General Assembly Committee Bill No. 163
January Session, 2015 LCO No. 4449
*04449SB00163FIN*
Referred to Committee on FINANCE, REVENUE AND BONDING
Introduced by:
(FIN)
General Assembly
Committee Bill No. 163
January Session, 2015
LCO No. 4449
*04449SB00163FIN*
Referred to Committee on FINANCE, REVENUE AND BONDING
Introduced by:
(FIN)
AN ACT REQUIRING THE ESTABLISHMENT OF THE LEARN HERE, LIVE HERE PROGRAM.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in General Assembly convened:
Section 1. Section 32-4i of the general statutes is repealed and the following is substituted in lieu thereof (Effective July 1, 2017):
(a) [The] Not later than July 1, 2017, the Commissioner of Economic and Community Development, in consultation with the Commissioner of Revenue Services and the president of the Board of Regents for Higher Education, [may] shall establish the Learn Here, Live Here program. [Such program may] The Commissioner of Economic and Community Development shall develop such program to provide an incentive for graduates of a public institution of higher education, private university or college, or health care training school in this state, or graduates from a technical high school, to buy a first home in [the] this state. Persons who graduate on or after January 1, 2014, from such institutions, universities, colleges or schools may have their income tax liability, up to a maximum of two thousand five hundred dollars annually, segregated into the Connecticut first-time homebuyers account established pursuant to section 32-4j, provided not more than one million dollars from all program participants may be so segregated in any calendar year. After a period not exceeding ten years after graduation, any amounts so segregated may be withdrawn by a participant for the purchase of a first home in [the] this state. The Commissioner of Economic and Community Development [may] shall make payments in accordance with this section from said fund to the participants. For the purposes of this section, "health care training school" means a medical or dental school, chiropractic college, school or college of optometry, school or college of chiropody or podiatry, school of occupational therapy, hospital-based occupational school, school or college of naturopathy, school of dental hygiene, school of physical therapy or any other school or institution giving instruction in the healing arts.
(b) (1) After a period not exceeding ten years after the date of graduation, a participant in the program established pursuant to subsection (a) of this section may apply to the Commissioner of Economic and Community Development for a payment to be issued, on behalf of such participant, and used as the down payment on a [house] home, which must be the first [house] home such participant has bought, either singly or jointly. Such payment may be in an amount equal to the amount of segregated funds deposited on behalf of such participant. If the payment is less than such amount, any excess amount shall be deposited in the General Fund.
(2) If a participant ceases to live in [the] this state at any time up to one year after [such] the date of such payment, such participant shall repay one hundred per cent of the amount [paid out] of such payment. If a participant ceases to live in [the] this state at any time up to two years after such date, such participant shall repay eighty per cent of the amount [paid out] of such payment. If a participant ceases to live in [the] this state at any time up to three years after such date, such participant shall repay sixty per cent of the amount [paid out] of such payment. If a participant ceases to live in [the] this state at any time up to four years after such date, such participant shall repay forty per cent of the amount [paid out] of such payment. If a participant ceases to live in [the] this state at any time up to five years after such date, such participant shall repay twenty per cent of the amount [paid out] of such payment. After five years from such date, there [is] shall be no repayment obligation for a participant. Any amounts repaid under this subdivision shall be deposited in the General Fund.
(c) On or before [December 1, 2012] July 1, 2017, the Commissioner of Economic and Community Development [may] shall develop, within available appropriations, a comprehensive public education program to educate recent graduates of a public institution of higher education, private university or college, or health care training school in [the] this state, or of a technical high school, about the program established under this section for first-time home buyers. The public education program shall include, but need not be limited to, information concerning life-time savings plans and information on the purchase of a home. [If the commissioner develops such public education program, the department shall begin to implement such program not later than January 1, 2014.]
This act shall take effect as follows and shall amend the following sections:
Section 1 July 1, 2017 32-4i
This act shall take effect as follows and shall amend the following sections:
Section 1
July 1, 2017
32-4i
Statement of Purpose:
To mandate, rather than permit, the Commissioner of Economic and Community Development to establish the Learn Here, Live Here program to allow graduates of public or independent institutions of higher education, health care training schools or technical high schools in this state to direct a portion of their income tax payments into a first-time homebuyers account for down payment on a home in this state.
[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.]
Co-Sponsors: SEN. FASANO, 34th Dist.; SEN. WITKOS, 8th Dist. SEN. MARTIN, 31st Dist.
Co-Sponsors:
SEN. FASANO, 34th Dist.; SEN. WITKOS, 8th Dist.
SEN. MARTIN, 31st Dist.
S.B. 163