Other Bills

There was a significant $1 Million reduction (SB 30- DEAD) in Motorboat Fuel Tax appropriations we have worked hard to achieve over the last six years and elimination of another $1 million in an appropriation from the Petroleum Product Fund. Currently the Motorboat Fuel Tax transfer remains the same as last year. The fee proposal (HB 5046), generating $1.3 Million will replace the Petroleum Product Fund loss. The fee schedule ONLY maintains current programs - nothing new.

H.B. No. 5570 (RAISED) JUDICIARY. AN ACT CONCERNING CRUELTY TO ANIMALS. To restrict the tethering and confinement of dogs and to authorize the courts to order persons charged with cruelty to animals to undergo counseling or participate in an animal cruelty prevention and education program. OPPOSE. Public Hearing 3/04 (No CCS Testimony). No Action - DEAD. Amended by House A onto S.B. 78 AN ACT CONCERNING COMPANION ANIMAL HEALTH CERTIFICATES, 4/17. OPPOSE.

H.B. No. 5759 (RAISED) JUDICIARY. 'AN ACT CONCERNING ACTS OF TERRORISM', to provide enhanced penalties for crimes committed with the intent to intimidate or coerce the civilian population or a unit of government. Public Hearing 3/20 (No CCS Testimony). JFS to Floor 3/25. HOUSE CALENDAR NUMBER 305 4/11. House Passed w/ House Amendment A 5/3. Passed Senate with House Amendment A which is a complete substitute replacing the original bill 5/7. PASSED. Signed by the Governor 6/3

SB00078 AN ACT CONCERNING COMPANION ANIMAL HEALTH CERTIFICATES AND CRUELTY TO ANIMALS. House Passed Amended by Amendment A 4/17. OPPOSE. Referred by Senate to Committee on Judiciary 4/25. JF 4/26. SEN. PASSED 4/30. PASSED. Vetoed by the Governor 5/23. Veto Stands 6/24.

S.B. No. 374 (RAISED) AN ACT CONCERNING THE OFFICE OF THE ENVIRONMENTAL ADVOCATE. To establish the Office of Environmental Advocate. REF. TO ENVIRONMENT. OPPOSE. Public Hearing 3/11.CCS Testimony. JFS to Floor 3/15. REF. BY SEN. TO COMM. ON Appropriations 4/3. JF 4/9. No New File. REF. TO Govt. Admin. & Elections (GAE) COMM. 4/17. JF to Floor. No Action - DEAD.

S.B. No. 418 (RAISED) TRANSPORTATION. 'AN ACT CONCERNING ALL-TERRAIN VEHICLES', to encourage the safe and courteous operation of all-terrain vehicles on all land, to minimize damage to hiking trails and structures thereon and damage to plants and wildlife resulting from the use of such vehicles on hiking trails and to protect hikers and their pets who use such trails. REF. TRANSPORTATION. SUPPORT. PUBLIC HEARING 3/6 (No CCS Testimony). No Action - DEAD.

S.B. No. 428 (RAISED) AN ACT CONCERNING MINOR REVISIONS TO THE ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION STATUTES. To allow distressed municipalities to collect larger grants for water quality projects for nitrogen removal, to allow small municipalities to receive a grant for twenty-five per cent of the costs of a water pollution control project, the construction of which began on or after July 1, 2002, to protect project agreements to fund eligible projects from the Clean Water Fund that were executed during fiscal year 2002, to remove certain requirements for eligibility for the urban sites remedial action program, to allow the Department of Environmental Protection to collect fees at properties acquired on or after July 1, 2001, and to allow the Commissioner of Environmental Protection to issue certain hunting licenses. Environment Committee. [DEP Bill] PUBLIC HEARING 3/11 (No CCS Testimony). JFS to Finance, Revenue and Bonding 3/18. (FIN) JFS to Floor 3/26. Eliminated Sec. 1-4 (pollution/water) now applies only to outdoor fees/licenses. 4/9 FILE NO. 384. Senate Passed With Amendments A & B. Consideration of this bill came as a surprise with a quick high priority amendment dealing with the Long Island Sound Cable controversy as Amendment A. Amendment B - Turkey Damage Permits - was previously filed and lobbied by both CCS and Farm Bureau. Passed House, Ran out of time in Senate. DEAD.

To provide for the erasure of criminal records pertaining to persons convicted of certain crimes if the person has not been convicted of an additional crime within five years after completion of the person's sentence. REF. JUDICIARY. PUBLIC HEARING 3/11 (No CCS Testimony). No Action - DEAD.

H.B. No. 5524 (RAISED) JUDICIARY. 'AN ACT CONCERNING POSSESSION OF EDGED WEAPONS AT SCHOOL', to prohibit students possessing edged weapons on school grounds or at school-sponsored activities. Public Hearing 3/18 (No CCS Testimony). No Action - DEAD.

H.B. No. 5692 (RAISED) JUDICIARY. 'AN ACT CONCERNING FIREARMS AND FAMILY VIOLENCE', to authorize a police officer who determines that a family violence crime has been committed to seize any firearms that are possessed by any person involved in the crime or that are in plain view, to require the protocol on the transfer or surrender of handguns developed by the Commissioner of Public Safety to include specific instructions for such transfer when the assistance of more than one law enforcement agency is required and to increase the penalty for carrying a handgun without a permit. Incorporates Proposed H.B. No. 5147, AN ACT INCREASING THE FINE FOR CARRYING A PISTOL OR REVOLVER WITHOUT A PERMIT. PUBLIC HEARING 3/11 (No CCS Testimony). JFS to the floor 3/25. Referred to Public Safety Comm 4/17. This is the last gun bill active and would probably die in Public Safety Committee. We are however negotiating on this bill to get essential issues corrected and it may survive if there is a compromise. If negotiated amendments are made to this bill, the bill will become a high priority and WILL be addressed by the legislature when the new file is written. More to follow when/if the negotiations are completed. House Passed with Amendment A - Removed H.B. No. 5147, AN ACT INCREASING THE FINE FOR CARRYING A PISTOL OR REVOLVER WITHOUT A PERMIT& B "Assault Weapon" clones Affirmative Defense/Notification 5/7. Vote 147-2. Senate - Passed on Consent - No debate/Vote. PASSED. Signed by the Governor 6/7.

H.B. No. 5742 (RAISED) JUDICIARY. 'AN ACT CONCERNING THE POSSESSION OR USE OF CERTAIN FIREARMS FOR PURPOSES OTHER THAN HUNTING OR SELF-DEFENSE', to require the Department of Public Safety to annually determine if there are firearms that are not suitable for hunting or self-defense and whose possession and use should be treated like the possession and use of machine guns. OPPOSE. PUBLIC HEARING 3/18.CCS Testimony. No Action - DEAD.
S.B. 489 (RAISED) AN ACT CONCERNING SECURITY AT NUCLEAR POWER GENERATING FACILITIES. To modify existing law affecting the use of physical and deadly force and the use of certain assault weapons and ammunition in order to provide greater security protection at nuclear power facilities. REF. Energy and Technology Committee. Public Hearing 3/7 (No CCS Testimony). JFS to Judiciary 3/12. No Action - DEAD.

H.B. No. 5664 (RAISED) ENVIRONMENT. 'AN ACT CONCERNING PUBLIC SAFETY AND RESOURCE PROTECTION AT CANDLEWOOD LAKE', to require the Commissioner of Environmental Protection to adopt regulations that address acute issues for residents and municipalities of the Candlewood Lake area. OPPOSE. PUBLIC HEARING 3/11. CCS Testimony. JF to Floor 3/18. The motion carried on a 15-13-0-0 roll call vote. File No. 234 REF. BY HOUSE TO COMMITTEE ON Appropriations 4/3. JF to Floor 4/9. No New File by Committee on Appropriations. Not addressed in House. DEAD.

H.B. No. 5718 (RAISED) ENVIRONMENT. 'AN ACT CONCERNING MINOR REVISIONS TO ENVIRONMENTAL STATUTES', to make technical revisions to environmental statutes, to protect a purchaser of land from liability for pollution which occurred prior to the purchase, to prevent the Commissioner of Environmental Protection from issuing an order to a hazardous waste facility to investigate or remediate the facility where such facility has already done so pursuant to state or federal law, to rename Morrissey Brook in the town of New Milford. PUBLIC HEARING 3/15 (No CCS Testimony). JFS to Floor 3/18. Not addressed in House. DEAD.