Connecticut 2024 Regular Session

Connecticut House Bill HB05484 Compare Versions

Version 1 (Old)

Version 2 (New)

Old	New		Differences
1	1
2	2
3	3		LCO 2490 1 of 3
4	4
5	5		General Assembly Raised Bill No. 5484
6	6		February Session, 2024
7	7		LCO No. 2490
8	8
9	9
10	10		Referred to Committee on TRANSPORTATION
11	11
12	12
13	13		Introduced by:
14	14		(TRA)
15	15
16	16
17	17
18	18		AN ACT CONCERNING TREE AND VEGETATION MANAGEMENT
19	19		GUIDELINES BY THE DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION.
20	20		Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in General
21	21		Assembly convened:
22	22
23	23		Section 1. Section 13b-31h of the 2024 supplement to the general 1
24	24		statutes is repealed and the following is substituted in lieu thereof 2
25	25		(Effective from passage): 3
26	26		(a) The Department of Transportation shall develop, and thereafter 4
27	27		revise as necessary, guidelines governing tree and vegetation 5
28	28		management, removal and replacement along state highways for use by 6
29	29		its employees and contractors when undertaking maintenance and 7
30	30		construction projects. The goal of the guidelines shall be to ensure the 8
31	31		impacts of maintenance and construction projects on the environment, 9
32	32		landscape and noise pollution are balanced or outweighed by measures 10
33	33		taken to avoid and minimize the impacts. 11
34	34		(b) Such guidelines shall include, but need not be limited to, 12
35	35		provisions addressing (1) the safety of the traveling public; (2) general 13
36	36		roadside vegetation management activities performed by the 14
37	37		department, including, but not limited to, mowing, herbicide 15 Bill No. 5484
38	38
39	39
40	40		LCO 2490 2 of 3
41	41
42	42		application, grassing, replanting with native species whenever 16
43	43		practicable, limb management, tree removal and debris removal; (3) 17
44	44		beautification, enhancements and the effect on scenic roads designated 18
45	45		pursuant to section 13b-31c; (4) visibility enhancement; and (5) the 19
46	46		environmental impact of such work, including (A) preventing invasive 20
47	47		tree, brush or plant species' growth and impact, (B) storm water run-off, 21
48	48		(C) erosion, (D) replanting of vegetation species to expand and improve 22
49	49		pollinator habitats, as described in section 22-90b, and (E) reduced 23
50	50		mowing. Such guidelines shall apply to construction projects financed, 24
51	51		in whole or in part, with federal funds to the extent such guidelines do 25
52	52		not conflict with federal laws and regulations. 26
53	53		(c) Such guidelines shall not apply to the removal of any trees or 27
54	54		vegetation necessary to maintain public safety or that is performed 28
55	55		because of a weather-related civil preparedness emergency declared 29
56	56		pursuant to section 28-9. 30
57	57		(d) [On or before January 1, 2024] Not later than thirty days after the 31
58	58		effective date of this section, the Commissioner of Transportation shall 32
59	59		submit such guidelines to the joint standing committees of the General 33
60	60		Assembly having cognizance of matters relating to transportation and 34
61	61		the environment, in accordance with the provisions of section 11-4a. 35
62	62		[The] Not later than thirty days after the receipt of such guidelines, the 36
63	63		committees shall hold a joint public hearing on such guidelines and the 37
64	64		commissioner shall present such guidelines at the public hearing. The 38
65	65		committees shall meet to approve or reject such guidelines and advise 39
66	66		the commissioner of their approval or rejection of such guidelines. If the 40
67	67		committees fail to approve or reject such guidelines within thirty days 41
68	68		of such receipt, such guidelines shall be deemed approved. Such 42
69	69		guidelines shall become effective when approved by an affirmative vote 43
70	70		of the committees or deemed approved. If such guidelines are rejected, 44
71	71		such guidelines shall be returned to the commissioner for revisions and 45
72	72		resubmitted to the committees not later than thirty days after such 46
73	73		rejection. Any such resubmitted guidelines shall be acted upon in the 47
74	74		same manner as provided in this subsection for the initial submission of 48
75	75		guidelines. 49 Bill No. 5484
76	76
77	77
78	78		LCO 2490 3 of 3
79	79
80	80		(e) The Department of Transportation shall not remove any trees or 50
81	81		vegetation when undertaking maintenance and construction projects 51
82	82		until such guidelines are approved or deemed approved in accordance 52
83	83		with the provisions of this section, except the department may remove 53
84	84		any trees or vegetation necessary to maintain public safety or because of 54
85	85		a weather-related civil preparedness emergency declared pursuant to 55
86	86		section 28-9. 56
87	87		This act shall take effect as follows and shall amend the following
88	88		sections:
89	89
90	90		Section 1 from passage 13b-31h
91	91
92	92		TRA Joint Favorable
93		-	ENV Joint Favorable
94	93