Connecticut 2024 Regular Session

Connecticut Senate Bill SB00250 Compare Versions

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Version 2 (New)

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	5	+	General Assembly Substitute Bill No. 250
	6	+	February Session, 2024
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4		-	Substitute Senate Bill No. 250
5		-
6		-	Public Act No. 24-103
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8	11
9		-	AN ACT ~~CONCERNING~~ THE GLOBAL ENTREPRENEUR IN
	12	+	AN ACT ESTABLISHING THE GLOBAL ENTREPRENEUR IN
10	13		RESIDENCE PROGRAM.
11	14		Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in General
12	15		Assembly convened:
13	16
14		-	Section 1. (NEW) (Effective from passage) (a) As used in this section:
15		-	(1) "Eligible institution" means (A) a public institution of higher
16		-	education within the state system of public higher education, as that
17		-	term is described in section 10a-1 of the general statutes, or (B) an
18		-	independent institution of higher education, as defined in section 10a-
19		-	173 of the general statutes;
20		-	(2) "Resident specialist" means any candidate for the program
21		-	described in subsection (b) of this section who (A) is employed in a
22		-	specialty occupation on a part-time basis by a private employer, (B) is
23		-	not a citizen of the United States, and (C) desires to move to or remain
24		-	in the state in nonimmigrant status while employed by such private
25		-	employer; and
26		-	(3) "Specialty occupation" has the same meaning as provided in 8
27		-	USC 1184(i), as amended from time to time.
28		-	(b) Not later than January 1, 2025, the Department of Economic and
29		-	Community Development shall submit recommendations, in Substitute Senate Bill No. 250
	17	+	Section 1. (NEW) (Effective from passage) (a) As used in this section: 1
	18	+	(1) "Eligible institution" means (A) a public institution of higher 2
	19	+	education within the state system of public higher education, as that 3
	20	+	term is described in section 10a-1 of the general statutes, and (B) an 4
	21	+	independent institution of higher education, as defined in section 10a-5
	22	+	173 of the general statutes; 6
	23	+	(2) "Person" means an individual, firm, partnership, association, 7
	24	+	syndicate, company, trust, corporation, limited liability company, 8
	25	+	nonprofit entity or any other legal entity; 9
	26	+	(3) "Resident entrepreneur" means any candidate for the program 10
	27	+	established pursuant to subsection (b) of this section who (A) is 11
	28	+	employed in a specialty occupation on a part-time basis by a private 12
	29	+	person, (B) is not a citizen of the United States, and (C) desires to move 13
	30	+	to or remain in the state in nonimmigrant status while employed by such 14
	31	+	private person; 15
	32	+	(4) "Resident entrepreneur employer" means a private person that 16
	33	+	employs a resident entrepreneur in a specialty occupation; and 17 Substitute Bill No. 250
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31		-	Public Act No. 24-103 2 of 3
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33		-	accordance with the provisions of section 11-4a of the general statutes,
34		-	for the design and establishment of a three-year pilot program, which
35		-	shall be known as the Global Entrepreneur in Residence Program, to the
36		-	joint standing committee of the General Assembly having cognizance of
37		-	matters relating to commerce. The program shall be designed for the
38		-	purpose of retaining or attracting resident specialists in or to the state
39		-	and may:
40		-	(1) Facilitate or support partnerships between eligible institutions
41		-	and private employers that employ resident specialists for such
42		-	purpose;
43		-	(2) Assist resident specialists in filing visa applications; and
44		-	(3) Allow for the acceptance of donated funds in support of the
45		-	program's purposes.
46		-	(c) In submitting recommendations pursuant to subsection (b) of this
47		-	section, the Department of Economic and Community Development:
48		-	(1) Shall consult with The University of Connecticut, the Connecticut
49		-	State Colleges and Universities, the Office of Workforce Strategy and the
50		-	office of the Governor; and
51		-	(2) May consult with other eligible institutions, nonprofit
52		-	organizations and for-profit businesses, and include, but need not be
53		-	limited to, other programmatic recommendations to further the
54		-	program's purposes.
55		-	(d) Not later than January 1, 2025, the Department of Economic and
56		-	Community Development, The University of Connecticut and the
57		-	Connecticut State Colleges and Universities shall jointly conduct a
58		-	survey of noncitizen students at The University of Connecticut and the
59		-	Connecticut State Colleges and Universities, to assess potential interest
60		-	in the Global Entrepreneur in Residence Program. Such survey may be Substitute Senate Bill No. 250
	36	+	LCO 2 of 3
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62		-	Public Act No. 24-103 3 of 3
	38	+	(5) "Specialty occupation" has the same meaning as provided in 8 18
	39	+	USC 1184(i), as amended from time to time. 19
	40	+	(b) The Department of Economic and Community Development 20
	41	+	shall, within available appropriations and in consultation with 21
	42	+	Connecticut Innovations, Incorporated, develop a three-year pilot 22
	43	+	program, which shall be known as the Global Entrepreneur in Residence 23
	44	+	Program, to facilitate the partnering of resident entrepreneur employers 24
	45	+	and eligible institutions for the employment of resident entrepreneurs 25
	46	+	by such eligible institutions. The department may collaborate with 26
	47	+	resident entrepreneurs, eligible institutions and private persons to 27
	48	+	develop the program. Eligible institutions and resident entrepreneur 28
	49	+	employers may apply to participate in the program in the form and 29
	50	+	manner prescribed by the department. Such program shall require that: 30
	51	+	(1) The resident entrepreneur shall work at a designated space on the 31
	52	+	premises of the eligible institution and on assignments that further a 32
	53	+	research mission of the eligible institution, including, but not limited to, 33
	54	+	assignments regarding the life sciences, quantum computing, climate 34
	55	+	change, clean energy, entrepreneurship and innovation or human rights 35
	56	+	and democracy; 36
	57	+	(2) The resident entrepreneur shall work for the eligible institution 37
	58	+	for not less than eight hours per week and for the resident entrepreneur 38
	59	+	employer for not less than eight hours per week; 39
	60	+	(3) The eligible institution and the resident entrepreneur employer 40
	61	+	shall each pay the resident entrepreneur a salary for such resident 41
	62	+	entrepreneur's services at a market rate consistent with rates for similar 42
	63	+	services published by the United States Department of Labor; 43
	64	+	(4) The resident entrepreneur employer shall pay a participation fee 44
	65	+	to the eligible institution that is equal to the amount of the salary paid 45
	66	+	by the eligible institution to the resident entrepreneur; and 46
	67	+	(5) The resident entrepreneur employer shall apply to the United 47
	68	+	States Citizenship and Immigration Services for a nonimmigrant visa in 48 Substitute Bill No. 250
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64		-	conducted in collaboration with other eligible institutions and any other
65		-	parties.
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	71	+	LCO 3 of 3
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	73	+	accordance with 8 USC 1101(a)(15)(H)(i)(b), as amended from time to 49
	74	+	time, to facilitate the resident entrepreneur to move to the state. 50
	75	+	(c) Not later than December 31, 2024, and annually thereafter, the 51
	76	+	Department of Economic and Community Development shall submit, 52
	77	+	in accordance with the provisions of section 11-4a of the general statutes, 53
	78	+	a report on the pilot program to the joint standing committee of the 54
	79	+	General Assembly having cognizance of matters relating to commerce. 55
	80	+	The report shall include, but need not be limited to: (1) A description of 56
	81	+	the progress in implementing the pilot program; (2) recommendations 57
	82	+	for extending the duration or broadening the scope of the program; (3) 58
	83	+	the number of resident entrepreneurs and resident entrepreneur 59
	84	+	employers participating in the program; (4) the industries in which 60
	85	+	resident entrepreneurs are engaged; and (5) a cost-benefit analysis of the 61
	86	+	pilot program. 62
	87	+	This act shall take effect as follows and shall amend the following
	88	+	sections:
	89	+
	90	+	Section 1 from passage New section
	91	+
	92	+	CE Joint Favorable Subst.
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