Connecticut HB 5522: AN ACT AUTHORIZING HUNTERS TO USE SOUND SUPPRESSORS.

Bill Text

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General Assembly Substitute Bill No. 5522
February Session, 2026

AN ACT CONCERNING THE SEWAGE RIGHT-TO-KNOW ACT AND
REQUIRING A REPORT CONCERNING WELL CONTAMINATION
PROTOCOLS.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in General
Assembly convened:

Section 1. Section 22a-424a of the general statutes is repealed and the 1
following is substituted in lieu thereof (Effective from passage): 2
(a) For the purposes of this section: 3
(1) "Sewage treatment plant or collection system" means any sewage 4
treatment plant, water pollution control facility, related pumping 5
station, collection system or other public sewage works; 6
(2) "Sewage spill" means the diversion of wastes from any portion of 7
a sewage treatment plant or collection system in this state; 8
(3) "Combined sewer" means structures which are designed to 9
convey both sanitary and storm sewage, and allow the overflow of such 10
combined sewage, untreated, to the waters of the state during periods 11
of high flows; and 12
(4) "Electronic report" means a reporting form that uses an electronic 13
format as prescribed by the Commissioner of Energy and 14
Environmental Protection. 15

Substitute Bill No. 5522

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(b) On and after July 1, 2013, the Commissioner of Energy and 16
Environmental Protection shall post, on the department's Internet web 17
site, a map of the state indicating where sewage spills, anticipated 18
combined sewer overflows and permitted sewage bypasses occur. The 19
Internet web site shall include all information posted pursuant to 20
subdivision (1) of subsection (c) of this section and shall be current. 21
(c) (1) On and after July 1, 2014, not later than two hours after receipt 22
of any report submitted pursuant to subdivision (2) of this subsection, 23
the Commissioner of Energy and Environmental Protection shall post, 24
on the department's Internet web site, notice of any such reported 25
sewage spills and permitted sewage bypasses. Any notice or report 26
posted pursuant to this subsection shall contain the following relevant 27
information as best determined by the operator of the sewage treatment 28
plant or collection system that filed the subject report: (A) The estimated 29
volume or rate of discharge and, once known, the final volume 30
discharged; (B) the level of treatment of the discharge; (C) the date and 31
time the incident occurred; (D) the location of the discharge; (E) once 32
known, the estimated or actual time the discharge ceased; (F) the 33
geographic area impacted by the discharge; (G) once known, the steps 34
taken to contain the discharge; (H) reasonable public health, safety or 35
welfare concerns or environmental concerns; and (I) public safety 36
precautions that should be taken. 37
(2) On and after July 1, 2018, not later than two hours after becoming 38
aware of any sewage spill or permitted sewage bypass, the operator of 39
a sewage treatment plant or collection system shall submit an electronic 40
report to the Department of Energy and Environmental Protection that 41
includes all of the information required for any notice or report posted 42
in accordance with the provisions of subdivision (1) of this subsection. 43
Such report shall be updated by the operator on a daily basis for each 44
additional day that the sewage spill or permitted sewage bypass 45
continues after the submittal of the initial report and until such time as 46
the sewage spill or permitted sewage bypass ceases. Any such report 47
shall be posted on the Internet web site of such operator. 48

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(3) On and after July 1, 2018, not later than two hours after becoming 49
aware of any sewage spill or permitted sewage bypass that reaches a 50
water body or may come in contact with the general public, the operator 51
of a sewage treatment plant or collection system shall notify the chief 52
elected official, or such official's designee, and the local public health 53
official of the municipality where the sewage spill or permitted sewage 54
bypass occurred and the chief elected official, or such official's designee, 55
and the local public health official of any municipality that may be 56
potentially impacted downstream by such spill or sewage bypass. As 57
soon as practicable, but not later than two hours after receipt of any such 58
notice pursuant to this subdivision, each such chief elected official, in 59
conjunction with the local public health official, shall inform the public 60
of any sewage spill or permitted sewage bypass that has the potential to 61
impact public health, safety or the environment. Any such information 62
provided to the public may be provided through the use of social media 63
and shall be provided in each predominant language spoken by the 64
residents of such municipality. The Commissioner of Energy and 65
Environmental Protection shall require such operator to post a sign at 66
the location of such spill or sewage bypass that cont