HB 6816 Summary

• Establishes the Connecticut Port Authority as a public body politic and corporate effective July 1, 2015, with purposes including coordinating port development, pursuing federal and state funding for infrastructure improvements, and marketing Connecticut ports.

• Creates a 15-member board of directors consisting of four ex officio state commissioners, seven members appointed by legislative leaders, and five members appointed by the Governor, with specific requirements for business and maritime expertise.

• Authorizes the Authority to issue bonds and notes to finance port projects, with revenues pledged solely to repay such obligations and without creating state liability or obligation.

• Transfers port authority functions from the Department of Transportation to the Connecticut Port Authority through memoranda of understanding, including jurisdiction over pilot licensing, pilotage rates, harbor improvements, and related maritime operations.

• Designates the Connecticut Port Authority as a quasi-public agency subject to State Treasurer approval for bond issuance and includes it in state ethics and conflict of interest provisions.