LCO \\PRDFS1\HCOUSERS\BARRYJN\WS\2021HB-06419-R01-
HB.docx
1 of 6
General Assembly Substitute Bill No. 6419
January Session, 2021
AN ACT CONCERNING VO TING REQUIREMENTS FO R
ESTABLISHING A DISTRICT TO MAINTAIN WATER QUALITY IN A
LAKE OR LAKES.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in General
Assembly convened:
Section 1. Section 7-6 of the general statutes is repealed and the 1
following is substituted in lieu thereof (Effective October 1, 2021): 2
At any town meeting, other than a regular or special town election, 3
or at any meeting of any [fire, sewer or] district, as defined in section 7-4
324, as amended by this act, or school district or any other municipal 5
subdivision of any town incorporated by any special act, (1) any person 6
who is an elector, as defined in section 9-1, of such town may vote, and 7
(2) unless restricted by the provisions of any special act relating to such 8
town, district or subdivision, any citizen of the United States of the age 9
of eighteen years or more who, jointly or severally, is liable to [the] such 10
town, district or subdivision for taxes assessed against him on an 11
assessment of not less than one thousand dollars on the last-completed 12
grand list of such town, district or subdivision, or who would be so 13
liable if not entitled to an exemption under subdivision (17), (19), (22), 14
(23), (25) or (26) of section 12-81, may vote. [, unless restricted by the 15
provisions of any special act relating to such town, district or 16
subdivision.] 17
Sec. 2. Section 7-324 of the general statutes is repealed and the 18 Substitute Bill No. 6419
LCO {\\PRDFS1\HCOUSERS\BARRYJN\WS\2021HB-06419-
R01-HB.docx }
2 of 6
following is substituted in lieu thereof (Effective October 1, 2021): 19
(a) For the purposes of sections 7-324 to 7-329, inclusive: [, "district"] 20
(1) "District" means any fire district, sewer district, fire and sewer 21
district, lighting district, village, beach or improvement association and 22
any other district or association, except a school district, wholly within 23
a town and having the power to make appropriations or to levy taxes; 24
and 25
(2) "Voter" has the same meaning as provided in section 9-1. 26
(b) (1) All districts established prior to May 29, 1957, under the 27
provisions of the general statutes or by special act shall be continued; 28
provided any such district may be dissolved or consolidated with the 29
government of any town, city or borough of which it is a part in 30
accordance with the provisions of the general statutes or may, by a two-31
thirds vote of those voters present at a district meeting, elect to be 32
governed by the provisions of sections 7-324 to 7-329, inclusive, in lieu 33
of the provisions of any general or special act under which such district 34
was established or operated. 35
(2) Notwithstanding any of the provisions of sections 7-324 to 7-329, 36
inclusive, a district established prior to May 29, 1957, and electing to be 37
governed by said sections shall not be required to adopt the form of 38
organization provided for in said sections but may continue its existing 39
form of organization and nevertheless have and exercise the powers and 40
duties granted to districts in said sections and in such event the officers 41
of such district shall have and may exercise the powers and duties 42
granted to district officers in said sections. 43
Sec. 3. Section 7-325 of the general statutes is repealed and the 44
following is substituted in lieu thereof (Effective October 1, 2021): 45
(a) (1) Upon the petition of fifteen or more voters [, as defined by 46
section 7-6,] of any town, specifying the limits of a proposed district for 47
any or all of the purposes set forth in section 7-326, the selectmen of such 48 Substitute Bill No. 6419
LCO {\\PRDFS1\HCOUSERS\BARRYJN\WS\2021HB-06419-
R01-HB.docx }
3 of 6
town shall call a meeting of (A) the voters residing within such specified 49
limits, and (B) in the case of a proposed district to maintain water quality 50
in a lake or lakes that are located solely in such town, the owners of real 51
property located within such specified limits, to act upon such petition. 52
[, which] 53
(2) Such meeting shall be held at such place within such town and 54
such hour as the selectmen designate, within thirty days after such 55
petition has been received by such selectmen. Such limits shall contain 56
only contiguous property, except any proposed district which is 57
proposed to be established only to plan, lay out, acquire, construct, 58
reconstruct, repair, maintain, operate and regulate the use of a 59
community water system or to construct and maintain drains and 60
sewers or both and which does not exercise any of the other powers 61
enumerated in section 7-326, may contain noncontiguous properties if 62
the properties proposed to be included are, or are to be, served by a 63
common water or sewer main. Such meeting shall be called by 64
publication of a written notice of the same, signed by the selectmen, at 65
least fourteen days before the time fixed for such meeting in two 66
successive issues of some newspaper published or circulated in such 67
town. 68
(3) (A) Not later than twenty-four hours before such meeting, [(1)] (i) 69
two hundred or more voters or ten per cent of the total number of voters, 70
whichever is less, may petition the selectmen in writing for a 71
referendum, or [(2)] (ii) the selectmen in their discretion may order a 72
referendum, on the sole question of whether the proposed district 73
should be established. Any such referendum shall be held not less than 74
seven nor more than fourteen days after the receipt of such petition or 75
the date of such order, on a day to be set by the selectmen for a vote by 76
paper ballots or by a "yes" or "no" vote on the voting machines, during 77
the hours between twelve o'clock noon and eight o'clock p.m.; except 78
that any town may, by vote of its selectmen, provide for an earlier hour 79
for opening the polls but not earlier than six o'clock a.m., 80
notwithstanding the provisions of any special act to the contrary. [If] 81 Substitute Bill No. 6419
LCO {\\PRDFS1\HCOUSERS\BARRYJN\WS\2021HB-06419-
R01-HB.docx }
4 of 6
Except as provided in subparagraph (B) of this subdivision, if two-thirds 82
of the voters casting votes in such referendum vote in favor of 83
establishing the proposed district, the selectmen shall reconvene such 84
meeting not later than seven days after the day on which the referendum 85
is held. 86
(B) In the case of a referendum on a proposed district to maintain 87
water quality in a lake or lakes that are located solely in such town, if a 88
majority of both the voters and the owners described in subdivision (1) 89
of this subsection casting votes in such referendum vote in favor of 90
establishing the proposed district, the selectmen shall reconvene the 91
meeting on such proposed district not later than seven days after the 92
day on which such referendum is held. 93
[Upon] (4) (A) Except as provided in subparagraph (B) of this 94
subdivision, upon approval of the petition for the proposed district by 95
two-thirds of the voters present at such meeting, or if a referendum is 96
held, upon the reconvening of such meeting after the referendum, the 97
voters may name the district and, upon the vote of a majority of such 98
voters, choose necessary officers therefor to hold office until the first 99
annual meeting thereof. [; and the] 100
(B) In the case of a petition for a proposed district to maintain water 101
quality in a lake or lakes that are located solely in such town, upon 102
approval of such petition by a majority of both the voters and the owners 103
described in subdivision (1) of this subsection at the meeting on such 104
proposed district, or if a referendum is held, upon the reconvening of 105
such meeting after the referendum, such voters and owners may name 106
the district and, upon the vote of a majority of such voters and owners, 107
choose necessary officers therefor to hold office until the first annual 108
meeting thereof. 109
(5) The district shall, upon the filing of the first report required 110
pursuant to subsection (c) of this section, thereupon be a body corporate 111
and politic and have the powers, not inconsistent with the general 112
statutes, in relation to the objects for which it was established, that are 113 Substitute Bill No. 6419
LCO {\\PRDFS1\HCOUSERS\BARRYJN\WS\2021HB-06419-
R01-HB.docx }
5 of 6
necessary for the accomplishment of such objects, including the power 114
to lay and collect taxes. The clerk of such district shall cause its name 115
and a description of its territorial limits and of any additions that may 116
be made thereto to be recorded in the land records of each town in which 117
such district is located. 118
(b) Any district may enlarge or reduce its territorial limits if the board 119
of directors of the district approves a resolution proposing such an 120
enlargement or reduction and stating the proposed boundaries of the 121
area proposed to be included or excluded, as the case may be, provided: 122
(1) The board of directors of the district shall call a meeting of voters of 123
the area proposed to be included or excluded, which meeting shall be 124
held within thirty days of the board of directors' approval of such 125
resolution and shall be called by publication of a written notice of the 126
same, signed by the members of the board of directors of the district, at 127
least fourteen days before the time fixed for such meeting in two 128
successive issues of some newspaper published or circulated in such 129
town, provided not later than twenty-four hours before any such 130
meeting, two hundred or more such voters or ten per cent of the total 131
number of such voters, whichever is less, may petition the clerk of the 132
district, in writing, that a referendum on the question of whether the 133
area proposed to be included or excluded should join or leave the 134
district be held in the manner provided in section 7-327; (2) a two-thirds 135
majority of the voters of the area proposed to be included or excluded 136
in attendance at such meeting, or, if a referendum is held, two-thirds of 137
such voters casting votes in such referendum, vote in favor of joining or 138
leaving such district; (3) that any area to be added is contiguous with 139
some portion of the existing district; [,] and (4) if the enlargement of the 140
territorial limits of the district will overlap the territorial limits of 141
another district within the town, the legislative body of the town 142
approves such enlargement. If any district enlarges or reduces its 143
territorial limits, the clerk of such district shall notify the town clerk of 144
each town affected by such enlargement or reduction within thirty days 145
after the vote. 146 Substitute Bill No. 6419
LCO {\\PRDFS1\HCOUSERS\BARRYJN\WS\2021HB-06419-
R01-HB.docx }
6 of 7
(c) (1) The clerk of each district created pursuant to this chapter or 147
any provisions of the general statutes or any special act, shall report to 148
the town clerk of each town in which such district is located: [(1)] (A) If 149
created by approval of a petition pursuant to subsection (a) of this 150
section on or after July 1, 1987, within seven days of such approval; and 151
[(2)] (B) on or before July 31, 1993, and annually thereafter for each such 152
district, irrespective of the date of creation. The first report filed after the 153
creation of a district shall include a list of the officers of such district, a 154
copy of the charter or special act of such district and such other 155
information on the organization and the financial status of such district 156
as the Secretary of the Office of Policy and Management may 157
recommend. A copy of the charter or special act of such district shall be 158
included in any subsequent report if such charter or special act was 159
amended after the date of the previous filing. No district, irrespective of 160
the date of creation, created by approval of a petition pursuant to 161
subsection (a) of this section shall exist as a body corporate and politic 162
until the clerk of such district has filed at least one report required by 163
this subsection. If a district is located in more than one town, the report 164
shall be filed by the district clerk with the town clerk of each town in 165
which the district is located. 166
[(d)] (2) Any fine imposed on and after July 1, 1992, on a clerk for 167
failure to file a report required [pursuant to subsection (c) of this section] 168
under subdivision (1) of this subsection shall be waived. 169
This act shall take effect as follows and shall amend the following
sections:
Section 1 October 1, 2021 7-6
Sec. 2 October 1, 2021 7-324
Sec. 3 October 1, 2021 7-325
Statement of Legislative Commissioners:
In Sections 3(a)(3)(B) and 3(a)(4)(B), "this section" was changed to "this
subsection" for accuracy.
Substitute Bill No. 6419
LCO {\\PRDFS1\HCOUSERS\BARRYJN\WS\2021HB-06419-
R01-HB.docx }
7 of 7
PD Joint Favorable Subst. -LCO