Connecticut 2023 Regular Session

Connecticut House Bill HB06754 Compare Versions

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Version 2 (New)

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7		-	General Assembly ~~Substitute~~ Bill No. 6754
	5	+	General Assembly Raised Bill No. 6754
8	6		January Session, 2023
	7	+	LCO No. 4813
	8	+
	9	+
	10	+	Referred to Committee on COMMERCE
	11	+
	12	+
	13	+	Introduced by:
	14	+	(CE)
	15	+
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12	19		AN ACT CONCERNING INCENTIVES TO INCREASE EMPLOYMENT
13	20		OF INDIVIDUALS WITH INTELLECTUAL DISABILITY.
14	21		Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in General
15	22		Assembly convened:
16	23
17		-	Section 1. (NEW) (Effective January 1, 2024, and applicable to income 1
18		-	~~and~~ taxable years commencing on or after January 1, 2024) (a) As used in 2
19		-	~~this~~ section: 3
	24	+	Section 1. (NEW) (Effective January 1, 2024, and applicable to income and 1
	25	+	taxable years commencing on or after January 1, 2024) (a) As used in this 2
	26	+	section: 3
20	27		(1) "Employer" means a person engaged in business that has 4
21	28		employees and that is subject to tax under chapter 208 or 229 of the 5
22	29		general statutes; 6
23	30		(2) "Income year" means the income year or taxable year, as 7
24	31		determined under chapter 208 or 229 of the general statutes, as the case 8
25	32		may be; and 9
26		-	(3) "New qualifying employee" means an individual with 10
27		-	intellectual disability, as defined in section 1-1g of the general statutes, 11
28		-	who is hired by an employer during the employer's income years 12
29		-	commencing on or after January 1, 2024. 13
	33	+	(3) "New qualifying employee" means an individual with intellectual 10
	34	+	disability, as defined in section 1-1g of the general statutes, who is hired 11
	35	+	by an employer during the employer's income years commencing on or 12
	36	+	after January 1, 2024. 13 Raised Bill No. 6754
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	38	+
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30	42		(b) (1) There is established a workforce development credit program 14
31	43		for employers whereby an employer who hires a new qualifying 15
32	44		employee may be allowed a credit against the tax imposed under 16
33	45		chapter 208 or 229 of the general statutes, other than the liability 17
34		-	imposed by section 12-707 of the general statutes. 18 Substitute Bill No. 6754
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41		-	(2) (A) With respect to each new qualifying employee who is hired 19
42		-	to work twenty-five hours or more per week, the credit shall be equal 20
43		-	to thirty per cent of the annual wage of such new qualifying employee, 21
	46	+	imposed by section 12-707 of the general statutes. 18
	47	+	(2) (A) With respect to each new qualifying employee who is hired to 19
	48	+	work twenty-five hours or more per week, the credit shall be equal to 20
	49	+	thirty per cent of the annual wage of such new qualifying employee, 21
44	50		provided the credit allowed under this subparagraph shall not exceed 22
45	51		five thousand dollars for any such employee for any one income year. 23
46	52		(B) With respect to each new qualifying employee who is hired to 24
47	53		work at least eight but less than twenty-five hours per week, the credit 25
48	54		shall be equal to fifteen per cent of the annual wage of such new 26
49	55		qualifying employee, provided the credit allowed under this 27
50	56		subparagraph shall not exceed two thousand five hundred dollars for 28
51	57		any such employee for any one income year. 29
52		-	(3) No employer may claim a credit for any new qualifying 30
53		-	~~employee~~ who (A) is an owner, member or partner in the business of 31
54		-	~~the employer,~~ (B) is not employed by the employer at the close of the 32
55		-	~~income year of~~ the employer, (C) is hired to replace a former employee 33
56		-	~~of such~~ employer who was laid off, or (D) is hired to replace an 34
57		-	~~employee of~~ such employer who is on strike. 35
	58	+	(3) No employer may claim a credit for any new qualifying employee 30
	59	+	who (A) is an owner, member or partner in the business of the employer, 31
	60	+	(B) is not employed by the employer at the close of the income year of 32
	61	+	the employer, (C) is hired to replace a former employee of such 33
	62	+	employer who was laid off, or (D) is hired to replace an employee of 34
	63	+	such employer who is on strike. 35
58	64		(4) No employer claiming the credit under this section, with respect 36
59	65		to a new qualifying employee, may claim any credit against any tax 37
60	66		under any other provision of the general statutes with respect to the 38
61	67		same new qualifying employee. 39
62	68		(c) If the employer is an S corporation or an entity treated as a 40
63	69		partnership for federal income tax purposes, the credit may be claimed 41
64	70		by the shareholders or partners of the employer. If the employer is a 42
65		-	single-member limited liability company that is disregarded as an 43
66		-	entity separate from its owner, the credit may be claimed by the 44
67		-	limited liability company's owner. 45
	71	+	single-member limited liability company that is disregarded as an entity 43
	72	+	separate from its owner, the credit may be claimed by the limited 44
	73	+	liability company's owner. 45 Raised Bill No. 6754
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68	79		(d) For an employer subject to the tax imposed under chapter 229 of 46
69	80		the general statutes, no credit allowed under this section shall exceed 47
70	81		the amount of tax imposed by chapter 229 of the general statutes. 48
71		-	Sec. 2. Subsection (c) of section 4a-59 of the general statutes is 49 Substitute Bill No. 6754
	82	+	Sec. 2. Subsection (c) of section 4a-59 of the general statutes is 49
	83	+	repealed and the following is substituted in lieu thereof (Effective October 50
	84	+	1, 2023): 51
	85	+	(c) All open market orders or contracts shall be awarded to (1) the 52
	86	+	lowest responsible qualified bidder, the qualities of the articles to be 53
	87	+	supplied, their conformity with the specifications, their suitability to the 54
	88	+	requirements of the state government and the delivery terms being 55
	89	+	taken into consideration and, at the discretion of the Commissioner of 56
	90	+	Administrative Services, life-cycle costs and trade-in or resale value of 57
	91	+	the articles may be considered where it appears to be in the best interest 58
	92	+	of the state, (2) the highest scoring bidder in a multiple criteria bid, in 59
	93	+	accordance with the criteria set forth in the bid solicitation for the 60
	94	+	contract, or (3) the proposer whose proposal is deemed by the awarding 61
	95	+	authority to be the most advantageous to the state, in accordance with 62
	96	+	the criteria set forth in the request for proposals, including price and 63
	97	+	evaluation factors. Notwithstanding any provision of the general 64
	98	+	statutes to the contrary, each state agency awarding a contract through 65
	99	+	competitive negotiation shall include price as an explicit factor in the 66
	100	+	criteria in the request for proposals and for the contract award. In 67
	101	+	considering past performance of a bidder for the purpose of 68
	102	+	determining the "lowest responsible qualified bidder" or the "highest 69
	103	+	scoring bidder in a multiple criteria bid", the commissioner shall 70
	104	+	evaluate the skill, ability and integrity of the bidder in terms of the 71
	105	+	bidder's fulfillment of past contract obligations and the bidder's 72
	106	+	experience or lack of experience in delivering supplies, materials, 73
	107	+	equipment or contractual services of the size or amount for which bids 74
	108	+	have been solicited. In determining the lowest responsible qualified 75
	109	+	bidder for the purposes of this section, the commissioner may give a 76
	110	+	price preference of up to ten per cent for (A) the purchase of goods made 77
	111	+	with recycled materials or the purchase of recyclable or remanufactured 78
	112	+	products if the commissioner determines that such preference would 79 Raised Bill No. 6754
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78		-	repealed and the following is substituted in lieu thereof (Effective 50
79		-	October 1, 2023): 51
80		-	(c) All open market orders or contracts shall be awarded to (1) the 52
81		-	lowest responsible qualified bidder, the qualities of the articles to be 53
82		-	supplied, their conformity with the specifications, their suitability to 54
83		-	the requirements of the state government and the delivery terms being 55
84		-	taken into consideration and, at the discretion of the Commissioner of 56
85		-	Administrative Services, life-cycle costs and trade-in or resale value of 57
86		-	the articles may be considered where it appears to be in the best 58
87		-	interest of the state, (2) the highest scoring bidder in a multiple criteria 59
88		-	bid, in accordance with the criteria set forth in the bid solicitation for 60
89		-	the contract, or (3) the proposer whose proposal is deemed by the 61
90		-	awarding authority to be the most advantageous to the state, in 62
91		-	accordance with the criteria set forth in the request for proposals, 63
92		-	including price and evaluation factors. Notwithstanding any provision 64
93		-	of the general statutes to the contrary, each state agency awarding a 65
94		-	contract through competitive negotiation shall include price as an 66
95		-	explicit factor in the criteria in the request for proposals and for the 67
96		-	contract award. In considering past performance of a bidder for the 68
97		-	purpose of determining the "lowest responsible qualified bidder" or 69
98		-	the "highest scoring bidder in a multiple criteria bid", the 70
99		-	commissioner shall evaluate the skill, ability and integrity of the 71
100		-	bidder in terms of the bidder's fulfillment of past contract obligations 72
101		-	and the bidder's experience or lack of experience in delivering 73
102		-	supplies, materials, equipment or contractual services of the size or 74
103		-	amount for which bids have been solicited. In determining the lowest 75
104		-	responsible qualified bidder for the purposes of this section, the 76
105		-	commissioner may give a price preference of up to ten per cent for (A) 77
106		-	the purchase of goods made with recycled materials or the purchase of 78
107		-	recyclable or remanufactured products if the commissioner determines 79
108		-	that such preference would promote recycling or remanufacturing. As 80
109		-	used in this subsection, "recyclable" means able to be collected, 81
110		-	separated or otherwise recovered from the solid waste stream for 82
111		-	reuse, or for use in the manufacture or assembly of another package or 83 Substitute Bill No. 6754
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	118	+	promote recycling or remanufacturing. As used in this subsection, 80
	119	+	"recyclable" means able to be collected, separated or otherwise 81
	120	+	recovered from the solid waste stream for reuse, or for use in the 82
	121	+	manufacture or assembly of another package or product, by means of a 83
	122	+	recycling program which is reasonably available to at least seventy-five 84
	123	+	per cent of the state's population, "remanufactured" means restored to 85
	124	+	its original function and thereby diverted from the solid waste stream 86
	125	+	by retaining the bulk of components that have been used at least once 87
	126	+	and by replacing consumable components and "remanufacturing" 88
	127	+	means any process by which a product is remanufactured; (B) the 89
	128	+	purchase of motor vehicles powered by a clean alternative fuel; (C) the 90
	129	+	purchase of motor vehicles powered by fuel other than a clean 91
	130	+	alternative fuel and conversion equipment to convert such motor 92
	131	+	vehicles allowing the vehicles to be powered by either the exclusive use 93
	132	+	of clean alternative fuel or dual use of a clean alternative fuel and a fuel 94
	133	+	other than a clean alternative fuel. As used in this subsection, "clean 95
	134	+	alternative fuel" means natural gas, electricity, hydrogen or propane 96
	135	+	when used as a motor vehicle fuel; [or] (D) the purchase of goods or 97
	136	+	services from a micro business, except that, in the case of a veteran-98
	137	+	owned micro business, the commissioner may give a price preference of 99
	138	+	up to fifteen per cent. As used in this subsection, "micro business" means 100
	139	+	a business with gross revenues not exceeding three million dollars in the 101
	140	+	most recently completed fiscal year, "veteran-owned micro business" 102
	141	+	means a micro business of which at least fifty-one per cent of the 103
	142	+	ownership is held by one or more veterans and "veteran" has the same 104
	143	+	meaning as provided in section 27-103; or (E) the purchase of goods or 105
	144	+	services from a business that, at the time when a bid or proposal is 106
	145	+	submitted, employs a workforce of which not less than ten per cent 107
	146	+	consists of individuals with intellectual disability, as defined in section 108
	147	+	1-1g. All other factors being equal, preference shall be given to supplies, 109
	148	+	materials and equipment produced, assembled or manufactured in the 110
	149	+	state and services originating and provided in the state. Except with 111
	150	+	regard to contracts that may be paid for with United States Department 112
	151	+	of Transportation funds, if any such bidder refuses to accept, within ten 113
	152	+	days, a contract awarded to such bidder, such contract may be awarded 114 Raised Bill No. 6754
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118		-	product, by means of a recycling program which is reasonably 84
119		-	available to at least seventy-five per cent of the state's population, 85
120		-	"remanufactured" means restored to its original function and thereby 86
121		-	diverted from the solid waste stream by retaining the bulk of 87
122		-	components that have been used at least once and by replacing 88
123		-	consumable components and "remanufacturing" means any process by 89
124		-	which a product is remanufactured; (B) the purchase of motor vehicles 90
125		-	powered by a clean alternative fuel; (C) the purchase of motor vehicles 91
126		-	powered by fuel other than a clean alternative fuel and conversion 92
127		-	equipment to convert such motor vehicles allowing the vehicles to be 93
128		-	powered by either the exclusive use of clean alternative fuel or dual 94
129		-	use of a clean alternative fuel and a fuel other than a clean alternative 95
130		-	fuel. As used in this subsection, "clean alternative fuel" means natural 96
131		-	gas, electricity, hydrogen or propane when used as a motor vehicle 97
132		-	fuel; [or] (D) the purchase of goods or services from a micro business, 98
133		-	except that, in the case of a veteran-owned micro business, the 99
134		-	commissioner may give a price preference of up to fifteen per cent. As 100
135		-	used in this subsection, "micro business" means a business with gross 101
136		-	revenues not exceeding three million dollars in the most recently 102
137		-	completed fiscal year, "veteran-owned micro business" means a micro 103
138		-	business of which at least fifty-one per cent of the ownership is held by 104
139		-	one or more veterans and "veteran" has the same meaning as provided 105
140		-	in section 27-103; or (E) the purchase of goods or services from a 106
141		-	business that, at the time when a bid or proposal is submitted, employs 107
142		-	a workforce of which not less than ten per cent consists of individuals 108
143		-	with intellectual disability, as defined in section 1-1g. All other factors 109
144		-	being equal, preference shall be given to supplies, materials and 110
145		-	equipment produced, assembled or manufactured in the state and 111
146		-	services originating and provided in the state. Except with regard to 112
147		-	contracts that may be paid for with United States Department of 113
148		-	Transportation funds, if any such bidder refuses to accept, within ten 114
149		-	days, a contract awarded to such bidder, such contract may be 115
150		-	awarded to the next lowest responsible qualified bidder or the next 116
151		-	highest scoring bidder in a multiple criteria bid, whichever is 117
152		-	applicable, and so on until such contract is awarded and accepted. 118 Substitute Bill No. 6754
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	158	+	to the next lowest responsible qualified bidder or the next highest 115
	159	+	scoring bidder in a multiple criteria bid, whichever is applicable, and so 116
	160	+	on until such contract is awarded and accepted. Except with regard to 117
	161	+	contracts that may be paid for with United States Department of 118
	162	+	Transportation funds, if any such proposer refuses to accept, within ten 119
	163	+	days, a contract awarded to such proposer, such contract shall be 120
	164	+	awarded to the next most advantageous proposer, and so on until the 121
	165	+	contract is awarded and accepted. There shall be a written evaluation 122
	166	+	made of each bid. This evaluation shall identify the vendors and their 123
	167	+	respective costs and prices, document the reason why any vendor is 124
	168	+	deemed to be nonresponsive and recommend a vendor for award. A 125
	169	+	contract valued at one million dollars or more shall be awarded to a 126
	170	+	bidder other than the lowest responsible qualified bidder or the highest 127
	171	+	scoring bidder in a multiple criteria bid, whichever is applicable, only 128
	172	+	with written approval signed by the Commissioner of Administrative 129
	173	+	Services and by the Comptroller. The commissioner shall post on the 130
	174	+	department's Internet web site all awards made pursuant to the 131
	175	+	provisions of this section. 132
	176	+	Sec. 3. (NEW) (Effective October 1, 2023) (a) (1) The Commissioner of 133
	177	+	Economic and Community Development shall establish a workforce 134
	178	+	development program to provide grants to nonprofit organizations that 135
	179	+	employ individuals with intellectual disability, as defined in section 1-136
	180	+	1g of the general statutes. Such grants shall be awarded for 137
	181	+	infrastructure expenditures, start-up costs or expansion costs. 138
	182	+	(2) Any nonprofit organization that employs, at the time of 139
	183	+	application, a workforce of which not less than ten per cent consists of 140
	184	+	individuals with intellectual disability, as defined in section 1-1g of the 141
	185	+	general statutes, may apply for a grant under the program. 142
	186	+	(3) Grants awarded pursuant to this section shall not exceed: 143
	187	+	(A) Twenty-five thousand dollars per nonprofit organization 144
	188	+	employing a workforce of which between ten and thirty per cent 145
	189	+	consists of individuals with intellectual disability; and 146 Raised Bill No. 6754
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159		-	Except with regard to contracts that may be paid for with United States 119
160		-	Department of Transportation funds, if any such proposer refuses to 120
161		-	accept, within ten days, a contract awarded to such proposer, such 121
162		-	contract shall be awarded to the next most advantageous proposer, 122
163		-	and so on until the contract is awarded and accepted. There shall be a 123
164		-	written evaluation made of each bid. This evaluation shall identify the 124
165		-	vendors and their respective costs and prices, document the reason 125
166		-	why any vendor is deemed to be nonresponsive and recommend a 126
167		-	vendor for award. A contract valued at one million dollars or more 127
168		-	shall be awarded to a bidder other than the lowest responsible 128
169		-	qualified bidder or the highest scoring bidder in a multiple criteria bid, 129
170		-	whichever is applicable, only with written approval signed by the 130
171		-	Commissioner of Administrative Services and by the Comptroller. The 131
172		-	commissioner shall post on the department's Internet web site all 132
173		-	awards made pursuant to the provisions of this section. 133
174		-	Sec. 3. (NEW) (Effective October 1, 2023) (a) (1) The Commissioner of 134
175		-	Economic and Community Development shall establish a workforce 135
176		-	development program to provide grants to nonprofit organizations 136
177		-	that employ individuals with intellectual disability, as defined in 137
178		-	section 1-1g of the general statutes. Such grants shall be awarded for 138
179		-	infrastructure expenditures, start-up costs or expansion costs. 139
180		-	(2) Any nonprofit organization that employs, at the time of 140
181		-	application, a workforce of which not less than ten per cent consists of 141
182		-	individuals with intellectual disability, as defined in section 1-1g of the 142
183		-	general statutes, may apply for a grant under the program. 143
184		-	(3) Grants awarded pursuant to this section shall not exceed: 144
185		-	(A) Twenty-five thousand dollars per nonprofit organization 145
186		-	employing a workforce of which between ten and thirty per cent, 146
187		-	inclusive, consists of individuals with intellectual disability; and 147
188		-	(B) Seventy-five thousand dollars per nonprofit organization 148
189		-	employing a workforce of which more than thirty per cent consists of 149 Substitute Bill No. 6754
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196		-	individuals with intellectual disability. 150
197		-	(b) The Department of Economic and Community Development 151
198		-	may enter into an agreement, pursuant to chapter 55a of the general 152
199		-	statutes, with a person, firm, corporation or other entity to operate the 153
200		-	program established pursuant to this section. 154
201		-	(c) The commissioner shall prescribe the form and manner of the 155
202		-	application and such application procedure shall include a competitive 156
203		-	award process. 157
	195	+	(B) Seventy-five thousand dollars per nonprofit organization 147
	196	+	employing a workforce of which more than thirty per cent consists of 148
	197	+	individuals with intellectual disability. 149
	198	+	(b) The Department of Economic and Community Development may 150
	199	+	enter into an agreement, pursuant to chapter 55a of the general statutes, 151
	200	+	with a person, firm, corporation or other entity to operate the program 152
	201	+	established pursuant to this section. 153
	202	+	(c) The commissioner shall prescribe the form and manner of the 154
	203	+	application and such application procedure shall include a competitive 155
	204	+	award process. 156
204	205		This act shall take effect as follows and shall amend the following
205	206		sections:
206	207
207	208		Section 1 January 1, 2024, and
208	209		applicable to income and
209	210		taxable years commencing
210	211		on or after January 1, 2024
211	212		New section
212	213		Sec. 2 October 1, 2023 4a-59(c)
213	214		Sec. 3 October 1, 2023 New section
214	215
215		-	Statement of Legislative Commissioners:
216		-	In Section 3(a)(3)(A), ", inclusive," was added after "between ten and
217		-	thirty per cent" for clarity and consistency with standard drafting
218		-	conventions.
219		-
220		-	CE Joint Favorable Subst. -LCO
	216	+	Statement of Purpose:
	217	+	To establish: (1) A tax credit for certain employers that hire individuals
	218	+	with intellectual disability; (2) a state contracting price preference for
	219	+	certain businesses employing individuals with intellectual disability;
	220	+	and (3) a competitive grant program for certain nonprofit organizations
	221	+	employing individuals with intellectual disability.
	222	+	[Proposed deletions are enclosed in brackets. Proposed additions are indicated by underline, except
	223	+	that when the entire text of a bill or resolution or a section of a bill or resolution is new, it is not
	224	+	underlined.]
221	225