CCM's State Capitol Report is designed to keep members informed about important legislative issues and actions taken by CCM staff on behalf of towns and cities, as well as suggested actions you can take to protect the interests of your municipality. 

For additional information on any of the bills listed and the most up-to-date news on legislative issues affecting municipalities, see:

CCM's Legislative Action Center 

You can also follow CCM on Facebook and Twitter for real time updates and information from the State Capitol.

• Support LCO 5069.
• This language has been agreed to by municipalities, DEEP, and the CT League of Conservation Voters.
• This language will (1) provide needed funding through the Clean Water Fund to affected municipalities, (2) ensure municipalities a seat at the table during disussions as to how to reduce Phosphprous statewide, and (3) begin to address non-point source pollution of Phosphorus.

• Don't support LCO 5075.
• The amendment would increase the costs of certain contracts as well as certain administrative costs. 

For more information on this issue, please contact Ron Thomas of CCM. 

The House of Representatives and the Senate convened this week.  Among the bills of interest to towns and cities that passed included:

SENATE   

• SB 23 - Emergency Preparedness and Response - would, (1) require the Public Utilities Regulatory Authority (PURA) to initiate a docket to review emergency preparation and service restoration practices and identify optimum tree trimming and infrastructure hardening levels, (2) establish electric, gas and telephone company performance standards for emergency preparation and service restoration, (3) require companies submit annual reports on their emergency response plans and performance, (4) require PURA review companies performance after an emergency and issue orders to enforce the standards, (5) require the Deparment of Transportation and any municipality to notify PURA whenever it does certain road work, (6) require PURA to initiate a docket to identify and establish ways to increase the utilities efforts to install, replace, upgrade or bury any of their infrastructure lines, and (7) establish a micro-grid pilot program to fund local clean energy generation for critical facilities.  
• SB 33 - Project Labor Agreements (PLA) - Would be permissive as it would clarify the local option for municipalities to consider project labor agreements.   However, it would mandate that for school construction projects greater than $10 million that they determine whether PLAs would be beneficial, based on certain criteria outlined in the bill.  CCM has raised concerns with this particular mandate which would carve out special, new procedures for certain local projects.   
• SB 84 - Wood-Burning Furnaces - would make several changes to the outdoor wood burning furnace law, including allowing certain wood burning furnaces to be installed and imposing oversight regulations on their operations. 
• SB 89 - Mattress Recycling - As amended, would create a state-wide mattress stewardship program for end-of-life management of mattress disposal in which mattress producers are responsible for creating, financing, and managing an environmentally sound program to (1) minimize public sector involvement in the management of post-consumer mattresses by negotiating and executing agreements to collect, transport, reuse, renovate, recycle, burn for energy recovery and dispose of post-consumer mattresses, regardless of brand; (2) provide for the free, convenient and accessible state-wide collection of post-consumer mattresses that; (3) provide for producer-financed end-of-life management for discarded mattresses, including transportation from a number of locations including municipal transfer stations; (4) provide suitable storage containers at permitted municipal transfer stations for segregated, discarded mattresses, at no cost to such municipality; and (5) cover the costs for the program.  
• SB 97 - Breast Cancer Screening Mandate - Would prohibit certain municipal health insurance policies from imposing such expenses as co- payments or deductibles on breast ultrasound screenings.    
• SB 188 - DPH Assistance for Lead Prevention - would detail the administration of the Department of Public Health lead prevention and control program, as well as provide financial assistance to towns and cities to administer such lead programs.  This proposal would ensure that local health departments receive the necessary funding and resources to provide case management services, education materials, environmental health services in regards to lead poisoning, as well as access to DPH's system that collects and provides essential data on lead poisoning information. 
• SB 195 - Storage of Stolen Property - Would amend the state-mandated threshold that requires local police officials seize and store stolen property, from the current value of over $250 to a proposed value of over $1,000.  By law, local agencies may return stolen property to an owner if the value is equal to or less than the current threshold.  The proposal would also allow local regulation over precious metals and stone dealers.   
• SB 213- Would mandate that registrars of voters have access to the Internet.   
• SB 360 - Foreclosure Mediation Mandate - Would, among other things, (1) require the Judicial Branch to create a form concerning notice of community-based resources to parties involved in foreclosure mediation, and (2) require municipalities to include the form with any statements sent to the homeowner regarding debt owed by the homeowner for public sewer, water services or property taxes.  
• SB 376 - Local Authority Over Coastal Site Plans - Would essentially create an "automatic acceptance" of any proposed coastal site plan for a shoreline flood and erosion control structure is such plan includes (1) three alternative options and (2) certification of such alternative options by a structural engineer. In addition, the only method provided in the bill for a municipal zoning commission to raise issue with a proposed plan would be to propose an alternative option that would not have a total cost in excess of 15% of the assessed value of structures located on the property.    
• SB 426 -Would require electric companies to share certain geographic info data with towns and cities. 
•  HB 5021 - Sunday Sales - Among other things, (1) extends the hours in which alcohol is allowed to be sold, (2) allows alcohol to be sold on Sundays, (3) extends the hours in which bars can remain open, and (4) allows a first selectman who also acts as a town's police chief to hold a liquor permit in that town.  OFA has listed that the proposal would provide municipalities with a revenue gain, through the municipal revenue account share of the sales and use tax revenue, by as much as $8,500 in FY12 and $52,000 in FY13 as well as each year after.  
• HB 5024 - Election Day Registration - Among other things, would allow for voter registration on Election Day throughout Connecticut.  While CCM understands the rationale behind this proposal -- to increase voter participation -- we have concerns about the fiscal impact to towns and cities. Registrars of Voters have indicated that there would be a need for additional staffing and resources on election day, the busiest day of the year for their office, in order to meet this new initiative. 
• HB 5225 - Security Deposit Interest Rates - Would lower the annual interest rate that housing authorities, community housing authorities, and other corporations must pay on security deposits made by senior citizens and individuals with disabilities residing in public housing. 
• HB 5314 - Jeopardy Tax Collection - Would require tax collectors to notify property owners before a jeopardy tax collection.  This bill is an example of a one-town issue en route to becoming a statewide policy. 
• HB 5315 - Online Notifications for Subdivision Applications - Would authorize planning commissions to notify regional planning agencies of subdivision applications by email.  

HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

• SB 150 - FMLA Mandate - Would require towns and cities provide municipal paraprofessionals benefits in accordance with the federal Family Medical Leave Act (FMLA), by reducing the number of hours paraprofessional employees must work in order to qualify for certain family FMLA benefits.   
• SB 198 - Memorials and Monuments - Would double the fine and require full restitution for all costs of repair and replacement of the property damaged if that property is a war or veterans' memorial or monument.    
• SB 263- Treble Damages - This has been a CCM proposal for several years.  It would eliminate the penalty of treble damages against zoning enforcement officers for frivolous or without probable cause citations.  The bills was passed in concurrence with the House and it now headed to the Governor. 
• HB 5026 - Postponing Elections - Would, among other things postponing or relocating the election, or any other action required for its orderly execution, in the event a declaration of emergency has been made.  
• HB 5154 - Regional Planning - As amended, would require regional councils of elected officials to identify opportunities to provide regional services.
• HB 5170 - Traffic Control Devices - As amended, would require municipalities to cover the costs associated with installing traffic improvements for certain developments.  
• HB 5224 - Urban Revitalization - As amended, would establish a pilot program within the Connecticut Housing Finance Authority and the Department of Economic and Community Development to promote the revitalization and stabilization of urban neighborhoods by encouraging home ownership by persons who will become owner-occupants of two to four-family homes.  
• HB 5233 - Special Workers' Compensation Benefits for Firefighters - Would create a new unfunded state mandate by requiring professional counseling be compensated under the Workers' Compensation Act for firefighters diagnosed with mental or emotional injuries -- defined as post-traumatic stress disorder -- as a result of witnessing a death of a firefighter.  This proposal has been identified by OFA as a "STATE MANDATE" on towns and cities.  CCM has explained that towns and cities currently offer extensive Employee Assistance Programs (EAPs) and health insurance coverage to employees suffering from stress. These existing benefits provide all employees counseling, therapy, and other essential services to assist them and their families during difficult periods. This proposed mandate would unnecessarily and inappropriately create a new, costly special benefit -- without any state financial assistance.    
• HB 5250 - Polling Place Officials - As amended, would remove the requirement that polling place officials reside in the town they will work in.  
• HB 5271 - Sitting Council - Would, among other things; (1) provide municipal authority over the siting of telecommunication towers within 250 feet of a school, or commercial day care center; (2) require payments be made to municipalities from the Municipal Participation Account first to defray costs incurred by such a municipality who participates as a party to a certification proceeding, and eliminates any requirement that the municipality refund any excess funds it may have received from the account; and (3) require applicants to make a "good faith" effort to meet with the municipal CEO where such facility is being proposed, within 90 days before filing an application.    
• HB 5543- Municipal Electronic Utilities - Would require the Public Utilities Regulatory Authority (PURA) to initiate a docket to examine procedures for creating and expanding municipal electric utilities.    
• HB 5319- Local Blight Ordinances - As amended, would increase fines for violations of local blight ordinances.  
• HB 5328 - New Secured Lending License - As amended, would create a new fine art secured lending license.  The proposal details licensing requirements, penalties, identifying sellers, reporting and payments.  It would (1) make the police chief the licensing authority of the new license; and (2) allow the town or city to collect, and appropriate as they wish, a $50 licensing fee and an annual $25 renewal fee.  Failure to obtain a license would require the licensee to file a $2,000 surety bond.  
• HB 5347 - Special Education Services - As amended, would among other things, require local school boards and other entities providing special education to children, when recording instances when seclusion or restraints are used on a child, to indicate whether these actions are in accordance with the child's individualized education program (IEP).  
• HB 5348 - New Mandates on School Time and Curriculum - As amended, would mandate (1) new curriculum on CPR and AED in schools and (2) minimum levels of daily physical exercise.   
• HB 5353 - New Education Mandate - Would mandate additional teacher preparation and in-service training, along with additional meetings, with regard to individualized education programs (IEPs).  In addition, would require an IEP for any deaf or hearing impaired children.     
• HB 5424 - Local Option to Delay Property Reval - Would allow certain municipalities the local option to delay the implementation of a revaluation prior to the assessment year commencing on October 1, 2013.   
• HB 5465 - Stream Channel Encroachment Lines - Would eliminate the Department of Energy and Environmental Protections' (DEEP) authority to alter municipally established stream channel encroachment lines.  
• HB 5489 - Abatement of Public Nuisance - Would, among other things, grant towns and cities greater authority to abate public nuisances in situations where there has been illegal and highly problematic activity.   
• HB 5540 - Would transfer certain powers from the Bristol Resource Recovery Facility Operating Committee to the West Central Connecticut Solid Waste and Recycling Board.  

CCM'S LEGISLATIVE COMMITTEE

• Appropriations Committee Proposed Mid-Term Budget Adjustments for FY2013 
• Governor's Proposed Mid-Term Budget Adjustments for FY 2013 
• Currently Adopted State Budget FY2012-13 Biennium 

If you have any questions, please contact Jim Finley, Ron Thomas or George Rafael at 203-498-3000.