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SB 1556 Connecticut Senate · 2025 Regular Session

AN ACT ESTABLISHING THE CONNECTICUT APPEALS BOARD FOR PROPERTY VALUATION.

SB 1556 creates a new state-level Connecticut Appeals Board for Property Valuation to handle property tax appeals, replacing local boards of assessment appeals in municipalities that choose to adopt it. Property owners who disagree with their town assessor's valuation can appeal directly to this board (instead of local boards) for assessments starting with the initial year specified, filing within two months of the assessor's action. The board, consisting of five full-time members appointed by the governor with specific appraisal/legal experience requirements, reviews appeals "de novo" (from scratch, without being bound by prior local decisions) and allows municipalities to collect up to 75% of the disputed tax while appeals are pending. This affects all Connecticut property owners in participating municipalities and shifts the appeal process from local to state oversight.
Bill status in committee 1 of 4 stages cleared
Introduction
Apr 2025
Committee Review
Floor Vote
Governor
Introduced Apr 9, 2025 Last action May 12, 2025
Maddy AI version diff · 1 comparison

What changed between versions

Raised Bill → FIN Joint Favorable Substitute · 5 edits
MODERATE
This bill establishes a new Connecticut appeals board for property valuation that will replace local boards of assessment appeals in municipalities that choose to adopt it. The new board will be appointed by the Governor with state legislative approval, consisting of five members including a lawyer chairperson. Municipalities can opt into this system through local ordinance, and the board will handle property tax appeals for those municipalities that elect to use it.
Scope change
The bill changes from a state-mandated appeals board to an optional system where individual municipalities must vote to adopt it through local ordinance before the appeals board can hear cases from that municipality.
SCOPE

Changed from a mandatory state appeals board to an optional system where municipalities must elect to use the new board through local ordinance.

REQUIREMENT

Added requirement that the board chairperson must be a licensed attorney with at least 10 years of legal practice experience.

TIMELINE

Changed the effective date for the appeals board to begin accepting applications to a date certified by the Secretary of the Office of Policy and Management after municipalities make their election.

ELIGIBILITY

Added provision that the appeals board will only hear cases from municipalities that have elected to use the new system through local ordinance.

DEFINITION

Clarified that 'person' includes lessees of real property who are bound to pay property taxes under their lease agreements.

Floor votes

How they voted

No floor votes recorded yet.
Full legislative history

Actions timeline

Total actions
9
Key actions
0
Committee
2
Apr 24, 2025
Senate · Reported by committee
Joint Favorable Substitute
Apr 9, 2025
Senate · Referred to committee
REF. TO JOINT COMM. ON Finance, Revenue and Bonding
0 primary · 0 co-sponsors

Sponsors

No sponsor information available.