(a) There is established a Connecticut Council for Advancing Nuclear Energy Development, which shall meet not less than four times each year for the purpose of discussing and planning for the advancement of nuclear energy in the state. The council shall be an independent body within the Legislative Department for administrative purposes only.

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(b) The council shall consist of the following members:

(1) The chairpersons and ranking members of the joint standing committee of the General Assembly having cognizance of matters relating to energy and technology, or their designees;

(2) The Commissioner of Energy and Environmental Protection, or the commissioner’s designee;

(3) The Consumer Counsel, or the Consumer Counsel’s designee;

(4) A representative of a nuclear power generating facility in the state, who shall be appointed by the speaker of the House of Representatives;

(5) A representative of the United States Naval Submarine Base-New London, who shall be appointed by the president pro tempore of the Senate;

(6) A representative of a manufacturer of nuclear-powered submarines, who shall be appointed by the majority leader of the House of Representatives;

(7) A representative of an engineering firm in the state that provides services in the field of nuclear engineering, who shall be appointed by the minority leader of the House of Representatives;

(8) Two representatives of institutions of higher education in the state, one of whom shall be appointed by the majority leader of the Senate and one of whom shall be appointed by the minority leader of the Senate;

(9) Two representatives of organizations that advocate for the protection of the environment, one of whom shall be appointed by the speaker of the House of Representatives and one of whom shall be appointed by the president pro tempore of the Senate;

(10) A representative of a state-wide organization of municipal leaders, who shall be appointed by the majority leader of the House of Representatives;

(11) One who has expertise in workforce development, who shall be appointed by the minority leader of the House of Representatives;

(12) One who has expertise in spent nuclear fuel storage, who shall be appointed by the majority leader of the Senate; and

(13) One who has expertise in the supply chain of the state’s nuclear industry, who shall be appointed by the minority leader of the Senate.

(c) All initial appointments to the council shall be made not later than thirty days after the effective date of this section. Any vacancy shall be filled by the appointing authority.

(d) The members of the council shall select the chairperson of the council from among the members of the council. Until such selection, the speaker of the House of Representatives and the president pro tempore of the Senate shall select an acting chairperson of the council from among the members of the council. Such acting chairperson shall schedule the first meeting of the council, which shall be held not later than sixty days after the effective date of this section.

(e) Not later than February 1, 2024, and annually thereafter, the council shall submit a report concerning advancements that are occurring in nuclear energy development to the joint standing committee of the General Assembly having cognizance of matters relating to energy, in accordance with the provisions of section 11-4a. Such report may include recommendations, including, but not limited to, recommendations concerning (1) opportunities for regional partnerships related to nuclear energy development, expansion and research, (2) opportunities for state agencies to collaborate with federal agencies, institutions of higher education, businesses, nonprofit organizations and other stakeholders to organize the state’s resources related to nuclear energy, and (3) other ways to promote nuclear energy development, expansion and research in the state.