Connecticut HB 5523: AN ACT CONCERNING ETHICS.

Bill Text

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General Assembly Substitute Bill No. 5523
February Session, 2026

AN ACT CONCERNING A TRIBAL WILDLIFE AND FISHERIES
ADVISORY COUNCIL.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in General
Assembly convened:

Section 1. (NEW) (Effective October 1, 2026) (a) There is established a 1
Connecticut Tribal Wildlife and Fisheries Advisory Council. Said 2
advisory council consists of the following members who voluntarily 3
agree to serve on such advisory council: (1) Two members from and 4
selected by the Mashantucket Pequot Tribal Nation, (2) two members 5
from and selected by the Mohegan Tribe, (3) two members from each of 6
the following tribes, as selected by each respective tribe: (A) The Eastern 7
Pequot Tribe, (B) the Golden Hill Paugussett Tribe, and (C) the 8
Schaghticoke Tribe, (4) the Commissioner of Energy and Environmental 9
Protection, or the commissioner's designee, (5) one member each from 10
the Department of Energy and Environmental Protection's Wildlife 11
Division, Fisheries Division and Forestry Division, as appointed by the 12
Commissioner of Energy and Environmental Protection, (6) one 13
member from the Department of Agriculture, (7) one member from the 14
Bureau of Aquaculture of the Department of Agriculture, (8) one 15
member from the Connecticut Agricultural Experiment Station, (9) one 16
member from Connecticut Sea Grant, (10) one member from the Native 17
American and Indigenous Studies Department at The University of 18
Connecticut, and (11) the chairpersons and ranking members of the joint 19

Substitute Bill No. 5523

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standing committee of the General Assembly having cognizance of 20
matters relating to the environment, or their designees. 21
(b) The tribal members of the advisory council shall develop written 22
procedures for meetings, at such members' discretion, which shall be 23
distributed to all members of the advisory council. Nontribal members 24
of such advisory council shall attend meetings on a quarterly basis, at 25
the invitation of the tribal members. 26
(c) Such advisory council shall: (1) Make recommendations to the 27
Department of Energy and Environmental Protection on how state 28
conservation plans and policies can integrate tribal ecological 29
knowledge and stewardship practices, and (2) promote the sustainable 30
use of natural resources consistent with state conservation goals. 31
(d) Nothing in this section shall be construed to apply to lands held 32
in federal trust for any tribe or to reservation lands, which remain under 33
tribal jurisdiction. 34
Sec. 2. (NEW) (Effective October 1, 2026) (a) The Commissioner of 35
Energy and Environmental Protection shall provide, at no cost, hunting 36
and fishing permits to any enrolled member of a federally or state-37
recognized tribe identified in subsection (b) of section 47-59a of the 38
general statutes for lawful activities conducted off reservation lands. 39
(b) Any activities conducted pursuant to this section shall remain 40
subject to state conservation goals, seasons and species protections. 41
(c) The commissioner shall also provide access to conservation 42
education, hunter safety and firearms safety programs to such tribal 43
members. 44
Sec. 3. (NEW) (Effective October 1, 2026) The Commissioner of 45
Agriculture shall prioritize tribal meat, fish and aquaculture processing 46
facilities for technical assistance, United States Department of 47
Agriculture certification support and eligibility for state or federal 48
infrastructure funding programs. Such prioritization shall support tribal 49

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food sovereignty, local food systems and community-based economic 50
development. 51
This act shall take effect as follows and shall amend the following
sections:

Section 1 October 1, 2026 New section
Sec. 2 October 1, 2026 New section
Sec. 3 October 1, 2026 New section

ENV Joint Favorable Subst.