Substitute House Bill No. 6725, Public Act No. 23-184, revises farming and aquaculture programs under the Department of Agriculture, effective October 1, 2023. The bill amends Section 22-6c to allow the Commissioner of Agriculture to advance up to 50% of costs or reimburse farmers for implementing farm management plans, including equipment purchases, without requiring approval from the Commissioner of Energy and Environmental Protection. It increases the maximum state grant to 90% for these costs and for developing farmland restoration and climate resiliency plans. The bill also redefines "Connecticut-grown," establishes the State Veterinarian as the state animal health official, and expands the purposes of agricultural enhancement grants to include urban and nontraditional farming practices, with a 90% maximum state grant for related activities.

The bill permits the sale, lease, or transfer of portions of agricultural land subject to regulations and post-effective date transactions, while ensuring that improvements do not significantly reduce arable land. It restricts new construction on prime farmland where development rights are state-owned to 5% of the land. The bill mandates that only products from Connecticut or within a two-mile radius of the sale point can be marketed as "Connecticut-Grown" or "CT-Grown," eliminating terms like "Native" or "Local," and sets fines and signage requirements for non-compliance. It updates egg producer regulations and establishes an Apple Marketing Advisory Board within the Department of Agriculture, consisting of apple producers, a public member, and a nonvoting economic development member, to advise on apple marketing and budgeting. The bill includes insertions of new legal language and deletions of previous language, reflecting these changes and additional provisions for aquaculture and roaming animals.

Statutes affected:
Raised Bill: 22-6c, 22-26j, 22-38, 22-39f, 22-47, 22-54s, 26-194
ENV Joint Favorable Substitute: 22-6c, 22-26j, 22-38, 22-39f, 22-47, 22-54s, 26-194
File No. 533: 22-6c, 22-26j, 22-38, 22-39f, 22-47, 22-54s, 26-194
Public Act No. 23-184: 22-6c, 22-26j, 22-38, 22-39f, 22-47, 22-54s, 26-194