CT SB00351

Increases land record document recording fees from $40 to $45, effective July 1, 2024, with $41 of each fee remitted to the state community investment account (previously $36).

Allocates quarterly distributions from the community investment account as follows: $10 per fee to agriculture sustainability account, then 25% each to Economic and Community Development, Housing, Energy and Environmental Protection, and Agriculture departments.

Agriculture department receives funds for agricultural viability grants ($500,000 annually), farm transition program ($500,000 annually), Connecticut-grown food promotion ($100,000 annually), farm link program ($75,000 annually), Seafood Advisory Council ($47,500 annually), farm wine development ($47,500 annually), food policy council ($25,000 annually), and farmland preservation.

Increases state remittance of recording fees for mortgage nominees from $36 to $41 per fee for the community investment account, with town clerks retaining $49 per fee (including $39 for municipal general revenue and $10 for town clerk fund).

Requires the Commissioner of Agriculture to use designated funds for Connecticut-grown farm product marketing campaigns, website development, and promotion of business relationships between farmers and institutional purchasers.