SB 456 Connecticut Senate · 2026 Regular Session

AN ACT CONCERNING A GRANT PROGRAM FOR WILDLIFE REHABILITATION FACILITIES IN THE STATE.

This bill creates a new grant program to provide funding to nonprofit wildlife rehabilitation organizations operating facilities within the state. The program would be administered by the Commissioner of Energy and Environmental Protection, who could accept donations and establish a dedicated fund to distribute grants. To qualify, organizations must register with the department and submit annual reports detailing their operations, staff qualifications, and financial information. The commissioner has the authority to set specific criteria for grant distribution and may charge annual registration fees to participating organizations.

Issues: ✓ Environment

Bill status in committee 1 of 4 stages cleared

Introduction

Mar 2026

Committee Review

Floor Vote

Governor

Introduced Mar 6, 2026 Last action Apr 7, 2026

Maddy AI version diff · 1 comparison

What changed between versions

Raised Bill → ENV Joint Favorable Substitute · 3 edits

MINOR

The bill was reclassified from a 'Raised Bill' to a 'Substitute Bill' with a favorable substitute status, indicating it has been amended and approved by both legislative chambers. The primary substantive change involves streamlining the administrative requirements for the wildlife rehabilitation grant program by removing the mandate to create a specific General Fund account for donations, while retaining the ability to accept funds. Additionally, a new Section 2 was added to explicitly appropriate $500,000 from the General Fund for the program's fiscal year.

Scope change

The bill's scope regarding funding mechanisms was narrowed slightly by removing the requirement for a dedicated donation account, though the overall program scope remains the same.

REQUIREMENT

Removed the requirement to establish a specific General Fund account for receiving donations, simplifying the financial administration of the grant program.

FISCAL

Added a new section explicitly appropriating $500,000 from the General Fund for the fiscal year ending June 30, 2027, to support the wildlife rehabilitation grant program.

TECHNICAL

Updated the bill title from 'Raised Bill' to 'Substitute Bill' and changed the footer designation to reflect 'ENV Joint Favorable Subst.' status.

Floor votes

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Full legislative history

Actions timeline

Total actions

Key actions

Committee

Mar 18, 2026

Upper · Passed

Joint Favorable Substitute

upper

Mar 6, 2026

Committee

REF. TO JOINT COMM. ON Environment

upper

4 primary · 0 co-sponsors