Senate Bill No. 1314 introduces amendments to Section 7-191c of the general statutes, which governs the ability of municipalities to amend their charters regarding specific planning and zoning matters. The bill prohibits municipalities from modifying four key areas: the process for filing petitions with local legislative bodies or zoning boards of appeals, regulations concerning planning and zoning commissions, voting requirements for eminent domain processes, and voting requirements for the disposition of municipal property. However, the bill creates exceptions that allow municipalities to increase voting thresholds to a two-thirds or less majority for both eminent domain and property disposition votes, which is a change from the previous law that only allowed such increases for municipalities that had already adopted higher thresholds before July 1, 2023.

Additionally, the bill clarifies that municipalities can amend their charters to establish the composition of planning and zoning commissions, as long as they comply with existing laws. The effective date for these changes is set for October 1, 2025. Overall, the bill does not impose any fiscal impact on the state or municipalities, as indicated in the fiscal note accompanying the legislation.

Statutes affected:
Raised Bill: 7-191c
PD Joint Favorable Substitute: 7-191c
File No. 700: 7-191c