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General Assembly Substitute Bill No. 6104
January Session, 2021
AN ACT CONCERNING RE GIONAL PLANNING AND COUNCILS OF
GOVERNMENTS.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in General
Assembly convened:
Section 1. Section 4-66k of the general statutes is repealed and the 1
following is substituted in lieu thereof (Effective July 1, 2021): 2
(a) There is established an account to be known as the "regional 3
planning incentive account" which shall be a separate, nonlapsing 4
account within the General Fund. The account shall contain any moneys 5
required by law to be deposited in the account. Except as provided in 6
subsection [(d)] (e) of this section, moneys, in the account shall be 7
expended by the Secretary of the Office of Policy and Management in 8
accordance with subsection (b) of this section for the purposes of first 9
providing funding to regional planning organizations in accordance 10
with the provisions of subsections (b) [and (c)] to (d), inclusive, of this 11
section and then to providing grants under the regional performance 12
incentive program established pursuant to section 4-124s, as amended 13
by this act. 14
(b) For the fiscal year ending June 30, 2014, funds from the regional 15
planning incentive account shall be distributed to each regional 16
planning organization, as defined in section 4-124i, revision of 1958, 17
revised to January 1, 2013, in the amount of one hundred twenty-five 18 Substitute Bill No. 6104
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thousand dollars. Any regional council of governments that is 19
comprised of any two or more regional planning organizations that 20
voluntarily consolidate on or before December 31, 2013, shall receive an 21
additional payment in an amount equal to the amount the regional 22
planning organizations would have received if such regional planning 23
organizations had not voluntarily consolidated. 24
(c) [Beginning in] For the fiscal year ending June 30, 2015, and 25
[annually thereafter] each fiscal year thereafter until July 1, 2021, funds 26
from the regional planning incentive account shall be distributed to each 27
regional council of governments formed pursuant to section 4-124j, in 28
the amount of one hundred twenty-five thousand dollars plus fifty cents 29
per capita, using population information from the most recent federal 30
decennial census. Any regional council of governments that is 31
comprised of any two or more regional planning organizations, as 32
defined in section 4-124i, revision of 1958, revised to January 1, 2013, 33
that voluntarily consolidated on or before December 31, 2013, shall 34
receive a payment in the amount of one hundred twenty-five thousand 35
dollars for each such regional planning organization that voluntarily 36
consolidated on or before said date. 37
(d) For the fiscal year ending June 30, 2022, and each fiscal year 38
thereafter, funds from the regional planning incentive account in a total 39
amount equal to four million one hundred thousand dollars or one-third 40
of the moneys required to be deposited in such account in the prior fiscal 41
year, whichever is greater, shall be distributed to regional councils of 42
governments formed pursuant to section 4-124j. The secretary shall 43
disburse to each regional council of governments one hundred eighty-44
five thousand five hundred dollars, plus sixty-eight cents per capita, 45
using population information from the most recent federal decennial 46
census, except that if such total amount to be distributed exceeds four 47
million one hundred thousand dollars, the secretary shall additionally 48
disburse such excess amount proportionally among each regional 49
council of governments on a per capita basis using such population 50
information. The secretary may reduce the amount of any such 51 Substitute Bill No. 6104
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disbursement, provided for any such reduction proposed by the 52
secretary that is greater than five per cent of the amount of such 53
disbursement, prior to making such reduction the secretary shall submit 54
a report explaining and detailing such reduction to the joint standing 55
committee of the General Assembly having cognizance of matters 56
relating to planning and development in accordance with the provisions 57
of section 11-4a. 58
[(d)] (e) There is established a regionalization subaccount within the 59
regional planning incentive account. If the Connecticut Lottery 60
Corporation offers online its existing lottery draw games through the 61
corporation's Internet web site, online service or mobile application, the 62
revenue from such online offering that exceeds an amount equivalent to 63
the costs of the debt-free community college program under section 10a-64
174 shall be deposited in the subaccount, or, if such online offering is not 65
established, the amount provided under subsection (b) of section 364 of 66
public act 19-117 for regionalization initiatives shall be deposited in the 67
subaccount. Moneys in the subaccount shall be expended only for the 68
purposes recommended by the task force established under section 4-69
66s. 70
Sec. 2. Section 4-66r of the general statutes is repealed and the 71
following is substituted in lieu thereof (Effective July 1, 2021): 72
For the fiscal year ending June 30, [2018] 2022, and each fiscal year 73
thereafter, each regional council of governments shall [, within available 74
appropriations,] receive a grant-in-aid to be known as a regional 75
services grant, the amount of which shall be based on [a formula to be 76
determined by the Secretary of the Office of Policy and Management. 77
No such council shall receive a grant for the fiscal year ending June 30, 78
2018, unless the secretary approves a spending plan for such grant 79
moneys submitted by such council to the secretary on or before 80
November 1, 2017. No such council shall receive a grant for the fiscal 81
year ending June 30, 2019, or any fiscal year thereafter, unless the 82
secretary approves a spending plan for such grant moneys submitted by 83
such council to the secretary on or before July 1, 2018, and annually 84 Substitute Bill No. 6104
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thereafter] the formula established pursuant to section 4-66k, as 85
amended by this act. Each regional council of governments shall use 86
such grant funds for planning purposes and to achieve efficiencies in 87
the delivery of municipal services, without diminishing the quality of 88
such services. On or before October 1, [2018] 2022, and annually 89
thereafter, each regional council of governments shall submit a report, 90
in accordance with section 11-4a, to the joint standing committees of the 91
General Assembly having cognizance of matters relating to planning 92
and development and finance, revenue and bonding, and to the 93
secretary. Such report shall (1) summarize the expenditure of such grant 94
funds, (2) describe any regional program, project or initiative currently 95
provided or planned by the council, (3) review the performance of any 96
existing regional program, project or initiative relative to its initial goals 97
and objectives, (4) analyze the existing services provided by member 98
municipalities or by the state that, in the opinion of the council, could 99
be more effectively or efficiently provided on a regional basis, and (5) 100
provide recommendations for legislative action concerning potential 101
impediments to the regionalization of services. 102
Sec. 3. Subsections (b) to (e), inclusive, of section 4-124s of the general 103
statutes are repealed and the following is substituted in lieu thereof 104
(Effective July 1, 2021): 105
(b) There is established a regional performance incentive program 106
that shall be administered by the Secretary of the Office of Policy and 107
Management. [On or before December 31, 2011, and annually thereafter, 108
any regional council of governments, any two or more municipalities 109
acting through a regional council of governments, any economic 110
development district, any regional educational service center or any 111
combination thereof may submit a proposal to the secretary for: (1) The 112
joint provision of any service that one or more participating 113
municipalities of such council, educational service center or agency 114
currently provide but which is not provided on a regional basis, (2) a 115
planning study regarding the joint provision of any service on a regional 116
basis, or (3) shared information technology services. A copy of said 117 Substitute Bill No. 6104
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proposal shall be sent to the legislators representing said participating 118
municipalities.] In furtherance of the purposes of such program, the 119
secretary shall make available an amount equal to not less than ninety 120
per cent of the moneys remaining annually in the regional planning 121
incentive account, established pursuant to subsection (a) of section 4-122
66k, after the disbursement of funds to each regional council of 123
government under the formula established pursuant to section 4-66k, as 124
amended by this act. The secretary may provide funding for any 125
proposal submitted to the secretary by a regional council of 126
governments, an economic development district, a regional educational 127
service center or any combination thereof for: (1) The joint provision of 128
any government service; or (2) a planning study regarding the joint 129
provision of any service on a regional basis. Any local or regional board 130
of education or regional educational service center serving a population 131
greater than one hundred thousand may submit a proposal to the 132
secretary for a regional special education initiative. 133
(c) (1) A regional council of governments, an economic development 134
district, a regional educational service center or a local or regional board 135
of education shall submit each such proposal in the form and manner 136
the secretary prescribes and shall [, at a minimum, provide the following 137
information for each proposal: (A) Service or initiative description; (B) 138
the explanation of the need for such service or initiative; (C) the method 139
of delivering such service or initiative on a regional basis; (D) the 140
organization that would be responsible for regional service or initiative 141
delivery; (E) a description of the population that would be served; (F) 142
the manner in which regional service or initiative delivery will achieve 143
economies of scale; (G) the amount by which participating 144
municipalities will reduce their mill rates as a result of savings realized; 145
(H) a cost benefit analysis for the provision of the service or initiative by 146
each participating municipality and by the entity or board of education 147
submitting the proposal; (I) a plan of implementation for delivery of the 148
service or initiative on a regional basis; (J) a resolution endorsing such 149
proposal approved by the legislative body of each participating 150
municipality; and (K) an explanation of the potential legal obstacles, if 151 Substitute Bill No. 6104
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any, to the regional provision of the service or initiative] provide a 152
resolution endorsing such proposal approved by the regional council of 153
governments of each planning region in which the jointly provided 154
government service or planning study thereon is to be conducted. On or 155
before December 1, 2021, and annually thereafter, the Connecticut 156
Advisory Commission on Intergovernmental Relations, established 157
pursuant to section 2-79a, may recommend to the secretary any specific 158
proposal for achieving additional cost savings through regional 159
efficiencies, which recommended proposal shall be submitted in the 160
form and manner the secretary prescribes. The secretary may provide 161
funding, within available resources, to a regional council of 162
governments, an economic development district, a regional educational 163
service center or any combination thereof for the purpose of 164
administering any proposal described in this subsection or subsection 165
(b) of this section. 166
(2) The secretary shall review each proposal and shall award grants 167
for proposals the secretary determines best meet the requirements of 168
this section. [In awarding such grants, the secretary shall give priority 169
to a proposal submitted by (A) any entity specified in subsection (a) of 170
this section that includes participation of all of the member 171
municipalities of such entity, and which may increase the purchasing 172
power of participating municipalities or provide a cost savings initiative 173
resulting in a decrease in expenses of such municipalities, allowing such 174
municipalities to lower property taxes, (B) any economic development 175
district, and (C) any local or regional board of education.] 176
(d) On or before December 31, 2013, and annually thereafter until 177
December 31, 2018, in addition to any proposal submitted pursuant to 178
this section, any municipality or regional council of governments may 179
apply to the secretary for a grant to fund: (1) Operating costs associated 180
with connecting to the state-wide high speed, flexible network 181
developed pursuant to section 4d-80, including the costs to connect at 182
the same rate as other government entities served by such network; and 183
(2) capital cost associated with connecting to such network, including 184 Substitute Bill No. 6104
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expenses associated with building out the internal fiber network 185
connections required to connect to such network, provided the secretary 186
shall make any such grant available in accordance with the two-year 187
schedule by which the Bureau of Enterprise Systems and Technology 188
recommends connecting each municipality and regional council of 189
governments to such network. Any municipality or regional council of 190
governments shall submit each application in the form and manner the 191
secretary prescribes. 192
(e) The secretary shall submit to the Governor and the joint standing 193
[committee] committees of the General Assembly having cognizance of 194
matters relating to planning and development and finance, revenue and 195
bonding a report on the grants provided pursuant to this section. Each 196
such report shall include information on the amount of each grant, and 197
the potential of each grant for leveraging other public and private 198
investments. The secretary shall submit a report for the fiscal year 199
commencing July 1, 2011, not later than February 1, 2012, and shall 200
submit a report for each subsequent fiscal year not later than the first 201
day of March in such fiscal year. [Such reports shall include the property 202
tax reductions achieved by means of the program established pursuant 203
to this section.] 204
Sec. 4. Section 4-124n of the general statutes is repealed and the 205
following is substituted in lieu thereof (Effective July 1, 2021): 206
A regional council of governments shall adopt bylaws for the conduct 207
of its business and shall annually elect from among the representatives 208
to the council a chairman, a vice-chairman, a secretary, a treasurer [, who 209
shall be bonded,] and such other officers as may be designated or 210
permitted in the bylaws. The bylaws may provide for alternate 211
representatives of the council to attend and vote at any meeting in place 212
of absent representatives and may provide for the organization of a 213
regional planning commission. [No representative shall be eligible to 214
serve more than two consecutive terms in the same office.] The bylaws 215
[shall] may provide for an executive committee of the council and [an 216
executive committee of the regional planning commission and may 217 Substitute Bill No. 6104
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provide] for additional committees including nonvoting advisory 218
committees. Meetings of the council shall be called [by the chairman or 219
as the bylaws shall otherwise provide] pursuant to the bylaws and 220
minutes of all meetings of the council, its committees and other official 221
actions shall be filed in the office of the council and shall be of public 222
record. 223
This act shall take effect as follows and shall amend the following
sections:
Section 1 July 1, 2021 4-66k
Sec. 2 July 1, 2021 4-66r
Sec. 3 July 1, 2021 4-124s(b) to (e)
Sec. 4 July 1, 2021 4-124n
PD Joint Favorable Subst.