Signed by Governor Ned Lamont

Vote Smart's Synopsis:

Vote to pass a bill that requires flood risk disclosure and strengthens towns against rising sea levels in Connecticut.

Highlights:

• Requires providers of homeowners or renters insurance to provide a notice to their insured clients that their policy does not provide coverage for loss caused by flood, and that insurance is available under separate flood policies (Sec. 1).

• Requires creditors to notify mortgage loan applicants that standard homeowners insurance does not cover flood damage, and that flood damage may occur regardless of whether the property is in a designated flood zone (Sec. 2).

• Requires seller disclosure of certain information regarding properties, including whether the property is located in a Federal Emergency Management Agency designated floodplain, and if the seller has ever filed a claim for flood damage (Sec. 3).

• Requires any municipal evacuation or hazard mitigation plan on and after October 1, 2027 to identify and address threats to surface transportation, critical infrastructure, and local land uses as a result of sea level change, and to include actions to avoid or reduce the impacts of climate change (Sec. 7).

• Authorizes the use of funds for capital improvements against the impacts of climate change upon recommendation by the budget-making authority and legislative body (Sec. 9-10).

• Requires all conservation and development plans adopted on or after October 1, 2027 to include a climate change vulnerability assessment and identify strategies and design standards to avoid or reduce risks associated with natural disasters (Sec. 11).

• Requires each regional council of governments to include resilient patterns of development and land use strategies to reduce the impacts of climate change in its plans of conservation and development (Sec. 13).

• Requires future revisions to the state plan of conservation and development to consider risks associated with changes to the rate of precipitation, increased flooding and erosion, impacts of extreme heat and drought, and make recommendations for the siting and land use strategies of future infrastructure (Sec. 14).

• Authorizes zoning regulations that incentivize flood-risk reduction building methods (Sec. 16).

• Requires the Water Planning Council to consider the potential impact of climate change on the quality of water resources in undertaking updates to the state water plan (Sec. 19).

• Authorizes municipalities to establish resiliency improvement districts and district master plans to improve resiliency within the district (Sec. 22-24).

• Prohibits the use of pesticides that contain any neonicotinoids unless it is determined that there is no other effective control option (Sec. 32).

Full Bill Text

Vote Smart's Synopsis:

Vote to pass a bill that requires flood risk disclosure and strengthens towns against rising sea levels in Connecticut.

Highlights:

• Requires providers of homeowners or renters insurance to provide a notice to their insured clients that their policy does not provide coverage for loss caused by flood, and that insurance is available under separate flood policies (Sec. 1).

• Requires creditors to notify mortgage loan applicants that standard homeowners insurance does not cover flood damage, and that flood damage may occur regardless of whether the property is in a designated flood zone (Sec. 2).

• Requires seller disclosure of certain information regarding properties, including whether the property is located in a Federal Emergency Management Agency designated floodplain, and if the seller has ever filed a claim for flood damage (Sec. 3).

• Requires any municipal evacuation or hazard mitigation plan on and after October 1, 2027 to identify and address threats to surface transportation, critical infrastructure, and local land uses as a result of sea level change, and to include actions to avoid or reduce the impacts of climate change (Sec. 7).

• Authorizes the use of funds for capital improvements against the impacts of climate change upon recommendation by the budget-making authority and legislative body (Sec. 9-10).

• Requires all conservation and development plans adopted on or after October 1, 2027 to include a climate change vulnerability assessment and identify strategies and design standards to avoid or reduce risks associated with natural disasters (Sec. 11).

• Requires each regional council of governments to include resilient patterns of development and land use strategies to reduce the impacts of climate change in its plans of conservation and development (Sec. 13).

• Requires future revisions to the state plan of conservation and development to consider risks associated with changes to the rate of precipitation, increased flooding and erosion, impacts of extreme heat and drought, and make recommendations for the siting and land use strategies of future infrastructure (Sec. 14).

• Authorizes zoning regulations that incentivize flood-risk reduction building methods (Sec. 16).

• Requires the Water Planning Council to consider the potential impact of climate change on the quality of water resources in undertaking updates to the state water plan (Sec. 19).

• Authorizes municipalities to establish resiliency improvement districts and district master plans to improve resiliency within the district (Sec. 22-24).

• Prohibits the use of pesticides that contain any neonicotinoids unless it is determined that there is no other effective control option (Sec. 32).

Full Bill Text