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sHB5330 / File No. 191 1
General Assembly File No. 191
February Session, 2026 Substitute House Bill No. 5330
House of Representatives, March 26, 2026
The Committee on Environment reported through REP.
PARKER of the 101st Dist., Chairperson of the Committee on
the part of the House, that the substitute bill ought to pass.
AN ACT CONCERNING CERTAIN WILDLIFE ACTION PLANS.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in General
Assembly convened:
Section 1. Subsection (b) of section 26 -107f of the general statutes is 1
repealed and the following is substituted in lieu thereof (Effective October 2
1, 2026): 3
(b) The Commissioner of Energy and Environmental Protection shall 4
establish a conservation program for species not traditionally harvested, 5
which shall include, but not be limited to, provisions for the following: 6
[Resource] Facilitation of the implementation of the most recent 7
federally approved state of Connecticut wildlife action plan, resource 8
inventory, including conservation action tracker measures , habitat 9
conservation, monitoring of environmental and climate change impacts, 10
conservation of endangered and threatened species, wildlife recreation 11
management, wildlife conservation education, private landowner 12
assistance, urban wildlife conservation, problem animal management 13
and scientific research, planning, administration and development. 14
Such conservation program shall provide for a wildlife veterinarian to 15
assist in the oversight and implemen tation of such conservation 16
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program. 17
Sec. 2. Section 26 -107h of the general statutes is repealed and the 18
following is substituted in lieu thereof (Effective October 1, 2026): 19
[On or before February first, annually, the Commissioner of Energy 20
and Environmental Protection shall submit to the joint standing 21
committee of the General Assembly having cognizance of matters 22
relating to the environment a report on the progress of the program 23
established under section 26 -107f, the purposes for which any funds 24
allocated to said program were expended and the future of the 25
program.] 26
(a) There is established a working group within the legislature to 27
identify how the conservation program established in section 26-107f, as 28
amended by this act, should be funded and implemented. 29
(b) Not later than thirty days after the effective date of this section, 30
the cochairpersons of the joint standing committee of the General 31
Assembly having cognizance of matters relating to the environment, in 32
consultation with the ranking members of said committee, and the chief 33
of the Bureau of Natural Resources of the Department of Energy and 34
Environmental Protection shall jointly select two cochairpersons for 35
such working group. Not later than forty -five days after the effective 36
date of this section, the cochairpersons of such working group shall 37
select the membership of such working group, which shall include, but 38
not be limited to: (1) One representative of the Department of Energy 39
and Environmental Protection, the Department of Transportation and 40
the Office of Policy and Management, (2) two representatives of 41
conservation advocacy organizations that work on wildlife -related 42
issues, one of whom shall have fisheries aquatic expertise, (3) one 43
representative of a land conservation organization, (4) two members of 44
the faculty of a state college or university, as recommended by the chief 45
of the Bureau of Natural Resources of the Department of Energy and 46
Environmental Protection, (5) one representative from a council of 47
governments, (6) a representative of the water utilities, (7) a 48
representative of an organization that represents the marine trades in 49
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the state, (8) a representative of the Connecticut Farm Bureau, or its 50
designee, and (9) a certified forester in this state. 51
(c) The cochairpersons of such working group shall convene such 52
working group not later than sixty days after the effective date of this 53
section. The administrative staff of the joint standing committee of the 54
General Assembly having cognizance of matters relating to the 55
environment shall serve as administrative staff of the working group. 56
Not later than January 15, 2027, the working group shall submit a report 57
on its findings and recommendations, including any proposed 58
legislative proposals, to the joint standing committee of the General 59
Assembly having cognizance of matters relating to the environment, in 60
accordance with the provisions of section 11 -4a. The working group 61
shall terminate on the date that it submits such report or January 15, 62
2027, whichever is later. 63
Sec. 3. Section 26 -107i of the general statutes is repealed and the 64
following is substituted in lieu thereof (Effective October 1, 2026): 65
The Commissioner of Energy and Environmental Protection may 66
establish a program for the sale of wildlife stamps, prints, posters, 67
calendars, publications or other items. Any revenue received from the 68
sale of such goods or materials and any funds donated to the state for 69
the purpose of the program established under section 26 -107f, as 70
amended by this act, shall be deposited in the General Fund and 71
allocated to the program established under section 26-107f, as amended 72
by this act. 73
This act shall take effect as follows and shall amend the following
sections:
Section 1 October 1, 2026 26-107f(b)
Sec. 2 October 1, 2026 26-107h
Sec. 3 October 1, 2026 26-107i
ENV Joint Favorable Subst.
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The following Fiscal Impact Statement and Bill Analysis are prepared for the benefit of the members of
the General Assembly, solely for purposes of information, summarization and explanation and do not
represent the intent of the General Assembly or either chamber thereof for any purpose. In general,
fiscal impacts are based upon a variety of informational sources, including the analyst’s professional
knowledge. Whenever applicable, agency data is consulted as part of the analysis, however final
products do not necessarily reflect an assessment from any specific department.
OFA Fiscal Note
State Impact:
Agency Affected Fund-Effect FY 27 $ FY 28 $
Department of Energy and
Environmental Protection
GF - Cost 133,960 133,960
State Comptroller - Fringe
Benefits1
GF - Cost 56,022 56,022
Note: GF=General Fund
Municipal Impact: None
Explanation
The bill makes various changes to the Department of Energy and
Environmental Protection’s (DEEP) non -harvested species wildlife
diversity program.
Section 1 results in a cost to the state of $189,982, beginning in FY 27,
associated with hiring a wildlife veterinarian to assist in overseeing the
wildlife program, which is an expanded requirement of the bill. The cost
includes an annual salary of $133,960 and corresponding fringe benefits
of $56,022.
Section 2 establishes the non -harvested species conservation
program working group and does not result in a fiscal impact as DEEP
has the expertise necessary to staff the working group.
Section 3 clarifies how donations to the non-harvested program must
be deposited and allocated and does not result in a fiscal impact.
1The fringe benefit costs for most state employees are budgeted centrally in accounts
administered by the Comptroller. The estimated active employee fringe benefit cost
associated with most personnel changes is 41.82% of payroll in FY 27.
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The Out Years
The annualized ongoing fiscal impact identified above would
continue into the future subject to inflation.
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OLR Bill Analysis
sHB 5330
AN ACT CONCERNING CERTAIN WILDLIFE ACTION PLANS.
SUMMARY
This bill expands the Department of Energy and Environmental
Protection’s (DEEP) traditionally nonharvested species conservation
program by requiring the program to (1) implement the state’s most
recent federally approved wildlife action plan (see BACKGROUND), (2)
include conservation action tracker measures in the resource inventory
conducted under the program, and (3) monitor climate change impacts.
The bill also requires the program to include a wildlife veterinarian to
assist in its oversight and implementation.
The bill eliminates a requirement for the DEEP commissioner to
annually report to the Environment Committee on the conservation
program and instead creates a working group to determine how the
program should be funded and implemented.
Lastly, the bill requires any money donated to the state for the
conservation program to be deposited into the General Fund and
allocated to the program, as is required under existing law for any
revenue from DEEP’s program to sell wildlife stamps and other artwork
or publications.
EFFECTIVE DATE: October 1, 2026
TRADITIONALLY NONHARVESTED SPECIES CONSERVATION
PROGRAM WORKING GROUP
The bill requires the Environment Committee’s cochairpersons, in
consultation with the committee’s ranking members and DEEP’s Bureau
of Natural Resources chief, to jointly select, by October 31, 2026, two
cochairpersons for the conservation program working group.
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By November 15, 2026, the working group’s cochairpersons must
select the group’s members, which must include at least the following
13 people:
1. one representative each from DEEP, the Department of
Transportation, and the Office of Policy and Management;
2. two representatives of conservation advocacy organizations that
work on wildlife-related issues, one of whom must have fisheries
aquatic expertise;
3. one representative of a land conservation organization;
4. two state college or university faculty members, as recommended
by DEEP’s Bureau of Natural Resources chief;
5. one representative from a council of governments;
6. one water utilities representative;
7. one representative of an organization representing Connecticut
marine trades;
8. one representative of the Connecticut Farm Bureau or its
designee; and
9. one Connecticut-certified forester.
The bill requires the working group’s cochairpersons to hold the
group’s first meeting by November 30, 2026, and the group must report
its findings and recommendations, including any proposals for
legislation, to the Environment Committee by January 15, 2027. The
group ends on this date or when it submits its report, whichever is later.
Under the bill, the Environment Committee’s administrative staff must
serve in that capacity for the working group.
BACKGROUND
Wildlife Action Plan
States must submit wildlife action plans to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife
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Service in order to receive certain federal grant funding for wildlife
programs. States must review and revise these plans every 10 years and
submit them for federal approval. Connecticut’s most recent wildlife
action plan was approved in 2025 and, among o ther things, identifies
species and habitats in need of conservation and priority conservation
issues and actions for the next 10 years.
COMMITTEE ACTION
Environment Committee
Joint Favorable Substitute
Yea 34 Nay 0 (03/13/2026)