Bill Text: CT HB06727 | 2015 | General Assembly | Comm Sub

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Bill Title: An Act Concerning The Designation Of Hearing Officers By The Commissioner Of Agriculture.

Spectrum: Committee Bill

Status: (Introduced - Dead) 2015-05-14 - Bill Passed Temporarily [HB06727 Detail]

Download: Connecticut-2015-HB06727-Comm_Sub.html

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General Assembly		Raised Bill No. 6727
January Session, 2015		LCO No. 3331
		*_____HB06727ENV___030315____*
Referred to Committee on ENVIRONMENT
Introduced by:
(ENV)

AN ACT CONCERNING THE DESIGNATION OF HEARING OFFICERS BY THE COMMISSIONER OF AGRICULTURE.

Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in General Assembly convened:

Section 1. Section 22-4b of the general statutes is repealed and the following is substituted in lieu thereof (Effective October 1, 2015):

The Commissioner of Agriculture may designate as [his] an agent of the commissioner: (1) [any] Any deputy commissioner or any employee of the department to exercise all or part of the authority, powers and duties of said commissioner in [his] the absence [or] of the commissioner, (2) any deputy commissioner or any employee, assistant or agent employed by the Department of Agriculture to exercise such authority of the Commissioner of Agriculture as [he] the commissioner delegates for the administration or enforcement of any applicable statute, regulation, permit or order, (3) any deputy commissioner, employee, assistant or agent employed by the Department of Agriculture who is deemed qualified by the commissioner to act as a hearing officer in administrative hearings, (4) two or more qualified persons, one of whom shall be designated as the presiding officer to conduct administrative hearings, and (5) any qualified person to serve as a hearing officer for contested cases who may be compensated for such service. Any such hearing officer appointed by the commissioner shall render a proposed final decision or the final decision as directed by the commissioner except that the commissioner or deputy commissioner shall consider and make the final decision when modification or reconsideration of a contested case is requested by a party pursuant to section 4-181a.

Sec. 2. Section 22-6 of the general statutes is repealed and the following is substituted in lieu thereof (Effective October 1, 2015):

The Commissioner of Agriculture shall be the administrative head of the Department of Agriculture. [He] The commissioner shall encourage and promote the development of agriculture within the state and collect and publish information and statistics in regard to the agricultural and animal industries and interests of the state and submit the same to the Governor in [his] an annual report. [He] The commissioner shall, annually, visit different sections of the state and investigate the methods and wants of practical husbandry, the adaptation of agricultural products to soil, climate and markets, and, as far as practicable, visit agricultural fairs within the state, encourage the establishment of farmers' clubs, agricultural libraries and reading rooms and disseminate agricultural information by lectures or otherwise. In cooperation with The University of Connecticut, [he] the commissioner may prepare and publish bulletins containing information concerning the cost of production of farm products. [He] The commissioner is authorized to hold an annual state exhibit at the Eastern States Exposition at West Springfield, Massachusetts. [He] The commissioner is authorized to enter into an agreement with the United States Department of Agriculture for cooperative work in the collection and publication of agricultural statistics. The commissioner shall have the authority to charge such fees as [he] the commissioner may deem reasonable for publications of information by any of the component agencies of the Department of Agriculture. The commissioner shall review any proposed capital project [which] that would convert twenty-five or more acres of prime farmland or one acre or more of shellfish grounds to a nonagricultural use and if such project promotes agriculture or the goal of agricultural land preservation or if there is no reasonable alternative site for the project [he] the commissioner shall file a statement with the Bond Commission so indicating. The commissioner shall file a statement with the Bond Commission for any proposed capital project [which] that would convert or impair any shellfish grounds and shall include in such statement any comments [he] the commissioner deems appropriate for the protection of such grounds. The commissioner shall administer those provisions of sections 12-107a, 12-107b, 12-107c and 12-107e [which] that address the assessment of farmland and open space. The commissioner may request the Attorney General to bring an action in the Superior Court for injunctive relief requiring compliance with any statute, regulation, order or permit administered, adopted or issued by [him] the commissioner. [The Commissioner of Agriculture may designate as his agent (1) any deputy commissioner to exercise all or part of the authority, powers and duties of the commissioner in his absence and (2) any deputy commissioner or any employee to exercise such authority of the commissioner as he delegates for the administration or enforcement of any applicable statute, regulation, permit or order, except the authority to render a final decision after a hearing.]

This act shall take effect as follows and shall amend the following sections:
Section 1	October 1, 2015	22-4b
Sec. 2	October 1, 2015	22-6

ENV

Joint Favorable