Training for members of planning, zoning or combined planning and zoning commissions and zoning boards of appeals. Training guidelines. Statement of compliance

(a) On and after January 1, 2023, each member of a municipal planning commission, zoning commission, combined planning and zoning commission or zoning board of appeals, except for a member of any such commission or board that is a licensed attorney-at-law of this state with four or more years of experience on any such commission or board, or a land use enforcement officer, shall complete at least four hours of training. Any such member serving on any such commission or board as of January 1, 2023, shall complete such initial training by January 1, 2024, and shall complete any subsequent training once every four years thereafter or once every term for which such member is elected or appointed if such term is longer than four years. Any such member not serving on any such commission or board as of January 1, 2023, shall complete such initial training not later than one year after such member's election or appointment to such commission or board and shall complete any subsequent training once every four years thereafter or once every term for which such member is elected or appointed if such term is longer than four years. Such training shall include at least one hour concerning affordable and fair housing policies and may also consist of (1) process and procedural matters, including the conduct of effective meetings and public hearings and the Freedom of Information Act, as defined in section 1-200, (2) the interpretation of site plans, surveys, maps and architectural conventions, and (3) the impact of zoning on the environment, agriculture and historic resources. (b) Not later than January 1, 2022, the Secretary of the Office of Policy and Management shall establish guidelines for such training in collaboration with land use training providers, including, but not limited to, the Connecticut Association of Zoning Enforcement Officials, the Connecticut Conference of Municipalities, the Connecticut Chapter of the American Planning Association, the Land Use Academy at the Center for Land Use Education and Research at The University of Connecticut, the Connecticut Bar Association, regional councils of governments and other nonprofit or educational institutions that provide land use training, except that if the secretary fails to establish such guidelines, such land use training providers may create and administer appropriate training for members of commissions and boards described in subsection (a) of this section, which may be used by such members for the purpose of complying with the provisions of said subsection. (c) Not later than March 1, 2024, and annually thereafter, the planning commission, zoning commission, combined planning and zoning commission and zoning board of appeals, as applicable, in each municipality shall submit a statement to such municipality's legislative body or, in a municipality where the legislative body is a town meeting, its board of selectmen, affirming compliance with the training requirement established pursuant to subsection (a) of this section by each member of such commission or board required to complete such training in the calendar year ending the preceding December thirty-first.