Bill > HB07223

This bill establishes a detailed and sequential order of gubernatorial succession in Connecticut for scenarios involving permanent or temporary vacancies in state leadership positions. If the Governor's position becomes vacant and the Lieutenant Governor and President Pro Tempore of the Senate are also unavailable, the bill specifies a precise step-by-step progression of state officials who would assume the governorship, starting with the Speaker of the House of Representatives. The succession chain continues through other statewide elected officials in a specific order: if the Speaker is unavailable, the Attorney General would become Governor; if the Attorney General is unavailable, the Treasurer would take the role; followed by the Comptroller, Secretary of the State, majority leader of the House of Representatives, and finally the majority leader of the Senate. The bill applies to two primary scenarios: permanent vacancies where a new Governor would serve until the next election, and temporary situations such as gubernatorial impeachment or absence from the state. Each official in the succession line would exercise full gubernatorial powers and duties until either the original Governor returns or a new Governor is elected. The bill is set to take effect on October 1, 2025, and provides a comprehensive framework for maintaining continuous state leadership during unexpected disruptions.

Government Affairs

Government Administration and Elections Committee (Joint)

https://www.cga.ct.gov/asp/cgabillstatus/cgabillstatus.asp?selBillType=Bill&bill_num=HB07223&which_year=2025