Connecticut 2022 Regular Session

Connecticut Senate Bill SB00343 Compare Versions

Version 1 (Old)

Version 2 (New)

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7	7		General Assembly Raised Bill No. 343
8	8		February Session, 2022
9	9		LCO No. 2634
10	10
11	11
12	12		Referred to Committee on VETERANS' AFFAIRS
13	13
14	14
15	15		Introduced by:
16	16		(VA)
17	17
18	18
19	19		AN ACT CONCERNING A MILITARY OCCUPATIONAL SPECIALTY
20	20		WORKING GROUP AND A GRANT PROGRAM FOR THE
21	21		REIMBURSEMENT OF CERTAIN LICENSING, CERTIFICATION,
22	22		REGISTRATION OR TUITION FEES.
23	23		Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in General
24	24		Assembly convened:
25	25
26	26		Section 1. (Effective from passage) (a) There is established a working 1
27	27		group to (1) reexamine the study conducted by the military occupational 2
28	28		specialty task force established pursuant to special act 13-5, (2) review 3
29	29		the efficacy of the legislative changes enacted in public act 14-131 as a 4
30	30		result of such study, and (3) identify areas for improvement in achieving 5
31	31		the purpose of such task force to aid veterans in securing employment. 6
32	32		(b) The working group shall consist of the following members: 7
33	33		(1) The Commissioner of Veterans Affairs, or the commissioner's 8
34	34		designee; 9
35	35		(2) The Adjutant General of the Military Department, or the Adjutant 10
36	36		General's designee; 11
37	37		(3) The executive director of the Office of Military Affairs, or the 12 Raised Bill No. 343
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39	39
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44	44		executive director's designee; 13
45	45		(4) The Labor Commissioner, or the commissioner's designee; 14
46	46		(5) The president of the Board of Regents for Higher Education, or the 15
47	47		president's designee; 16
48	48		(6) The chairperson of the Board of Trustees for The University of 17
49	49		Connecticut, or the chairperson's designee; 18
50	50		(7) The executive director of the Office of Higher Education, or the 19
51	51		executive director's designee; 20
52	52		(8) The Commissioner of Consumer Protection, or the commissioner's 21
53	53		designee; 22
54	54		(9) The Commissioner of Education, or the commissioner's designee; 23
55	55		(10) One appointed by the speaker of the House of Representatives; 24
56	56		(11) One appointed by the president pro tempore of the Senate; 25
57	57		(12) One appointed by the majority leader of the House of 26
58	58		Representatives; 27
59	59		(13) One appointed by the majority leader of the Senate; 28
60	60		(14) One appointed by the minority leader of the House of 29
61	61		Representatives; and 30
62	62		(15) One appointed by the minority leader of the Senate. 31
63	63		(c) All appointments to the working group shall be made not later 32
64	64		than thirty days after the effective date of this section. Any vacancy shall 33
65	65		be filled by the appointing authority. 34
66	66		(d) The members appointed by the speaker of the House of 35
67	67		Representatives and the president pro tempore of the Senate shall be the 36
68	68		chairpersons of the working group. Such chairpersons shall schedule 37 Raised Bill No. 343
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75	75		the first meeting of the working group, which shall be held not later than 38
76	76		sixty days after the effective date of this section. 39
77	77		(e) Not later than January 1, 2023, the working group shall submit a 40
78	78		report on its findings and recommendations to the joint standing 41
79	79		committee of the General Assembly having cognizance of matters 42
80	80		relating to veterans' affairs, in accordance with the provisions of section 43
81	81		11-4a of the general statutes. The working group shall terminate on the 44
82	82		date that it submits such report or January 1, 2023, whichever is later. 45
83	83		Sec. 2. (NEW) (Effective July 1, 2022) (a) Not later than January 1, 2023, 46
84	84		the Commissioner of Consumer Protection, in consultation with the 47
85	85		Labor Commissioner and the executive director of the Technical 48
86	86		Education and Career System, shall establish a grant program through 49
87	87		which any veteran in this state, and any person sponsoring an 50
88	88		apprenticeship program in which any such veteran participates, may 51
89	89		apply for reimbursement of licensure, certification, registration or 52
90	90		tuition fees associated with occupations, apprenticeships or trade 53
91	91		programs within the jurisdiction of boards or councils in the 54
92	92		Department of Consumer Protection or Labor Department, as 55
93	93		applicable. As used in this section, "veteran" has the same meaning as 56
94	94		provided in section 27-103 of the general statutes. 57
95	95		(b) The following shall be eligible for reimbursement through the 58
96	96		grant program established in this section: 59
97	97		(1) Any fee paid to the Department of Consumer Protection by a 60
98	98		veteran for any (A) examination, (B) initial licensure or certification, or 61
99	99		(C) annual renewal for the five years immediately following such initial 62
100	100		licensure or certification; 63
101	101		(2) Any fee paid to the Labor Department by a person sponsoring an 64
102	102		apprenticeship program for any apprentice who (A) participates in such 65
103	103		program, and (B) is a veteran; and 66
104	104		(3) Up to one thousand dollars, in the aggregate, in tuition fees 67
105	105		charged by the Technical Education and Career System board for a 68 Raised Bill No. 343
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112	112		student who is a veteran, and paid to said board by (A) such veteran, or 69
113	113		(B) the person sponsoring an apprenticeship program in which such 70
114	114		veteran participates. 71
115	115		(c) The Commissioner of Consumer Protection, in consultation with 72
116	116		the Labor Commissioner and the executive director of the Technical 73
117	117		Education and Career System, shall prescribe the manner in which 74
118	118		eligible veterans or persons sponsoring apprenticeship programs shall 75
119	119		apply for reimbursement through the grant program established in this 76
120	120		section. 77
121	121		(d) Not later than January 1, 2024, and every six months thereafter, 78
122	122		the Commissioner of Consumer Protection, the Labor Commissioner 79
123	123		and the executive director of the Technical Education and Career System 80
124	124		shall jointly submit a report, in accordance with section 11-4a of the 81
125	125		general statutes, to the joint standing committee of the General 82
126	126		Assembly having cognizance of matters relating to veterans' affairs. 83
127	127		Such report shall contain (1) information detailing the number of 84
128	128		applications approved, and the total amount reimbursed, under the 85
129	129		grant program established in this section, and (2) recommendations for 86
130	130		legislation to address any areas for improvement in the administration 87
131	131		of such grant program that have been identified in such report. 88
132	132		Sec. 3. (Effective July 1, 2022) The sum of one hundred thousand 89
133	133		dollars is appropriated to the Department of Consumer Protection from 90
134	134		the General Fund, for the fiscal year ending June 30, 2023, for the grant 91
135	135		program established in section 2 of this act. 92
136	136		This act shall take effect as follows and shall amend the following
137	137		sections:
138	138
139	139		Section 1 from passage New section
140	140		Sec. 2 July 1, 2022 New section
141	141		Sec. 3 July 1, 2022 New section
142	142
143		-	VA Joint Favorable Raised Bill No. 343
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150		-	APP Joint Favorable
	143	+	VA Joint Favorable
151	144