Substitute House Bill No. 5170 revises the training requirements for members and employees of inland wetlands agencies, repealing the provision that only one member or employee needs to complete a comprehensive training program. Instead, it requires all members and employees to complete the training by January 1, 2026, if serving as of January 1, 2025, and within one year of election, appointment, or hiring for new members or employees. Retraining is mandated every four years or once per term, whichever is longer. The training program will be accessible on the Department of Energy and Environmental Protection's (DEEP) website, and agencies must annually affirm compliance with the training requirement. The bill specifies that failure to complete the training does not invalidate the agency's actions.

The fiscal impact of the bill includes costs to DEEP and a corresponding revenue gain to the University of Connecticut (UConn) of up to $10,000 for fiscal years 2025 and 2026, due to the expected increase in online training participation. The costs in subsequent years will depend on the number of participants and future training contract terms. The bill does not impact municipalities financially. The bill, which includes technical and conforming changes, is set to take effect on October 1, 2024, and has been reported favorably by the Planning and Development Committee with a vote of 20 to 0 on March 1, 2024.