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General Assembly Raised Bill No. 5504
February Session, 2022
LCO No. 4048
Referred to Committee on FINANCE, REVENUE AND
BONDING
Introduced by:
(FIN)
AN ACT CONCERNING THE REMOVAL OF AN ENTERPRISE ZONE
DESIGNATION.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in General
Assembly convened:
Section 1. Subsection (c) of section 32-70 of the general statutes is 1
repealed and the following is substituted in lieu thereof (Effective from 2
passage): 3
(c) (1) On or before September 30, 1993, the Commissioner of 4
Economic and Community Development shall approve the designation 5
of ten areas as enterprise zones, not more than four of which shall be in 6
municipalities with a population greater than eighty thousand and not 7
more than six of which shall be in municipalities with a population of 8
less than eighty thousand. 9
(2) (A) On or after October 1, 1993, the commissioner shall approve 10
the designation of two areas as enterprise zones. Each such area shall be 11
in a municipality with a population of less than eighty thousand, in 12
which there are one or more base or plant closures. Such municipalities 13
shall be in different counties. If the commissioner approves the 14 Raised Bill No. 5504
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designation of an area of a municipality as an enterprise zone because 15
of a plant closure in the municipality and there is a closure of another 16
plant in any other municipality in the state by the same business, the 17
commissioner shall also designate an area in such other municipality as 18
an enterprise zone. If any such designated area includes a portion of a 19
census tract in which any such base or plant is located, the census tracts 20
in such area shall not be required to meet the eligibility criteria set forth 21
under subsection (a) of this section for enterprise zone designation. If 22
any such area is located elsewhere in the municipality, the census tracts 23
in such area shall meet such eligibility criteria. As used in this 24
subparagraph, (i) "base" means any United States or state of Connecticut 25
military base or facility located in whole or in part within the state; (ii) 26
"plant" means any manufacturing business or economic base business, 27
as defined in section 32-222; and (iii) "closure" means any reduction or 28
transfer in military personnel or civilian employment at one or more 29
bases or plants in a municipality, which occurred between July 1, 1989, 30
and July 1, 1993, or is scheduled to occur between July 1, 1993, and July 31
1, 1996, and exceeds two thousand persons. Such employment figures 32
shall be certified by the Labor Department. 33
(B) On or after October 1, 1993, the commissioner shall approve the 34
designation of three other areas as enterprise zones, one of which shall 35
be in a municipality with a population greater than eighty thousand and 36
two of which shall be in municipalities with a population of less than 37
eighty thousand. The census tracts in such areas shall meet the eligibility 38
criteria set forth under subsection (a) of this section for enterprise zone 39
designation. The commissioner shall approve the designation of 40
enterprise zones under this subparagraph for those municipalities 41
which he or she determines to have experienced the largest increases in 42
poverty from October 1, 1989, to October 1, 1993, inclusive, based on a 43
weighted average of the unemployment rate, caseload under the 44
temporary family assistance program and per capita income of less than 45
ninety per cent of the state average between 1985 and 1989. In making 46
his determination, the commissioner may also consider the vacancy 47
rates for commercial and industrial facilities in a municipality and a 48 Raised Bill No. 5504
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municipality's program for the implementation of an effective 49
enterprise zone program. To the extent appropriate, the commissioner 50
shall use the Regional Economic Models, Inc. (REMI) system in making 51
the calculations for such determination. 52
(C) Notwithstanding the provisions of subsection (a) of this section, 53
municipalities that were not distressed municipalities under the 54
provisions of subsection (b) of section 32-9p on February 1, 1986, shall 55
be eligible to designate areas as enterprise zones under subparagraph 56
(A) or (B) of this subdivision. 57
(3) On or after July 1, 2014, the commissioner shall approve the 58
designation of two areas as enterprise zones as follows: (A) One area 59
shall be in a municipality with a population of not more than fifty 60
thousand, as enumerated in the 2010 federal decennial census, and in 61
which is located a United States Postal Service processing center that at 62
any point in time employed one thousand or more persons, except that 63
such area shall only be designated as an enterprise zone for a term of 64
five years from the date any portion of the area is transferred, provided 65
such transfer occurs on or after July 1, 2014, and (B) one area shall be in 66
a municipality with a population of not less than seven thousand eight 67
hundred and not more than seven thousand nine hundred, as 68
enumerated in the 2010 federal decennial census, and having a total area 69
of not more than 12.2 square miles. Each such enterprise zone area shall 70
consist of two contiguous United States census tracts, contiguous 71
portions of such census tracts or all or a portion of an individual census 72
tract, as determined in accordance with the most recent federal 73
decennial census and, if such area is covered by zoning, a portion of 74
such area shall be zoned to allow commercial or industrial activity. The 75
census tracts in each such enterprise zone area shall not be required to 76
meet the eligibility criteria set forth in subsection (a) of this section. 77
Notwithstanding the provisions of subsection (a) of this section, 78
municipalities that were not distressed municipalities under the 79
provisions of subsection (b) of section 32-9p on February 1, 1986, shall 80
be eligible to designate areas as enterprise zones under this subdivision. 81 Raised Bill No. 5504
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(4) (A) The commissioner shall not approve the designation of more 82
than one enterprise zone in any municipality. The commissioner shall 83
adopt regulations in accordance with chapter 54 concerning such 84
additional qualifications for an area to become an enterprise zone as he 85
or she deems necessary. 86
(B) The commissioner may remove the designation of any area he or 87
she has approved as an enterprise zone if such area no longer meets the 88
criteria for designation as such an area set forth in this section or in 89
regulations adopted pursuant to this section, [provided] except that no 90
such designation shall be removed (i) less than ten years from the 91
original date of approval of such zone, or (ii) if the number of residents 92
in such area with income below the poverty level, as determined by the 93
most recent United States census, has not been reduced by at least 94
seventy-five per cent from the original date of approval of such zone. 95
(C) The commissioner may designate any additional area as an 96
enterprise zone if that area is designated as an enterprise zone, 97
empowerment zone or enterprise community pursuant to any federal 98
legislation. 99
This act shall take effect as follows and shall amend the following
sections:
Section 1 from passage 32-70(c)
Statement of Purpose:
To prohibit the removal of the designation of an enterprise zone if the
number of residents in such designated area with income below the
poverty level has not been reduced by at least seventy-five per cent from
the original date of approval of such zone.
[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.]