Constitution of Connecticut (2025 publisher edition) — Amendment XXI

Publisher edition notice: The publisher identifies this compilation as revised to January 1, 2025. It preserves the annotated original 1965 text and all ratified amendments, alongside the Revisors' unofficial convenience version incorporating extant amendments. The latter does not supersede the original Constitution and amendments; later changes have not been independently verified.

Amendment XXI Ratified amendment and publisher annotations.

ARTICLE XXI.*
*Adopted November 28, 1984.
Special zoning regulations to alleviate replacement of businesses displaced by redevelopment are giving assistance to
a permissible classification of persons and not unequal treatment. 156 C. 287. Continued confinement in a state hospital
of a dementia praecox patient who mutilated himself under the influence of religious delusions is not a violation of his
constitutional rights hereunder. 157 C. 56. Proceedings against plaintiff for violation of zoning regulation while other
violators on his street were not proceeded against is not a denial of equal protection where no discrimination but laxity
in enforcement was the cause. Id., 548. Cited. 168 C. 26. Nonexemption of some plaintiffs from operation of no-fault
insurance law is not denial of equal protection. 169 C. 267, 294. Cited. 170 C. 258. Jury fee serves legitimate state inter-
est in paternity action and satisfies equal protection clause of Art. I, Sec. 20. Id., 367. Cited. 171 C. 321. Classification
of marijuana, for penalty purposes, with substances generally considered more harmful is not so irrational and unreason-
able as to violate equal protection clauses of U.S. and Connecticut Constitutions. Id., 600. Art. I, Sec. 20 of Connecticut
Constitution is the state counterpart of the equal protection clause of the fourteenth amendment to the U.S. Constitution.
172 C. 496. Cited. Id. (Diss. Op.). Present system of school financing, relying principally on local taxes, violates this
section; meaning and application of section and relationship to federal equal protection clause. Id., 615. Current system
is not appropriate to discharge state’s constitutional duty to educate its students and therefore violates constitution. Id.
Equal protection clause is not addressed to the minimal sufficiency but rather to the unjustifiable inequalities of state
action. Id. Cited. 173 C. 220; Id., 473; Id., 506. Those provisions in Secs. 12-408(1) and 12-411(1) which impose sales
or use taxes respectively, upon rental payments by Connecticut lessee for personalty purchased or brought into state after
July 1, 1975, do not deny lessees equal protection of law. 174 C. 51. Cited. 176 C. 11; Id., 638; 177 C. 304; 178 C. 180;
179 C. 62; Id., 552; Id., 627; 184 C. 75; 185 C. 124; Id., 211. Equal protection cited. 186 C. 725, 733, 735. Since the
purpose of Sec. 7-308, which is to prevent double liability on the part of a municipality for the negligence of municipal
firemen, bears a rational relationship to a legitimate governmental objective, it does not violate principles of equal pro-
tection. 187 C. 53. Equal protection cited. Id., 144; Id., 187; Id., 451. Cited. 188 C. 98; Id., 385; Id., 557; Id., 626; Id.,
653; 189 C. 550; Id., 727; 192 C. 48. Secs. 17-317 and 53a-47(h) held invalid as violation of equal protection provisions
of federal and state constitutions. Id., 520. Secs. 17-317 and 53a-47(h) held unconstitutional. Id., 532. Cited. Id., 539;
193 C. 59; Id., 70. Imposition of academic sanctions for nonattendance discussed. Id., 93. Cited. 193 C. 144. Equal
protection cited. Id. Held unconstitutional portion of special act limiting liability for damages in New Britain where same
treatment not applicable to other municipalities. Id., 589. Right to equal protection cited. Id. Cited. Id., 670. Legislative
provisions for financing education violates provisions of Connecticut Constitution (Horton v. Meskill, 172 C. 615) cited.
Id. Cited. 194 C. 52. Right to equal protection cited. Id. Cited. Id., 129. Equal protection clauses cited. Id. Cited. Id., 165.
Equal protection claim cited. Id. Cited. Id., 416. Equal protection cited. Id. Claims of appellate delay arise under this
constitutional guaranty. Id., 510. Cited. Id., 601. Equal protection rights cited. Id. Cited. 195 C. 24. Equal protection
cited. Id. Tax on net income of unincorporated businesses and an added fourth base of taxation to the corporate business
tax held to be constitutional. Id., 284. Equal protection clause of Connecticut Constitution cited. Id. Equal protection
cited. Id., 543. State constitutional grounds cited. Id., 682. Cited. 196 C. 309. Equal protection cited. Id. Cited. Id., 440.
Constitutional right to equal protection cited. Id. Equal protection clause of Connecticut Constitution cited. Id. Cited. Id.,
572. Equal protection rights under state constitution cited. Id., 623. Equal protection cited. Id., 655. Cited. 197 C. 87.
Equal protection cited. Id., 629. Cited. 198 C. 671. Equal protection clause of state constitution cited. Id. Constitutional
rights to equal protection cited. 199 C. 179. Cited. 200 C. 151. Constitutional entitlement to equal protection cited. Id.
Cited. Id., 268. Equal protection cited. Id. Cited. Id., 350. Right to equal protection under state constitution cited. Id.
Cited. Id., 376. Constitutional right to equal protection cited. Id. Sec. 52-577a is constitutional under this article. Id., 562.
Cited. 201 C. 577. Equal protection cited. 203 C. 14. Cited. Id., 63. Equal protection cited. Id. Cited. Id., 156; Id., 246.
Equal protection cited. Id. Equal protection clause cited. Id., 267. Cited. Id., 624. Rights to equal protection cited. Id.
Cited. Id., 641. Constitutional rights to equal protection cited. Id. Cited. 204 C. 17; Id., 287. Equal protection cited. Id.
State equal rights amendment cited. Id., 639. Cited. Id., 746. Equal protection cited. Id.; Id., 760. Cited. 205 C. 27. Equal
protection cited. Id. Cited. Id., 219. Equal protection cited. Id. Right to equal protection cited. Id., 723. Cited. 206 C. 31.
Right to equal protection cited. Id., 229; Id., 685. Cited. 207 C. 59. Constitutional rights to equal protection cited. Id.
Cited. Id., 276. Equal protection clause of the Connecticut Constitution cited. Id. Cited. Id., 412. Equal protection claim
cited. Id. Cited. Id., 496. Equal protection cited. Id. Cited. Id., 518. Equal protection clauses cited. Id.; Id., 565. Cited.
Id., 599. Equal protection cited. Id. Equal protection clauses cited. 208 C. 505. Equal protection cited. Id., 576; Id., 816.
Cited. 209 C. 23. Equal protection cited. Id.; Id., 59; Id., 636. Equal protection guarantees cited. 210 C. 110. Cited. Id.,
462. Equal protection cited. Id. Equal protection rights cited. Id., 519. Cited. 211 C. 166. Equal protection clauses cited.
Id. Equal protection rights cited. Id., 258. Equal protection guarantees cited. Id., 289. Equal protection cited. Id., 555.

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Art. XXI AMENDMENTS TO THE 205
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Cited. Id., 591. Right to equal protection not violated; appellate court judgment in 15 CA 74 reversed. Id. Equal protec-
tion cited. Id. Cited. 212 C. 83. Fee requirement not violation of constitutional rights. Id. Equal protection cited. Id. Right
to equal protection cited. Id., 195. Equal protection cited. 213 C. 19. Right to equal protection cited. Id., 112. Equal
protection cited. Id., 136. Cited. Id., 373. Equal protection claim cited. Id. Equal protection of the law cited. 214 C. 256.
Right to equal protection cited. Id., 321. Cited; guarantees of equal protection cited. 215 C. 292. Equal protection cited.
Id., 469. Rights to equal protection of the laws cited. Id., 675. Cited. 216 C. 85. Equal protection of the laws cited. Id.
Cited. 217 C. 164. Equal protection of laws cited. Id. Rights to equal protection cited. Id., 490. Cited. Id., 568. Equal
protection cited. Id. Cited. 218 C. 531. Constitutional rights of privacy cited. Id. Cited. 219 C. 703; 220 C. 61.
Equal protection cited. Id. Cited. Id., 721. Equal protection of the law cited; constitutional rights cited. 221 C. 166. Equal
protection cited. Id., 903. Equal protection clause cited. 222 C. 1; Id., 672. Violation of equal protection clause cited. 223
C. 492. Equal protection cited. Id., 903; 224 C. 168. Denial of equal protection cited. Id., 711. Equal protection cited.
225 C. 355. Commissioner of motor vehicle’s exercise of authority under Sec. 14-111 violates this constitutional provi-
sion; judgment of appellate court in 27 CA 495 reversed. Id., 499. Right to equal protection cited. Id. Cited. Id., 528.
Equal protection rights cited. Id. Abandonment of “deliberate bypass rule” and adoption of “cause and prejudice
standard” discussed. 227 C. 124. Equal protection rights cited; jury array violation of constitutional rights cited. Id.
Cited. Id., 147. Equal protection rights and federal and state constitutional rights cited; unconstitutional jury composition
cited. Id. Guarantees of equal protection cited. Id., 175. Equal protection clause cited. Id., 261. Equal protection rights
cited. Id., 301. Equal protection clause cited. Id., 363. Right to equal protection cited. Id., 545. Equal protection provi-
sions cited. 228 C. 393. Equal protection clauses of state constitution cited. Id., 699. Cited. 229 C. 1. Equal protection
cited. Id. Cited. Id., 10. Equal protection cited. Id. Cited. Id., 228. Rights to due process and a fair trial cited; state con-
stitutional claim cited. Id. Cited. Id., 312. Rights to equal protection cited. Id. Cited. Id., 557. Equal protection rights
cited. Id. Equal protection of the law cited. Id., 801. Right to equal protection and a fair trial cited. 230 C. 88. Equal
protection cited. Id., 183. Equal protection right cited. Id., 385, see also 37 CA 801. Right to equal protection cited. Id.,
400. Cited. Id., 914. Equal protection rights cited. 231 C. 235. Cited. Id., 514. Equal protection cited. Id.; 232 C. 91.
Cited. Id., 431; judgment superseded by en banc reconsideration, see 235 C. 502. Right to equal protection cited. Id.; 233
C. 44. Cited. Id., 106; Id., 251; Id., 557. Equal protection cited. 234 C. 51; Id., 194. Cited. Id., 217. Ban on assault weap-
ons, Secs. 53-202a–53-202k, does not violate principles of equal protection. Id., 455. Right to equal protection cited. Id.
Cited. Id., 735; 235 C. 502. Rights to equal protection cited. Id. Cited. Id., 865. Sec. 38a-336 is constitutional within
equal protection provisions. 236 C. 299. Equal protection cited. Id. Equal protection claims cited. Id., 318. Cited. Id.,
421. Equal protection clause cited. Id. Plaintiffs have proved a violation under state constitution of their fundamental
right to a substantially equal educational opportunity that is free from substantial racial and ethnic isolation. 238 C. 1.
Equal opportunity to a free public education cited; fundamental right to education cited; right to protection from segre-
gation cited. Id. Cited. Id., 389. Equal protection of the law cited. 239 C. 168. Equal protection provisions cited; consti-
tutionality and unconstitutionality of statute and fair trial cited. Id., 427. Cited. Id., 708. Equal protection cited. Id. Equal
protection clause cited. 240 C. 489. Cited. 242 C. 17. Equal protection cited. Id. Equal protection guarantees cited. Id.,
125. Statute that grants prosecutor discretion to recommend transfer of some juveniles from criminal docket to juvenile
docket does not violate right to equal protection of the law. 245 C. 93. State required to offer a nondiscriminatory reason
to the court for exercising a peremptory challenge when defendant claims the challenge is based on a prospective juror’s
ancestry or ethnic origin. 256 C. 1. 1997 amendment to Sec. 22a-208a prohibiting establishment or construction of new
plant or station within 1/4 mile of day care center operating as of July 8, 1997, in municipality with population greater
than 100,000 persons violates right to equal protection guaranteed by Connecticut Constitution, Art. I, Secs. 1 and 20, by
creating classifications unrelated to legitimate state interest. 257 C. 429. In light of the equal protection clause design as
a safeguard against acts of the state and not as a limitation on private conduct of individuals or persons, court cannot
construe constitutional guarantee as a statement of public policy sufficient to override the explicit, contrary expression
of legislative intent embodied in the statutory exemption afforded employers with fewer than three employees under the
Fair Employment Practices Act. 260 C. 691. Plaintiffs’ rights to equal protection not violated by development corpora-
tion’s decision to condemn their homes but not the social club located on same parcel of land since there was a rational
basis for condemnation decision and plaintiffs failed to carry their burden of proving that development corporation acted
arbitrarily or irrationally in making its decision. 268 C. 1. Because insanity acquittee’s federal equal protection claim in
commitment extension proceeding satisfies rational basis review, it is axiomatic that same conclusion satisfies state equal
protection analysis. Id., 508. Failure of legislature to impose smoking ban on casinos and private clubs under Sec. 19a-
342 does not violate equal protection rights of owners of restaurants and cafes subject to the ban and uncertainties of
enforcement provides rational basis for exemption. 281 C. 277. Sexual orientation constitutes a quasi-suspect classifica-
tion to which intermediate scrutiny applies and statutory scheme that prohibits same sex marriage impermissibly dis-
criminates against gay persons on account of their sexual orientation in violation of equal protection. 289 C. 135. Be-
cause the prohibition in Sec. 7-308 on a cause of action by a municipal firefighter against a fellow employee is rationally
related to legitimate governmental interest of reducing municipal liability and fostering provision of effective firefighting
services, it does not violate equal protection clause. 300 C. 395. It is not a violation for the sole aggravating factor found
by the jury re a capital felony, namely, murder committed for pecuniary gain under Sec. 53a-46a(i)(6), to duplicate an
element of the underlying crime of capital felony by murder for hire under Sec. 53a-54b(2). 305 C. 101; death penalty
unconstitutional on other grounds, see 318 C. 1. Plaintiffs failed to establish that the educational system in this state vi-
olates the equal protection provisions of the state constitution by failing to ensure that the poorer school districts had
funding that is substantially equal to the wealthier school districts. 327 C. 650.
Provisions of Sec. 5-177 are constitutional under this article. 1 CA 454. Cited. 2 CA 43. Constitutional claims con-
cerning equal protection cited. Id. Cited. Id., 363. Equal protection cited. Id. Cited. 3 CA 148. Equal protection cited.
Id. State equal protection cited. Id., 432. Equal protection rights cited. 4 CA 307. Cited. Id., 451. Equal protection cited.
5 CA 369. Constitutional right of equal protection cited. 6 CA 546. Cited. 7 CA 164. Equal protection cited. Id. Cited.
Id., 180. Right to equal protection cited. Id. Cited. Id., 457. Right to equal protection cited. Id. Equal protection cited. 8
CA 50; Id., 407. Cited. 9 CA 598. Equal protection clause cited. Id. Cited. 12 CA 190; Id., 268; Id., 427; Id., 455. Equal

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rights amendment cited. Id. Right to equal protection cited. 13 CA 91. Cited. Id., 300. Equal protection cited. 14 CA
487. Denial of pretrial detention credit violates equal protection. 15 CA 74; judgment reversed, see 211 C. 591. Equal
protection cited. Id.; judgment reversed, see 211 C. 591. Right to equal protection cited. Id., 161. Equal protection cited.
Id., 342. Cited. 16 CA 379. Equal protection cited. 18 CA 393; 19 CA 20; 20 CA 51; judgment reversed, see 215 C. 450.
Cited. Id., 241. Equal protection cited. Id., 599. Cited. 21 CA 40. Deprivation of constitutional right and constitutional
issues and challenges cited. Id. Constitutional rights to equal protection cited. Id., 688. Equal protection rights cited.
22 CA 402. Constitutional right to equal protection of the law cited. 23 CA 592. Equal protection of the law violations
cited. 24 CA 541. Right to equal protection cited. Id., 612. Cited. 25 CA 433. Right to equal protection cited. Id. Rights
to equal protection cited. Id., 586; judgment reversed, see 223 C. 492. Cited. 26 CA 10. Rights to equal protection cited.
Id. Cited. Id., 466. Equal protection rights cited. Id., 553. Because the medical reporting requirements are necessary to
achieve a compelling state interest and are narrowly tailored to accomplish goal they do not violate the constitutional
provisions. 27 CA 495; judgment reversed, see 225 C. 499. Equal protection clause of state constitution cited. Id. Public
policy of refusing to countenance knowing misappropriation of state moneys outweighed policy of minimizing discrim-
ination against mentally ill. Id., 635. Cited. Id., 675. Right to equal protection cited. Id.; 28 CA 1. Cited. 30 CA 428;
Id., 463. State constitution equal protection and nondiscrimination cited. Id. Cited. Id., 594. Equal protection cited. Id.
Deprivation of state constitutional rights to equal protection cited; arbitrary determination of child’s best interest cited.
31 CA 400; judgment reversed, see 230 C. 459. Equal protection cited. Id., 621; Id., 771. Cited. 32 CA 187. Rights to
equal protection cited. Id., 280; Id., 340. Denial of equal protection cited. Id., 515. Guarantee of equal protection cited.
Id., 553. Equal protection clauses cited. Id., 656. Constitutional protection is to persons with chronic physical and mental
disabilities. 33 CA 242. Equal protection cited. Id. Cited. Id., 339; judgment reversed on issues of sufficiency of evidence
and jury misconduct, see 235 C. 502. Equal protection cited. Id. Equal protection of the law cited. Id., 727. Cited. 34 CA
395; Id., 521. Equal protection cited. Id., 557; 35 CA 599. Cited. 36 CA 584. Rights to equal protection cited. Id. Cited.
Id., 623. Right to equal protection cited. 37 CA 360; Id., 672; Id., 801. Cited. Id., 856. Right to equal protection cited. Id.
Rights to equal protection cited. 38 CA 434; Id., 598; Id., 685. Cited. Id., 731. Right to equal protection cited. 39 CA 183.
Equal protection clauses cited. Id., 216. Cited. Id., 253. Right to equal protection cited. Id., 364. Cited. Id., 384. Denial
of equal protection cited. Id. Cited. Id., 742. Equal protection cited. Id. Right to equal protection cited. 41 CA 139. Cited.
Id., 341. Equal protection cited. Id.; Id., 866. Right to equal protection cited. 42 CA 803. Equal protection clauses cited.
43 CA 265. Cited. 44 CA 457. Equal protection cited. Id.; Id., 611. Rights of equal protection cited. 45 CA 66. Cited.
Id., 110. Rights of equal protection cited. Id., 116. Equal protection cited. Id., 712. Equal protection rights cited. 46 CA
616. Right to equal protection cited. Id., 640; Id., 810. Inmates given administrative segregation classifications are not
considered part of a suspect class; this distinction is predicated on a rational basis, and the award of statutory good time
does not intrude upon a fundamental right. 50 CA 421. Failure to refer case to three-judge panel when actuarial data
indicated life expectancy was less than sentence not violative of equal protection. Id., 521. Suspending a person’s driver’s
license under driver license compact based on out-of-state conviction for first arrest, rather than allowing participation in
alcohol education program, did not violate equal protection. 52 CA 326. Appellate court rejected defendant’s claim that
trial court violated his rights under Art. I, Secs. 8, 19 and 20 of the Connecticut Constitution when it improperly allowed
state to exercise a peremptory challenge against a prospective juror, who was a member of defendant’s racial group,
without a racially neutral explanation reasonably related to the issues in the case. Appellate court found that evidence
supported the prosecutor’s reasons for striking the prospective juror and defendant failed to establish that the state gave
a pretextual reason for excusing the prospective juror. 62 CA 182. Section is declaratory of state’s fundamental public
policy against sex discrimination. 64 CA 573. Court’s application of the presentence confinement credit pursuant to Sec.
18-98d(a) did not violate petitioner’s right to equal protection. 80 CA 580. Petitioner could not prevail on his claim that
his sentence violated this section because he was required to allege purposeful discrimination in order to assert an equal
protection violation. 123 CA 197.
The Connecticut system of education under the authority of San Antonio Independent School District v. Rodriquez,
411 U.S. 1, violates this article. 31 CS 377. (Affirmed. 172 C. 615.) Connecticut system of education violative of equal
protection. Id., 377. Education system not justified on grounds that it serves the legitimate objective of local control.
Id. The classification of marijuana with the dangerous psychoactive drugs, amphetamines and barbiturates, under Sec.
19-480(b) for penalty purposes is irrational and thus violative of the equal protection clauses of the federal and state
constitutions. 32 CS 324. Exclusion of aliens from grand jury service under Sec. 54-45 did not violate defendant’s rights
since citizenship requirement bears rational relation to demands of jury service. 35 CS 98. Cited. Id., 130. Right to equal
protection not violated by order to pay entire amount of support previously advanced by welfare department for illegiti-
mate child. Id., 628. Failure of state to pay expense of blood grouping tests for indigent defendant in paternity action is
not a denial of equal protection. Id., 679. Cited. 37 CS 515; Id., 723; Id., 745. Equal protection cited. 38 CS 331. Cited.
Id., 407; Id., 426; 39 CS 142; 40 CS 6. State’s equal rights amendment cited. Id. Equal protection cited. Id., 361. Cited.
Id., 365; 381. State regulation on Medicaid abortion funding is unconstitutional; equal rights amendment cited. Id., 394.
Cited. 41 CS 48. Violation of constitutional rights cited. Id. Right to equal protection cited. Id. Substantial differences
in compensation and benefits cited. Id., 141. Equal protection cited. Id., 229. Cited. 42 CS 172; Id., 256; Id., 526. Equal
protection cited. Id. Cited. Id., 574. Equal protection cited. 43 CS 91. Equal protection clause cited. Id., 278; Id., 297.
Cited. Id., 386; Id., 470. Equal rights amendment, prohibiting discrimination because of sex, included in Connecticut
Constitution Amdt. V, cited. 45 CS 84. New Haven City Charter art. V, sec. 10(a) provision that mayor of city “shall have
been a legal voter in and resident of the city for at least five years immediately preceding said mayor’s election” vio-
lates equal protection. 48 CS 521. Textual emphasis of Connecticut constitutional guarantee is on person discriminated
against rather than, as in U.S. Constitution, on entity forbidden from discriminating. Because Connecticut provision ex-
pressly refers to exercise of “political rights”, equal protection guarantee can be construed with reference to several other
distinctive guarantees of political rights contained in Connecticut Constitution. Id. Civil union legislation does not deny
plaintiffs, eight same sex couples, equal protection, due process, and right of free expression and association because
civil union and marriage in Connecticut now share same benefits, protections and responsibilities under law; Connecticut
Constitution requires that there be equal protection and due process of law, not that there be equivalent nomenclature for

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Art. XXII AMENDMENTS TO THE 207
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such protection and process. 49 CS 644. Petitioner, a white inmate who alleged that he was denied parole release because
of racial discrimination arising from quota system employed by Board of Pardons and Paroles that unfairly advantages
black and Hispanic inmates over white inmates, was not denied equal protection because petitioner failed to prove that
board deviated from race neutral statutory criteria and discriminated against him on account of his race and that board
was motivated by discriminatory purpose. 50 CS 149.
Defendant given minimum fine for driving while intoxicated after evidence of indigence; held not denial of equal
protection of law. Where penalty imposed is within limits fixed by statute, it will not be disturbed on appeal unless there
is an abuse of discretion. 5 Conn. Cir. Ct. 228.
(Equal protection. No segregation or discrimination.)
Article fifth of the amendments to the Constitution is amended to read as follows:
No person shall be denied the equal protection of the law nor be subjected to seg-
regation or discrimination in the exercise or enjoyment of his or her civil or political
rights because of religion, race, color, ancestry, national origin, sex or physical or
mental disability.