Substitute Senate Bill No. 1522 proposes to rename the existing Community Investment Account to the "Donald E. Williams, Jr. Community Investment Account" and introduces several funding increases for various programs. The bill repeals the current language of Section 4-66aa and replaces it with new provisions that allocate increased annual funding 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, it establishes a new annual allocation of $125,000 to promote the sale of Connecticut-grown food. The bill also modifies the fees collected by town clerks for recording documents, raising the fee from $40 to $50, and adjusts the distribution of these fees to benefit the newly named community investment account.

Moreover, the bill mandates the Commissioner of Agriculture to implement a multi-year marketing campaign for Connecticut-grown farm products, which includes creating a dedicated website and connecting farmers with institutional buyers. The commissioner is required to provide annual reports on the campaign's progress and any private matching funds received. The bill is expected to generate approximately $3.6 million in additional revenue for state agencies and about $391,642 for municipalities starting in fiscal year 2026. It also increases the funding for designated recipients by 25% while maintaining the overall distribution among the relevant departments, and it includes technical changes to eliminate obsolete provisions. The bill is set to take effect on 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