Raised Bill No. 5359 proposes amendments to Section 16-50j of the Connecticut general statutes, aiming to enhance the expertise of the Connecticut Siting Council, particularly in relation to electric transmission infrastructure. The bill introduces gender-neutral language and requires that at least one of the five public members appointed by the Governor has expertise in this area. It also limits the number of members with past or present utility affiliations and details the appointment process for ad hoc members by municipal chief elected officials. The chairman of the council is to be appointed by the Governor with legislative consent and the council's staff must include individuals with relevant experience from October 1, 2024.

The bill further outlines the council's procedures for consulting with departments and gathering written comments before hearings. For applications concerning electric transmission lines, the council may hire independent consultants to assess environmental impacts. The bill emphasizes the need for the council and its staff to have the necessary expertise in electric transmission infrastructure, and if lacking, to engage independent consultants with the appropriate experience. The effective date for these changes is October 1, 2024, and the bill includes instructions on how to interpret proposed deletions and insertions in the legal text.

Statutes affected:
Raised Bill: 16-50j