All Roll Calls
Yes: 293 • No: 104
ConnecticutHB 071322025 Regular SessionHouseWALLET
AN ACT CONCERNING NON-SAFETY-RELATED TRAFFIC STOPS, DRIVING WHILE CONSUMING CANNABIS AND EXCESSIVE RECKLESS DRIVING.
Sponsored By: Judiciary Committee
Signed by Governor
Summary
To clarify and amend certain statutes for traffic stops concerning properly displaying a number plate, lamps and illuminating devices, windshields and registration.
judiciary
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Bill Overview
Analyzed Economic Effects
7 provisions identified: 4 benefits, 3 costs, 0 mixed.
Required license suspensions for reckless drivers
Beginning October 1, 2025, covered reckless-driving cases require license or driving-privilege suspensions. Triggers include conviction, bond forfeiture, or a suspended judgment or sentence. Outside the youth groups below, licensed drivers face 30–90 days for a first violation and at least 90 days afterward. Drivers under 18 face six months for a first violation and one year for later violations. Youths judged youthful offenders face six months for a first offense and one year for second or later offenses.
Tougher penalties for extreme speeding
Beginning October 1, 2025, driving over 100 mph is a separate reckless-driving offense on covered highways, roads, parking areas, and school property. A first offense carries a $200–$600 fine, up to 30 days in jail, or both. Later offenses carry up to a $1,000 fine, up to one year in jail, or both. Police must impound the vehicle for 48 hours after an arrest if the driver has a prior over-100-mph conviction. The owner must pay towing and storage costs to reclaim it.
Shorter window for one registration fine
Beginning October 1, 2025, one specified failure-to-renew registration fine covers the first 30 days after expiration, replacing 60 days. This applies to vehicles previously registered in Connecticut when owners drive, park, or allow others to drive or park them. After 30 days, other penalties may still apply; this is not permission to leave a vehicle unregistered.
Warnings and narrower vehicle lighting penalties
Beginning October 1, 2025, drivers get a first-offense warning when their vehicle has one required front lamp instead of two. Later violations, or having no required front lamps, remain infractions. A dark rear plate is removed from the tail-lamp law's listed infractions; missing required tail lamps remains an infraction. This does not end the plate-lighting requirement or rule out other penalties. Covered technical lighting violations must be enforced under the specific lighting law, not the general lighting rule.
Limits on cannabis-only traffic stops
Beginning October 1, 2025, police cannot stop a vehicle solely for a covered driver or passenger cannabis-consumption violation. The exception requires both seeing the driver actively consuming cannabis and smelling burnt cannabis. This restriction does not bar stops based on another reason.
Towns protected when setting private-road speeds
Beginning October 1, 2025, setting a speed limit on a qualifying private road does not itself create municipal liability. This protection applies under the named speeding, reckless-driving, and impaired-driving laws to roads within the municipality's jurisdiction. It creates no direct household payment or duty.
Drivers must keep plates and views clear
Beginning October 1, 2025, vehicles issued two plates must display one in front and one in back. The rear plate may sit against the rear window if its letters and numbers are plainly readable. Plates must remain readable by a reasonable person or a camera or recording device. For vehicles requiring windshields, windshield conditions or attached or hanging items violate the visibility rule when they significantly block a reasonable person's highway view. The ban on distractions from these items remains.
Sponsors & Cosponsors
Sponsor
Judiciary Committee
Affiliation unavailable
Cosponsors
There are no cosponsors for this bill.
Roll Call Votes
Senate vote • 4/7/2025
Senate Roll Call Vote 224
Yes: 35 • No: 0
Senate vote • 4/7/2025
Senate Roll Call Vote 223
Yes: 12 • No: 24
House vote • 4/7/2025
House Roll Call Vote 84 AS AMENDED
Yes: 143 • No: 0
House vote • 4/7/2025
House Roll Call Vote 83 HOUSE AMD B
Yes: 63 • No: 79
House vote • 4/7/2025
JUD Vote Tally Sheet (Joint Favorable Substitute)
Yes: 40 • No: 1
Actions Timeline
Signed by the Governor
6/9/2025legislatureTransmitted by Secretary of the State to Governor
6/3/2025legislatureTransmitted to the Secretary of State
6/3/2025legislaturePublic Act 25-19
5/30/2025legislatureIn Concurrence
5/22/2025legislatureSenate Passed as Amended by House Amendment Schedule A
5/22/2025SenateSenate Adopted House Amendment Schedule A
5/22/2025SenateSenate Rejected Senate Amendment Schedule A 9081
5/22/2025SenateFile Number 909
5/12/2025legislatureSenate Calendar Number 458
5/12/2025SenateFavorable Report, Tabled for the Calendar, Senate
5/12/2025SenateHouse Passed as Amended by House Amendment Schedule A
5/8/2025HouseHouse Rejected House Amendment Schedule B 8089
5/8/2025HouseHouse Adopted House Amendment Schedule A 8098
5/8/2025HouseFile Number 767
4/24/2025legislatureHouse Calendar Number 480
4/24/2025HouseFavorable Report, Tabled for the Calendar, House
4/24/2025HouseReported Out of Legislative Commissioners' Office
4/24/2025legislatureReferred to Office of Legislative Research and Office of Fiscal Analysis 04/23/25 5:00 PM
4/17/2025legislatureFiled with Legislative Commissioners' Office
4/8/2025legislatureJoint Favorable Substitute
4/7/2025legislaturePublic Hearing 03/07
3/3/2025legislatureReferred to Joint Committee on Judiciary
2/28/2025legislature
Bill Text
Public Act No. 25-19
5/30/2025
File No. 909
5/12/2025
File No. 767
4/24/2025
JUD Joint Favorable Substitute
4/7/2025
Raised Bill
2/28/2025
Bill Analysis For File Copy 767
Bill Analysis For File Copy 909
Bill Analysis for HB-7132, as amended by House "A"
Fiscal Note For File Copy 767
Fiscal Note For File Copy 909
Fiscal Note for Amendment LCO 8089 (No Fiscal Impact)
Fiscal Note for Amendment LCO 8098 (See Fiscal Note Details)
Fiscal Note for Amendment LCO 9081 (No Fiscal Impact)
Fiscal Note for HB-7132, As Amended by House "A" (LCO 8098)
House Roll Call Vote 83 HOUSE AMD B
House Roll Call Vote 84 AS AMENDED
House Schedule A LCO# 8098 (J)
House Schedule B LCO# 8089 (R)
JUD Joint Fav. Rpt
JUD Vote Tally Sheet (Joint Favorable Substitute)
Senate Roll Call Vote 223
Senate Roll Call Vote 224
Senate Schedule A LCO# 9081 (R)
Summary for Public Act No. 25-19
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