HB 5551 Connecticut House · 2026 Regular Session

AN ACT CONCERNING PROCEEDINGS OF THE SITING COUNCIL AND OTHER REQUIREMENTS CONCERNING CERTAIN UTILITY EXPENDITURES.

This bill restructures the Connecticut Siting Council to oversee utility projects and hazardous waste facilities, requiring specific state officials and public members to participate in review proceedings. It establishes new membership rules that include designated representatives from state agencies, legislative leaders, and five public members appointed by the Governor who must have no financial ties to utilities or related facilities. The bill also creates ad hoc members from local municipalities for specific projects and requires the council to include staff dedicated to engaging the public and providing plain language summaries of proceedings.

Issues: ✓ Environment

Bill status in committee 1 of 4 stages cleared

Introduction

Mar 2026

Committee Review

Floor Vote

Governor

Introduced Mar 12, 2026 Last action Apr 14, 2026

Maddy AI version diff · 1 comparison

What changed between versions

Raised Bill → GAE Joint Favorable Substitute · 5 edits

MODERATE

The bill was converted from a 'Raised Bill' to a 'GAE Joint Favorable Substitute,' indicating it has been amended and approved by both legislative chambers. The substantive changes primarily involve expanding the council's composition by adding a Senate designee and clarifying the qualifications for public members. Additionally, the rules for appointing substitute members in case of conflicts of interest were updated to ensure proper representation.

Scope change

The scope of the bill remains focused on the composition and operation of the council, with no changes to its general applicability.

ELIGIBILITY

The council composition was updated to include a designee of the Senate president pro tempore, expanding representation beyond the House and public members.

REQUIREMENT

The requirements for public members were clarified to specify that all five must have no substantial financial interest and cannot be employed by or affiliated with utilities, hazardous waste facilities, or ash residue disposal areas.

The rules for participation in council proceedings were updated to allow for alternate designees if the primary representatives are unavailable.

The appointment process for the council chairperson was modified to require the advice and consent of the House or Senate, adding a layer of legislative approval.

The criteria for determining when substitute members must be appointed were refined to address conflicts of interest more clearly, including situations where a council member resides in an affected municipality.

Floor votes

How they voted

No floor votes recorded yet.

Full legislative history

Actions timeline

Total actions

Key actions

Committee

Apr 14, 2026

Lower · Passed

REF. BY HOUSE TO COMMITTEE ON Appropriations

lower

Mar 23, 2026

Lower · Passed

Joint Favorable Substitute

lower

Mar 12, 2026

Committee

REF. TO JOINT COMM. ON Government Administration and Elections

lower

11 primary · 0 co-sponsors