(a) There is established an account to be known as the Passport to the Parks account which shall be a separate, nonlapsing account within the General Fund. Moneys in such account shall be used to provide expenses of the Council on Environmental Quality, beginning with the fiscal year ending June 30, 2019, and for the care, maintenance, operation and improvement of state parks and campgrounds, the funding of soil and water conservation districts and the funding of environmental review teams, in accordance with subsection (b) of this section. All funds collected from the Passport to the Parks Fee established pursuant to section 14-49b shall be deposited into the Passport to the Parks account. Such account shall contain all moneys required by law to be deposited in such account. Such account may receive funds from private or public sources, including, but not limited to, any municipal government or the federal government. Such account shall contain subaccounts as required by section 23-15b.
(b) For the fiscal year beginning July 1, 2018, and each fiscal year thereafter, the sum of one hundred thousand dollars shall be paid by the Department of Energy and Environmental Protection from the Passport to the Parks account to each of the following entities: (1) The Connecticut River Coastal Conservation District, (2) the Eastern Conservation District, (3) the North Central Conservation District, (4) the Northwest Conservation District, (5) the Southwest Conservation District, (6) the Connecticut Environmental Review Team, and (7) the Connecticut Council on Water and Soil Conservation.
(June Sp. Sess. P.A. 17-2, S. 331; P.A. 18-7, S. 1; 18-81, S. 14.)
History: June Sp. Sess. P.A. 17-2 effective January 1, 2018; P.A. 18-7 deleted provision re expenditure of moneys in account pursuant to appropriation by the General Assembly, effective May 24, 2018; P.A. 18-81 designated existing provisions re establishment of account as Subsec. (a) and amended same by making a conforming change and added Subsec. (b) re payments from account to designated entities beginning July 1, 2018, and each fiscal year thereafter, effective July 1, 2018.