Connecticut 2019 Regular Session

Connecticut House Bill HB05308 Compare Versions

Version 1 (Old)

Version 2 (New)

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3		-	LCO 3568 \\PRDFS1\HCOUSERS\BARRYJN\WS\2019HB-05308-R02-
4		-	HB.docx
5		-	1 of 2
	3	+	LCO No. 3568 1 of 3
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7	5		General Assembly Committee Bill No. 5308
8	6		January Session, 2019
9	7		LCO No. 3568
10	8
11	9
12	10		Referred to Committee on ENVIRONMENT
13	11
14	12
15	13		Introduced by:
16	14		(ENV)
	15	+
17	16
18	17
19	18		AN ACT CONCERNING VEGETATION MANAGEMEN T ALONG STATE
20	19		HIGHWAYS BY THE DEPA RTMENT OF TRANSPORTA TION.
21	20		Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in General
22	21		Assembly convened:
23	22
24	23		Section 1. (NEW) (Effective from passage) (a) The Department of 1
25	24		Transportation shall develop guidelines governing the management of 2
26	25		vegetation and tree removal along state highways. Such guidelines 3
27	26		shall include provisions for, but shall not be limited to: (1) Safety of the 4
28	27		traveling public, (2) general roadside vegetation management activities 5
29	28		performed by the department, including, but not limited to, mowing, 6
30	29		herbicide application, grassing, replanting, limb management, tree 7
31	30		removal and debris removal, (3) beautification and enhancements, (4) 8
32	31		visibility enhancement, (5) work zone traffic control, and (6) worker 9
33	32		safety. For vegetation management and tree removal, such guidelines 10
34	33		shall require the department to consider the environmental impact of 11
35	34		such work, including, but not limited to: (A) Preventing invasive tree, 12
36	35		brush or plant species growth and impact; (B) storm water run-off; (C) 13
37	36		erosion; (D) replanting of vegetation species to expand and improve 14
38	37		pollinator corridor habitat; (E) reduced mowing; and (F) the effect on 15
39	38		scenic highways or other similarly designated roadways. 16
40		-	~~(b) Such guidelines concerning vegetation management shall be 17~~ Committee Bill No. 5308
	39	+	Committee Bill No. 5308
41	40
42	41
43		-	LCO 3568 {\\PRDFS1\HCOUSERS\BARRYJN\WS\2019HB-05308-
44		-	R02-HB.docx }
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	42	+	LCO No. 3568 2 of 3
46	43
	44	+	(b) Such guidelines concerning vegetation management shall be 17
47	45		reviewed and approved by a licensed arborist if the services of such a 18
48	46		licensed arborist are available from a licensed arborist who is 19
49	47		employed at either the Department of Energy and Environmental 20
50	48		Protection or the Department of Transportation. 21
51	49		(c) The guidelines developed pursuant to this section shall be: (1) 22
52	50		Posted on the Department of Transportation's Internet web site, (2) 23
53	51		updated, as necessary, to comply with provisions of federal and state 24
54	52		law concerning vegetation management on state highways, and (3) 25
55	53		reviewed by all maintenance and contractor personnel prior to the 26
56	54		commencement of any vegetation management activity. 27
57	55		(d) The provisions of this section shall not apply to the removal of 28
58	56		any trees or vegetation that constitute an immediate public hazard or 29
59	57		any Department of Transportation construction project that constitutes 30
60	58		such an immediate public hazard. 31
61	59		(e) A copy of the guidelines developed in accordance with this 32
62	60		section shall be provided by the Department of Transportation to the 33
63	61		joint standing committees of the General Assembly having cognizance 34
64	62		of matters relating to the environment and transportation. 35
65	63		Sec. 2. (NEW) (Effective from passage) Not later than May first of each 36
66	64		year, the Department of Transportation shall report the amount of 37
67	65		funds the department allocated for vegetation management for the 38
68	66		remainder of the calendar year to the joint standing committees of the 39
69	67		General Assembly having cognizance of matters relating to the 40
70	68		environment and finance. 41
71	69		This act shall take effect as follows and shall amend the following
72	70		sections:
73	71
74	72		Section 1 from passage New section
75	73		Sec. 2 from passage New section
	74	+	Committee Bill No. 5308
76	75
77		-	ENV Joint Favorable
78	76
	77	+	LCO No. 3568 3 of 3
	78	+
	79	+
	80	+	Statement of Purpose:
	81	+	To establish guidelines that govern vegetation management along state
	82	+	highways by the Department of Transportation.
	83	+
	84	+	[Proposed deletions are enclosed in brackets. Proposed additions are indicated by underline,
	85	+	except that when the entire text of a bill or resolution or a section of a bill or resolution is new, it is
	86	+	not underlined.]
	87	+
	88	+	Co-Sponsors: REP. D'AGOSTINO, 91st Dist.
	89	+
	90	+	H.B. 5308