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ConnecticutHB 071392025 Regular SessionHouseWALLET
AN ACT CONCERNING THE DUTIES OF STATE MARSHALS AND THE ACTIVITIES UNDERTAKEN BY THE STATE MARSHAL COMMISSION AND THE STATE MARSHALS ADVISORY BOARD.
Sponsored By: Judiciary Committee
Signed by Governor
Summary
To make various revisions to statutes (1) prescribing the manner in which state marshals carry out their duties, including, but not limited to, permitting state marshals receive electronically transmitted documents for service, and (2) setting forth the responsibilities of the State Marshal Commission and the State Marshals Advisory Board.
judiciary
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16 provisions identified: 5 benefits, 2 costs, 9 mixed.
Better marshal access for protection applicants
Beginning October 1, 2025, the commission must set rules for timely, consistent, reliable marshal access for restraining and civil protection order applicants. In covered restraining-order cases, applicants may electronically send the hearing notice, application, affidavit, and any temporary emergency order for service. They must include the Judicial Branch respondent profile form and follow electronic-process requirements. Papers must be served at least three days before the hearing. The Judicial Branch pays service costs, including mileage, and officers cannot charge applicants directly.
More financial protection against marshal misconduct
Beginning October 1, 2025, marshals must carry liability insurance for wrongful acts during official work, at their own expense. Minimum coverage is $250,000 for harm to one person or their property, and $500,000 for multiple people or their property. Their performance bond rises from $10,000 to $100,000, with the state paying the premium. Marshals must provide the bond before starting duties or collecting state or municipal tax warrants. Beginning January 1, 2026, renewed liability policies must use an October 1–September 30 coverage year.
Deadlines for marshals to pay collections
Beginning October 1, 2025, marshals must pay collected money to the authorized recipient within 30 calendar days. Personal checks must be promptly deposited into a noninterest-bearing trustee account. Payment from personal checks is due within 45 days, unless the marshal and recipient agree to another timeframe. Missing the applicable deadline makes the marshal liable for 5% monthly interest from the date the money was received.
Stronger safeguards for money marshals handle
Beginning October 1, 2025, marshals cannot knowingly charge for undone work, substitute another server, or file false or illegal service reports. Violations without good cause can trigger a removal hearing. The commission must prioritize collection audits when a written complaint leads to a probable-cause finding. After a marshal dies or becomes disabled, it must appoint an overseer within 30 days and may transfer collection accounts to a successor marshal. Refusal to comply requires referral to the Attorney General, who must seek a court order.
More authorized signers and subpoena servers
Beginning October 1, 2025, witness subpoenas may be signed in ink by a Superior Court commissioner, clerk, or authorized court employee. Civil writs may also be signed by those officials or a judge. The Chief Court Administrator may set alternative signing methods for papers involving Judicial Branch employees. Public defender investigators may serve criminal-case subpoenas when the defendant has a public defender or Division-assigned counsel.
More ways to serve public defendants
Beginning October 1, 2025, more municipal officials can receive civil papers, including additional clerks and school superintendents or their assistants and deputies. Municipal boards, agencies, and employees sued over their work may be served through the municipal clerk, assistant clerk, or deputy clerk. That clerk-based service requires two copies: one retained and one forwarded. Civil summonses naming correctional staff may also go to a designated recipient at the employee's assigned facility, counting as service on the employee. This facility method does not apply when the separate state-official service rule in section 52-64 is available.
Added fees for electronic legal papers
Beginning October 1, 2025, covered electronic process costs an extra $50 per process in a matter, plus $1 per printed page. The fee does not depend on how many people are served, and marshals cannot adjust or waive it. These fees cannot be recovered as taxable court costs. Exemptions cover listed executions, warrants, ejectments, fee-waived service, capias mittimus orders, and protection or relief orders. Providing too few paper copies can also trigger charges under these fee rules and exemptions.
New residency and fitness rules for marshals
Beginning October 1, 2025, applicants for marshal vacancies must be registered voters in the vacancy's county and maintain their permanent home and residence there. The commission must set application, examination, bonding, and investigation rules for vacancies. It must also adopt professional standards, including residency rules, in consultation with the advisory board. Those standards must address fitness for duty and annual certification for marshals over age 72. Marshals pay for any required fitness certification.
Electronic legal papers face new limits
Beginning October 1, 2025, attorneys and public agencies may electronically send process on special occasions with the marshal's permission; out-of-state court or agency papers also qualify. Other parties generally must provide paper originals and enough copies for Connecticut cases, except for allowed printed court-file copies. Electronic submissions require one complete, ordered, letter-sized PDF, service instructions, and available service-profile information; senders must retain originals and cannot send the same process to multiple marshals. Unless otherwise agreed, limits are 50 pages in one matter or five processes for separate matters per week; deadlines within 60 days require ink-signed paper originals. Marshals may reject noncompliant submissions within two business days and are protected from liability for covered receiving, transmission, printing, and filing errors.
New mileage billing rules for marshals
Beginning October 1, 2025, process-service mileage fees track the state employee rate, with adjustments within 30 days of federal rate revisions. Attempted round trips for in-hand service can be paid, generally only after service succeeds. The service report must explain why in-hand service and multiple trips were needed; bills must list trip dates, times, and results. Judicial Department payment generally covers up to three round trips without court authorization, with exceptions for specified protection-order service.
Stricter delivery rules for court deadlines
Beginning October 1, 2025, preserving a claim through timely officer delivery requires the original paper process, signed in ink, plus enough copies. A marshal, constable, or other proper officer must personally receive it before the legal deadline and complete service within 30 days. This deadline protection does not cover administrative-agency appeals. Those appeals require a state marshal to serve the agency and other listed parties, replacing the mail option. Service and filing must occur within the applicable 45-day period.
New delivery rules for rental notices
Beginning October 1, 2025, a proper officer must serve rental termination notices on each lessee or occupant. Notices may instead be left at each person's residence. For commercial rentals, they may be left at the business or served using ordinary civil-lawsuit methods. Delivery is allowed any day of the week.
Removal notices explain rights and arrest risks
Beginning October 1, 2025, marshals must try to notify eviction defendants at least 24 hours before removal. For court-ordered ejectments from property, they must try to notify occupants at least five business days ahead. Notices must explain how to reclaim stored belongings; ejectment notices use a clear Judicial Department form. They must warn that covered people who remain at removal time and refuse to leave when directed risk first-degree criminal trespass arrest. Marshals must notify the town leader, but that notice no longer has a 24-hour minimum.
More ways to serve business lawsuits
Beginning October 1, 2025, Connecticut and registered out-of-state limited liability companies can receive legal papers through more methods. Available methods include a registered agent, manager, or member, including allowed delivery at their Connecticut home. If those methods fail, papers may go to a manager or a non-plaintiff person in charge at a regular business location. If no registered agent exists or reasonable efforts cannot reach the agent, mail or commercial delivery may use the latest annual-report principal-office or mailing address.
Marshals gain access to driving records
Beginning October 1, 2025, marshals may request motor vehicle records for official duties, including driver photographs. Searches may use a license number, plate number, or vehicle identification number. The motor vehicle department must provide records electronically or by other means within a reasonable time. It may charge marshals a reasonable annual fee for access to its existing electronic system.
Marshal staffing limits and service rules
Beginning October 1, 2025, state marshals are officials, not independent contractors, and receive only fees for services. Fees are agreed with the requesting attorney, court, or public agency, within state-set minimums and maximums. County appointment caps are Hartford 62, New Haven 55, Fairfield 55, New London 20, Windham 7, Litchfield 13, Middlesex 13, and Tolland 10. The commission must adopt policies to increase participation in serving capias mittimus court orders. It may set a minimum share of participating marshals, but the law sets no percentage.
Sponsors & Cosponsors
Sponsor
Judiciary Committee
Affiliation unavailable
Cosponsors
There are no cosponsors for this bill.
Roll Call Votes
House vote • 4/7/2025
JUD Vote Tally Sheet (Joint Favorable Substitute)
Yes: 41 • No: 0
Senate vote • 4/7/2025
Senate Roll Call Vote 349
Yes: 36 • No: 0
House vote • 4/7/2025
House Roll Call Vote 112 AS AMENDED
Yes: 147 • No: 0
Actions Timeline
Signed by the Governor
6/23/2025legislatureTransmitted by Secretary of the State to Governor
6/16/2025legislatureTransmitted to the Secretary of State
6/16/2025legislaturePublic Act 25-78
6/10/2025legislatureOn Consent Calendar / In Concurrence
6/2/2025legislatureSenate Passed as Amended by House Amendment Schedule A
6/2/2025SenateSenate Adopted House Amendment Schedule A
6/2/2025SenateFile Number 934
5/16/2025legislatureSenate Calendar Number 510
5/16/2025SenateFavorable Report, Tabled for the Calendar, Senate
5/16/2025SenateHouse Passed as Amended by House Amendment Schedule A
5/14/2025HouseHouse Adopted House Amendment Schedule A 8366
5/14/2025HouseFile Number 770
4/24/2025legislatureHouse Calendar Number 483
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 03/10
3/6/2025legislatureReferred to Joint Committee on Judiciary
3/4/2025legislature
Bill Text
Public Act No. 25-78
6/10/2025
File No. 934
5/16/2025
File No. 770
4/24/2025
JUD Joint Favorable Substitute
4/7/2025
Raised Bill
3/4/2025
Bill Analysis For File Copy 770
Bill Analysis For File Copy 934
Bill Analysis for HB-7139, as amended by House "A"
Fiscal Note For File Copy 770
Fiscal Note For File Copy 934
Fiscal Note for Amendment LCO 8366 (No Fiscal Impact)
Fiscal Note for HB-7139, As Amended by House "A" (LCO 8366)
House Roll Call Vote 112 AS AMENDED
House Schedule A LCO# 8366 (J)
JUD Joint Fav. Rpt
JUD Vote Tally Sheet (Joint Favorable Substitute)
Senate Roll Call Vote 349
Summary for Public Act No. 25-78
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