These 5 new Connecticut laws take effect on Jan. 1

Behavioral health assessments for police officers, lower taxes on pension income and allowing pharmacists to dispense emergency insulin supplies are among the new laws that will take effect on Jan. 1.

Due to the short legislative session in 2020, it’s a shorter list than most years. Here’s what to expect:

Police accountability law

Several provisions of the Act Concerning Police Accountability, which was passed during a special legislative session this past summer, have already gone into effect, including restricting police searches, penalizing civilians who report incidents based on race, and mandating that a police officer intervene if another officer uses excessive force.

Beginning Jan. 1, police officers who make arrests or interact with the public on a daily basis must also prominently display their badge and name tag on the outermost layer of their uniform. As a condition of continued employment, every police officer must submit to a behavioral health assessment every five years by a board-certified psychiatrist or psychologist experienced in diagnosing and treating traumatic stress disorder. Written copies of the assessment will go to the officer and his or her administrative unit leader.

Read more: https://www.courant.com/politics/hc-pol-new-laws-january-2021-20201229-hdb6u4frsvbwzejf6kviplp44u-story.html