purpose of performing firefighting duties for a municipality on average of not less than thirty-five hours per week and "unpaid volunteer firefighter" means a uniformed member of a fire department who performs firefighting duties for the fire department but is unpaid for performing such firefighting duties.
For purposes of subdivision (6) of this subsection, "firefighter" means any person who is regularly employed and paid by any municipality for the purpose of performing firefighting duties for a municipality on average of not less than thirty-five hours per week.
The minimum benefits to be provided by such plan or plans shall be LCO No.
The minimum benefits to be provided by such plan or plans shall be substantially equal in value to the benefits that each such employee or member of the General Assembly could secure in such plan or plans on an individual basis on the preceding first day of July.
1422 3 of 5 Raised Bill No.5403 substantially equal in value to the benefits that each such employee or member of the General Assembly could secure in such plan or plans on an individual basis on the preceding first day of July.
The balance of any premiums payable by an individual employee or by a member of the General Assembly for the form of coverage shall be deducted from the payroll by the State Comptroller.
The balance of any premiums payable by an individual employee or by a member of the General Assembly for the form of sHB5403 / File No.
266 4 sHB5403 File No.
266 coverage shall be deducted from the payroll by the State Comptroller.
2 October 1, 2026 5-259(a) LCO No.
2 October 1, 2026 5-259(a) PS Joint Favorable Subst.
1422 4 of 5 Raised Bill No.
sHB5403 / File No.
5403 Statement of Purpose:
266 5 sHB5403 File No.
To provide health insurance coverage for survivors of unpaid volunteer firefighters, correction officers and state marshals.
266 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.
[Proposed deletions are enclosed in brackets.
In general, fiscal impacts are based upon a variety of informational sources, including the analyst’s professional knowledge.
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.
Whenever applicable, agency data is consulted as part of the analysis, however final products do not necessarily reflect an assessment from any specific department.
1422 5 of 5
OFA Fiscal Note State Impact:
Agency Affected Fund-Effect FY 27 $ FY 28 $ State Comptroller - Fringe GF - Potential less than less than Benefits Cost 40,000 40,000 Note:
GF=General Fund Municipal Impact:
None Explanation The bill, which extends health care coverage to survivors of state marshals who die from injuries received while serving a temporary restraining order, results in a cost to the State Comptroller – Fringe Benefits of less than $40,000 annually beginning in FY 27 for the cost of medical premiums per qualifying beneficiary to the extent they elect coverage.
The bill additionally extends health care coverage under the partnership plan to survivors of unpaid volunteer firefighters killed in the line of duty which results in a net neutral fiscal impact to the state and municipalities facilitating coverage as the payments will be reimbursed by the Fallen Officer Fund.
The Out Years The annualized ongoing fiscal impact identified above would continue into the future subject to instances where state marshals and unpaid volunteer firefighters are killed in the line of duty.
sHB5403 / File No.
266 6 sHB5403 File No.
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266 OLR Bill Analysis sHB 5403 AN ACT CONCERNING HEALTH INSURANCE COVERAGE FOR SURVIVORS OF UNPAID VOLUNTEER FIREFIGHTERS AND STATE MARSHALS.
SUMMARY This bill extends (1) nonstate public employer “partnership plan” health care coverage to the survivors of certain unpaid volunteer firefighters and (2) state employee health insurance coverage to the survivors of certain state marshals.
It also requires all nonstate public employers (for example, a municipality or other political subdivision of the state) to apply for partnership plan coverage for survivors of first responders or unpaid volunteer firefighters, even if they were not employees of the nonstate public employer at their time of death.
(By law, first responders are emergency medical technicians, paid firefighters, paramedics, or police officers.) By law, the state comptroller must use the Fallen Hero Fund (see BACKGROUND) to reimburse nonstate public employers for any payments made for partnership plan coverage for survivors of first responders.
The bill similarly requires him to use the Fallen Hero Fund to reimburse nonstate public employers for payments made for partnership plan coverage for survivors of unpaid volunteer firefighters.
EFFECTIVE DATE:
October 1, 2026 PARTNERSHIP PLAN COVERAGE Unpaid Volunteer Firefighter Survivors By law, the comptroller must offer partnership plan coverage to sHB5403 / File No.
266 7 sHB5403 File No.
266 nonstate public employers and nonprofit employers.
As required under existing law for first responders, the bill requires a nonstate public employer that provided partnership plan coverage to an unpaid volunteer firefighter who is killed in the line of duty to continue to provide the coverage to the survivors who were covered under the plan when the firefighter died.
The coverage must continue for one year after the death and may be renewed annually for up to five years.
The nonstate public employer must facilitate the coverage continuation and renewal.
Under the bill, “unpaid volunteer firefighters” are uniformed members of a fire department who perform firefighting duties for the department but are not paid.
Under the bill, as required under existing law for first responders, a nonstate public employer that did not provide partnership plan coverage to an unpaid volunteer firefighter killed in the line of duty must apply for partnership plan coverage for, and at the request of, the survivors who were receiving health insurance coverage through a plan offered to the firefighter at the time of death.
By law, the comptroller must accept the application on the terms and conditions applicable to the partnership plan for enrolling and covering the survivors for one year.
The enrollment and coverage may be renewed annually for up to five years.
The nonstate public employer must help with enrollment and coverage initiation and renewal.
Required Partnership Plan Application The bill requires nonstate public employers to apply for partnership plan coverage whether or not a first responder or unpaid volunteer firefighter was an employee of the nonstate public employer at the time of death.
For first responders and unpaid volunteer firefighters who were not employees of a nonstate public employer at the time of death, the nonstate public employer they provided services to at the time of death must apply for coverage.
Fallen Hero Fund Reimbursement By law, nonstate public employers cannot require survivors of first sHB5403 / File No.
266 8 sHB5403 File No.
266 responders to pay for coverage under a partnership plan.
Instead, the employer must cover the entire amount and be reimbursed from the Fallen Hero Fund for the total cost.
The bill extends this requirement to survivors of unpaid volunteer firefighters.
STATE EMPLOYEE PLAN COVERAGE FOR STATE MARSHAL SURVIVORS The bill requires the state comptroller, with approval from the attorneygeneralandtheinsurancecommissioner,to allowthesurviving spouse and dependent children of a state marshal to participate in the state employee health insurance plan.
To be eligible, the (1) state marshal must have died as the result of injuries received while serving a temporary restraining order and not as the result of illness or natural causes and (2) surviving spouse and dependent children cannot otherwise be eligible for a group hospitalization and medical and surgical insurance plan.
BACKGROUND Fallen Hero Fund The Fallen Hero Fund is a non-lapsing fund the comptroller may use to pay surviving families of first responders who sustained injuries that were the direct and proximate cause of their death a death benefit, as well as municipalities that provide partnership plan coverage to those survivors.
Within available appropriations, families are entitled to a lump sum death benefit payment of $100,000.
Related Bills sHB 5003 (§§ 11 & 12), favorably reported by the Labor and Public Employees Committee, similarly requires health care plan coverage to be extended to the survivors of unpaid volunteer firefighters and state marshals.
It requires (1) nonstate public employers to continue providing coverage to survivors of an unpaid volunteer firefighter or, if they were not providing coverage, apply for coverage for the survivors through a partnership plan and (2) the comptroller to let the surviving spouse and dependent children of an unpaid volunteer firefighter or state marshal to participate in the state employee health insurance plan.
sHB5403 / File No.
266 9 sHB5403 File No.
266 sSB 410, favorably reported by the Public Safety and Security Committee, expands the Fallen Hero Fund to provide compensation for firefighter cancer deaths.
It also requires nonstate public employers to provide benefits under a partnership plan to survivors of first responders that died due to certain cancers.
These employers must be reimbursed from the firefighters cancer relief account instead of the Fallen Hero Fund.
COMMITTEE ACTION Public Safety and Security Committee Joint Favorable Substitute Yea 29 Nay 0 (03/17/2026) sHB5403 / File No.
266 10
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Action History

  1. FILE NO. 266

  2. HOUSE CALENDAR NUMBER 222

  3. FAV. RPT., TABLED FOR HOUSE CALENDAR

  4. RPTD. OUT OF LCO

  5. REFERRED TO Office of Legislative Research AND Office of Fiscal Analysis 03/30/26

  6. FILED WITH LCO

  7. Joint Favorable Substitute

  8. PUBLIC HEARING 0305

  9. REF. TO JOINT COMM. ON Public Safety and Security

Sponsors

Sponsorship breakdown

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14 sponsors · 0 co-sponsors · 173 not signed on

Sponsors (14)

Co-sponsors (0)

None.

Not signed on (173)

173 members have not signed on to this bill.

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"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 healthcare health-insurance
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Frequently asked questions

Who sponsors HB 5403?
HB 5403 is sponsored by Paul Cicarella (Republican), William Heffernan (Democratic), Sarah Keitt (Democratic), Joe Canino (Republican), Nicholas Menapace (Democratic), Kenneth Gucker (Democratic), Kara Rochelle (Democratic), Greg S. Howard (Republican), Henry J. Genga (Democratic), Michael D. Quinn (Democratic), Rebecca Martinez (Democratic), Tom Delnicki (Republican), Ben McGorty (Republican), and James Sanchez (Democratic).
What is the current status of HB 5403?
This bill is in committee in the House. Introduced February 26, 2026. It must pass committee before a floor vote.
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