General Assembly Raised Bill No. 6832
January Session, 2015 LCO No. 3962
*03962_______CE_*
Referred to Committee on COMMERCE
Introduced by:
(CE)
General Assembly
Raised Bill No. 6832
January Session, 2015
LCO No. 3962
*03962_______CE_*
Referred to Committee on COMMERCE
Introduced by:
(CE)
AN ACT REPEALING THE HIGH PERFORMANCE WORK ORGANIZATION PROGRAM AND THRESHOLD PROJECT PROVISIONS CONCERNING FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE AWARDED BY THE DEPARTMENT OF ECONOMIC AND COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT AND CONNECTICUT INNOVATIONS, INCORPORATED.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in General Assembly convened:
Section 1. Subsection (a) of section 10-95f of the general statutes is repealed and the following is substituted in lieu thereof (Effective October 1, 2015):
(a) Whenever the term "regional vocational-technical school" or "regional vocational-technical schools" is used or referred to in the following sections of the general statutes, the term "technical high school" or "technical high schools" shall be substituted in lieu thereof: 4-124ff, 4a-11a, 4d-83, 5-275, 8-265pp, 10-9, 10-19d, 10-19e, 10-21g, 10-66p, 10-67, 10-74d, 10-76q, 10-95a, 10-95j, 10-95n, 10-95o, 10-97, 10-98a, 10-233d, 10-235, 10-264l, 10-283, 10-287d, 10a-55e, 10a-55g, 10a-72d, 17b-610, 31-3c, 31-3h, 31-3k, 31-11p, 32-4i [,] and 32-6j. [and 32-475.]
Sec. 2. Subdivision (3) of subsection (a) of section 32-1m of the general statutes is repealed and the following is substituted in lieu thereof (Effective October 1, 2015):
(3) An analysis of the economic development portfolio of the department, including:
(A) A list of the names, addresses and locations of all recipients of the department's assistance;
(B) The following information concerning each recipient of such assistance: (i) Business activities, (ii) standard industrial classification codes or North American industrial classification codes, (iii) number of full-time jobs and part-time jobs at the time of application, (iv) number of actual full-time jobs and actual part-time jobs during the preceding state fiscal year, (v) whether the recipient is a minority or woman-owned business, (vi) a summary of the terms and conditions for the assistance, including the type and amount of state financial assistance, job creation or retention requirements and anticipated wage rates, (vii) the amount of investments from private and other nonstate sources that have been leveraged by the assistance, (viii) the extent to which employees of the recipient participate in health benefit plans offered by such recipient, (ix) the extent to which the recipient offers unique economic, social, cultural or aesthetic attributes to the municipality in which the recipient is located or to the state, and (x) the amount of state investment;
(C) A portfolio analysis, including (i) an analysis of the wages paid by recipients of financial assistance, (ii) the average portfolio wage, median portfolio wage, highest and lowest portfolio wage, (iii) portfolio wage data by industry, and (iv) portfolio wage data by municipality;
(D) An investment analysis, including (i) total portfolio value, (ii) total investment by industry, (iii) portfolio dollar per job average, and (iv) portfolio leverage ratio; [, and (v) percentage of financial assistance which was provided to high performance work organizations in the preceding state fiscal year;] and
(E) An analysis of the estimated economic effects of the department's economic development investments on the state's economy, including (i) contribution to gross state product for the total economic development portfolio and for any investment activity occurring in the preceding state fiscal year, (ii) direct and indirect employment created by the investments for the total portfolio and for any investment activity occurring in the preceding state fiscal year, (iii) productivity of recipients of financial assistance as a result of the department's investment occurring in the preceding state fiscal year, (iv) directly or indirectly increased property values in the municipalities in which the recipients of assistance are located, and (v) personal income.
Sec. 3. Subsection (a) of section 32-7f of the general statutes is repealed and the following is substituted in lieu thereof (Effective October 1, 2015):
(a) The Commissioner of Economic and Community Development shall establish an economic development grants program to provide grants for the following programs and purposes:
(1) To develop a small business incubator program to entities operating incubator facilities, as defined in section 32-34;
(2) To promote, retain and expand hydrogen and fuel cell industries in Connecticut;
(3) To promote supply chain integration and encourage the adoption of digital manufacturing and information technologies;
[(4) To provide training for small and medium-sized businesses in high-performance work practices;]
[(5)] (4) To support the development of marine science, maritime and homeland security defense industries;
[(6)] (5) To promote research innovation and nanotechnology; and
[(7)] (6) To provide technical assistance to small business owners.
Sec. 4. Subsection (a) of section 32-11f of the general statutes is repealed and the following is substituted in lieu thereof (Effective October 1, 2015):
(a) (1) Wherever the term "Connecticut Development Authority" is used in the following sections of the general statutes, the term "Connecticut Innovations, Incorporated" shall be substituted in lieu thereof: 3-24d, 3-24f, 3-99d, 8-134, 8-134a, 8-192, 8-192a, 8-240m, 13b-79w, 16-243v, 22a-134, 22a-173, 22a-259, 22a-264, 25-33a, 32-1l, 32-3, 32-4l, 32-6j, 32-9c, 32-9n, 32-9qq, 32-22b, 32-23l, 32-23o, 32-23q, 32-23r, 32-23s, 32-23t, 32-23v, 32-23x, 32-23z, 32-23aa, 32-23qq, 32-23ss, 32-23tt, 32-31a, 32-61, 32-68a, 32-141, 32-222, 32-223, 32-227, 32-244, 32-244a, 32-262, 32-263, 32-265, 32-266, 32-285, 32-341, [32-477,] 32-500, 32-503, 32-609, 32-761, 32-763 and 32-768.
(2) Wherever the term "authority" is used in the following sections of the general statutes, the term "corporation" shall be substituted in lieu thereof: 32-14, 32-15, 32-16, 32-16a, 32-17a, 32-18, 32-19, 32-22, 32-22a, 32-23a, 32-23j, 32-23o, 32-23p, 32-23q, 32-23r, 32-23s, 32-23v, 32-23x, 32-23y, 32-23z, 32-23bb, 32-23ii, 32-23jj, 32-23kk, 32-23ll, 32-23qq, 32-23ss, 32-23tt, 32-23uu, 32-23vv, 32-31a, 32-61, 32-62, 32-63, 32-64, 32-65, 32-67, 32-68a, 32-262, 32-263, 32-265, 32-267, 32-269, 32-270, 32-271, 32-272, 32-280, 32-282, 32-285, 32-341, 32-356, 32-500, 32-503, 32-717 and 32-718.
Sec. 5. Subsection (b) of section 32-41o of the general statutes is repealed and the following is substituted in lieu thereof (Effective October 1, 2015):
(b) The proceeds of the sale of said bonds, to the extent of the amount stated in subsection (a) of this section, shall be used by the corporation as follows: (1) Three million dollars for the program established in section 32-41j of the general statutes, revision of 1958, revised to January 1, 2013; (2) five hundred thousand dollars for the program established in section 32-41k of the general statutes, revision of 1958, revised to January 1, 2013; (3) one million two hundred fifty thousand dollars for the program established and for the eligible business consortium approved in section 32-41l; and (4) seven hundred fifty thousand dollars for the program established and for the eligible business consortium approved in section 32-41m.
Sec. 6. Subsection (b) of section 32-235 of the general statutes is repealed and the following is substituted in lieu thereof (Effective October 1, 2015):
(b) The proceeds of the sale of said bonds, to the extent of the amount stated in subsection (a) of this section, shall be used by the Department of Economic and Community Development (1) for the purposes of sections 32-220 to 32-234, inclusive, including economic cluster-related programs and activities, and for the Connecticut job training finance demonstration program pursuant to sections 32-23uu and 32-23vv, provided (A) three million dollars shall be used by said department solely for the purposes of section 32-23uu and not more than five million two hundred fifty thousand dollars of the amount stated in said subsection (a) may be used by said department for the purposes of section 31-3u, (B) not less than one million dollars shall be used for an educational technology grant to the deployment center program and the nonprofit business consortium deployment center approved pursuant to section 32-41l, (C) not less than two million dollars shall be used by said department for the establishment of a pilot program to make grants to businesses in designated areas of the state for construction, renovation or improvement of small manufacturing facilities, provided such grants are matched by the business, a municipality or another financing entity. The Commissioner of Economic and Community Development shall designate areas of the state where manufacturing is a substantial part of the local economy and shall make grants under such pilot program which are likely to produce a significant economic development benefit for the designated area, (D) five million dollars may be used by said department for the manufacturing competitiveness grants program, (E) one million dollars shall be used by said department for the purpose of a grant to the Connecticut Center for Advanced Technology, for the purposes of subdivision [(5)] (4) of subsection (a) of section 32-7f, as amended by this act, (F) fifty million dollars shall be used by said department for the purpose of grants to the United States Department of the Navy, the United States Department of Defense or eligible applicants for projects related to the enhancement of infrastructure for long-term, on-going naval operations at the United States Naval Submarine Base-New London, located in Groton, which will increase the military value of said base. Such projects shall not be subject to the provisions of sections 4a-60 and 4a-60a, (G) two million dollars shall be used by said department for the purpose of a grant to the Connecticut Center for Advanced Technology, Inc., for manufacturing initiatives, including aerospace and defense, and (H) four million dollars shall be used by said department for the purpose of a grant to companies adversely impacted by the construction at the Quinnipiac Bridge, where such grant may be used to offset the increase in costs of commercial overland transportation of goods or materials brought to the port of New Haven by ship or vessel, (2) for the purposes of the small business assistance program established pursuant to section 32-9yy, provided fifteen million dollars shall be deposited in the small business assistance account established pursuant to said section 32-9yy, and (3) to deposit twenty million dollars in the small business express assistance account established pursuant to section 32-7h.
Sec. 7. Section 32-450 of the general statutes is repealed and the following is substituted in lieu thereof (Effective October 1, 2015):
As used in sections [32-450 to 32-458, inclusive] 32-455, as amended by this act, and 32-458:
(1) "Awarding authority" means the Commissioner of Economic and Community Development and the board of directors of Connecticut Innovations, Incorporated.
(2) "Economic development financial assistance" means any grant, loan or loan guarantee, or combination thereof, or any tax credits approved pursuant to section 32-9t, provided to a business for the purpose of economic development.
[(3) "Employee representatives" means representatives of any certified or recognized bargaining agents for employees of a business.
(4) "Threshold project" means (A) a project for which a business operating in the state and having twenty-five or more full-time employees in the state submits a request to an awarding authority for economic development financial assistance in the form of (i) a grant in the amount of two hundred fifty thousand dollars or more or (ii) a combination of a grant and a loan or loan guarantee, totaling two hundred fifty thousand dollars or more, or (B) a project for which a business operating in the state and having one hundred or more full-time employees in the state submits a request to an awarding authority for economic development financial assistance in the form of (i) a loan or a loan guarantee, in the amount of one million dollars or more, or (ii) a combination of a loan and a loan guarantee, totaling one million dollars or more.]
Sec. 8. Section 32-455 of the general statutes is repealed and the following is substituted in lieu thereof (Effective October 1, 2015):
The awarding authority shall include provisions in the contract with a recipient of economic development financial assistance [for a threshold project] that (1) require the recipient to use the assistance only for the purposes approved by the authority and (2) establish remedies in the event that the recipient does not use such assistance for such purposes. Such remedies may include, but shall not be limited to, liquidated damages. In the event the recipient breaches the contract by spending such financial assistance in a manner [which] that violates the contract, the awarding authority shall seek enforcement of such remedies and provide no further financial assistance to the recipient until the breach is resolved.
Sec. 9. Sections 31-3v, 32-41j, 32-41k, 32-451 to 32-454, inclusive, 32-456, 32-457 and 32-475 to 32-480, inclusive, of the general statutes are repealed. (Effective October 1, 2015)
This act shall take effect as follows and shall amend the following sections:
Section 1 October 1, 2015 10-95f(a)
Sec. 2 October 1, 2015 32-1m(a)(3)
Sec. 3 October 1, 2015 32-7f(a)
Sec. 4 October 1, 2015 32-11f(a)
Sec. 5 October 1, 2015 32-41o(b)
Sec. 6 October 1, 2015 32-235(b)
Sec. 7 October 1, 2015 32-450
Sec. 8 October 1, 2015 32-455
Sec. 9 October 1, 2015 Repealer section
This act shall take effect as follows and shall amend the following sections:
Section 1
October 1, 2015
10-95f(a)
Sec. 2
October 1, 2015
32-1m(a)(3)
Sec. 3
October 1, 2015
32-7f(a)
Sec. 4
October 1, 2015
32-11f(a)
Sec. 5
October 1, 2015
32-41o(b)
Sec. 6
October 1, 2015
32-235(b)
Sec. 7
October 1, 2015
32-450
Sec. 8
October 1, 2015
32-455
Sec. 9
October 1, 2015
Repealer section
Statement of Purpose:
To repeal the threshold project development research and manufacturing application center programs and the high performance work organization statutes in order to remove certain paperwork filing requirements and administrative barriers that make it more difficult for businesses to seek financial assistance.
[Proposed deletions are enclosed in brackets. Proposed additions are indicated by underline, except that when the entire text of a bill or resolution or a section of a bill or resolution is new, it is not underlined.]