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General Assembly Substitute Bill No. 5004
February Session, 2024
AN ACT CONCERNING THE IMPLEMENTATION OF CERTAIN
CLIMATE CHANGE MEASURES.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in General
Assembly convened:
Section 1. (NEW) (Effective from passage) The state hereby declares a 1
climate crisis to demonstrate the urgency for enacting meaningful 2
climate legislation and to support increased efforts to secure federal 3
funds to respond to such crisis. Such crisis threatens the resilience of 4
communities in the state, regardless of zip code, multiple aspects of the 5
state's natural resources and infrastructure assets, the state's economy 6
and the quality of life for younger generations of state residents. 7
Accordingly, the state recognizes the urgency to significantly and 8
rapidly decrease greenhouse gas emissions and increase community 9
coping capacities to handle the impacts of climate change. The state 10
recognizes the need and urgency to mitigate climate impacts and 11
prepare for and manage disaster risk from climate change. Such 12
declaration shall not authorize the Governor to utilize the provisions of 13
this section to operate the government of the state through executive 14
order. 15
Sec. 2. (NEW) (Effective from passage) Not later than January 1, 2025, 16
the Public Utilities Regulatory Authority shall initiate a docket 17
regarding the future of natural gas use in the state in relation to the 18
provisions of section 22a-200a of the general statutes. Upon completion 19 Substitute Bill No. 5004
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of such docket, said authority shall submit a report, in accordance with 20
the provisions of section 11-4a of the general statutes, to the joint 21
standing committees of the General Assembly having cognizance of 22
matters relating to the environment and energy on any 23
recommendations for legislative changes necessary to implement the 24
findings of such docket. 25
Sec. 3. Subdivision (3) of subsection (c) of section 32-7t of the 2024 26
supplement to the general statutes is repealed and the following is 27
substituted in lieu thereof (Effective July 1, 2024): 28
(3) The commissioner, upon consideration of an application and any 29
additional information, may approve an application in whole or in part 30
or may approve an application with amendments, provided the 31
commissioner shall give preference to applications that: (A) Make 32
significant investments in environmentally sustainable practices, 33
including, but not limited to, zero-carbon energy and energy efficiency, 34
(B) are in sectors of the economy such as renewable energy, energy 35
efficiency and zero-emission vehicles, or (C) are for farming operations 36
that are sustainable from a climate perspective. If the commissioner 37
disapproves an application, the commissioner shall identify the defects 38
in such application and explain the specific reasons for the disapproval. 39
The commissioner shall render a decision on an application not later 40
than ninety days after the date of its receipt by the commissioner. 41
Sec. 4. (NEW) (Effective from passage) The Commissioner of Revenue 42
Services, in collaboration with the Commissioner of Economic and 43
Community Development, shall identify business fees that are 44
appropriate for waiver for certified B corporations and farms that are 45
environmentally sustainable. Not later than January 1, 2025, the 46
Commissioner of Revenue Services shall submit a list of such fees to the 47
joint standing committee of the General Assembly having cognizance of 48
matters relating to the environment. 49
Sec. 5. (NEW) (Effective from passage) Not later than January 1, 2025, 50
and annually thereafter, Connecticut Innovations, Incorporated shall 51 Substitute Bill No. 5004
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submit a report, in accordance with the provisions of section 11-4a of the 52
general statutes, to the joint standing committees of the General 53
Assembly having cognizance of matters relating to the environment and 54
energy on investments and assistance provided to companies engaged 55
in matters related to the mitigation of climate change. 56
Sec. 6. (NEW) (Effective October 1, 2024) Not later than January 1, 2025, 57
the Commissioner of Energy and Environmental Protection, in 58
accordance with the provisions of section 11-4a of the general statutes, 59
shall submit a report to the joint standing committee of the General 60
Assembly having cognizance of matters relating to the environment on 61
recommendations for amendments to section 16a-48 of the general 62
statutes to provide for the sale and installation in the state of heating, 63
ventilation and air conditioning systems, hot water heating systems and 64
geothermal systems that do not emit greenhouse gases. Such 65
recommendations shall include, but not be limited to, suggested 66
implementation dates for any such requirement and proposed 67
consumer education efforts to inform the public about such systems. 68
Sec. 7. (NEW) (Effective October 1, 2024) The Commissioner of Energy 69
and Environmental Protection, in conjunction with the Connecticut 70
Green Bank, shall develop a plan for the installation, within available 71
resources, of not less than three hundred ten thousand heat pumps for 72
residential heating systems in the state, including, but not limited to, 73
through any program established pursuant to section 8-240a, 16a-40b, 74
16a-40l or 16a-46m of the general statutes. Not later than January 1, 2026, 75
the commissioner shall submit a report, in accordance with the 76
provisions of section 11-4a of the general statutes, to the joint standing 77
committees of the General Assembly having cognizance of matters 78
relating to the environment and energy on the status of such plan in 79
reaching such goal and any attendant recommendations for expanding 80
or revising such plan. 81
Sec. 8. (NEW) (Effective from passage) Not later than October 1, 2024, 82
the Secretary of the Office of Policy and Management, in consultation 83
with the Department of Administrative Services, shall develop a model 84 Substitute Bill No. 5004
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policy for environmentally sustainable purchasing that municipalities 85
may voluntarily utilize and implement. 86
Sec. 9. Subsection (e) of section 7-536 of the 2024 supplement to the 87
general statutes is repealed and the following is substituted in lieu 88
thereof (Effective July 1, 2024): 89
(e) (1) Each municipality may apply to the secretary for project 90
authorization and expense reimbursement of local capital improvement 91
projects. 92
(2) Notwithstanding the deadlines imposed by this section, each 93
municipality that has expended funds in the fiscal year ending June 30, 94
2013, on projects listed in subparagraphs (T) to (X), inclusive, of 95
subdivision (4) of subsection (a) of this section may apply to the 96
secretary for reimbursement of such expenses. 97
(3) (A) Notwithstanding the provisions of subdivision (2) of 98
subsection (f) of this section, the secretary, at the secretary's discretion, 99
may authorize expense reimbursement for a project listed in 100
subparagraphs (T) to (Y), inclusive, of subdivision (4) of subsection (a) 101
of this section prior to such project's inclusion on the local capital 102
improvement plan adopted by a municipality. The secretary may 103
require certification from the municipality that such municipality is 104
taking steps to amend its local capital improvement plan to include such 105
project. 106
(B) (i) Notwithstanding the provisions of subsection (c) of this section, 107
for the period commencing July 1, 2023, and ending June 30, 2025, the 108
secretary shall additionally authorize expense reimbursement for any 109
project listed in subparagraph (Y) of subdivision (4) of subsection (a) of 110
this section from funds appropriated to the Office of Policy and 111
Management for such projects. 112
(ii) Notwithstanding the provisions of subsection (c) of this section, 113
for the period commencing July 1, 2024, and ending June 30, 2025, the 114
secretary shall additionally authorize expense reimbursement for any 115 Substitute Bill No. 5004
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municipality that implements the Office of Policy and Management's 116
model policy for environmentally sustainable purchasing from funds 117
appropriated to the Office of Policy and Management for such purpose. 118
This act shall take effect as follows and shall amend the following
sections:
Section 1 from passage New section
Sec. 2 from passage New section
Sec. 3 July 1, 2024 32-7t(c)(3)
Sec. 4 from passage New section
Sec. 5 from passage New section
Sec. 6 October 1, 2024 New section
Sec. 7 October 1, 2024 New section
Sec. 8 from passage New section
Sec. 9 July 1, 2024 7-536(e)
APP Joint Favorable Subst.