HB 5401 Summary

• Transfers primary law enforcement powers and duties relating to environmental crimes from the Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission to a newly established Division of Law Enforcement within the Department of Environmental Protection, effective July 1, 2019

• Requires a memorandum of agreement between the two agencies detailing responsibilities for oil/hazard spills, state land patrol, criminal investigations under specified environmental statutes, and civil enforcement for parks and coastal areas

• Grants Department of Environmental Protection law enforcement officers meeting state certification requirements full power to investigate and arrest for violations of state laws and department rules

• Transfers employees from the Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission to the department while preserving their accrued leave balances and permanent employment status

• Designates fines collected by the department for state park violations to be deposited in the State Park Trust Fund, and directs forfeiture proceeds from environmental violations to specified environmental trust funds