HB 5426 Connecticut House · 2026 Regular Session

AN ACT REQUIRING THE AVAILABILITY OF AN ADVISOR DURING DISCIPLINARY PROCEEDINGS AT INSTITUTIONS OF HIGHER EDUCATION.

HB 5426 requires all state institutions of higher education to allow students to bring an advisor or support person of their choice to disciplinary meetings starting July 1, 2026. This directly affects students facing disciplinary actions at public colleges and universities, ensuring they can have support during these proceedings. The policy must be adopted by August 1, 2026, with two key conditions: the advisor cannot delay the meeting, and for sexual assault, stalking, or intimate partner violence cases, existing state policies (Section 10a-55m) override this rule if they differ. The bill does not change disciplinary outcomes but mandates institutional policy changes to provide student support.

Issues: ✓ Education

Bill status passed 3 of 5 stages cleared

Introduction

Feb 2026

Committee Review

Mar 2026

House Passage

May 2026

Senate Passage

Governor

Introduced Feb 27, 2026 Last action May 6, 2026

Maddy AI version diff · 1 comparison

What changed between versions

Raised Bill → HED Joint Favorable Substitute · 4 edits

MODERATE

The bill was amended to clarify that institutions must notify students about the right to bring an advisor or support person to disciplinary hearings. The changes specify that this right applies to proceedings that could result in suspension, probation, expulsion, or athletic bans, and explicitly state that institutions are not required to provide an advisor if the student does not designate one.

Scope change

The scope of the policy was narrowed to apply only to specific disciplinary outcomes (suspension, probation, expulsion, or athletic bans) rather than all meetings, and the requirement was changed from a general right to be accompanied to a notification requirement for students to designate their own support person.

REQUIREMENT

Changed the requirement from a general mandate for institutions to adopt a policy allowing accompaniment to a specific mandate to notify students annually and before proceedings about how to designate an advisor.

Added a specific clause stating that nothing in the act requires an institution to provide an advisor or support person to a student.

ELIGIBILITY

Limited the application of the policy to disciplinary proceedings that may result in suspension, probation, expulsion, or prohibition from intercollegiate athletics.

TECHNICAL

Updated the bill title from 'Raised Bill' to 'Substitute Bill' and changed the committee reference from 'Higher Education and Employment Advancement' to 'HED Joint Favorable Substitute'.

Floor votes · House May 6, 2026

How they voted

149–0

Passed · 1 other

Total votes 150

May 6, 2026

D Democratic101

100 Yea 1

99% Yea

R Republican49

49 Yea

100% Yea

Vote distribution

All Yea All Nay Mixed No data

Full legislative history

Actions timeline

Total actions

Key actions

Committee

Amendments

May 6, 2026

Lower · Passed

HOUSE PASSED, HOUSE AMEND. SCH. A

lower

May 6, 2026

Lower · Passed

HOUSE ADOPTED HOUSE AMEND. SCH. A

lower

Mar 17, 2026

Lower · Passed

Joint Favorable Substitute

lower

Feb 27, 2026

Committee

REF. TO JOINT COMM. ON Higher Education and Employment Advancement

lower

2 primary · 0 co-sponsors