HB 5526 Connecticut House · 2026 Regular Session

AN ACT CONCERNING RECIPROCITY FOR CERTAIN INLAND WATERS FISHING LICENSES.

This bill establishes a reciprocal fishing license agreement with New York, Massachusetts, and Rhode Island, allowing residents of those states to fish in Connecticut's inland waters without purchasing a separate nonresident license. The provision takes effect on October 1, 2026, provided the neighboring states enact similar laws granting Connecticut residents reciprocal fishing privileges. While these license holders would be exempt from the standard nonresident inland waters license fee, they must still comply with all other state fishing regulations and rules. The agreement also allows for specific waterways to be negotiated between state officials if needed.

Bill status in committee 1 of 4 stages cleared

Introduction

Mar 2026

Committee Review

Floor Vote

Governor

Introduced Mar 6, 2026 Last action Apr 7, 2026

Maddy AI version diff · 1 comparison

What changed between versions

Raised Bill → ENV Joint Favorable Substitute · 2 edits

MINOR

The bill was converted from a 'Raised Bill' to a 'Substitute Bill' following a favorable recommendation by the Environmental Joint Committee. The core policy regarding reciprocal fishing privileges with neighboring states remains unchanged, but the text was refined to improve clarity by adding the phrase 'as applicable' to specify that reciprocity applies only to the specific states that enact similar laws.

Scope change

The scope of applicability was slightly narrowed and clarified by adding the phrase 'as applicable' to ensure the reciprocal fishing privileges only apply to residents of New York, Massachusetts, or Rhode Island if those specific states enact the required reciprocal laws.

TECHNICAL

Added the phrase 'as applicable' to the eligibility criteria to clarify that reciprocal fishing privileges are only granted if the specific neighboring states enact similar laws.

Changed the bill classification from 'Raised Bill' to 'Substitute Bill' and updated the page count from 2 pages to 1 page, reflecting the committee's final approval and consolidation of the text.

Floor votes

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Full legislative history

Actions timeline

Total actions

Key actions

Committee

Mar 18, 2026

Lower · Passed

Joint Favorable Substitute

lower

Mar 6, 2026

Committee

REF. TO JOINT COMM. ON Environment

lower

1 primary · 0 co-sponsors