HB 5064 Connecticut House · 2025 Regular Session

AN ACT ESTABLISHING A GRANT PROGRAM FOR AGRICULTURAL PRESERVATION AND FARMLAND ACCESS PURPOSES.

HB 5064 establishes a state grant program to fund agricultural preservation and improve farmland access. The program provides financial assistance to farmers and agricultural entities for projects that protect working farmland from development and help new or existing farmers access land. Key provisions include grant funding for conservation easements, farmland acquisition, and initiatives supporting beginning farmers. This law, now Public Act 25-141 after being signed by the governor on July 1, 2025, directly benefits agricultural landowners and operators seeking to preserve farmland or expand farming operations.

Issues: ✓ Environment

Bill status signed all 5 stages cleared

Introduction

Jan 2025

Committee Review

Mar 2025

House Passage

May 2025

Senate Passage

Jun 2025

Signed into Law

Jul 2025

Introduced Jan 9, 2025 Signed Jul 1, 2025

Maddy AI version diff · 2 comparisons

What changed between versions

Committee Bill → ENV Joint Favorable Substitute · 4 edits

MODERATE

The bill was renamed from a purchase option program to a grant program for agricultural preservation and farmland access. The substantive policy content regarding grant usage remains largely the same, but the legislative title and purpose statement were simplified to reflect the grant mechanism rather than a purchase option.

Scope change

The bill's scope shifted from offering options to purchase agricultural land at agricultural value to establishing a grant program for agricultural preservation and farmland access purposes.

SCOPE

Changed the bill title from 'An Act Concerning an Option to Purchase Restricted Agricultural Lands at Agricultural Value' to 'An Act Establishing a Grant Program for Agricultural Preservation and Farmland Access Purposes'.

PURPOSE

Removed the specific 'Statement of Purpose' section that encouraged retention of agricultural lands, as the purpose is now implied by the grant program title.

TECHNICAL

Removed co-sponsor information and committee bill numbering, replacing it with substitute bill and joint favorable substitute designations.

Reformatted page headers and footers to reflect the substitute bill status rather than the original committee bill status.