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SB 1523 Connecticut Senate · 2025 Regular Session

AN ACT CONCERNING THE TAKING OF WILDLIFE THAT DAMAGE CROPS OR BLACK BEAR THAT INJURE OR KILL LIVESTOCK.

SB 1523 allows farmers and livestock owners to kill wildlife (including black bears) that damage crops or injure/killing livestock without needing a permit. It directly affects agricultural producers facing wildlife conflicts on their property. The bill's key provision exempts these specific lethal actions from standard wildlife protection rules, focusing on immediate property damage. It covers both crop-damaging wildlife and bears harming livestock, without requiring prior authorization. The bill passed the House on June 4, 2025, but was tabled in the Senate.
Issues: ✗ EnvironmentOpposes EnvironmentBill exempts lethal wildlife control from environmental protections, weakening conservation rules for bears and nuisance wildlife to prioritize agricultural property interests.92% confidence
Bill status passed both 4 of 5 stages cleared
Introduction
Mar 2025
Committee Review
Mar 2025
Senate Passage
Jun 2025
House Passage
Jun 2025
Governor
Introduced Mar 17, 2025 Last action Jun 4, 2025
Maddy AI version diff · 1 comparison

What changed between versions

Raised Bill → ENV Joint Favorable Substitute · 4 edits
MODERATE
The bill was renamed from a 'Raised Bill' to a 'Substitute Bill' and significantly expanded its scope. The original version only authorized bear hunting, while the new version authorizes taking wildlife that damages crops and allows deadly force against bears that threaten humans or livestock.
Scope change
The bill's scope expanded from solely bear hunting to include taking any wildlife that damages crops and using deadly force against bears that pose a threat to humans or livestock.
SCOPE

Title and purpose changed from 'Concerning Bear Hunting' to 'Concerning the Taking of Wildlife That Damage Crops or Black Bear That Injure or Kill Livestock'.

ELIGIBILITY

Added provisions allowing permits for taking wildlife that damages crops, livestock, or apiaries, provided the property owner first tried nonlethal protection methods like electric fencing or animal guardians.

ENFORCEMENT

Added new language allowing deadly physical force to kill a bear if it reasonably appears to be inflicting great bodily harm to a human, injuring or killing pet or livestock, or entering a building occupied by persons.

REQUIREMENT

Changed the bill type from 'Raised Bill' to 'Substitute Bill' and updated the legislative committee reference from ENVIRONMENT to ENV Joint Favorable Substitute.

Floor votes · Senate May 15, 2025 · House Jun 4, 2025

How they voted

34–2
Passed
Total votes 36
May 15, 2025
D Democratic25
23 Yea 2 Nay
92% Yea
R Republican11
11 Yea
100% Yea
Vote distribution
All Yea All Nay Mixed No data
Full legislative history

Actions timeline

Total actions
19
Key actions
7
Committee
2
Amendments
3
Jun 4, 2025
Upper · Passed
HOUSE PASSED, HOUSE AMEND. SCH. A
upper
Jun 4, 2025
Lower · Passed
HOUSE PASSED, SEN. AMEND. SCH. A
lower
Jun 4, 2025
Lower · Passed
HOUSE ADOPTED HOUSE AMEND. SCH. A
lower
Jun 4, 2025
Lower · Passed
HOUSE ADOPTED SEN. AMEND. SCH. A
lower
May 15, 2025
Upper · Passed
SEN. PASSED, SEN. AMEND. SCH. A
upper
May 15, 2025
Upper · Passed
SEN. ADOPTED SEN. AMEND. SCH. A
upper
Mar 28, 2025
Upper · Passed
Joint Favorable Substitute
upper
Mar 17, 2025
Committee
REF. TO JOINT COMM. ON Environment
upper
0 primary · 0 co-sponsors

Sponsors

No sponsor information available.