The proposed bill, Substitute House Bill No. 6830, mandates that all members and employees of inland wetlands agencies complete a comprehensive training program developed by the Department of Energy and Environmental Protection (DEEP). This requirement replaces the current law, which only necessitated that one member or staff person from each agency complete the training. Under the new provisions, all agency members and staff must complete their initial training by January 1, 2027, and subsequently retrain every four years or once per term for elected or appointed members, whichever is less frequent. The bill also stipulates that DEEP will make the training program available online, rather than providing it free to just one person from each town as previously required.

Additionally, the bill introduces an annual reporting requirement for inland wetlands agencies to affirm compliance with the training requirements, starting March 1, 2027. This report must be submitted to the municipality's legislative body or board of selectmen, confirming that all required members and staff completed the training in the preceding year. Importantly, the bill maintains that a member or employee's failure to complete the training does not invalidate any actions taken by the agency. The effective date for these changes is set for October 1, 2025.