AN ACT AMENDING THE CHARTER OF THE SOUTH CENTRAL CONNECTICUT REGIONAL WATER AUTHORITY CONCERNING THE POTENTIAL ACQUISITION OF A WATER COMPANY.
HB 5249 amends the charter of the South Central Connecticut Regional Water Authority to adjust its board composition if it acquires Aquarion Water Company. The bill reduces the number of South Central district-appointed board members from six to five and increases Aquarion Regional Water District-appointed members from five to six, totaling eleven members. All board members must be Connecticut residents without political affiliation, appointed by local boards under specific voting rules, with staggered terms (including a 3-year initial term). The changes only apply after the Public Utilities Regulatory Authority approves the acquisition, requiring written notice to relevant entities upon approval. This is a procedural adjustment to governance structure, not a policy change affecting water rates or service.
Bill status
in committee
1 of 4 stages cleared
Introduction
Feb 2026
Committee Review
Floor Vote
Governor
Introduced Feb 19, 2026
Last action Apr 2, 2026
Maddy AI version diff · 1 comparison
What changed between versions
Raised Bill
→
ET Joint Favorable Substitute
·
3 edits
MINOR
The bill was converted from a 'Raised Bill' to a 'Substitute Bill' following committee review, indicating it has been amended to address concerns or align with other legislation. The substantive changes redefine the legal definition of a 'water company' to clarify which entities are subject to regulation, specifically narrowing the scope to exclude certain homeowner and condominium associations. Additionally, the bill updates the statutory citations and procedural language regarding the appointment and authority of the South Central Connecticut Regional Water Authority board.
Scope change
The scope of the bill was narrowed regarding the definition of regulated entities; the new definition explicitly excludes specific types of residential water associations that were previously included or ambiguously defined.
DEFINITION
The definition of 'water company' was rewritten to clarify that it includes owners of water systems for 50+ consumers but explicitly excludes homeowners associations and condominium associations that provide water only to their own unit owners.
REQUIREMENT
The bill updated the legal citations for the South Central Connecticut Regional Water Authority, changing references from 'special acts' to 'public act 24-1 of the June special session' to reflect current statutory status.
TECHNICAL
The bill header was changed from 'Raised Bill' to 'Substitute Bill' and the committee reference was updated to reflect its status as a joint substitute favorably reported by the committee.
Floor votes
How they voted
No floor votes recorded yet.
Full legislative history
Actions timeline
Total actions
9
Key actions
1
Committee
2
Mar 17, 2026
Lower · Passed
Joint Favorable Substitute
lower
Feb 19, 2026
Committee
REF. TO JOINT COMM. ON Energy and Technology
lower
14 primary · 0 co-sponsors
Sponsors
Role
Legislator
Party
State
District
P
Anne Hughes
DDemocratic
P
Cristin McCarthy Vahey
DDemocratic
P
Hector Arzeno
DDemocratic
P
Jenn Leeper
DDemocratic/Working Families
P
Joe Gresko
DDemocratic
P
Julie Kushner
DDemocratic
P
Lucy Dathan
DDemocratic
P
Raghib Allie-Brennan
DDemocratic
P
Rebecca Martinez
DDemocratic
P
Sarah Keitt
DDemocratic
P
Savet Constantine
DDemocratic
P
Stephen Harding
RRepublican
P
Tony Hwang
RRepublican
P
Tony Scott
RRepublican
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