Connecticut 2025 Regular Session

Connecticut House Bill HB07203 Compare Versions

Version 1 (Old)

Version 2 (New)

Old	New		Differences
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2	2
3		-	LCO 1 of 5
	3	+	LCO No. 5887 1 of 8
4	4
5		-	General Assembly ~~Substitute~~ Bill No. 7203
	5	+	General Assembly Raised Bill No. 7203
6	6		January Session, 2025
	7	+	LCO No. 5887
	8	+
	9	+
	10	+	Referred to Committee on PUBLIC SAFETY AND SECURITY
	11	+
	12	+
	13	+	Introduced by:
	14	+	(PS)
7	15
8	16
9	17
10	18
11		-
12		-	~~AN ACT~~ PERMITTING A CERTAIN COUNCIL TO SERVE AS A
	19	+	AN ACT ESTABLISHING A STATE WILDFIRE COMMISSION AND
	20	+	PERMITTING A CERTAIN COUNCIL TO SERVE AS A
13	21		SUBCOMMITTEE OF THE COMMISSION ON FIRE PREVENTION AND
14	22		CONTROL.
15	23		Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in General
16	24		Assembly convened:
17	25
18		-	Section 1. Section 7-323k of the general statutes is repealed and the 1
19		-	following is substituted in lieu thereof (Effective July 1, 2025): 2
20		-	(a) (1) There is established a Commission on Fire Prevention and 3
21		-	Control. Until June 30, 2025, the commission shall consist of twelve 4
22		-	members appointed by the Governor. The State Fire Marshal or the State 5
23		-	Fire Marshal's designee and the chancellor of the Connecticut State 6
24		-	Colleges and Universities or the chancellor's designee shall serve as ex-7
25		-	officio, voting members of said commission. Of the twelve members 8
26		-	appointed by the Governor, two shall represent The Connecticut State 9
27		-	Firefighter's Association, two shall represent the Connecticut Fire Chiefs 10
28		-	Association, two shall represent the Uniformed Professional Firefighters 11
29		-	of the International Association of Firefighters, AFL-CIO, two shall 12
30		-	represent the Connecticut Fire Marshals Association, two shall 13
31		-	represent the Connecticut Fire Department Instructors Association and 14
32		-	two shall represent the Connecticut Conference of Municipalities. The 15
33		-	term of any member appointed pursuant to this subdivision shall end 16
34		-	on June 30, 2025. 17 Substitute Bill No. 7203
	26	+	Section 1. (NEW) (Effective from passage) (a) There is established a State 1
	27	+	Wildfire Commission, which shall be within the Department of 2
	28	+	Administrative Services for administrative purposes only. 3
	29	+	(b) The commission shall consist of the following members: 4
	30	+	(1) The Commissioner of Emergency Services and Public Protection, 5
	31	+	or the commissioner's designee; 6
	32	+	(2) The Commissioner of Energy and Environmental Protection, or 7
	33	+	the commissioner's designee; 8
	34	+	(3) The chairperson of the Commission on Fire Prevention and 9
	35	+	Control, or the chairperson's designee; 10
	36	+	(4) The State Fire Administrator, or the administrator's designee; 11
	37	+	Raised Bill No. 7203
35	38
36	39
37		-	LCO 2 of 5
38	40
39		-	(2) On and after July 1, 2025, the commission shall consist of the 18
40		-	following members: 19
41		-	(A) Two members of The Connecticut State Firefighter's Association, 20
42		-	one of whom is the chairperson of the association's education 21
43		-	committee, appointed by the Governor; 22
44		-	(B) Two members of the Connecticut Fire Chiefs Association, 23
45		-	appointed by the Governor; 24
46		-	(C) Two members of the Connecticut Career Fire Chiefs' Association, 25
47		-	appointed by the Governor; 26
48		-	(D) Two members of the Uniformed Professional Firefighters of the 27
49		-	International Association of Firefighters, AFL-CIO, appointed by the 28
50		-	Governor; 29
51		-	(E) Two members of the Connecticut Fire Marshals Association, 30
52		-	appointed by the Governor; 31
53		-	(F) Two members of the Connecticut Fire Department Instructors 32
54		-	Association, appointed by the Governor; 33
55		-	(G) A representative of the Connecticut Council of Small Towns, 34
56		-	appointed by the Governor; 35
57		-	(H) A representative of the Connecticut Conference of Municipalities, 36
58		-	appointed by the Governor; 37
59		-	(I) A representative of the Connecticut Council of Small Towns, 38
60		-	appointed by the House chairperson of the joint standing committee of 39
61		-	the General Assembly having cognizance of matters relating to public 40
62		-	safety and security; 41
63		-	(J) A representative of the Connecticut Conference of Municipalities, 42
64		-	appointed by the Senate chairperson of the joint standing committee of 43
65		-	the General Assembly having cognizance of matters relating to public 44
66		-	safety and security; 45 Substitute Bill No. 7203
	41	+	LCO No. 5887 2 of 8
	42	+
	43	+	(5) A representative of the Forestry Division of the Department of 12
	44	+	Energy and Environmental Protection, who shall be appointed by the 13
	45	+	Commissioner of Energy and Environmental Protection; 14
	46	+	(6) A representative of a council tasked with identifying rural fire 15
	47	+	issues for the Department of Energy and Environmental Protection, who 16
	48	+	shall be appointed by the Commissioner of Energy and Environmental 17
	49	+	Protection; 18
	50	+	(7) Two representatives of local fire departments, who shall be 19
	51	+	appointed by the Senate chairperson of the joint standing committee of 20
	52	+	the General Assembly having cognizance of matters relating to public 21
	53	+	safety and security; 22
	54	+	(8) Two representatives of local fire departments, who shall be 23
	55	+	appointed by the House chairperson of the joint standing committee of 24
	56	+	the General Assembly having cognizance of matters relating to public 25
	57	+	safety and security; 26
	58	+	(9) A representative of an association of professional firefighters, 27
	59	+	appointed by the Senate ranking member of the joint standing 28
	60	+	committee of the General Assembly having cognizance of matters 29
	61	+	relating to public safety and security; and 30
	62	+	(10) A representative of the Joint Council of Connecticut Fire Service 31
	63	+	Organizations, who shall be appointed by the House ranking member 32
	64	+	of the joint standing committee of the General Assembly having 33
	65	+	cognizance of matters relating to public safety and security. 34
	66	+	(c) All initial appointments to the commission shall be made not later 35
	67	+	than August 1, 2025, and shall terminate on August 1, 2027, regardless 36
	68	+	of when the initial appointment was made. 37
	69	+	(d) The Commissioner of Administrative Services, or the 38
	70	+	commissioner's designee, shall select the chairperson of the commission 39
	71	+	from among the members of the commission. Such chairperson shall 40
	72	+	Raised Bill No. 7203
67	73
68	74
69		-	LCO 3 of 5
70	75
71		-	(K) A member of the Connecticut Fire Equipment Mechanics 46
72		-	Association, appointed by the House ranking member of the joint 47
73		-	standing committee of the General Assembly having cognizance of 48
74		-	matters relating to public safety and security; 49
75		-	(L) A representative of the Emergency Medical Services Advisory 50
76		-	Board, appointed by the Senate ranking member of the joint standing 51
77		-	committee of the General Assembly having cognizance of matters 52
78		-	relating to public safety and security; 53
79		-	(M) The State Fire Marshal, who shall be a nonvoting member; 54
80		-	(N) The forest protection supervisor within the Forestry Division of 55
81		-	the Department of Energy and Environmental Protection, or such 56
82		-	supervisor's designee, who shall be a nonvoting member; and 57
83		-	(O) The commanding officer of the Fire and Explosion Investigation 58
84		-	Unit of the Division of State Police within the Department of Emergency 59
85		-	Services and Public Protection, or such officer's designee, who shall be 60
86		-	a nonvoting member. 61
87		-	(b) On or before July fifteenth, annually, each organization to be 62
88		-	represented on said commission shall submit to the appropriate 63
89		-	appointing authority a list of nominees for appointment to said 64
90		-	commission, which list the appointing authority may use when making 65
91		-	appointments to said commission. Appointing authorities shall appoint 66
92		-	members to said commission to serve for three years, or until a successor 67
93		-	is appointed. Any vacancy in the membership of the commission shall 68
94		-	be filled by the appointing authority for the unexpired portion of the 69
95		-	term. Persons appointed to said commission shall be qualified, by 70
96		-	experience or education, in the fields of fire protection, fire prevention, 71
97		-	fire suppression, fire fighting and related fields. 72
98		-	(c) The commission shall meet at such times and at such places as it 73
99		-	deems proper. On and before June 30, 2025, the commission shall elect 74
100		-	from its membership a chairperson, vice chairperson and secretary who 75
101		-	shall serve a one year term commencing on October first of the year in 76 Substitute Bill No. 7203
	76	+	LCO No. 5887 3 of 8
	77	+
	78	+	schedule the first meeting of the commission, which shall be held not 41
	79	+	later than September 1, 2025. 42
	80	+	(e) Appointed members of the commission shall serve for two-year 43
	81	+	terms which shall commence on the date of appointment, except as 44
	82	+	provided in subsection (c) of this section. Members shall continue to 45
	83	+	serve until their successors are appointed. Any vacancy shall be filled 46
	84	+	by the appointing authority. Any vacancy occurring other than by 47
	85	+	expiration of term shall be filled for the balance of the unexpired term. 48
	86	+	(f) A majority of the commission shall constitute a quorum for the 49
	87	+	transaction of any business. 50
	88	+	(g) The members of the commission shall serve without 51
	89	+	compensation, but shall, within the limits of available funds, be 52
	90	+	reimbursed for expenses necessarily incurred in the performance of 53
	91	+	their duties. 54
	92	+	(h) The commission shall have the following powers and duties: (1) 55
	93	+	To study the state's strategy for preparing for and responding to 56
	94	+	wildfires, (2) to make recommendations to strengthen the state's ability 57
	95	+	to prevent and combat wildfires, (3) to evaluate the adequacy of 58
	96	+	equipment, training and staffing within local fire departments and state 59
	97	+	agencies responsible for wildfire suppression, (4) to assess the need for 60
	98	+	equipment and resources to support fire-fighting operations in rural 61
	99	+	and wildland-urban interface areas, (5) to make recommendations to 62
	100	+	strengthen mutual aid agreements and cooperation between local, 63
	101	+	regional and state fire-fighting agencies, (6) to identify and assess best 64
	102	+	practices in wildfire management and ways to incorporate information 65
	103	+	obtained from analyzing past fires into such best practices, (7) to review 66
	104	+	laws related to wildfire suppression and response and identify any 67
	105	+	necessary adjustments to such laws to ensure that wildfire suppression 68
	106	+	resources can be rapidly deployed during high-risk fire seasons, (8) to 69
	107	+	make recommendations on how to bolster public outreach and 70
	108	+	education on wildfire prevention, mitigation and safety in vulnerable 71
	109	+	Raised Bill No. 7203
102	110
103	111
104		-	LCO 4 of 5
105	112
106		-	which they are elected, provided such terms shall expire on June 30, 77
107		-	2025, and nothing contained herein shall prevent their reelection to such 78
108		-	office. On and after July 1, 2025, the Governor shall appoint the 79
109		-	chairperson of the commission from the commission's membership, and 80
110		-	the commission shall elect from its membership a vice chairperson and 81
111		-	secretary, who shall serve one year terms, provided nothing contained 82
112		-	herein shall prevent their reelection to such office. No member of said 83
113		-	commission shall receive compensation for such member's services. 84
114		-	(d) Members of the commission shall not be considered as holding 85
115		-	public office solely by virtue of their membership on said commission. 86
116		-	(e) On and after July 1, 2025, the members of the education committee 87
117		-	of the Connecticut State Firefighters Association, Inc., shall serve as a 88
118		-	subcommittee of the commission on matters relating to fire schools. 89
119		-	(f) On and after July 1, 2026, the members of a council tasked with 90
120		-	identifying rural fire issues for the Department of Energy and 91
121		-	Environmental Protection may serve as a subcommittee of the 92
122		-	commission on the following matters: (1) Coordination and integration 93
123		-	of the state's wildfire mitigation and response strategies with the state's 94
124		-	general fire prevention and control strategies, (2) wildfire risks in rural 95
125		-	and wildland-urban interface areas, (3) the resources, training and 96
126		-	operational support necessary to rural fire departments to effectively 97
127		-	respond to wildfires, and (4) any policy changes, amendments to the 98
128		-	general statutes or other changes necessary to reduce the vulnerability 99
129		-	of rural areas to wildfires. 100
130		-	[(f)] (g) The commission shall be within the Department of 101
131		-	Emergency Services and Public Protection. 102
	113	+	LCO No. 5887 4 of 8
	114	+
	115	+	communities, (9) to advise the state and public on wildfire prevention 72
	116	+	techniques, (10) to collaborate with the Departments of Energy and 73
	117	+	Environmental Protection and Emergency Services and Public 74
	118	+	Protection to ensure that the commission's recommendations align with 75
	119	+	the state's environmental conservation and land management strategies, 76
	120	+	(11) to obtain from any executive department, board, commission or 77
	121	+	other agency of the state such assistance and data as necessary and 78
	122	+	available to carry out the purposes of this section, (12) to accept any gift, 79
	123	+	donation or bequest for the purpose of performing the duties described 80
	124	+	in this section, and (13) to perform such other acts as may be necessary 81
	125	+	and appropriate to carry out the duties described in this section. 82
	126	+	(i) The commission shall meet as often as deemed necessary by the 83
	127	+	chairperson or a majority of the commission. 84
	128	+	(j) Not later than February 1, 2026, and annually thereafter, the 85
	129	+	commission shall submit a report, in accordance with the provisions of 86
	130	+	section 11-4a of the general statutes, to the Governor and the joint 87
	131	+	standing committees of the General Assembly having cognizance of 88
	132	+	matters relating to public safety and security and the environment on 89
	133	+	the activities of the commission during the preceding year, which shall 90
	134	+	include, but need not be limited to, (1) a plan for making any changes 91
	135	+	necessary to improve the state's preparedness for and ability to respond 92
	136	+	to wildfires, including, but not limited to, improvements in training, 93
	137	+	equipment and infrastructure, (2) any recommendations for enhancing 94
	138	+	the coordination between local fire departments, state agencies and 95
	139	+	federal partners with respect to wildfire management, (3) an analysis of 96
	140	+	the current funding source for wildfire preparedness and the 97
	141	+	identification of any new funding sources that may be required to 98
	142	+	address wildfire risk, (4) a proposal for a long-term wildfire risk 99
	143	+	reduction program that integrates environmental, community and 100
	144	+	technological solutions, and (5) any recommendations for policy 101
	145	+	changes and amendments to the general statutes necessary to improve 102
	146	+	the state's wildfire prevention, response and recovery efforts. 103
	147	+	Raised Bill No. 7203
	148	+
	149	+
	150	+
	151	+	LCO No. 5887 5 of 8
	152	+
	153	+	Sec. 2. Section 7-323k of the general statutes is repealed and the 104
	154	+	following is substituted in lieu thereof (Effective July 1, 2025): 105
	155	+	(a) (1) There is established a Commission on Fire Prevention and 106
	156	+	Control. Until June 30, 2025, the commission shall consist of twelve 107
	157	+	members appointed by the Governor. The State Fire Marshal or the State 108
	158	+	Fire Marshal's designee and the chancellor of the Connecticut State 109
	159	+	Colleges and Universities or the chancellor's designee shall serve as ex-110
	160	+	officio, voting members of said commission. Of the twelve members 111
	161	+	appointed by the Governor, two shall represent The Connecticut State 112
	162	+	Firefighter's Association, two shall represent the Connecticut Fire Chiefs 113
	163	+	Association, two shall represent the Uniformed Professional Firefighters 114
	164	+	of the International Association of Firefighters, AFL-CIO, two shall 115
	165	+	represent the Connecticut Fire Marshals Association, two shall 116
	166	+	represent the Connecticut Fire Department Instructors Association and 117
	167	+	two shall represent the Connecticut Conference of Municipalities. The 118
	168	+	term of any member appointed pursuant to this subdivision shall end 119
	169	+	on June 30, 2025. 120
	170	+	(2) On and after July 1, 2025, the commission shall consist of the 121
	171	+	following members: 122
	172	+	(A) Two members of The Connecticut State Firefighter's Association, 123
	173	+	one of whom is the chairperson of the association's education 124
	174	+	committee, appointed by the Governor; 125
	175	+	(B) Two members of the Connecticut Fire Chiefs Association, 126
	176	+	appointed by the Governor; 127
	177	+	(C) Two members of the Connecticut Career Fire Chiefs' Association, 128
	178	+	appointed by the Governor; 129
	179	+	(D) Two members of the Uniformed Professional Firefighters of the 130
	180	+	International Association of Firefighters, AFL-CIO, appointed by the 131
	181	+	Governor; 132
	182	+	Raised Bill No. 7203
	183	+
	184	+
	185	+
	186	+	LCO No. 5887 6 of 8
	187	+
	188	+	(E) Two members of the Connecticut Fire Marshals Association, 133
	189	+	appointed by the Governor; 134
	190	+	(F) Two members of the Connecticut Fire Department Instructors 135
	191	+	Association, appointed by the Governor; 136
	192	+	(G) A representative of the Connecticut Council of Small Towns, 137
	193	+	appointed by the Governor; 138
	194	+	(H) A representative of the Connecticut Conference of Municipalities, 139
	195	+	appointed by the Governor; 140
	196	+	(I) A representative of the Connecticut Council of Small Towns, 141
	197	+	appointed by the House chairperson of the joint standing committee of 142
	198	+	the General Assembly having cognizance of matters relating to public 143
	199	+	safety and security; 144
	200	+	(J) A representative of the Connecticut Conference of Municipalities, 145
	201	+	appointed by the Senate chairperson of the joint standing committee of 146
	202	+	the General Assembly having cognizance of matters relating to public 147
	203	+	safety and security; 148
	204	+	(K) A member of the Connecticut Fire Equipment Mechanics 149
	205	+	Association, appointed by the House ranking member of the joint 150
	206	+	standing committee of the General Assembly having cognizance of 151
	207	+	matters relating to public safety and security; 152
	208	+	(L) A representative of the Emergency Medical Services Advisory 153
	209	+	Board, appointed by the Senate ranking member of the joint standing 154
	210	+	committee of the General Assembly having cognizance of matters 155
	211	+	relating to public safety and security; 156
	212	+	(M) The State Fire Marshal, who shall be a nonvoting member; 157
	213	+	(N) The forest protection supervisor within the Forestry Division of 158
	214	+	the Department of Energy and Environmental Protection, or such 159
	215	+	supervisor's designee, who shall be a nonvoting member; and 160
	216	+	Raised Bill No. 7203
	217	+
	218	+
	219	+
	220	+	LCO No. 5887 7 of 8
	221	+
	222	+	(O) The commanding officer of the Fire and Explosion Investigation 161
	223	+	Unit of the Division of State Police within the Department of Emergency 162
	224	+	Services and Public Protection, or such officer's designee, who shall be 163
	225	+	a nonvoting member. 164
	226	+	(b) On or before July fifteenth, annually, each organization to be 165
	227	+	represented on said commission shall submit to the appropriate 166
	228	+	appointing authority a list of nominees for appointment to said 167
	229	+	commission, which list the appointing authority may use when making 168
	230	+	appointments to said commission. Appointing authorities shall appoint 169
	231	+	members to said commission to serve for three years, or until a successor 170
	232	+	is appointed. Any vacancy in the membership of the commission shall 171
	233	+	be filled by the appointing authority for the unexpired portion of the 172
	234	+	term. Persons appointed to said commission shall be qualified, by 173
	235	+	experience or education, in the fields of fire protection, fire prevention, 174
	236	+	fire suppression, fire fighting and related fields. 175
	237	+	(c) The commission shall meet at such times and at such places as it 176
	238	+	deems proper. On and before June 30, 2025, the commission shall elect 177
	239	+	from its membership a chairperson, vice chairperson and secretary who 178
	240	+	shall serve a one year term commencing on October first of the year in 179
	241	+	which they are elected, provided such terms shall expire on June 30, 180
	242	+	2025, and nothing contained herein shall prevent their reelection to such 181
	243	+	office. On and after July 1, 2025, the Governor shall appoint the 182
	244	+	chairperson of the commission from the commission's membership, and 183
	245	+	the commission shall elect from its membership a vice chairperson and 184
	246	+	secretary, who shall serve one year terms, provided nothing contained 185
	247	+	herein shall prevent their reelection to such office. No member of said 186
	248	+	commission shall receive compensation for such member's services. 187
	249	+	(d) Members of the commission shall not be considered as holding 188
	250	+	public office solely by virtue of their membership on said commission. 189
	251	+	(e) On and after July 1, 2025, the members of the education committee 190
	252	+	of the Connecticut State Firefighters Association, Inc., shall serve as a 191
	253	+	Raised Bill No. 7203
	254	+
	255	+
	256	+
	257	+	LCO No. 5887 8 of 8
	258	+
	259	+	subcommittee of the commission on matters relating to fire schools. 192
	260	+	(f) On and after July 1, 2026, the members of a council tasked with 193
	261	+	identifying rural fire issues for the Department of Energy and 194
	262	+	Environmental Protection may serve as a subcommittee of the 195
	263	+	commission on the following matters: (1) Coordination and integration 196
	264	+	of the state's wildfire mitigation and response strategies with the state's 197
	265	+	general fire prevention and control strategies, (2) wildfire risks in rural 198
	266	+	and wildland-urban interface areas, (3) the resources, training and 199
	267	+	operational support necessary to rural fire departments to effectively 200
	268	+	respond to wildfires, and (4) any policy changes, amendments to the 201
	269	+	general statutes or other changes necessary to reduce the vulnerability 202
	270	+	of rural areas to wildfires. 203
	271	+	[(f)] (g) The commission shall be within the Department of 204
	272	+	Emergency Services and Public Protection. 205
132	273		This act shall take effect as follows and shall amend the following
133	274		sections:
134	275
135		-	Section 1 July 1, 2025 7-323k
136		-
137		-	PS Joint Favorable Subst. Substitute Bill No. 7203
	276	+	Section 1 from passage New section
	277	+	Sec. 2 July 1, 2025 7-323k
138	278
139	279
140		-	LCO 5 of 5
	280	+	Statement of Purpose:
	281	+	To (1) establish a State Wildfire Commission, and (2) permit a council
	282	+	tasked with identifying rural fire issues to serve as a subcommittee of
	283	+	the Commission on Fire Prevention and Control.
141	284
	285	+	[Proposed deletions are enclosed in brackets. Proposed additions are indicated by underline, except
	286	+	that when the entire text of a bill or resolution or a section of a bill or resolution is new, it is not
	287	+	underlined.]
142	288