General Assembly Committee Bill No. 6047
January Session, 2015 LCO No. 3915
*03915HB06047ENV*
Referred to Committee on ENVIRONMENT
Introduced by:
(ENV)
General Assembly
Committee Bill No. 6047
January Session, 2015
LCO No. 3915
*03915HB06047ENV*
Referred to Committee on ENVIRONMENT
Introduced by:
(ENV)
AN ACT PROVIDING PROPER FUNDING FOR STATE HATCHERIES.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in General Assembly convened:
Section 1. (NEW) (Effective July 1, 2015) (a) There is established an account to be known as the "Connecticut Fish Hatcheries and Recreational Fisheries account". The Connecticut Fish Hatcheries and Recreational Fisheries account shall be a separate, nonlapsing account of the General Fund. Any moneys required by law to be deposited in the account shall be deposited in and credited to the Connecticut Fish Hatcheries and Recreational Fisheries account. The account shall be available to the Commissioner of Energy and Environmental Protection for funding the state's fish hatcheries and the state's recreational fisheries programs.
(b) The commissioner may receive private donations to the Connecticut Fish Hatcheries and Recreational Fisheries account and any such receipts shall be deposited in the account.
Sec. 2. (Effective from passage) (a) There is established a task force to study the sustainability of the state's recreational fisheries. Such study shall include, but not be limited to, an examination of all issues that affect and threaten the sustainability of the state's recreational fisheries. Additionally, such task force shall make a recommendation on a dedicated source of revenue for funding the Connecticut Fish Hatcheries and Recreational Fisheries account established pursuant to section 1 of this act. In developing such recommendation, the task force shall examine the feasibility of dedicating a percentage of all recreational fishing license fees for deposit in such account.
(b) The task force shall consist of the following members:
(1) Two appointed by the speaker of the House of Representatives;
(2) Two appointed by the president pro tempore of the Senate;
(3) One appointed by the majority leader of the House of Representatives;
(4) One appointed by the majority leader of the Senate;
(5) One appointed by the minority leader of the House of Representatives;
(6) One appointed by the minority leader of the Senate;
(7) The Commissioner of Energy and Environmental Protection, or the commissioner's designee; and
(8) Two persons appointed by the Governor.
(c) Any member of the task force appointed under subdivision (1), (2), (3), (4), (5) or (6) of subsection (b) of this section may be a member of the General Assembly.
(d) All appointments to the task force shall be made not later than thirty days after the effective date of this section. Any vacancy shall be filled by the appointing authority.
(e) The speaker of the House of Representatives and the president pro tempore of the Senate shall select the chairpersons of the task force from among the members of the task force. Such chairpersons shall schedule the first meeting of the task force, which shall be held not later than sixty days after the effective date of this section.
(f) The administrative staff of the joint standing committee of the General Assembly having cognizance of matters relating to the environment shall serve as administrative staff of the task force.
(g) Not later than February 1, 2016, the task force shall submit a report on its findings and recommendations to the joint standing committee of the General Assembly having cognizance of matters relating to the environment, in accordance with the provisions of section 11-4a of the general statutes. The task force shall terminate on the date that it submits such report or February 1, 2016, whichever is later.
This act shall take effect as follows and shall amend the following sections:
Section 1 July 1, 2015 New section
Sec. 2 from passage New section
This act shall take effect as follows and shall amend the following sections:
Section 1
July 1, 2015
New section
Sec. 2
from passage
New section
Statement of Purpose:
To establish a means for the proper funding of the state's fish hatcheries and recreational fisheries programs and to have a task force examine the sustainability of the state's recreational fisheries programs and identify a source of dedicated revenue for funding the state's fish hatcheries.
[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.]
Co-Sponsors: REP. TONG, 147th Dist.
Co-Sponsors:
REP. TONG, 147th Dist.
H.B. 6047