Substitute Bill No. 1522 proposes to rename the existing Community Investment Account to the "Donald E. Williams, Jr. Community Investment Account" and enhance its funding. The bill repeals Section 4-66aa of the general statutes and introduces new provisions that detail the allocation of funds from the renamed account. Key funding increases include raising the annual allocation for the Connecticut Trust for Historic Preservation from $380,000 to $475,000 and for the agricultural viability grant program from $500,000 to $625,000. Additionally, the bill allocates $125,000 annually for initiatives promoting the sale of Connecticut-grown food. It also modifies the fees for recording documents in land records, increasing the fee from $40 to $50, with a portion of these fees directed to the newly named community investment account.
The bill further aims to promote Connecticut-grown farm products through a comprehensive advertising campaign, which includes television and radio ads, a continuously updated website listing local farmers' markets and agricultural attractions, and efforts to connect farmers with institutional buyers. The commissioner of the Department of Agriculture is responsible for coordinating these initiatives and utilizing funds from the amended section 4-66aa. The bill mandates annual reporting to the General Assembly on the progress of these efforts, including details on private matching funds, and allows the commissioner to adopt necessary regulations for implementation. Notably, it deletes the phrase "subsection (a) of" from current law while inserting new language to clarify funding and reporting requirements, with an effective date of July 1, 2025.
Statutes affected: Raised Bill: 4-66aa, 22-38a
GAE Joint Favorable Substitute: 4-66aa, 22-38a
File No. 641: 4-66aa, 22-38a
APP Joint Favorable: 4-66aa, 22-38a