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Substitute Senate Bill No. 444
Public Act No. 26-136
AN ACT AUTHORIZING CERTAIN MUNICIPAL EMPLOYEES TO
SERVE ON MUNICIPAL BOARDS OF FINANCE.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in General
Assembly convened:
Section 1. Subsection (e) of section 7 -421 of the general statutes is
repealed and the following is substituted in lieu thereof (Effective October
1, 2026):
(e) Any municipal employee shall have the right to serve on any
governmental body of the town in which such employee resides except
any body which has responsibility for direct supervision of such
employee. Notwithstanding the provisions of this subsection, (1 ) no
such employee shall serve on any of the following unless such employee
is permitted to serve pursuant to the provisions of a municipal charter
or home rule ordinance or serves because of membership on the
legislative body of the municipality [: (A) Any board of finance created
pursuant to chapter 106 or any special act or municipal charter; (B)] (A)
any body exercising zoning powers pursuant to chapter 124 or any
special act or municipal charter; [(C)] (B) any body exercising land use
powers pursuant to chapter 125a or any special act or municipal charter;
[(D)] (C) any body exercising planning powers pursuant to chapter 126
or any special act or municipal charter; or [(E)] (D) any body regulating
inland wetlands and watercourses pursuant to chapter 440 or any
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Public Act No. 26-136 2 of 3
special act or municipal charter; (2) no such employee shall serve on a
board of finance created pursuant to chapter 106 or any special act or
municipal charter unless such employee (A) is permitted to serve
pursuant to the provisions of a municipal charter or home rule
ordinance, (B) serves because of membership on the legislative body of
the municipality, or (C) earned a stipend for such municipal
employment totaling less than ten thousand dollars in the previous
twelve-month period; and [(2)] (3) any municipality may, by ordinance
adopted by its legislative body, authorize such employees to serve on
(A) any body exercising zoning powers pursuant to chapter 124 or any
special act or municipal charter; (B) any body exercising land use
powers pursuant to chapter 125a or any special act or municipal charter;
(C) any body exercising planning powers pursuant to chapter 126 or any
special act or municipal charter; or (D) any body regulating inland
wetlands and watercourses pursuant to chapter 440 or any special act or
municipal charter.
Sec. 2. Subsection (a) of section 8-19 of the general statutes is repealed
and the following is substituted in lieu thereof (Effective October 1, 2026):
(a) Any municipality may create by ordinance a planning
commission, which shall consist of five members, who shall be electors
of such municipality and whose terms of office and method of election
or appointment shall be fixed in the ordinance. The ordinance m ay
provide that members may be municipal employees if the municipality
has adopted an ordinance authorizing such membership pursuant to the
provisions of subparagraph (C) of subdivision [(2)] (3) of subsection (e)
of section 7 -421, as amended by this a ct. The chief executive officer of
the municipality and the engineer thereof or commissioner of public
works, if any, shall also be members of the commission, without voting
privileges. The terms of office shall be so arranged that the terms of not
more than three members shall expire in any one year. Unless otherwise
provided by charter, vacancies shall be filled by the commission for the
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unexpired portion of the term. Upon the adoption of this section by
ordinance as herein provided, and the appointment or election of a
commission thereunder, any planning commission in the municipality
established under any previous act of the General Assembly shall cease
to exist, and its books and records shall be turned over to the
commission established under this section, provided all regulations
promulgated by such planning commission prior to that time shall
continue in full force and effect until mo dified, repealed or superseded
in accordance with the provisions of this chapter. The area of
jurisdiction of a planning commission created by a town includes any
city or borough therein without a legally constituted planning
commission for all planning purposes except those specified in sections
8-24 and 8-29. Powers granted under said sections may be delegated by
the legislative body of such city or borough to the planning commission
of the town in which such city or borough is situated. Any city or
borough in which a planning commission has been previously
established may, by ordinance, designate the commission established
under this section in the town in which such city or borough is situated
to be the planning commission of such city or borough, and su ch
commission shall supersede the planning commission previously
established in such city or borough. The commission shall elect a
chairman and a secretary from its members, shall adopt rules for the
transaction of business and shall keep a public record o f its activities.
The planning commission of each municipality shall file an annual
report with the legislative body thereof.