Connecticut Governor Ned Lamont on Monday signed Senate Bill 90, which takes a collection of scattered hate crime statutes and creates a comprehensive hate crime code.

A press release from the the governor’s office states that the law “will improve the ability of police and prosecutors to charge criminals with hate crimes and seek their associated enhanced penalties.” The bill adopts uniform definitions that apply across Connecticut’s hate crime laws, reducing ambiguity and furthering its consistency. The legislation is also intended to make hate crime laws easier to access and understand.

The legislation was recommended by the Connecticut Hate Crime Advisory Counsel, which works to promote awareness, prevention, and effective responses to hate crimes statewide by providing community education and recommending improvements to laws, policies, and practices. Connecticut is seeking to strengthen the investigation and prosecution process and deter future incidents by creating a clear tool that promotes accountability and protection.

Among the most notable changes are are criminalizing discriminatory housing and public accommodations violations, creating crimes for bias motivated false reports and swatting, and creating liability for encouraging property destruction. The legislation also creates protections for religious institutions by establishing separate offenses for threats against houses of worship and religious community centers.

The bill takes effect on October 1, 2026.