HB 7152 — AN ACT CONCERNING THE SUBMISSION OF STUDIES AND EVALUATIONS IN CONNECTION WITH LAND USE APPLICATIONS.

House of Representatives General Assembly RaisedFile Bill No.

7152626 January Session, 2025 LCOSubstitute House Bill No.

57287152 ReferredHouse toof Representatives, April 9, 2025 The Committee on PLANNINGPlanning ANDand DEVELOPMENTDevelopment Introducedreported by:through REP.

(PD)KAVROS ANDEGRAW ACTof CONCERNINGthe THE17th SUBMISSIONDist., OFChairperson STUDIESof ANDthe EVALUATIONSCommittee INon CONNECTIONthe WITHpart LANDof USEthe APPLICATIONS.House, that the substitute bill ought to pass.

AN ACT CONCERNING THE SUBMISSION OF STUDIES AND EVALUATIONS IN CONNECTION WITH LAND USE APPLICATIONS.

(NEW) (Effective October 1, 2025) (a) Notwithstanding the provisions of any special act, municipal charter or home rule ordinance, any person who submits an environmental, health, traffic or economic impact study or evaluation in connection with a land use application pending approval by the legislative bodybody, ofzoning acommission, municipalityplanning commission, planning and zoning commission, inland wetlands agency or subjectzoning toboard approvalof byappeals of a municipalmunicipality referendum shall include in such submission a statement disclosing (1) the author or authors of such study or evaluation, (2) all costs associated with the completion of such study or evaluation andthenameand ofthepersonorthe name of the person or entity that paidsuchcosts,paid such costs, and (3) any conflict of interest that may impact the ability of such author or authors to provide unbiased data or conclusions in such study or evaluation.

(b)In Norendering study or evaluation submitted in connection with a landdecision useon applicationany withoutsuch theapplication, statementsuch requiredlegislative pursuantbody, tocommission, subsectionagency (a)or ofboard this section shall beconsider consideredwhether bysHB7152 the/ legislativeFile body when rendering LCO No.

5728626 1 ofsHB7152 2File Raised Bill No.

7152626 athe decision(A) oninformation disclosed in any such applicationstatement, or be(B) madefailure available to votersinclude insuch astatement municipalimpacts referendumthe concerningreliability of such application.study or evaluation.

Section 1 October 1, 2025 New section StatementPD ofJoint Purpose:Favorable Subst.

TosHB7152 require/ anyFile personNo. submitting a study or evaluation in connection with a land use application to disclose the author of such study or evaluation, cost of such study or evaluation and any conflict of interest relating to such study or evaluation.

[Proposed626 deletions2 aresHB7152 enclosedFile inNo. brackets.

Proposed626 additionsThe following Fiscal Impact Statement and Bill Analysis are indicatedprepared byfor underline,the exceptbenefit thatof whenthe members of the entireGeneral textAssembly, solely for purposes of ainformation, billsummarization orand resolutionexplanation orand ado sectionnot ofrepresent athe billintent orof resolutionthe isGeneral new,Assembly itor iseither notchamber underlined.]thereof LCOfor No.any purpose.

5728In 2general, fiscal impacts are based upon a variety of 2informational sources, including the analyst’s professional knowledge.

Whenever applicable, agency data is consulted as part of the analysis, however final products do not necessarily reflect an assessment from any specific department.

OFA Fiscal Note State Impact:

None Municipal Impact:

None Explanation The bill, which requires additional information to be submitted with studiesor evaluationsonlocallanduse, does not result inafiscalimpact to municipalities as they have the resources necessary to review this information.

The Out Years State Impact:

None Municipal Impact:

None sHB7152 / File No.

626 3 sHB7152 File No.

626 OLR Bill Analysis sHB 7152 AN ACT CONCERNING THE SUBMISSION OF STUDIES AND EVALUATIONS IN CONNECTION WITH LAND USE APPLICATIONS.

SUMMARY This bill requires certain disclosures on studies or evaluations submitted in connection with a pending local land use application.

It applies regardless of conflicting provisions in a special act, municipal charter, or home rule ordinance.

Specifically, the disclosure requirement applies to anyone submitting an environmental, health, traffic, or economic impact study or evaluation to the local legislative body;

zoning or planning commission or combined commission;

inland wetlands agency;

or zoning board of appeals.

The person submitting the study or evaluation must include a statement disclosing the following information about it:

1.

its author or authors, 2.

allcostsassociated withcompleting it and thename ofthe person or entity that paid them, and 3.

any conflict of interest that may impact the author or author’s ability to provide unbiased data or conclusions.

Under the bill, when making decisions on land use applications for which a study or evaluation was submitted, the legislative body, commission, agency, or board must consider whether the information disclosed, or the failure to provide the disclosure, impacts the study or evaluation’s reliability.

EFFECTIVE DATE:

October 1, 2025 COMMITTEE ACTION Planning and Development Committee Joint Favorable Substitute Yea 19 Nay 0 (03/21/2025) sHB7152 / File No.

626 4