The proposed bill, Substitute House Bill No. 5064, aims to establish a grant program administered by the Department of Agriculture to support agricultural land preservation and enhance farmland access. The program will be available to various entities, including agricultural nonprofits, municipalities, groups of municipalities, and regional councils of governments. Grant recipients will be permitted to use the funds to develop new farmland access and affordability programs, provided that these initiatives do not conflict with existing farmland preservation efforts as outlined in chapter 422 of the general statutes.

The bill is set to take effect on July 1, 2025, and it introduces new legal language to facilitate the establishment of this grant program. It also indicates potential fiscal impacts, including the need for additional staffing within the Department of Agriculture to manage the program, which could incur costs of approximately $205,130 in salaries and fringe benefits. Furthermore, the bill anticipates that grant awards could range from $500,000 to $1.5 million, depending on the number of grantees and the specific amounts awarded.