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OLR Bill Analysis
sHB 5300
AN ACT REQUIRING LEGISLATIVE APPROVAL FOR THE MERGER
OR CLOSING OF INSTITUTIONS WITHIN THE CONNECTICUT
STATE COLLEGES AND UNIVERSITIES AND PROHIBITING THE
CONSOLIDATION OF THE REGIONAL COMMUNITY-TECHNICAL
COLLEGES.
SUMMARY
This bill eliminates the Board of Regents for Higher Education’s
(BOR’s) authority to merge or close institutions within the Connecticut
State University and regional community-technical college systems and
Charter Oak State College. The bill instead authorizes BOR to make
merger or closing recommendations to the legislature, except as
described below. Relatedly, the bill (1) creates new legislative notice
requirements that BOR must follow when recommending an
institutional merger or closure and (2) establishes mechanisms for the
legislature to approve or reject BOR’s recommendations.
The bill prohibits BOR from pursuing merger, closure, or
consolidation of the community colleges into a single community
college through a U.S. Department of Education-approved regional
accrediting association. (The New England Commission of Higher
Education (NECHE) is Connecticut’s regional accrediting body.) BOR is
currently pursuing this type of consolidation with NECHE with the goal
of operating as a single institution beginning in the fall 2023 semester.
EFFECTIVE DATE: Upon passage
BOR’S MERGER AND CLOSURE AUTHORITY
Under current law, BOR may merge or close the above institutions
upon a two-thirds vote of its members and after notifying the General
Assembly and the Education Committee about the recommended
merger or closure. The bill instead requires (1) BOR to notify only the
Higher Education and Employment Advancement Committee and (2) a 2022HB-05300-R000278-BA.DOCX
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majority vote of both the House and Senate to approve a BOR-
recommended merger or closure.
Under the bill, if the legislature fails to act within one year after
receiving notice or by adjournment of the next regular legislative
session, whichever is later, then the merger or closure is deemed
approved. Conversely, the merger or closure may be rejected by a
majority vote of at least one chamber.
COMMITTEE ACTION
Higher Education and Employment Advancement Committee
Joint Favorable Substitute
Yea 19 Nay 4 (03/17/2022)