Bill > HB07051

This bill requires the Commissioners of Energy and Environmental Protection and Emergency Services and Public Protection to jointly develop a comprehensive black bear management plan aimed at balancing public safety, property protection, and maintaining a sustainable black bear population. The plan must include several key components: a current population assessment and future population goals, recommendations for minimizing human-bear conflicts, public education guidelines, nonlethal deterrence strategies, potential population control measures, protocols for managing bears that pose imminent threats, waste management recommendations to reduce bear attractants, and strategies for coordinating with municipalities and law enforcement. The commissioners must submit the initial plan to the relevant legislative committees by July 1, 2026, and any subsequent revisions within 30 days of development. Additionally, the bill grants the Commissioner of Energy and Environmental Protection the authority to request the Governor issue an executive order authorizing bear population control measures if the black bear population is deemed a public safety threat. This legislation reflects growing concerns about human-wildlife interactions and seeks to proactively manage black bear populations in a balanced, safety-oriented manner.

Justice

Public Safety and Security Committee (J)

https://www.cga.ct.gov/asp/cgabillstatus/cgabillstatus.asp?selBillType=Bill&bill_num=HB07051&which_year=2025