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OLR Bill Analysis
sSB 1522
AN ACT RENAMING THE COMMUNITY INVESTMENT ACCOUNT
THE DONALD E. WILLIAMS, JR. COMMUNITY INVESTMENT
ACCOUNT AND INCREASING FUNDING FOR SAID ACCOUNT.
SUMMARY
This bill increases the land record recording fee that funds the
General Fund’s community investment account (CIA) and increases the
amounts the designated recipients received from the account. It also
renames the account the “Donald E. Williams, Jr. community
investment account.”
The bill also makes technical changes, including eliminating obsolete
provisions.
EFFECTIVE DATE: July 1, 2025
DISTRIBUTION OF FUNDS
By law, the CIA provides funding for milk producers and projects
related to open space, farmland preservation, historic preservation,
affordable housing, and agriculture promotion. Money is distributed
quarterly to the state’s agriculture sustainability account and the
departments of Agriculture, Economic and Community Development,
Energy and Environmental Protection, and Housing.
In most cases, the bill increases the annual amount distributed to its
subrecipients by 25%, but does not change the overall distribution
between the four departments (see below).
Table: Distribution of CIA Under Current Law and the Bill
Recipient
Current Law
Distribution
The Bill’s
Distribution
Agriculture Sustainability Account
First $10 per fee
credited to the
CIA
First $12 per fee
credited to the
CIA 2025SB-01522-R000641-BA.DOCX
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Recipient
Current Law
Distribution
The Bill’s
Distribution
Department of Economic and Community
Development
25% 25%
Technical assistance and preservation activities of
the CT Trust for Historic Preservation
$380,000 $475,000
Supplement activities of the Historic Preservation
Council and related Department of Economic and
Community Development activities (e.g., grants in
aid for historic structures and placing plaques and
markers)
Remainder Remainder
Department of Housing to supplement new or
existing affordable housing programs
25% 25%
Department of Energy and Environmental
Protection for municipal open space grants
25% 25%
Department of Agriculture 25% 25%
Agricultural Viability Grant Program $500,000 $625,000
Farm Transition Program $500,000 $625,000
Encourage the sale of CT-grown food to schools,
restaurants, retailers and other institutions and
businesses in the state
$100,000 $125,000
CT Farm Link Program $75,000 $93,750
Seafood Advisory Council $47,500 $59,375
CT Farm Wine Development Council $47,500 $59,375
CT Food Policy Council $25,000 $31,250
Farmland preservation programs Remainder Remainder
FEE INCREASES
Specifically, it increases the fee for recording land records from $40
to $50, and increases the portion the town clerk may retain from $1 to
$2. It correspondingly increases the amount of the fee town clerks must
remit to the state treasurer for deposit in the CIA from $36 to $45. (Other
fees charged for recording land records are unchanged by the bill.)
Current law also sets a minimum $116 fee for recording most
documents by mortgagee nominees, of which the town clerk may retain
$10 for deposit in the town clerk fund and must remit $110 to the state
for deposit in the General Fund. For assignments to or releases by
mortgage nominees, the law sets the fee at $159, of which the town clerk
may retain $32 as general municipal revenue and must remit $127 to the
state for the General Fund. 2025SB-01522-R000641-BA.DOCX
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In either case, the bill increases, from $36 to $45, the amount that the
state must credit to the CIA from the amount deposited in the General
Fund as well as increases the town clerk may retain by $1 each.
(However, the bill does not increase the overall fees or the portions
remitted to the state.)
COMMITTEE ACTION
Government Administration and Elections Committee
Joint Favorable Substitute
Yea 13 Nay 6 (03/26/2025)