HB 6830 — AN ACT CONCERNING TRAINING FOR MEMBERS AND EMPLOYEES OF INLAND WETLANDS AGENCIES.

House of Representatives General Assembly SubstituteFile Bill No.

683041 January Session, 2025 ANSubstitute ACTHouse CONCERNINGBill TRAININGNo. FOR MEMBERS AND EMPLOYEES OF INLAND WETLANDS AGENCIES.

6830 House of Representatives, March 5, 2025 The Committee on Planning and Development reported through REP.

KAVROS DEGRAW of the 17th Dist., Chairperson of the Committee on the part of the House, that the substitute bill ought to pass.

AN ACT CONCERNING TRAINING FOR MEMBERS AND EMPLOYEES OF INLAND WETLANDS AGENCIES.

Subsection (d) of section 22a-42 of the general statutes is repealed andthefollowing isissubstituted substituted inlieuthereof(EffectiveOctober 1, 2025):

[Failure to have a member of the agency or staff with training shall not affect the validity of any action of the agency.] (2) Any such member or staff person serving on or employed by any such agency as of January 1, 2026, shall complete such training program (A)sHB6830 by/ JanuaryFile 1,No. 2027, and (B) once every four years thereafter, except that any such member may complete such subsequent training program once every term for which such member is elected or appointed, if such term is longer than four years.

(3)41 Any such member or staff person not serving on or employed by any such agency as of January 1, 2026, shall complete such training LCO 1 ofsHB6830 3File Substitute Bill No.

683041 program (A) notby laterJanuary than1, one2027, year after such member's election or appointment or such staff person's hiring, and (B) once every four years thereafter, except that any such member may complete such subsequent training program once every term for which such member is elected or appointed, if such term is longer than four years.

(3) Any such member or staff person not serving on or employed by any such agency as of January 1, 2026, shall complete such training program (A) not later than one year after such member's election or appointment or such staff person's hiring, and (B) once every four years thereafter, except that any such member may complete such subsequent training program once every term for which such member is elected or appointed, if such term is longer than four years.

(5) Not later than March 1, 2027, and annually thereafter, each inland wetlands agency shall submit a statement to the legislative body or board of selectmen of the municipality in which such agency sits, affirming compliance with the training requirement established pursuant to this section by each member of and staff person employed by such agency who was required to complete such training in the calendarsHB6830 year/ endingFile theNo. preceding December thirty-first.

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41 calendar year ending the preceding December thirty-first.

LCOThis 2act ofshall 3take Substituteeffect Billas No.follows and shall amend the following sections:

6830 This act shall take effect as follows and shall amend the following sections:

-LCO LCOsHB6830 3/ ofFile 3No.

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41 The following Fiscal Impact Statement and Bill Analysis are prepared for the benefit of the members of the General Assembly, solely for purposes of information, summarization and explanation and do not represent the intent of the General Assembly or either chamber thereof for any purpose.

In general, fiscal impacts are based upon a variety of informational 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 requires all, rather than one, inland wetlands agency members and employees to complete the Department of Energy and Environmental Protection’s (DEEP) training program.

This is not anticipated to result in a fiscal impact as the training is currently available for free online.

The Out Years State Impact:

None Municipal Impact:

None sHB6830 / File No.

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41 OLR Bill Analysis HB 6830 AN ACT CONCERNING TRAINING FOR MEMBERS AND EMPLOYEES OF INLAND WETLANDS AGENCIES.

SUMMARY Thisbillrequiresallinlandwetlandsagency membersandemployees to complete the Department of Energy and Environmental Protection’s (DEEP) inland wetlands agency comprehensive training program.

Under current law, just one member or staff person from each agency must complete the training and each agency must annually hold a meeting at which the information is summarized for its members.

The bill requires members and employees serving an agency on January 1, 2026, to complete their initial training within one year from thatdate.Thosejoiningafterthatdatemustcompletethetrainingwithin one year after their appointment, election, or hire.

All members and employees must retrain every four years or once per term (for elected or appointed members), whichever is less frequent.

Under the bill, DEEP must make the training program available on its website for agency members and employees.

Current law requires it to provide the training program free to one person for each town and distribute informational videos and written materials to the agencies.

Thebillalso createsanannualreportingrequirementfortheagencies, beginning by March 1, 2027, to submit a statement to the municipality’s legislative body or board of selectmen affirming that the individuals who had to complete the training during the prior year did so.

Under both existing law and the bill, a member or employee’s failure to complete the training does not invalidate the agency’s actions.

The bill also makes technical and conforming changes.

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