Listed below are all the bills we tracked during the 2017 legislative session. Many will be scored in our 2017 Environmental Scorecard.

Much of our efforts this year went to holding the line on attacks against the environment and building support among lawmakers for new initiatives.  Advocates were strong and unified in blocking bills that would have weakened our state’s environmental protections or undercut investment in renewable energy. However, almost ALL major initiatives to make progress on various environmental programs went down, even the ones with strong bi-partisan support. There were very modest (but still hard-fought) wins. 
 
All focus is now on the state budget, with high stakes for the environment.

Good Bills That Passed

Access to Water Planning Information (F.O.I.A.)
  • HB 7221- An act concerning access to water planning information

Water Management
  • HB 6008- Act amending the charter of the Metropolitan District Commission to add a consumer advocate board member. 
  • Approval by the Regulation Review Committee of DEP’s proposed changes to the Water Diversion regulations

Clean Energy
  • HB 7208- An act concerning the commercial property assessed clean energy program. 

Coal Tar Sealant
  • HB 5884- An act prohibiting the use of coal tar sealants on state and local highways.

​Tree Cutting
  • HB 6356 - An Act Concerning public notice of tree removal on municipal property.

Good Bills That Failed

State Constitutional Amendment to Protect Open Space
  • SJ 39- Resolution approving an amendment to the State Constitution to protect real property held or controlled by the state. SUPPORT, PASSED GAE, NO ACTION IN SENATE

Municipal Funding for Open Space Purchases
  • HB 6926- An act permitting municipalities to impose a buyer’s fee on the conveyance of real property. SUPPORT, NO ACTION IN PD

Bottle Deposit (Expand)
  • HB 5618- An act concerning an increase in the handling fee for Bottle Redemption Centers. SUPPORT, PASSED ENVIRONMENT, NO ACTION IN HOUSE

Ban on Fracking Waste
  • HB 6329- An act concerning hydraulic fracturing waste in Connecticut. - SUPPORT, PASSED ENV, PASSED HOUSE, NO ACTION IN SENATE

Crumb Rubber on Playgrounds
  • HB 6998- An act concerning the use of recycled tire rubber at municipal and public school playgrounds. - SUPPORT, PASSED KID, PASSED PD, NO ACTION IN HOUSE

Electric Vehicles
  • HB 7097- An act concerning the licensing of new and used car dealers, to authorize the Commissioner of Motor Vehicles to issue a new or used car dealer’s license to an electric vehicle manufacturer. - SUPPORT, PASSED TR, PASSED FIN, NO ACTION IN HOUSE

Clean/Renewable Energy and Climate Change
  • SB 630- An act concerning clean and renewable energy opportunities and use of renewable energy sources. (not sure if this was a major RPS bill)- SUPPORT, NO ACTION IN ET
  • HB 7247- Establish a carbon price for fossil fuels. - SUPPORT, NO ACTION IN ENV
  • SB 860- An act concerning contracts for zero emission renewable energy credits and low-emission renewable energy credits. - SUPPORT, NO ACTION IN ET
  • SB 973- An act concerning a residential sustainable energy program. - SUPPORT ONLY WITH REQUIREMENT FOR ENERGY ASSESSMENT, PASSED ET, NO ACTION IN FIN
  • HB 6547- An act concerning a Connecticut green plan and land resource and use inventory for energy infrastructure. - POSITION PENDING, PASSED ET, NO ACTION IN APP

Trophy Hunting and Endangered Species
  • SB 284- An act concerning Cecil's law. - SUPPORT, NO ACTION IN ENV
  • HB 6335- An act prohibiting the sale of ivory and rhinoceros horn in Connecticut. - SUPPORT, PASSED ENV, NO ACTION IN JUD

​Pesticides and Herbicides
  • SB 754- An act prohibiting the use of herbicides on state highways by the Department of Transportation. - SUPPORT, PASSED ENV, PASSED SENATE **REDUCED TO NOTIFICATION**
  • HB 5873- An act requiring notice prior to pesticide applications by railroad companies and requiring vegetation management plans by such companies. - SUPPORT, PASSED ENV, PASSED PD, NO ACTION IN HOUSE

Tree Removal
  • HB 6123- An act concerning tree removal along limited access highways. - SUPPORT, PASSED ENV, PASSED HOUSE, NO ACTION IN SENATE

Single Use Plastic/Paper Bags
  • HB 6313- An act establishing a tax on single-use plastic and paper bags. - SUPPORT PENDING CORRECTED LANGUAGE, PASSED ENV, REFERRED TO FIN
  • SB 994- An act concerning the conservation functions of the Department of Energy and Environmental Protection. - SUPPORT PENDING CORRECTED LANGUAGE, PASSED ENV, NO ACTION IN SENATE

Local Permit Transparency
  • HB 6004- Act concerning land use, zoning, wetlands and tax abatement application transparency. - SUPPORT, NO ACTION IN PD

Water Management
  • HB 7220- Act concerning the Department of Public Health's recommendations regarding safe drinking water. - SUPPORT, NO ACTION IN HOUSE
  • SB 241- An act concerning public water system construction projects. -SUPPORT, NO ACTION IN PD

Bad Bills Defeated or Neutralized

Anti-Environmental Rollbacks
  • HB 7134- An act concerning consent orders entered into by the Department of Energy and Environmental Protection. - OPPOSE, PASSED JUD, PASSED ENV, NO ACTION IN HOUSE Bypasses environmental laws and undermines the DEEP’s authority to enforce consent orders, even when the violator ignores the terms of the remediation agreement
  • SB 818- An act authorizing the suspension of civil penalties imposed on certain business entities pursuant to state regulations. - OPPOSE, PASSED CE, PASSED SENATE, NO ACTION IN HOUSE
  • HB 7063- An act concerning information included in the notice of intended action for proposed regulations and authorizing the suspension of civil penalties imposed on certain business entities pursuant of regulations. - OPPOSE, PASSED GAE, PASSED HOUSE, NO ACTION IN SENATE
  • SB 128- An act exempting new businesses from state regulations. - OPPOSE, NO ACTION IN CE It makes no sense to exempt start-up companies from state regulations for the first two-years of operation. The intent of making CT more “business friendly” is ignorant of the severe and long-term damage and dangers to public safety and health this would cause.
  • HB 6327- An act concerning the process for the issuance of certain general permits by the department of energy and environmental protection. - OPPOSE, MOTION FAILED IN ENV This would require general permits to go through the regulation process.  It appears to require that regulations be in place regarding any specific permit condition for DEEP to enforce the permit.  This would hamper the permitting process and enforcement of permits.
  • HB 6151- An act permitting businesses to seek a declaratory ruling regarding regulations. - OPPOSE, NO ACTION IN GAE This would provide companies carte blanche to avoid compliance with lawful regulations and foist a burden on the Attorney General for any ruling the complainant finds to be “controversial”.
  • HB 5087- An act permitting the suspension of administrative penalties imposed on certain business entities. - NO ACTION IN GAE This bill would make regulations into mere recommendations, jeopardize public safety, provide unfair business advantages to specific companies, add duties to state agencies, and add needless legal appeals to the courts.
  • SB 998- An act concerning the solicitation of high-property regulatory concerns by the commissioner of energy and environmental protection from a state-wide business organization. - PASSED ENV, NO LONGER OPPOSED AFTER AMENDED BY SENATE
  • SB 285- An act providing for the offset of certain environmental costs and fines through investment in environmental remediation. - OPPOSE, PASSED ENV, SENATE RECOMMITTED ENV This would allow a company to benefit from its own penalty payment by applying it to meet their pre-existing legal obligation
 
Millstone Nuclear Subsidies
  • SB 778- An act concerning expenses for consultants borne by telecommunications providers. - **THIS BILL WAS AMENDED SENATETO INCLUDE MILLSTONE NUCLEAR SUBSIDIES** - OPPOSE, PASSED SENATE, NO ACTION IN HOUSE  
  • SB 106- An act concerning zero-carbon electric generating facilities and achieving CT’s greenhouse gas emissions mandated levels. - OPPOSE, PASSED ET, PASSED APP, NO ACTION IN SENATE

Bottle Deposit (Repeal)
  • SB 996- An act establishing a bottle recycling fee in lieu of a refundable deposit. - OPPOSE, PASSED ENV, PASSED APP, NO ACTION IN SENATE

Trophy Hunting
  • SB 522- An act authorizing bear hunting in Connecticut. – OPPOSE, KILLED IN SENATE

Clean/Renewable Energy and Climate Change
  • SB 412- An act restricting the use of incentives for the development of solar arrays on agricultural land. - OPPOSE, NO ACTION IN ET
  • HB 7107- An act concerning the investment and use of regional greenhouse gas account funds. - OPPOSE, NO ACTION IN ET
  • HB 7012- An act requiring information on the state's energy costs competitiveness as part of the comprehensive energy strategy. - OPPOSE, PASSED ET, NO ACTION IN HOUSE

Sea Level Rise
  • HB 6354- An act authorizing hardened structures below the high-tide line for living shoreline purposes. - OPPOSE, NO ACTION IN ENV

Water Management
  • SB 753- Act concerning the viability of expanding the bottled water industry in CT. - OPPOSE, PASSED ENV, NO ACTION IN SENATE

Community Investment Act
  • HB 5503- An act concerning lake authorities and combating invasive plant and animal species. - OPPOSE adding new programs to CIA, PASSED ENV, NO ACTION IN HOUSE

Alternative Treatment Septic System
  • HB 5416- An act concerning the threshold for the department of energy and environmental protection's review of community water systems. - OPPOSE, PASSED ENV, REFERRED TO APP
Committees
ENV - Environment, ET - Energy and Technology, PH - Public Health, PD - Planning and Development, GAE - Government and Administration, TR - Transportation, CE - Commerce, KID - Children, JUD - Judiciary 
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