Connecticut SB 146: AN ACT CONCERNING THE PROTECTION OF CROPS AND LIVESTOCK FROM CERTAIN WILDLIFE.

Bill Text

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General Assembly Substitute Bill No. 146
February Session, 2026

AN ACT CONCERNING THE PROTECTION OF CROPS AND
LIVESTOCK FROM CERTAIN WILDLIFE.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in General
Assembly convened:

Section 1. Subsection (e) of section 26-47 of the general statutes is 1
repealed and the following is substituted in lieu thereof (Effective from 2
passage): 3
(e) Notwithstanding the provisions of subsection (a) of this section, 4
the Commissioner of Energy and Environmental Protection may issue 5
permits for the taking of wildlife that threatens or causes damage to 6
agricultural crops, livestock or apiaries, or that caused damage to crops 7
during the preceding growing season, as verified by the Department of 8
Energy and Environmental Protection if: (1) The owner or lessee of the 9
subject property utilized reasonable nonlethal efforts to protect such 10
[crops,] apiaries or livestock, including, but not limited to, electric 11
fencing, animal guardians or fortified enclosed structures, and (2) an 12
investigation by Department of Energy and Environmental Protection 13
personnel determines that the taking of such wildlife is necessary to 14
protect agricultural crops, apiaries or livestock from excessive damage 15
and that reasonable nonlethal efforts to protect such [crops,] apiaries or 16
livestock have not been or are not likely to be successful in preventing 17
further damage. Any such permit issued pursuant to this subsection 18
shall specify the means, methods and times for which such take is 19

Substitute Bill No. 146

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allowed and shall only be issued by the commissioner to the: (A) Owner 20
of the subject property on which such excessive damage occurred, (B) 21
agent of such owner, or (C) lessee of such subject property, provided 22
such lessee has the written permission of such owner to take wildlife. 23
No application for a permit pursuant to this section shall require 24
notarization. Any wildlife taken pursuant to this section shall be 25
disposed of as directed by the department. The provisions of this 26
subsection shall not be construed to authorize the taking of any federally 27
protected species. 28
Sec. 2. Subsection (c) of section 26-80a of the general statutes is 29
repealed and the following is substituted in lieu thereof (Effective from 30
passage): 31
(c) Nothing in this section shall be construed to prevent any person 32
from using deadly physical force to kill a bear if such person reasonably 33
believes that a bear is: (1) Inflicting or is about to inflict great bodily 34
harm to a human, (2) injuring or killing such person's pet or livestock 35
that is otherwise controlled in accordance with any applicable provision 36
of the general statutes or any regulation adopted pursuant to such a 37
provision, or (3) entering a building occupied by persons. 38
This act shall take effect as follows and shall amend the following
sections:

Section 1 from passage 26-47(e)
Sec. 2 from passage 26-80a(c)

ENV Joint Favorable Subst.