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General Assembly Substitute Bill No. 968
January Session, 2019
AN ACT ESTABLISHING A MILITARY TO MACHINISTS PROGRAM
FOR VETERANS.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in General
Assembly convened:
Section 1. (NEW) (Effective October 1, 2019) (a) As used in this 1
section: 2
(1) "Advanced manufacturing" means a manufacturing process that 3
makes extensive use of computer, high-precision or information 4
technologies integrated with a high-performance workforce in a 5
production system capable of furnishing a heterogeneous mix of 6
products in small or large volumes with either the efficiency of mass 7
production or the flexibility of custom manufacturing in order to 8
respond quickly to customer demands. "Advanced manufacturing" 9
includes new ways to manufacture existing products and the 10
manufacture of new products emerging from new advanced 11
technologies; 12
(2) "Public institution of higher education" means the institutions of 13
higher education identified in subdivision (2) of section 10a-1 of the 14
general statutes; 15
(3) "Qualifying advanced manufacturing certificate program" means 16
a for-credit or noncredit sub-baccalaureate advanced manufacturing 17
certificate program offered by a public institution of higher education 18
in which at least seventy-five per cent of the graduates of such 19 Substitute Bill No. 968
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certificate program are employed in a field related to or requiring such 20
certificate in the year following such students' graduation; 21
(4) "Department" means the Labor Department; 22
(5) "Program" means the Military to Machinists program established 23
under subsection (b) of this section; 24
(6) "Veteran" has the same meaning as provided in subsection (a) of 25
section 27-103 of the general statutes; and 26
(7) "Eligible business" means a business that (A) has operations in 27
Connecticut, (B) has been registered to conduct business for not less 28
than twelve months, and (C) is in good standing with the payment of 29
all state and local taxes. "Eligible business" does not include the state or 30
any political subdivision thereof. 31
(b) There is established within the Labor Department a Military to 32
Machinists program for veterans. The program shall, within existing 33
resources of the department, provide assistance to any veteran in (1) 34
earning an advanced manufacturing certificate from a qualifying 35
advanced manufacturing certificate program of a public institution of 36
higher education, and (2) securing employment in the field of 37
advanced manufacturing with any eligible business. The assistance 38
described in subdivision (2) of this subsection shall be provided to any 39
veteran only if such veteran first obtains an advanced manufacturing 40
certificate from a qualifying advanced manufacturing certificate 41
program of a public institution of higher education. 42
(c) (1) The Labor Commissioner shall designate employees of the 43
department's Office for Veterans Workforce Development to act as 44
liaisons, in a number deemed appropriate by the commissioner, and 45
each liaison shall provide the assistance described in subsection (b) of 46
this section to any veteran on behalf of the program. 47
(2) In connection with providing the assistance described in 48
subdivision (1) of subsection (b) of this section, each liaison designated 49 Substitute Bill No. 968
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pursuant to this subsection shall also assist any veteran to obtain 50
funding for the cost of attendance at a public institution of higher 51
education's qualifying advanced manufacturing certificate program. 52
Such funding may include (A) tuition waivers under sections 10a-77 53
and 10a-99 of the general statutes, and (B) expenditures from the 54
Workforce Training Authority Fund under section 31-11jj of the 55
general statutes. 56
(3) In connection with providing the assistance described in 57
subdivision (2) of subsection (b) of this section, each liaison designated 58
pursuant to this subsection shall also help any eligible business apply 59
for (A) a grant under section 31-3uu of the general statutes, and (B) tax 60
credits under section 12-217g of the general statutes, if applicable. 61
(d) Not later than January 1, 2020, and annually thereafter, the 62
Labor Department shall, within existing resources of the department, 63
develop or approve, in conjunction with the Department of Veterans 64
Affairs and the Department of Economic and Community 65
Development, an informational campaign to distribute to qualified 66
veterans' charitable organizations, as described in subsection (b) of 67
section 27-100f of the general statutes, and Operation Academic 68
Support for Incoming Service Members centers. The informational 69
campaign shall include a description of the program and shall address 70
the various opportunities and benefits that the program may provide 71
for veterans in this state. 72
This act shall take effect as follows and shall amend the following
sections:
Section 1 October 1, 2019 New section
VA Joint Favorable Subst. -LCO
APP Joint Favorable