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SB00418 • 2026

AN ACT CONCERNING STREAMLINING CERTAIN DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY AND ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION PERMITTING PROCESSES.

AN ACT CONCERNING STREAMLINING CERTAIN DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY AND ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION PERMITTING PROCESSES.

Energy
Passed Legislature

This bill passed both chambers and reached final enrollment, even if later executive action is not shown here.

Sponsor
Commerce Committee
Last action
2026-03-06
Official status
Public Hearing 03/10
Effective date
Not listed

Plain English Breakdown

The official source material does not provide specific details about the criteria for certification or monitoring of third-party reviewers.

Streamlining Environmental Permitting Processes

This act requires the Commissioner of Energy and Environmental Protection to create rules for third-party professionals to review permits and make recommendations.

What This Bill Does

  • Requires the Commissioner of Energy and Environmental Protection to develop a framework allowing third-party qualified professionals to conduct permit reviews and provide decision recommendations.

Who It Names or Affects

  • The Commissioner of Energy and Environmental Protection
  • Third-party professionals who will review permits

Terms To Know

third-party qualified professional
An independent expert hired to help with permit reviews.
permit decision recommendation
Advice given by a reviewer on whether a permit should be granted or denied.

Limits and Unknowns

  • The bill does not specify how the third-party reviewers will be chosen.
  • It is unclear what criteria will determine which permits can be reviewed by these professionals.

Bill History

  1. 2026-03-06 Connecticut General Assembly

    Public Hearing 03/10

  2. 2026-03-05 Connecticut General Assembly

    Referred to Joint Committee on Commerce

Official Summary Text

To require the Commissioner of Energy and Environmental Protection to (1) develop a framework for allowing third-party qualified professionals to conduct permit review and make permit decision recommendations to the Department of Energy and Environmental Protection, and (2) conduct a review of all permits that are within the commissioner's jurisdiction.

Current Bill Text

Read the full stored bill text
LCO No. 2736 1 of 2

General Assembly Raised Bill No. 418
February Session, 2026 LCO No. 2736

Referred to Committee on COMMERCE

Introduced by:
(CE)

AN ACT CONCERNING STREAMLINING CERTAIN DEPARTMENT OF
ENERGY AND ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION PERMITTING
PROCESSES.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in General
Assembly convened:

Section 1. (Effective from passage ) The Commissioner of Energy and 1
Environmental Protection shall (1) develop a framework for allowing 2
third-party qualified professionals to conduct permit review and make 3
permit decision recommendation s to the Department of Energy and 4
Environmental Protection, including, but not limited to, eligibility 5
criteria, certification standards and oversight mechanisms, and (2) 6
conduct a review o f all permits that are within the commissioner's 7
jurisdiction for the purpose of determining which permits may be 8
lawfully delegated to third-party qualified professionals for purposes of 9
permit review and to make permit decision recommendations to the 10
department. The commissioner shall, not later than December 31, 2027, 11
report, in accordance with the provisions of section 11-4a of the general 12
statutes, to the joint standing committees of the General Assembly 13
having cognizance of matters relating to commerce and the 14
environment regarding such framework and review. 15

Raised Bill No. 418

LCO No. 2736 2 of 2

This act shall take effect as follows and shall amend the following
sections:

Section 1 from passage New section

Statement of Purpose:
To require the Commissioner of Energy and Environmental Protection
to (1) develop a framework for allowing third -party qualified
professionals to conduct permit review and make permit decision
recommendations to the Department of Energy and Environmental
Protection, and (2) conduct a review of all permits that are within the
commissioner's jurisdiction.

[Proposed deletions are enclosed in brackets. Proposed additions are indicated by underline, except
that when the entire text of a bill or resolution or a section of a bill or resolution is new, it is not
underlined.]