2025 Legislative Session Watch List
(supports/opposed lead to Rivers Alliance Testimony)
7174 AN ACT CONCERNING RIPARIAN BUFFERS AND ASSOCIATED ENVIRONMENTAL PROVISIONS –ACTION ALERT!– Supports
6249 AN ACT LIMITING APPEALS UNDER THE CONNECTICUT ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION ACT – Opposed Testimony Pending
6224 AN ACT CONCERNING WATER SUPPLIES AND THE WATER TREATMENT OPERATOR WORKFORCE – Support with Modifications Testimony Pending
5749 AN ACT CONCERNING ADVANCED SEPTIC SYSTEMS WITH NITROGEN-REMOVAL FEATURES – Opposed Testimony Pending
7172 AN ACT CONCERNING THE SEWAGE RIGHT-TOKNOW ACT – Supports Testimony Pending
1495 AN ACT CONCERNING DEEP’s REVIEW OF SURPLUS STATE PROPERTY – Support with Modifications Testimony Pending
1494 AN ACT CONCERNING TESTING FOR PFAS IN CERTAIN WATER SUPPLIES – General Comments Testimony Pending
6830 AN ACT CONCERNING TRAINING FOR MEMBERS AND EMPLOYEES OF INLAND WETLANDS AGENCIES – Supports
5002 AN ACT CONCERNING HOUSING AND THE NEEDS OF HOMELESS PERSONS – Supports but stresses the need to maintain protections for water resources
884 AN ACT CONCERNING THE MAXIMUM ALLOWABLE CONCENTRATION FOR 1,4-DIOXANE IN HOUSEHOLD CLEANING AND PERSONAL CARE PRODUCTS AND COSMETICS – Supports
6916 AN ACT CONCERNING THE USE OF NEONICOTINOIDS – Supports
887 AN ACT EXEMPTING CERTAIN COOKWARE FROM PFAS REQUIREMENTS – Opposes
1292 AN ACT CONCERNING ENERGY AND WATER EFFICIENCY REQUIREMENTS FOR ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE DATA CENTERS – Supports and offers enhancements
6977 AN ACT CONCERNING THE DEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC HEALTH’S RECOMMENDATIONS REGARDING DRINKING WATER – Opposes sections 2&3
5013 AN ACT ADDING CERTAIN PLANTS TO THE INVASIVE PLANTS LIST – Supports
6995 AN ACT CONCERNING THE CHARTER OF THE METROPOLITAN DISTRICT OF HARTFORD COUNTY – Opposes
9 AN ACT CONCERNING THE ENVIRONMENT, CLIMATE AND SUSTAINABLE MUNICIPAL AND STATE PLANNING – Supports
647 AN ACT CONCERNING PROTECTIONS FOR CONSUMER ACCESS TO AFFORDABLE ELECTRICITY – Opposes
732 AN ACT REQUIRING THE STATE WATER PLAN TO BE AMENDED TO ADDRESS CLIMATE CHANGE – Supports
75 AN ACT REQUIRING THE EXPEDITING OF PERMITS FOR THE REMEDIATION OF HYDRILLA IN LAKES ACROSS THE STATE – Opposes as written but supports concept
7061 AN ACT CONCERNING MANDATORY MINIMUM PARKING REQUIREMENTS – Supports
5004 AN ACT CONCERNING THE PROTECTION OF THE ENVIRONMENT AND THE DEVELOPMENT OF RENEWABLE ENERGY SOURCES AND ASSOCIATED JOB SECTORS – Supports
6280 AN ACT CONCERNING THE ESTABLISHMENT OF A CLIMATE CHANGE SUPERFUND – Supports
1245 AN ACT ESTABLISHING A RESILIENT CONNECTICUT STRATEGY – Supports
58 AN ACT AUTHORIZING RESIDENTS LIVING IN A FLOOD ZONE TO LAY UP TO TEN THOUSAND CUBIC YARDS OF LANDSCAPE FILL PER YEAR IN THEIR YARD AND ESTABLISHING A TAX DEDUCTION FOR THE COSTS OF SUCH FILL AND A GRANT PROGRAM FOR ROAD RAISING – Opposes
6455 AN ACT CONCERNING THE AUTHORITY OF THE DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY AND ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION TO MODIFY OR REVOKE A CONSENT ORDER – Opposes
6868 AN ACT ENHANCING ENVIRONMENTAL PERMITTING PREDICTABILITY – Opposes section 4
1404 AN ACT CONCERNING CONFORMING ADJUSTMENTS TO SUPPORT THE TRANSITION TO A RELEASED-BASED CLEANUP PROGRAM – Supports
7085 AN ACT CONCERNING A REVIEW OF THE RELEASE-BASED CLEANUP PROGRAM AND RELATED REGULATIONS – Supports
1351 AN ACT CONCERNING RELEASE-BASED CLEANUP REMEDIATION STANDARDS IN LIEU OF THE TRANSFER ACT – Supports
Past Sessions
Rivers Alliance of Connecticut’s state legislative and funding priorities for 2023 include:
Make real progress on addressing PFAS
Per- and Poly fluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) are a serious human and environmental health concern. We support the following efforts to address threats from this “forever chemical.”
- Ban on use of PFAS in aqueous fire-fighting foam (AFFF) for training purposes and phase out of PFAS in AFFF.
- Phase out in food packaging – With no firm resolution to phase PFAS out of consumer products, food packaging in particular, remediation efforts will never end and there will be no meaningful reduction in exposure of Connecticut’s citizens to PFAS. Legislation to phase out PFAS in food packaging similar to that passed in Washington State in 2018, and work toward an eventual phase out in all consumer products is essential.
Protect (insert any living thing and aquatic resource here) from pesticides.
We must get a handle on the regulation and use of pesticides as well as ban those that are a threat to environmental and human health.
Don’t let another opportunity to address our Solid Waste crisis go to waste!
Why would Rivers Alliance care so much about solid waste policy? A strong and sensible solid waste policy means a reduction in littering and illegal dumping. Those who have participated in a river cleanup have seen first-hand that single-use plastics and polystyrene are a REAL problem for our waterways and, ultimately, our oceans. We support bills that will implement or accomplish the following:
- Modernize the Bottle Bill!
- Add more items to CT’s robust Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) programs – Particularly for tires
- Ban polystyrene for food packaging and ban un-encapsulated polystyrene dock floats
- Reduce, phase out, and ban single-use plastic items
Give water companies the tools and incentives necessary to encourage demand- side conservation and wise water use.
If water utilities do not have to choose between generating revenue and encouraging their customers to conserve water on a daily basis and implementing restrictions during drought, there would be more water for our rivers and streams. Furthermore, all category of utilities should be able to take advantage of these programs.
Protect good laws and regulations for water policy and environmental protection.
Here are just a few, but the possibilities are many:
- Maintain protections of our drinking water watershed lands
- Keep the Connecticut Environmental Protection Act intact
- Defend Connecticut’s policy on Public Trust
- Fight efforts to undermine DEEP’s authority to protect our environment
Maintain funding for and oppose “raids” on important programs.
- The Clean Water Fund supports DEEP’s financial assistance to municipalities for projects addressing wastewater needs. Upgrading our aging wastewater infrastructure can be a financial burden on our communities but doing so improves water quality in the rivers and streams in which we recreate and improves the health of Long Island Sound. We must maintain the current level of funding.
- The Passport to Parks program has brought much needed funding to State Parks and other recreation-related divisions of DEEP as well as CEQ and our Conservation Districts. We must ensure that this revenue stream remains strong and its beneficiaries are not undermined.
- Protect the Community Investment Act, which generates funding for state programs for open space, farmland/dairy production, historic preservation, and affordable housing. The best way to protect water quality is to preserve open space and forest land.
- Support funding for a statewide PFAS testing program for water and fish.
2023 Bill Status
| Bill # | Title | RA Testimony | Most Recent Activity |
|---|---|---|---|
| 6479 | AN ACT CONCERNING CLIMATE RESILIENCY FUNDS AND PROJECTS | Yes | Passed |
| 6480 | AN ACT ESTABLISHING A WORKING GROUP ON THE RESTORATION OF EEL GRASS | Yes | Passed |
| 6483 | AN ACT CONCERNING THE OPEN SPACE AND WATERSHED LAND ACQUISITION GRANT PROGRAM | Yes | Passed |
| 122 | AN ACT CONCERNING THE REPLANTING OF TREES IN PUBLIC AREAS CLEARED BY UTILITY COMPANIES | Yes | Failed |
| 6486 | AN ACT CONCERNING EXTENDED PRODUCER RESPONSIBILITY FOR TIRES | Yes | Passed |
| 896 | AN ACT CONCERNING TREE REMOVAL ON PROPERTIES UNDER THE CONTROL OF THE DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY AND ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION | Yes | Passed |
| 964 | AN ACT CONCERNING CONSENT ORDERS OF THE DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY AND ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION | Yes | Failed |
| 963 | AN ACT CONCERNING NEONICOTINOIDS FOR NONAGRICULTURAL USE | Yes | Failed |
| 6610 | AN ACT CONCERNING “NO NET LOSS” OF STATE FORESTLANDS | Yes | Failed |
| 100 | AN ACT ESTABLISHING AN ACCOUNT IN THE GENERAL FUND TO PROVIDE GRANTS TO TOWNS THAT NEED PFAS TESTING AND REMEDIATION | Yes | Passed |
| 6608 | AN ACT CONCERNING THE DISTRIBUTION OF SINGLE-USE PLASTIC STRAWS AND STIRRERS BY CERTAIN RESTAURANTS | Yes | Failed |
| 6606 | AN ACT CONCERNING THE USE OF CERTAIN PRODUCTS MADE FROM POLYSTYRENE | Yes | Failed |
| 5608 | AN ACT CONCERNING CERTAIN SOLAR PHOTOVOLTAIC FACILITIES LOCATED ON PRIME FARMLAND, FARMLAND OF STATE-WIDE IMPORTANCE OR CORE FOREST LANDS | Yes | Passed |
| 6647 | AN ACT CONCERNING THE STATE PLAN OF CONSERVATION AND DEVELOPMENT | Yes | Failed |
| 1001 | AN ACT CONCERNING CERTAIN SEWAGE DISPOSAL SYSTEMS | Yes | Passed in amendment to SB 998 |
| 5888 | AN ACT CONCERNING THE METROPOLITAN DISTRICT OF HARTFORD COUNTY | Yes | Failed |
| 123 | AN ACT CONCERNING THE PUBLIC UTILITIES REGULATORY AUTHORITY, THE REGULATION OF ELECTRIC RATES AND STATE PUBLIC POLICY CONCERNING ELECTRICITY GENERATION | Yes | Failed but very undesirable changes to hydropower in amendment to SB 7 which passed |
| 5616 | AN ACT IMPROVING STANDARDS FOR INLAND WETLAND COMMISSION AUTHORITY MEMBERSHIP AND ENFORCEMENT | Yes | Failed but education standard improvements were moved to 6809 which did not pass. |
| 6809 | AN ACT CONCERNING FINANCIAL INCENTIVES FOR CERTAIN STREAMSIDE BUFFERS | Yes | Failed |
| 5628 | AN ACT ESTABLISHING A TASK FORCE TO STUDY THE STATE’S HYDROPOWER ASSETS | Yes | Passed |
| 6850 | AN ACT CONCERNING HYDROPOWER | Yes | Failed |
| 5214 | AN ACT CONCERNING THE CONSERVATION OF CERTAIN WATERS AND LANDS OF THE UPPER FARMINGTON RIVER | Yes | Failed |
| 985 | AN ACT INCENTIVIZING HOUSING PRODUCTION | No | Failed but undesirable changes to local approvals for High Density Housing Zones were amended to HB 6941 which passed |
| 6733 | AN ACT CONCERNING THE DEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC HEALTH’S RECOMMENDATIONS REGARDING VARIOUS REVISIONS TO THE PUBLIC HEALTH STATUTES | No | Passed |