Bill Text: CT SB00026 | 2010 | General Assembly | Introduced

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Bill Title: An Act Concerning The Expenditures Of The Boating Account.

Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Republican 2-0)

Status: (Introduced - Dead) 2010-02-04 - Referred to Joint Committee on Finance, Revenue and Bonding [SB00026 Detail]

Download: Connecticut-2010-SB00026-Introduced.html

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General Assembly		Governor's Bill No. 26
February Session, 2010		LCO No. 302
		*00302__________*
Referred to Committee on Finance, Revenue and Bonding
Introduced by:
SEN. MCKINNEY, 28th Dist. REP. CAFERO, 142nd Dist.

AN ACT CONCERNING THE EXPENDITURES OF THE BOATING ACCOUNT.

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

Section 1. Section 15-155 of the 2010 supplement to the general statutes is repealed and the following is substituted in lieu thereof (Effective July 1, 2010):

[(a)] All revenue received by the state, annually, for the twelve-month period from November first to October thirty-first, inclusive, in fees for the numbering and registration of vessels under section 15-144 shall be paid to the Treasurer and [distributed as follows: (1) Any balance in excess of the amounts required under subdivision (2) of this subsection, shall be deposited in the boating account established pursuant to subsection (b) of this section and (2) an amount equal to the amount of property tax paid on vessels on the assessment list of October 1, 1978, in each town, as defined in section 15-127, to the extent such revenue is sufficient, shall be distributed to such towns in lieu of property tax on vessels in the manner set forth and as determined by section 15-155e. In the event that total revenue from such fees for any period of twelve months from November first to October thirty-first next following, inclusive, is less than the amount necessary to make such distribution equivalent to the total of certain property taxes paid on vessels in each town, as provided under subdivision (2) of this subsection, the additional amount necessary to provide for such payment in full shall be allocated for such purpose from any unallocated funds in the boating account, as determined immediately following the end of such period of twelve months] allocated to the General Fund.

[(b) There is established an account to be known as the "boating account" which shall be a separate, nonlapsing account within the General Fund. The account shall contain any moneys required by law to be deposited in the account.

(c) The boating account shall be used for the following purposes: (1) All expenses incurred by the Commissioner of Motor Vehicles and the Commissioner of Environmental Protection in the administration and enforcement of this part and the laws and regulations of the state respecting boating safety and water pollution from vessels, and any payments in accordance with subsection (a) of this section that may be necessary for purposes of the distribution to towns in lieu of property tax on vessels. (2) Expenditures for boating safety, boating education, marine patrols and enforcement training programs, and for the acquisition, construction, maintenance and improvement of recreational and navigational facilities related to boating. (3) Any town which incurs expenses in the enforcement of this part or any law or regulation of the state respecting boating safety, vessel theft prevention or recovery, search and rescue or water pollution from vessels shall be entitled to reimbursement from such moneys in said account as are not provided for under subdivision (2) of this subsection. On or before the first day of December each year, each town desiring such reimbursement shall submit its request to the Commissioner of Environmental Protection with a verified statement of expenses so incurred during the preceding year. Upon receipt of such request on a form prescribed by the Commissioner of Environmental Protection said commissioner shall allow such expenses as said commissioner finds were reasonable and necessary and shall certify such amounts to the Comptroller for payment to the requesting town. If funds are insufficient to reimburse in full each town so applying, reimbursement shall be made on a pro rata basis. The determination of the amounts available for reimbursement under this subsection shall be made by the Commissioner of Environmental Protection annually in the month of November. (4) The balance of such revenue remaining after payment of the foregoing expenses shall be allocated for use of the several towns for boating safety education and for the construction, maintenance and improvement of boating facilities. Any town desiring to obtain such funds shall apply to the Commissioner of Environmental Protection, giving such information about the proposed use as said commissioner may require. Said commissioner may approve payment to any municipality, in amounts not exceeding two thousand dollars per town per year, upon satisfactory evidence that the proposed use has been approved as prescribed by law by the legislative body of the requesting town, that it is needed for the safety or convenience of the boating public, that it is not in conflict with any program planned or undertaken by any agency of the state and that it will not adversely affect any privately-owned and operated boating facility.

(d) The Commissioners of Environmental Protection and Motor Vehicles shall annually on or before December thirty-first, submit separate reports to the joint standing committee of the General Assembly having cognizance of matters relating to state finance, revenue and bonding, on the operation of the boating account. The report shall contain a detailed statement of expenditures related to each of the purposes set forth in subsection (b) for the twelve-month period ending October thirty-first, a projected budget for such purposes for the next succeeding twelve-month period and recommendations, if any, concerning the operation of the account and the boating safety and enforcement programs.]

Sec. 2. Sections 15-155d and 15-155e of the 2010 supplement to the general statutes are repealed. (Effective July 1, 2010)

This act shall take effect as follows and shall amend the following sections:
Section 1	July 1, 2010	15-155
Sec. 2	July 1, 2010	Repealer section

Statement of Purpose:

To implement the Governor's budget recommendations.

[Proposed deletions are enclosed in brackets. Proposed additions are indicated by underline, except that when the entire text of a bill or resolution or a section of a bill or resolution is new, it is not underlined.]