HB 5294 Connecticut House · 2026 Regular Session

AN ACT CONCERNING THE ADJUTANT GENERAL'S RECOMMENDATIONS REGARDING SERVICE IN THE MILITIA.

HB 5294 updates Connecticut's military statutes to remove gender-specific language. It replaces outdated terms like "male citizens" and "female residents" with neutral language (e.g., "persons between 18-45 years who are citizens or residents"), eliminating the separate voluntary women's unit provision. The bill modernizes definitions of the militia structure (unorganized, organized, National Guard, naval militia) and clarifies the Governor's military staff appointments, effective October 2026 for most provisions. This affects all residents aged 18-45 meeting citizenship/residency requirements who are not exempt under current law. The changes align statutes with contemporary military service practices without altering who is subject to duty.

Bill status in committee 1 of 4 stages cleared

Introduction

Feb 2026

Committee Review

Floor Vote

Governor

Introduced Feb 19, 2026 Last action Mar 24, 2026

Maddy AI version diff · 1 comparison

What changed between versions

Raised Bill → VA Joint Favorable Substitute · 4 edits

MODERATE

The bill was amended from a 'Raised Bill' to a 'VA Joint Favorable Substitute' version, changing its title from focusing on Adjutant General recommendations to the military department to focusing on service in the militia. The substitute version simplifies the military staff composition by removing detailed lists of specific officers and ranks, and changes the effective date of certain provisions from January 1, 2027 to October 1, 2026.

Scope change

The bill's scope shifted from a broad recommendation framework to a more streamlined militia service definition, with the military staff appointment process being simplified by removing specific rank and position requirements.

SCOPE

Bill title changed from 'Adjutant General's Recommendations Regarding the Military Department' to 'Recommendations Regarding Service in the Militia', narrowing the focus to militia service rather than departmental recommendations.

TIMELINE

Effective dates were consolidated to October 1, 2026, replacing the previous January 1, 2027 effective date for certain provisions.

REQUIREMENT

Detailed lists of specific military staff positions, ranks, and appointment requirements were removed, simplifying the Governor's military staff composition from a 20+ specific positions to a more general authorization.

TECHNICAL

Formatting and page numbering were updated to reflect the substitute version status, changing from 'Raised Bill No. 5294' to 'Substitute Bill No. 5294' with updated page counts.

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Committee

Mar 10, 2026

Lower · Passed

Joint Favorable Substitute

lower

Feb 19, 2026

Committee

REF. TO JOINT COMM. ON Veterans' and Military Affairs

lower

0 primary · 0 co-sponsors

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