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OLR Bill Analysis
sHB 6104
AN ACT CONCERNING REGIONAL PLANNING AND COUNCILS
OF GOVERNMENTS.
SUMMARY
By law, regional councils of government (COG) grants and Regional
Performance Incentive Program (RPIP) projects are funded by the
regional planning incentive account (see BACKGROUND). This bill:
1. increases the regional service grant (RSG) amounts for COGs
from $125,000 plus 58 cents per capita to $185,000 plus 68 cents
per capita;
2. requires, with certain exceptions, the Office of Policy and
Management (OPM) secretary to provide the grants annually,
instead of within available appropriations as current law
requires;
3. requires OPM to make 90% of the remaining funds (after
satisfying RSG amounts) available for RPIP projects; and
4. modifies the entities and types of projects that are eligible for
RPIP funding.
The bill also modifies COG bylaw requirements to (1) allow COG
representatives to serve more than two consecutive terms in the same
position; (2) eliminate a requirement that a COG treasurer be bonded;
and (3) allow, rather than require, COGs to establish an executive
committee.
EFFECTIVE DATE: July 1, 2021
§§ 1 & 2 — REGIONAL SERVICE GRA NTS
Starting in FY 22, the bill requires the OPM secretary to annually
distribute from the regional planning incentive account the greater of 2021HB-06104-R000068-BA.DOCX
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$4.1 million or one-third of the fund’s prior-year deposits (see
BACKGROUND). These funds are disbursed to COGs in the form of
RSGs.
As under existing law, the bill’s RSG funding calculation is based on
a base amount and a per capita amount, shown in Table 1 below. If the
required distribution amount exceeds $4.1 million, the bill requires the
secretary to disburse any excess amount on a per capita basis.
Table 1: Changes to Grant Calculations
Current Law Bill
Total distribution No amount specified $4.1 million or one-third of
the funds deposited into the
account the prior year,
whichever is larger
Base amount per COG $125,000 $185,500
Amount per person (based
on most recent census) per
COG
50 cents 68 cents
Additional amount $125,000 for each regional
planning organization that
voluntarily consolidated into
a COG before January 1,
2014
Per capita proportional
share of distribution amount
above $4.1 million (i.e., the
excess amount)
The bill allows the OPM secretary to reduce any such distribution to
the COGs; but, if the reduction is greater than 5%, she must first report
to the Planning and Development Committee explaining the reduction.
(It is unclear if she may reduce the RSG amounts, the excess
disbursement, or both.)
The bill also appears to eliminate the additional $125,000 payment
for regional planning organizations that organized before January 1,
2014.
Additionally, it removes the requirement that COGs submit a grant
spending plan to OPM annually to be eligible for them.
§ 3 — REGIONAL PERFORMANCE INCENTIV E PROGRAM (RPIP) 2021HB-06104-R000068-BA.DOCX
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Under the bill, the OPM secretary must make at least 90% of the
remaining regional planning incentive account funds (i.e., after
distributing RSGs and excess amounts to the COGs) available for RPIP
projects.
Eligible Entities
The bill removes the ability of two or more municipalities to apply
through a COG. Under existing law, eligible entities are COGs,
economic development districts, regional educational service centers,
local and regional boards of education, and any combination of these
entities.
It additionally authorizes the Connecticut Advisory Commission on
Intergovernmental Relations to submit by December 1, 2021, and
annually thereafter, specific regional efficiencies proposals that achieve
cost savings. It specifies that the OPM secretary may provide, within
available resources, funding to an eligible entity to administer any of
these proposals.
Eligible Projects
Under the bill, projects eligible for RPIP funding are (1) joint
provisions of any government service, (2) planning studies regarding
the joint provision of any service on a regional basis, and (3) regional
special education initiatives that are proposed by certain boards of
education or large regional service centers (i.e., centers that serve a
population of more than 100,000).
Under current law, the secretary may provide funding for the same
types of projects, but it (1) requires that the joint services be ones that
are not provided on a regional basis already but are provided by an
eligible entity and (2) specifies that shared information technology
services are eligible projects.
Application Requirements and Selection
As under existing law, the bill requires that applicants submit
proposals in a form and manner the OPM secretary prescribes. But the
bill removes the requirement that applicants provide at least certain, 2021HB-06104-R000068-BA.DOCX
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specified information (e.g., the method of delivering services, an
explanation of potential legal obstacles, and mill rate reductions
attributable to the savings). It additionally requires that applicants
provide a resolution approved by the applicable COG or COGs, rather
than by each participating municipality’s legislative body as current
law requires.
As under existing law, the bill requires the secretary to award grants
to those proposals that she determines best meet RPIP’s requirements.
But it removes the requirement that the secretary prioritize grants that
are submitted by economic development districts, boards of education,
or all member municipalities of a COG or regional educational service
center.
Reporting Requirements
The bill requires the OPM secretary to submit to the Planning and
Development Committee the annual report that existing law requires
she submit to the governor and Finance, Revenue and Bonding
Committee. It removes the requirement that the secretary include in
the reports any property tax reductions the program achieves.
Additionally, the bill removes the requirement that RPIP applicants
submit a copy of their proposals to the participating municipalities’
legislators.
BACKGROUND
Regional Planning Incentive Account
The regional planning incentive account is a separate, nonlapsing
General Fund account funded by 6.7% of the revenue generated by the
room occupancy tax and 10.7% of the revenue generated by the rental
car tax (CGS § 12-411(1)(J)).
COMMITTEE ACTION
Planning and Development Committee
Joint Favorable Substitute
Yea 25 Nay 1 (03/02/2021)
2021HB-06104-R000068-BA.DOCX
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