KLS Keeping Law Simple Legislation in plain English

Straight-ahead summaries built from the official bill text. We keep the source links front and center and leave the decision up to you.

Back to Connecticut

SB00420 • 2026

AN ACT CONCERNING NATURAL GAS AND GAS COMPANIES.

AN ACT CONCERNING NATURAL GAS AND GAS COMPANIES.

Energy Technology
Passed Legislature

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

Sponsor
Energy and Technology Committee
Last action
2026-04-07
Official status
File Number 470
Effective date
Not listed

Plain English Breakdown

The official text confirms the exclusions but does not define technical terms like 'biomass gasification plant' or explain how submetering approval works.

Changes to the Definition of Gas Companies

This law updates the legal definition of a gas company by excluding specific types of businesses from that category.

What This Bill Does

  • Updates section 16-1(a)(5) of state statutes regarding who counts as a gas company.
  • Excludes people making gas through biomass plants if they do not own pipes in public streets.
  • Excludes municipal gas utilities owned by local government units from the definition.
  • Excludes entities approved to submeter natural gas usage under section 16-19ff.
  • Sets an effective date for these changes starting October 1, 2026.

Who It Names or Affects

  • People or groups that make gas using biomass plants without owning street pipes
  • Gas utilities owned by local governments like cities or towns
  • Entities approved to submeter natural gas usage

Limits and Unknowns

  • The official text does not explain the reasons for these specific exclusions.
  • The fiscal note states there is no cost impact, but it does not list other possible effects on customers.

Bill History

  1. 2026-04-07 LCO

    Reported Out of Legislative Commissioners' Office

  2. 2026-04-07 Connecticut General Assembly

    Favorable Report, Tabled for the Calendar, Senate

  3. 2026-04-07 Connecticut General Assembly

    Senate Calendar Number 282

  4. 2026-04-07 LCO

    File Number 470

  5. 2026-03-30 LCO

    Referred to Office of Legislative Research and Office of Fiscal Analysis 04/07/26 12:00 PM

  6. 2026-03-20 LCO

    Filed with Legislative Commissioners' Office

  7. 2026-03-19 ET

    Joint Favorable

  8. 2026-03-06 Connecticut General Assembly

    Public Hearing 03/12

  9. 2026-03-05 Connecticut General Assembly

    Referred to Joint Committee on Energy and Technology

Official Summary Text

To amend a statute concerning gas companies.

Current Bill Text

Read the full stored bill text 
Senate
SB420 / File No. 470 1

General Assembly File No. 470
February Session, 2026 Senate Bill No. 420

Senate, April 7, 2026

The Committee on Energy and Technology reported through
SEN. NEEDLEMAN of the 33rd Dist., Chairperson of the
Committee on the part of the Senate, that the bill ought to pass.

AN ACT CONCERNING NATURAL GAS AND GAS COMPANIES.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in General
Assembly convened:

Section 1. Subdivision (5) of subsection (a) of section 16-1 of the 2026 1
supplement to the general statutes is repealed and the following is 2
substituted in lieu thereof (Effective October 1, 2026): 3
(5) "Gas company" includes every person owning, leasing, 4
maintaining, operating, managing or controlling mains, pipes or other 5
fixtures, in public highways or streets, for the transmission or 6
distribution of gas for sale and to be used for heat or power within [this] 7
the state, or engaged in the manufacture of gas to be so transmitted or 8
distributed for such purpose . [, but shall ] "Gas company" does not 9
include (A) a person manufacturing gas through the use of a biomass 10
gasification plant, provided such person does not own, lease, maintain, 11
operate, manage or control mains, pipes or other fixtures in public 12
highways or streets, (B) a municipal gas utility established under 13
chapter 101 or any other gas utility owned, leased, maintained, 14
operated, managed or controlled by any unit of local government under 15
SB420 File No. 470

SB420 / File No. 470 2

any general statute or any public or special act, or (C) an entity approved 16
to submeter pursuant to section 16-19ff; 17
This act shall take effect as follows and shall amend the following
sections:

Section 1 October 1, 2026 16-1(a)(5)

ET Joint Favorable

SB420 File No. 470

SB420 / File No. 470 3

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: None
Municipal Impact: None
Explanation
The bill makes various technical changes to energy related statutes
and has no fiscal impact.
The Out Years
State Impact: None
Municipal Impact: None

SB420 File No. 470

SB420 / File No. 470 4

OLR Bill Analysis
SB 420

AN ACT CONCERNING NATURAL GAS AND GAS COMPANIES.

SUMMARY
This bill makes technical changes in energy-related laws.
EFFECTIVE DATE: October 1, 2026
COMMITTEE ACTION
Energy and Technology Committee
Joint Favorable
Yea 22 Nay 4 (03/19/2026)