Environmental agency may approve reclaimed materials for fill

The energy and environmental protection commissioner may create a pilot program and approve up to four fill authorizations. The program covers beneficially reclaimed soil, sediment, asphalt, brick, concrete, ceramic material, casting sand, recycled glass, and street-sweeping materials that meet the listed limits. Each authorization must cover one location and at least 100,000 cubic yards of material. The location must meet groundwater, drinking-water, aquifer, environmental, and public-resource protections. Applicants must provide municipal approval information, environmental plans, a redevelopment plan, financial security, and a $25,000 nonrefundable fee. The commissioner must provide public notice and a 30-day comment period before approving or denying an authorization. This provision is effective from passage; applications must include monitoring during filling and for at least 30 years afterward.

A municipality may create up to two conservation and traffic mitigation districts where it can require parking for small residential developments. The districts may cover developments with 16 or fewer homes and together may cover no more than 4 percent of the municipality’s land. A developer may submit a parking needs assessment. If submitted, the municipality must require the lower number produced by the assessment or the stated bedroom-based parking limits. The municipality must submit a property description of each district to the Office of Policy and Management. This provision applies beginning October 1, 2026.

The Connecticut Agricultural Experiment Station must submit a report on sterile cultivars and Japanese barberry. The report covers the safety of using, planting, importing, transporting, selling, and buying sterile cultivars, along with distributing Japanese barberry in Connecticut. The station must provide a public comment period. The report may include recommendations for legislation and other recommendations about these plants. The report is due to the environment committee on or before January 15, 2027, and this provision is effective from passage.

The General Assembly’s majority leaders’ roundtable group on affordable housing must study state housing policies and possible housing conversions. The group includes legislative leaders, state housing and development officials, municipal representatives, and appointed members with housing, planning, and business expertise. The group must examine affordable housing programs, state and commercial property conversions, and successful approaches from other places. The legislative housing committee staff must support the group. The group must submit findings and recommendations to the housing committee. Initial appointments are due within 30 days after the section’s effective date, and the first meeting is due within 60 days; the text says the group ends June 30, 2026.

The Council on Housing Development must advise state housing officials and review housing plans, programs, regulations, and grant applications. The council includes state officials, legislative leaders, housing finance representatives, and designees appointed by legislative leaders. The council must develop housing-growth guidelines and review ways agencies can combine resources. It may approve or modify certain municipal or regional housing growth plans when the Office of Policy and Management secretary has not acted on time. The council must publish recommendations and guidelines and submit a report to the planning and housing committees. The provision is effective July 1, 2026; the text also says the council must convene by January 1, 2026 and report by January 1, 2027.