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General Assembly Raised Bill No. 6601
January Session, 2021
LCO No. 4363
Referred to Committee on COMMERCE
Introduced by:
(CE)
AN ACT PROMOTING ECO NOMIC DEVELOPMENT AN D OPTIMIZING
STATE SERVICES THROU GH THE USE OF INNOVATIVE
TECHNOLOGIES DEVELOP ED IN CONNECTICUT.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in General
Assembly convened:
Section 1. Section 32-39e of the general statutes is repealed and the 1
following is substituted in lieu thereof (Effective July 1, 2021): 2
(a) If, in the exercise of its powers under section 32-39, Connecticut 3
Innovations, Incorporated (1) finds that the use of a certain technology, 4
product or process (A) would promote public health and safety, 5
environmental protection or economic development, or (B) with regard 6
to state services, would promote efficiency, reduce administrative 7
burdens or otherwise improve such services, and (2) determines such 8
technology, product or process was developed by a business (A) 9
domiciled in this state to which the corporation has provided financial 10
assistance or in which the corporation has invested, or (B) which has 11
been certified as a small contractor or a minority business enterprise by 12
the Commissioner of Administrative Services under section 4a-60g, the 13
corporation, upon application of such business, may recommend to the 14 Raised Bill No. 6601
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Secretary of the Office of Policy and Management that an agency of the 15
state, including, but not limited to, any constituent unit of the state 16
system of higher education, be [directed] authorized to test such 17
technology, product or process by employing it in the operations of such 18
agency on a trial basis. The purpose of such test program shall be to 19
validate the commercial viability of such technology, product or process 20
provided no business in which Connecticut Innovations, Incorporated 21
has invested shall be required to participate in such program. 22
(b) No such recommendation may be made by Connecticut 23
Innovations, Incorporated unless such business has submitted a viable 24
business plan to Connecticut Innovations, Incorporated for 25
manufacturing and marketing such technology, product or process and 26
such business demonstrates that (1) [will manufacture or produce such 27
technology, product or process in this state, (2) demonstrates that] the 28
usage of such technology, product or process by the state agency will 29
not adversely affect safety, [(3) demonstrates that] (2) sufficient research 30
and development has occurred to warrant participation in the test 31
program, [and (4) demonstrates that] (3) the technology, product or 32
process has potential for commercialization not later than two years 33
following the completion of any test program involving a state agency 34
under this section, and (4) such technology, product or process will have 35
a positive economic impact in the state, including the prospective 36
addition of jobs and economic activity upon such commercialization. 37
[(b)] (c) If the Secretary of the Office of Policy and Management finds 38
that employing such technology, product or process would be feasible 39
in the operations of a state agency and would not have any detrimental 40
effect on such operations, said secretary, notwithstanding the 41
requirement of chapter 58, may direct an agency of the state to accept 42
delivery of such technology, product or process and to undertake such 43
a test program. [Any] The Secretary of the Office of Policy and 44
Management, in consultation with the Commissioner of Administrative 45
Services, the chief executive officer of Connecticut Innovations, 46
Incorporated and the department head of the testing agency, shall 47
determine, on a case-by-case basis, whether the costs associated with the 48 Raised Bill No. 6601
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acquisition and use of such technology, product or process by the testing 49
agency shall be borne by Connecticut Innovations, Incorporated, the 50
business or by any investor or participant in such business. The 51
acquisition of any technology, product or process for purposes of the 52
test program established pursuant to this section shall not be deemed to 53
be a purchase under the provisions of the state procurement policy. The 54
testing agency, on behalf of Connecticut Innovations, Incorporated shall 55
maintain records related to such test program, as requested by 56
Connecticut Innovations, Incorporated and shall make such records and 57
any other information derived from such test program available to 58
Connecticut Innovations, Incorporated and the business. Any 59
proprietary information derived from such test program shall be 60
exempt from the provisions of subsection (a) of section 1-210. 61
(d) If the Secretary of the Office of Policy and Management, in 62
consultation with the Commissioner of Administrative Services, the 63
chief executive officer of Connecticut Innovations, Incorporated and the 64
department head of the testing agency, determines that the test program 65
sufficiently demonstrates that the technology, product or process 66
promotes public health and safety, environmental protection, economic 67
development or efficiency; reduces administrative burdens or otherwise 68
improves state services, the Commissioner of Administrative Services 69
may procure such technology, product or process for use by any or all 70
state agencies pursuant to subsection (b) of section 4a-58. 71
[(c)] (e) The Secretary of the Office of Policy and Management, 72
Commissioner of Administrative Services and Connecticut Innovations, 73
Incorporated may develop a program to recognize state agencies that 74
help to promote public health and safety, environmental protection, [or] 75
economic development or efficiency, reduce administrative burdens or 76
improve state services by participating in a testing program under this 77
section. Such program may include the creation of a fund established 78
with savings accrued by the testing agency during its participation in 79
the testing program established under this section. Such fund shall only 80
be used to implement the program of recognition established by the 81
Secretary of the Office of Policy and Management, Commissioner of 82 Raised Bill No. 6601
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Administrative Services and Connecticut Innovations, Incorporated, 83
under the provisions of this subsection. 84
This act shall take effect as follows and shall amend the following
sections:
Section 1 July 1, 2021 32-39e
Statement of Purpose:
To promote economic development, reduce administrative burdens and
improve state services by using innovative technologies developed by
businesses in the 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.]