S.B. 397: An Act Concerning Democracy and Government Accountability

By the end of the 2026 session, S.B. 397 became a bigger omnibus bill that included content from the following bills that were, at the start of the session, two separate bills: H.B. 5449, An Act Concerning Automated License Plate Reader (ALPR) Systems and SB 91, An Act Enhancing The Investigative Authority Of The Inspector General And Establishing Protected Areas.

As one bill, the legislation would (1) establish rules governing how ALPR surveillance systems can be used, how long data can be stored, and how misuse can be prevented, (2) protect people’s ability to hold government officials accountable when constitutional rights are violated, and (3) ensure immigration enforcement cannot occur in sensitive locations such as schools, hospitals, and places of worship.

In May 2026, the bill was passed into law as Public Act 26-14, representing a major step forward for civil rights, police accountability, government transparency, immigrant protections, and safeguards on surveillance technology in Connecticut.

You can learn more about this new law with our policy analysis and fact sheet, which you can find here.

In addition to hosting advocacy days and lobbying legislators about every version of this bill, our policy team also provided written and oral testimony on this bill as it moved through the Senate. Find our public policy and advocacy director's, Chelsea-Infinity Gonzalez, testimony here.

You can also find the testimony toolkit that we shared with partners and advocates during session here.