AN ACT CONCERNING A RAPID RESPONSE PROGRAM FOR CERTAIN AQUATIC INVASIVE SPECIES.

House Bill No. 5525

Public Act No. 26-65

AN ACT CONCERNING A RAPID RESPONSE PROGRAM FOR
CERTAIN AQUATIC INVASIVE SPECIES.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in General
Assembly convened:

Section 1. (NEW) (Effective October 1, 2026) (a) (1) For the purposes of
this section, "rapid response" means a systematic effort to eradicate,
contain or control hydrilla or other aquatic invasive plant species
introduced into an ecosystem while the infestation of such ecosystem
remains localized and includes actions that address novel introductions
into a waterbody.
(2) The Connecticut Agricultural Experiment Station's Office of
Aquatic Invasive Species shall set criteria for newly discovered aquatic
invasive species and hydrilla populations discovered within the most
recent three-year period, including satellite populations of such hydrilla
populations to qualify for rapid response pursuant to this section and
shall publish and maintain a page on such agency's Internet web site
that lists such eligible species. Such office shall notify the Department of
Energy and Env ironmental Protection when any new species is added
to such list.
(b) Notwithstanding the provisions of section 22a-339i of the general
statutes, the Department of Energy and Environmental Protection shall
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expedite any permitting associated with rapid response actions for the
aquatic invasive species specified in subdivision (2) of subsection (a) of
this section, to enable the timely containment of such species and reduce
the risk of further spread within an d between waterbodies, provided
such priority expediting shall be given to permits for the containment of
hydrilla.
(c) Notwithstanding the provisions of section 22 -79a of the general
statutes, the Connecticut Agricultural Experiment Station's Office of
Aquatic Invasive Species shall identify new introductions of aquatic
invasive plant species to the state and may coord inate and conduct
rapid response efforts to any such new population in any waterbody in
the state.
(d) (1) Notwithstanding the provisions of subdivision (2) of
subsection (h) of section 22a -66a of the general statutes, any rapid
response herbicide treatment undertaken pursuant to the provisions of
this section shall not require the provision of two indi vidual notices to
each owner of waterfront property on a privately owned lake or pond.
One such notice by telephone, personal notification or by leaving a
conspicuous notice on an entry door of the home located on such
property shall be made not less than twenty-four hours prior to such
treatment.
(2) Notwithstanding the provisions of this subsection and subsections
(a) to (c), inclusive, of this section, any rapid response actions for newly
introduced aquatic invasive plant species shall be timed in accordance
with the best available science to occur prior to or during key
reproductive periods to minimize establishment and secondary spread
of such aquatic invasive plant species.
(e) (1) The Connecticut Agricultural Experiment Station's Office of
Aquatic Invasive Species shall assist rapid response efforts related to
newly discovered hydrilla and newly introduced aquatic invasive
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species identified in state waterbodies by mapping the extent and
location of such populations and documenting the presence and
locations of relevant threatened and endangered species within a
scientifically determined radius, as established in consultation with the
Department of Energy and Environmental Protection's Natural
Diversity Data Base program, while determining the sensitivity of such
species to proposed herbicide treatments and other containment or
eradication methods.
(2) The Connecticut Agricultural Experiment Station's Office of
Aquatic Invasive Species, in consultation with the Department of
Energy and Environmental Protection, shall develop a state rapid
response protocol for hydrilla. Such protocol shall clearly de fine the
roles, responsibilities and response actions for the Connecticut
Agricultural Experiment Station's Office of Aquatic Invasive Species
and the Department of Energy and Environmental Protection.
Additionally, such protocol shall establish a coordinated framework for
interagency response that identifies lead and supporting functions
throughout the response process and that outlines next steps to contain
or eradicate new hydrilla populations. Such steps may include public
education and outreach, containment strategies, treatment methods and
associated timelines and any additional actions deemed necessary by
the Department of Energy and Environmental Protection and the
Connecticut Agricultural Experiment Station's Office of Aquatic
Invasive Species. Such protocol may serve as a template for responding
to future introductions of new aquatic invasive species. Under any such
protocol, (A) the Department of Energy and Environmental Protection
shall issue expedited permits for rapid responses, and (B) the
Connecticut Agricultural Experiment Station's Office of Aquatic
Invasive Species shall be authorized to coordinate or conduct treatment
within the same season, in accordance with the provisions of
subdivision (2) of subsection (d) of this section, once such ex pedited
permitting occurs. The Connecticut Agricultural Experiment Station's
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Office of Aquatic Invasive Species shall monitor progress and track
outcomes of such rapid response protocol to a specific population and
waterbody.
(3) The Connecticut Agricultural Experiment Station's Office of
Aquatic Invasive Species, in consultation with the Department of
Energy and Environmental Protection, shall develop a state -wide
aquatic invasive species management plan for public reference and may
consult other entities, including, but not limited to, the Invasive Plants
Council, established pursuant to section 22a -381 of the general statutes
through a public comment period.
(f) Notwithstanding any provision of the general statutes, the
Department of Public Health shall coordinate with the Department of
Energy and Environmental Protection to provide conditions for permits
to conduct treatment of an aquatic invasive species wit hin a public
water supply watershed or within two hundred feet of a public water
supply well.