Conn. Gen. Stat. » Title 02 — GENERAL ASSEMBLY AND LEGISLATIVE AGENCIES · Chapter 16 — General Assembly
Connecticut General Statutes

Conn. Gen. Stat. § 2-14 (2026)

Initiation of local legislation in General Assembly

✓ current as of May 2026
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The General Assembly shall enact no special legislation relative to the powers, organization and form of government of any town, city, borough or other unit of local government unless requested by a town, city, borough or other unit of local government, in the manner hereinafter prescribed, to enact such special legislation. A resolution requesting the General Assembly to enact special legislation and specifying the purpose of such legislation shall be adopted: (1) By a two-thirds vote of the council or board of directors in any town having such a body; of the board of aldermen, council or body charged with the duty of making annual appropriations in any city or consolidated town and city; of the board of burgesses in any borough or consolidated town and borough; or of the board of directors or district committee in any district; or (2) by the board of selectmen or by a majority vote of the town meeting or representative town meeting in any town not having a council or board of directors. A request for the enactment of special legislation by the General Assembly may also be initiated by a petition specifying the purpose of such legislation and signed by not less than ten per cent of the electors of the town, city, borough or other unit of local government as determined by the last-completed registry list and filed with the clerk of such town, city, borough or other unit of local government. Upon the filing of such petition, such clerk shall proceed forthwith to determine its sufficiency by comparing the names thereon with those contained in such registry list and shall certify its sufficiency or insufficiency. Such clerk shall file with the Secretary of the State, not later than ten days prior to the convening of any session of the General Assembly in which such proposed legislation is to be introduced, a certified copy of the resolution as adopted or the text of the petition as signed.

(1957, P.A. 465, S. 19.)

History: (Revisor's note: In 1995 the Revisors editorially substituted Subdiv. indicators (1) and (2) for (a) and (b) for consistency with statutory usage).

See Conn. Const. Art. X and chapter 99.

When section is read in connection with Home Rule Act, Ch. 99, it becomes clear legislature intended to provide two separate methods–one with, one without, action by General Assembly–for inaugurating and securing adoption or amendment of municipal charter. 150 C. 24. Cited. 182 C. 93; 185 C. 88; 234 C. 217.

Cited. 43 CS 470.

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Notes of Decisions
Cited in 7 cases (1 in the last 5 years), 1962–2024 · leading case: AFSCME, Council 4, Local 681 v. City of West Haven, 662 A.2d 160 (Conn. Super. Ct. 1994).
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AFSCME, Council 4, Local 681 v. City of West Haven, 662 A.2d 160 (Conn. Super. Ct. 1994). · cites it 15× “Second, the special act was enacted in violation of General Statutes § 2-14, because it was not requested either by a formal resolution supported by a two-thirds vote of the West Haven city council or by a petition signed by at least 10 percent of the city’s electors.”
Perretta v. City of New Britain, 440 A.2d 823 (Conn. 1981). · cites it 2× “420; pursuant to article tenth of the Connecticut constitution, General Statutes § 2-14, and the Home Buie Act.”
AFSCME, Council 4, Local 681 v. City of West Haven, 661 A.2d 587 (Conn. 1995). · cites it 4× “In its application to vacate, the plaintiff claimed that the act: (1) violated the home rule provision of article tenth, § 1, of the state constitution; 2 (2) violated General Statutes § 2-14; 3 *220 (3) required the board members to act with “evident partiality” toward the city…”
Local 1186, AFSCME v. Bd. of Educ. of New Britain, 438 A.2d 12 (Conn. 1980). · cites it 2× “420; pursuant to article tenth of the Connecticut constitution, General Statutes § 2-14, and the Home Buie Act; General Statutes §§7-187 through 7-201.”
Sloane v. City of Waterbury, 183 A.2d 839 (Conn. 1962). · cites it 3× “This section provides alternative methods of charter adoption or amendment which in volve—by means of a two-thirds vote of the legislative body of the municipality, or a majority vote of a town meeting, or a petition signed by 10 percent of the electors—a request to the General…”
Waterbury v. Brennan, 228 Conn. App. 206 (Conn. App. Ct. 2024). “’’ It provides in relevant part: ‘‘Notwithstanding the provisions of the [city charter] or any special act or any requirements in Section 2-14 of the General Statutes . . .”
Schiavone v. Destefano, 48 Conn. Supp. 521 (Conn. Super. Ct. 2001). “1 Must be resident elector Barkhamsted No Town Charter Must be resident elector Beacon Falls No Town Charter Must be resident elector Berlin Charter Chapter II, § 2-14 Must be resident elector Bethany No Town Charter Must be resident elector Bethel Charter Article 2, § C2-5 Must…”
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