SB 90 Connecticut Senate · 2026 Regular Session

AN ACT REVISING AND CONSOLIDATING THE HATE CRIMES STATUTES.

SB 90 revises Connecticut's hate crime laws by expanding protected categories and clarifying offenses. It adds "gender identity or expression" and "protective hairstyles" to the list of protected social categories, while updating definitions of disability, religion, and sex. The bill maintains three offense levels: causing physical injury (class C felony, $3,000+ fine), causing physical contact (class D felony, $1,000+ fine), and damaging property (similar penalties), all with mandatory minimum fines. These changes directly affect anyone committing bias-motivated crimes against individuals or groups based on expanded protected categories like gender identity or hairstyle.

Issues: ✓ Criminal Justice

Bill status signed all 5 stages cleared

Introduction

Feb 2026

Committee Review

Mar 2026

Senate Passage

Apr 2026

House Passage

May 2026

Signed into Law

May 2026

Introduced Feb 5, 2026 Signed May 26, 2026

Maddy AI version diff · 1 comparison

What changed between versions

Governor's Bill → JUD Joint Favorable Substitute · 4 edits

MODERATE

The bill was renumbered from a Governor's Bill to a Substitute Bill, indicating it has passed committee review and is in its final form. The most significant change is the reorganization of hate crime penalties, which were split into three distinct degrees (first, second, and third) based on the severity of the act, such as causing physical injury versus causing physical contact. Additionally, the definition of 'gender identity or expression' was expanded to explicitly include appearance and behavior, aligning the statute with broader protections.

Scope change

The scope of criminal penalties was expanded by creating three separate tiers of hate crime offenses, allowing for more granular punishment based on the specific actions taken against a victim.

DEFINITION

The definition of 'gender identity or expression' was updated to explicitly include a person's gender-related appearance or behavior, regardless of whether it differs from traditional expectations.

ENFORCEMENT

New provisions were added to establish a 'first degree' hate crime for acts causing physical injury and a 'second degree' for acts causing physical contact, replacing the previous single category.

A new 'third degree' hate crime was created for violations involving threats or other acts that do not result in physical injury or contact, ensuring all hate-motivated conduct is covered.

TECHNICAL

The bill was reclassified from 'Governor's Bill No. 90' to 'Substitute Bill No. 90' and the page count was updated from 41 to 40 pages, reflecting the legislative process.

Floor votes · Senate Apr 28, 2026 · House May 5, 2026

How they voted

36–0

Passed

Total votes 36

Apr 28, 2026

D Democratic25

25 Yea

100% Yea

R Republican11

11 Yea

100% Yea

Vote distribution

All Yea All Nay Mixed No data

Full legislative history

Actions timeline

Total actions

Key actions

Committee

Amendments

May 26, 2026

Signed into law

SIGNED BY GOVERNOR

upper

May 5, 2026

Lower · Passed

HOUSE PASSED, SEN. AMEND. SCH. A

lower

May 5, 2026

Lower · Passed

HOUSE ADOPTED SEN. AMEND. SCH. A

lower

Apr 28, 2026

Upper · Passed

SEN. PASSED, SEN. AMEND. SCH. A

upper

Apr 28, 2026

Amended

SEN. REJ. SEN. AMEND. SCH. B

upper

Apr 28, 2026

Upper · Passed

SEN. ADOPTED SEN. AMEND. SCH. A

upper

Mar 23, 2026

Upper · Passed

Joint Favorable Substitute

upper

Feb 5, 2026

Committee

REF. TO JOINT COMM. ON Judiciary

upper

6 primary · 0 co-sponsors