Substitute House Bill No. 5146 mandates the brownfields working group, in collaboration with the Commissioner of Economic and Community Development and the Commissioner of Energy and Environmental Protection, to conduct a comprehensive study on the remediation and development of brownfields in the state. This study will specifically address issues arising from the implementation of the release-based cleanup program as outlined in chapter 445b of the general statutes. The working group is authorized to request necessary data from the aforementioned commissioners to facilitate the study.

The bill requires the working group to submit a report detailing the findings of the study to the joint standing committees of the General Assembly that oversee commerce and environmental matters by January 1, 2027. Notably, the bill includes new legal language clarifying the establishment of the working group and the cleanup program, while there are no deletions from current law. The fiscal impact of the bill is assessed to be negligible, as it does not impose any additional costs on the state or municipalities, given that the relevant departments possess the expertise needed to support the study.