AN ACT AMENDING THE CHARTER OF THE METROPOLITAN DISTRICT OF HARTFORD COUNTY.

Senate
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General Assembly File No. 283
February Session, 2026 Substitute Senate Bill No. 448

Senate, March 31, 2026

The Committee on Planning and Development reported
through SEN. RAHMAN of the 4th Dist., Chairperson of the
Committee on the part of the Senate, that the substitute bill
ought to pass.

AN ACT AMENDING THE CHARTER OF THE METROPOLITAN
DISTRICT OF HARTFORD COUNTY.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in General
Assembly convened:

Section 1. Section 2 of number 562 of the special acts of 1937, as 1
amended by section 14 of public act 93 -380, is amended to read as 2
follows (Effective October 1, 2026): 3
Unless otherwise expressly provided by law, each board, bureau, 4
committee and commission of The Metropolitan District shall have full 5
power to organize by the appointment from its own number [or 6
otherwise of] a chairman and vice chairman and such other officers as 7
may be deemed necessary and expedient. [In case such appointment 8
shall not be made from the membership of the respective boards, any 9
officer so appointed shall have no vote in the proceedings of such 10
board.] An employee of the district shall not be a member of the board 11
of commissioners nor any committee or commission established by the 12
board of commissioners or the charter. 13
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Sec. 2. Section 33 of number 511 of the special acts of 1929, as 14
amended by section 2 of special act 77-54 and section 1 of special act 01-15
3, is amended to read as follows (Effective October 1, 2026): 16
(a) The district [commission] board shall conduct a public hearing on 17
any proposed ordinance or revision to an ordinance at which parties in 18
interest and citizens shall have an opportunity to be heard. Notice of the 19
time and place of such hearing shall be published in a newspaper having 20
a substantial circulation in [the metropolitan district] The Metropolitan 21
District at least twice at intervals of not less than two days, the first not 22
more than fifteen days nor less than ten days before such hearing, and 23
the last not less than two days before such hearing. The proposed 24
ordinance or revision to an ordinance shall be filed in the office of the 25
town clerk in each municipality that is a member of the district for public 26
inspection at least ten days before such hearing. [The proposed 27
ordinance or revision to an ordinance may be published in full in such 28
newspaper.] 29
(b) (1) Except as provided in subdivision (2) of this subsection, the 30
district board shall publish each such proposed ordinance or revision to 31
an ordinance in full in a newspaper having substantial circulation in The 32
Metropolitan District. 33
(2) The district board may provide, by ordinance, that summaries of 34
proposed ordinances or revisions to ordinances may be published, 35
except that no proposed ordinance or revision to an ordinance that 36
makes or requires an appropriation shall be summarized. Any such 37
summary shall include the following statement: "This summary is 38
prepared for the benefit of the public, solely for purposes of information, 39
summarization and explanation. This summary does not represent the 40
intent of the legislative body of The Metropolitan District for any 41
purpose." In the event that such a summary is published, the district 42
clerk shall make a copy of such proposed ordinance or revision to an 43
ordinance available for public inspection, and shall, upon request, mail 44
a copy of such proposed ordinance or revision to an ordinance to any 45
person requesting such copy, at no charge to such person. 46
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(c) No ordinance passed by the district board shall take effect until 47
ten days from the passage of such ordinance nor until it has been 48
published in full or summarized, as applicable, twice in [one or more 49
daily papers issued within the metropolitan district ] a newspaper 50
having substantial circulation in The Metropolitan District and the clerk 51
of said district shall cause each ordinance passed by the said district 52
board to be published without unnecessary delay, and a certificate of 53
the district clerk upon the record of such ordinance that the same has 54
been so published shall be prima facie evidence thereof in any suit or 55
proceeding, and no ordinance shall be valid if repugnant to the laws of 56
the state. 57
Sec. 3. Section 34 of number 511 of the special acts of 1929, as 58
amended by section 2 of special act 01 -3, is amended to read as follows 59
(Effective October 1, 2026): 60
The district board of [the metropolitan district ] The Metropolitan 61
District may, from time to time, revise the ordinances of said district 62
combining therein existing ordinances and making such alterations as it 63
may deem necessary. 64
Sec. 4. Number 283 of the special acts of 1949 is amended to read as 65
follows (Effective October 1, 2026): 66
The [city and police court of the city ] superior court for the judicial 67
district of Hartford and any town, city, city and police, borough, or 68
police court or trial justice shall have jurisdiction to enforce any 69
ordinance, by-law or regulation of The Metropolitan District and may 70
punish any offender by a fine not exceeding [fifty] two hundred fifty 71
dollars, or by imprisonment not exceeding thirty days or by both such 72
fine and imprisonment. 73
Sec. 5. Section 35 of number 511 of the special acts of 1929 is amended 74
to read as follows (Effective October 1, 2026): 75
There shall be an attorney chosen by the district board who shall be 76
counsel to the district and whose duties and compensation shall by fixed 77
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by a by-law or ordinance of said district. [He] The district counsel shall 78
be an attorney of at least five years' practice and shall be a resident of 79
the district or a district nonmember municipality. The district counsel of 80
said district shall hold office during the pleasure of the board. The board 81
may also provide, by ordinance or otherwise, for the appointment by 82
the counsel of such assistance as the board shall [approved] approve. 83
Sec. 6. Subsection (b) of section 39 of number 511 of the special acts of 84
1929, as amended by special act 80 -14, special act 90 -14, section 1 of 85
special act 08-9 and section 1 of public act 15-114, is amended to read as 86
follows (Effective October 1, 2026): 87
(b) Whenever any work shall be necessary to execute or perfect any 88
public work or improvement, or whenever any supplies for the district 89
shall be needed for any particular purpose and such work or supplies 90
shall involve the expenditure of more than [twenty-five] fifty thousand 91
dollars, except in the case of an emergency to be determined by the 92
district board, a written contract for such work or supplies shall be made 93
under such regulations or ordinances as the district board may establish, 94
which contract shall be based on sealed bids. At least ten calendar days 95
prior to the time designated for opening competitive bids or proposals, 96
the district shall solicit competitive bids or proposals by (1) publishing 97
notice in daily and weekly newspapers servicing the member 98
municipalities provided a description of such legal notice containing a 99
brief summary of the competitive bid or proposal being noticed and a 100
reference to the Internet web site of the newspaper in which such legal 101
notice is placed may be published in lieu of the full legal notice, and (2) 102
posting notice on the Internet web site of the district. Any newspaper 103
that offers publication of such legal notices on an Internet web site shall 104
post the full legal notice in a conspicuous location on such web site and 105
make any such full legal notice available to the public free of charge. The 106
district may send such notice to trade associations or other groups active 107
in the business or service solicited. Each contract awarded by the district 108
shall be awarded to the lowest qualified bidder with bid requirements, 109
except as provided in this subsection. 110
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Sec. 7. Section 15 of number 511 of the special acts of 1929 is amended 111
to read as follows (Effective October 1, 2026): 112
Upon the acceptance and approval of such budget and upon the 113
completion of the grand lists, the district board, acting on the 114
recommendation of the board of finance, may lay a tax upon the towns 115
composing the district in a manner similar to that provided for by 116
section 1224 of the general statutes, revision of 1918. The total amount 117
of such tax shall be at least sufficient to pay the net estimated expenses 118
and current charges of the district for the ensuing year and the same 119
shall be divided among the towns in the proportion provided for which 120
the total revenue received yearly from direct taxation in each town, 121
including that received by all taxing districts therein, and including also 122
that which would have been received from all property exempted from 123
taxation under the provisions of any special act, or by town vote as 124
provided by sections 1161 and 1162 of the general statutes, revision of 125
1918, as averaged for the three fiscal years next preceding is to the total 126
revenue so determined at such time as averaged in all the towns in the 127
district. Each town's average total revenue shall be determined on the 128
basis of the annual audits of financial statements required pursuant to 129
chapter 111 of the general statutes for the three fiscal years next 130
preceding, including any revenue that would have otherwise been 131
received in any such fiscal year from any property exempted from 132
taxation under the provisions of any special act or by town vote as 133
provided by sections 1161 and 1162 of the general statutes, revision of 134
1918. If any town fails to file a statement of such town's accounts and 135
finances pursuant to such chapter in any of such three fiscal years, and 136
such town's average total revenue for the three fiscal years next 137
preceding and proportional share of such tax cannot be accurately 138
calculated, the tax laid upon such town shall be determined on the basis 139
of the most recent audit submitted by such town, to which an amount 140
equal to ten per cent of such revenue shall be added for each applicable 141
fiscal year for which such town failed to file such statement, which 142
amount shall be compounded from year to year. Such tax shall be 143
payable at such time as the district board may prescribe and the 144
chairman shall draw and sign an order upon each town for its tax so 145
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imposed in favor of the district treasurer, notice of which shall forthwith 146
be given by the district clerk to each town or city clerk and if any town 147
shall neglect to pay its tax by the time prescribed, said treasurer shall 148
report such neglect to the clerk of the superior court for the judicial 149
district of Hartford, [county,] who shall record it and issue an execution 150
against the goods and estate of the inhabitants of such town in the name 151
of the district treasurer, returnable in sixty days, directed to [the sheriff 152
of said county or his deputy ] a state marshal, for the amount of the tax 153
remaining unpaid to be proceeded with as executions in civil actions. 154
The towns and cities composing said metropolitan district are 155
empowered in any such case to include in the tax collections for the 156
current year an amount sufficient to pay such district tax. 157
Sec. 8. Section 50 of number 511 of the special acts of 1929, as 158
amended by section 4 of special act 77-54, is amended to read as follows 159
(Effective October 1, 2026): 160
The water bureau of [the metropolitan district ] The Metropolitan 161
District is empowered to make such by -laws or regulations for the 162
preservation, protection and management of the waterworks of said 163
district as may be deemed advisable and enforce the same by suitable 164
penalties; and, when such by -laws or regulations have been approved 165
by the district board and shall have been published ten days at least in 166
a daily newspaper issued within said district, they shall be of binding 167
validity, and said bureau may bring, in the name of The Metropolitan 168
District, actions of debt on such by -laws before the [court of common 169
pleas for Hartford county ] superior court for the judicial district of 170
Hartford to recover any penalty for the breach of the same. The police 171
court of the city of Hartford or any town court within said district shall 172
also have jurisdiction over any breach of such by -laws or regulations 173
and may punish the offender by a fine not exceeding [thirty] two 174
hundred fifty dollars, or by imprisonment not exceeding thirty days or 175
by both fine and imprisonment. The water bureau shall have power to 176
establish rates for the use of water, subject to the approval of the district 177
board, and whenever any water rent shall remain unpaid after the time 178
prescribed and limited for payment by the rules and regulations of said 179
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bureau, said bureau may charge and receive additional percentage for 180
collecting the same, provided the conditions of such percentage be 181
published as aforesaid in the rules of said bureau. 182
Sec. 9. Number 282 of the special acts of 1949, as amended by special 183
act 80-25, is amended to read as follows (Effective October 1, 2026): 184
The Metropolitan District may make rules, bylaws and ordinances 185
with respect to connections with, the use of and discharge of substances 186
into drains, sewers and their appurtenances which belong to or are 187
under the jurisdiction or control of said district. The Metropolitan 188
District may enter into agreements with property owners, which may 189
be in the nature of a lien to be filed in the land records of the town in 190
which the property is located, to secure payment of sanitary sewer 191
connection charges which may be deferred for a period of up to [fifteen] 192
twenty years, with interest thereon at such rate as the district board of 193
said district shall, by ordinance, prescribe. Such lien shall be a lien upon 194
the land that is benefitted by such sanitary sewer connection and shall 195
attach to such land upon recordation of such agreement, signed by said 196
property owner and the clerk of said district, describing the premises 197
and the nature and amount of such connection charge, in the land 198
records of the town in which the property is located. 199
Sec. 10. Section 60 of number 511 of the special acts of 1929, as 200
amended by section 2 of number 312 of the special acts of 1945 and 201
section 5 of special act 77 -54, is amended to read as follows ( Effective 202
October 1, 2026): 203
Upon the final layout or completion of the construction of any public 204
work or improvement, the bureau of public works shall give notice 205
thereof and that such benefits are due and payable, by publication twice 206
in a daily newspaper published in said metropolitan district, and all 207
benefits assessed therefor shall be immediately due and payable. If the 208
actual cost of the construction of any public work or improvement shall 209
be less than the sum estimated by the bureau of public works and 210
assessed upon the parties benefitted, each of the parties so assessed shall 211
be entitled to a proportionate deduction from his assessments. Such 212
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benefits shall be a lien upon the land on account of which they were 213
assessed, which liens shall commence and attach to such land from the 214
time of passage by the district board of the vote laying out or ordering 215
the construction of such work or improvement; provided, within [thirty] 216
ninety days from such passage, a caveat or certificate briefly describing 217
the public work or improvement for which the benefits were assessed 218
and the property upon which such assessment is a lien, together with 219
the names of the owners thereof and the amount of benefits assessed 220
against it, shall have been delivered for record to the town clerk of the 221
town in which the property subject to said lien is located, and further 222
provided the same shall not remain in a lien thereon for a longer period 223
than three months from the date of the last publication of the notice of 224
the final layout or completion of such work or improvement and the 225
benefits assessed therefor shall be due and payable, unless the bureau 226
of public works shall, within that time, deliver for record to the town 227
clerk of the town wherein such property is located a certificate signed 228
by the clerk of said bureau describing said premises, the amount 229
assessed and the public work or improvement for which it was assessed. 230
This act shall take effect as follows and shall amend the following
sections:

Section 1 October 1, 2026 Number 562 of the
special acts of 1937, Sec.
2
Sec. 2 October 1, 2026 Number 511 of the
special acts of 1929, Sec.
33
Sec. 3 October 1, 2026 Number 511 of the
special acts of 1929, Sec.
34
Sec. 4 October 1, 2026 Number 283 of the
special acts of 1949
Sec. 5 October 1, 2026 Number 511 of the
special acts of 1929, Sec.
35
Sec. 6 October 1, 2026 Number 511 of the
special acts of 1929, Sec.
39(b)
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Sec. 7 October 1, 2026 Number 511 of the
special acts of 1929, Sec.
15
Sec. 8 October 1, 2026 Number 511 of the
special acts of 1929, Sec.
50
Sec. 9 October 1, 2026 Number 282 of the
special acts of 1949
Sec. 10 October 1, 2026 Number 511 of the
special acts of 1929, Sec.
60

PD 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 $
Resources of the General Fund GF - Potential
Revenue Gain
See Below See Below
Note: GF=General Fund
Municipal Impact:
Municipalities Effect FY 27 $ FY 28 $
Various Municipalities Savings See Below See Below
Various Municipalities Potential
Cost/Savings
See Below See Below
Various Municipalities Revenue
Gain
See Below See Below

Explanation
Section 1 requires the chairman and vice chairman of the
Metropolitan District’s (MDC) various boards and bureaus to be a
member of such bodies, which does not result in a fiscal impact.
Section 2 allows MDC’s board of commissioners to publish
summaries of certain ordinances instead of the ordinances in their
entirety. This results in a savings beginning in FY 27 to the MDC to the
extent that less advertising space is required to publish notice of certain
ordinances or revisions to ordinances.
Section 3 makes a technical change and has no fiscal impact.
Section 4 results in a potential revenue gain beginning in FY 27 to the
General Fund by increasing the fine for violations of district ordinances
from $50 to $250. Any revenue gain will be dependent on the number
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of fines collected by the district.
The section also changes the court with jurisdiction over these
ordinances to the superior court for the judicial district of Hartford. The
court system disposes of over 250,000 cases annually and the number of
cases is not anticipated to be great enough to need additional resources.
Section 5 changes residency requirements for the district’s legal
counsel and does not result in a fiscal impact.
Section 6 results in a savings beginning in FY 27 for the MDC related
to decreased publishing costs, to the extent that requests for bids and
proposals for public works projects necessitating an expenditure of
between $25,000 and $50,000 are no longer required to be advertised in
newspapers.
Section 7 creates a penalty for member municipalities of the MDC
that do not submit annual financial statements to the district to
determine each municipality’s share of wastewater operation costs.
Currently, member municipalities submit audited financial statements
to calculate each town’s share of the sewer charge based on each town’s
total revenue. The bill provides that municipalities that fail to submit
an updated annual statement will see the total revenue from their most
recently submitted report in creased by 10%. This will increase such a
municipality’s share of the sewer charge and results in a potential cost
beginning in FY 27 for MDC member municipalities that do not submit
these annual statements , and a corresponding potential savings
beginning in FY 27 to municipalities that did submit annual statements.
Section 8 results in a potential revenue gain beginning in FY 27 to the
General Fund by increasing the fine for violations of ordinances related
to the district’s waterworks from $30 to $250. Any revenue gain will be
dependent on the number of fines collected by the district.
The section also changes the court with jurisdiction over these
ordinances to the superior court for the judicial district of Hartford. The
court system disposes of over 250,000 cases annually and the number of
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cases is not anticipated to be great enough to need additional resources.
Section 9 extends the permissible term of liens related to sewer
connection charges from fifteen years to twenty years. This results in a
potential revenue gain to the MDC to the extent that more interest is
collected on such liens in the out years.
Section 10 extends the time period in which the MDC can file
assessment caveats on the land records from thirty days to ninety days,
which does not result in a fiscal impact.

The Out Years
The annualized ongoing fiscal impact identified above would
continue into the future subject to the number of violations, liens filed,
and inflation.

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OLR Bill Analysis
sSB 448

AN ACT AMENDING THE CHARTER OF THE METROPOLITAN
DISTRICT OF HARTFORD COUNTY.

SUMMARY
The Office of Legislative Research does not analyze Special Acts.
COMMITTEE ACTION
Planning and Development Committee
Joint Favorable Substitute
Yea 21 Nay 0 (03/13/2026)