Connecticut 2015 Regular Session

Connecticut House Bill HB05686 Compare Versions

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1-General Assembly Committee Bill No. 5686
2-January Session, 2015 LCO No. 3942
3- *03942HB05686ENV*
1+General Assembly Proposed Bill No. 5686
2+January Session, 2015 LCO No. 1980
3+ *01980*
44 Referred to Committee on ENVIRONMENT
55 Introduced by:
6-(ENV)
6+REP. WILLIS, 64th Dist.
77
88 General Assembly
99
10-Committee Bill No. 5686
10+Proposed Bill No. 5686
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1212 January Session, 2015
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14-LCO No. 3942
14+LCO No. 1980
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16-*03942HB05686ENV*
16+*01980*
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1818 Referred to Committee on ENVIRONMENT
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2020 Introduced by:
2121
22-(ENV)
22+REP. WILLIS, 64th Dist.
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2424 AN ACT CONCERNING THE APPROVAL OF LAND SWAPS.
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2626 Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in General Assembly convened:
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28-Section 1. (NEW) (Effective from passage) (a) Notwithstanding any provision of the general statutes, prior to entering any agreement for the exchange of land or interest in land that is under the care, custody or control of the Commissioner of Energy and Environmental Protection or the Commissioner of Agriculture, the respective commissioner shall assure that: (1) The exchange is not contrary to the terms or conditions under which the acquisition, gift, or bequest of such land or interest in land to be conveyed by the Department of Energy and Environmental Protection or the Department of Agriculture, as applicable, in such exchange was accepted; (2) the land or interest in land to be conveyed by the applicable department in such exchange was evaluated by the applicable department and determined not to be integral or significant to the resource management programs of the applicable department; (3) appraisals demonstrate that the fair market value of the land or interest in land to be received by the applicable department in such exchange is equal to or greater than the fair market value of the land or interest in land to be conveyed by the applicable department; (4) the land or interest in land to be received by the applicable department in such exchange provides substantially greater utility to the resource management programs of the applicable department than the land or interest in land to be conveyed by the applicable department in such exchange; (5) any proposed use of the land or interest in land to be conveyed by the applicable department in such exchange, if known at the time of the exchange, is consistent with the state plan of conservation and development; and (6) unless the respective commissioner determines that it is in the best interests of the state to not require such encumbrance, the land or interest in land to be conveyed by the applicable department in such exchange shall be conveyed subject to: (A) A conservation or other easement or similar encumbrance in favor of the state ensuring that any restriction on such land or interest in land that was in effect immediately prior to the exchange remains in effect after the exchange, and (B) a reverter clause stipulating that the land or interest in land shall revert back to the state if the easement or similar encumbrance is violated or not upheld.
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30-(b) Prior to undertaking the requirements of subsection (a) of this section, the Commissioner of Energy and Environmental Protection or the Commissioner of Agriculture, as applicable, shall post notice of the proposed exchange of land or interest in land on the Internet web site of his or her department. If the respective commissioner receives twenty-five or more written requests from twenty-five or more individuals for a public hearing on such proposed exchange, said commissioner shall hold a public hearing on such proposed exchange in the town in which such land or interest in land to be conveyed by the applicable department is located. In the event such land or interest in land is located in more than one town, the respective commissioner shall hold such public hearing in the town where the greater number of members of the public can be accommodated.
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35-This act shall take effect as follows and shall amend the following sections:
36-Section 1 from passage New section
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38-This act shall take effect as follows and shall amend the following sections:
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40-Section 1
41-
42-from passage
43-
44-New section
28+That the general statutes be amend to prohibit the Commissioners of Energy and Environmental Protection and Agriculture, any municipality and any land conservation organization from approving any proposal for the swap of land that has been conserved as open space or farmland unless the land that the state, municipality or organization, as applicable, will receive as a result of such swap is of greater ecological value than such conserved property. Additionally, prior to entering an agreement for any such land swap, the applicable commissioner, municipality or land conservation organization shall be required to provide public notice of the intended swap to the residents of the town in which such conserved property is located and shall hold a public hearing on such proposed land swap in the town in which such conserved property is located.
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4630 Statement of Purpose:
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48-To require certain notice, public hearing opportunity and assurances prior to the exchange of land or interest in land that is under the care, custody or control of the Commissioners of Energy and Environmental Protection and Agriculture.
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50-[Proposed deletions are enclosed in brackets. Proposed additions are indicated by underline, except that when the entire text of a bill or resolution or a section of a bill or resolution is new, it is not underlined.]
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54-Co-Sponsors: REP. WILLIS, 64th Dist.
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56-Co-Sponsors:
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58-REP. WILLIS, 64th Dist.
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60-H.B. 5686
32+To prohibit the swapping of land that has been conserved as open space or farmland unless the land to be received in such swap is of greater ecological value and to provide for public notice and comment prior to any legal agreement to undertake such land swap.