Connecticut 2025 Regular Session

Connecticut House Bill HB06922 Compare Versions

Version 1 (Old)

Version 2 (New)

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3		-	LCO 4656 1 of 9
	3	+	LCO No. 4656 1 of 9
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5	5		General Assembly Raised Bill No. 6922
6	6		January Session, 2025
7	7		LCO No. 4656
8	8
9	9
10	10		Referred to Committee on EDUCATION
11	11
12	12
13	13		Introduced by:
14	14		(ED)
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18	19		AN ACT IMPLEMENTING THE RECOMMENDATIONS OF THE
19	20		DEPARTMENT OF ADMINISTRATIVE SERVICES REGARDING THE
20	21		SCHOOL BUILDING PROJECTS STATUTES.
21	22		Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in General
22	23		Assembly convened:
23	24
24	25		Section 1. Subsections (a) and (b) of section 10-283 of the general 1
25	26		statutes are repealed and the following is substituted in lieu thereof 2
26	27		(Effective from passage): 3
27	28		(a) (1) Each town or regional school district shall be eligible to apply 4
28	29		for and accept grants for a school building project as provided in this 5
29	30		chapter. Any town desiring a grant for a public school building project 6
30	31		may, by vote of its legislative body, authorize the board of education of 7
31	32		such town to apply to the Commissioner of Administrative Services and 8
32	33		to accept or reject such grant for the town. Any regional school board 9
33	34		may vote to authorize the supervising agent of the regional school 10
34	35		district to apply to the Commissioner of Administrative Services for and 11
35	36		to accept or reject such grant for the district. Applications for such grants 12
36	37		under this chapter shall be made by the superintendent of schools of 13
37		-	such town or regional school district on the form provided and in the 14 Raised Bill No. 6922
	38	+	such town or regional school district on the form provided and in the 14
	39	+	Raised Bill No. 6922
38	40
39	41
40		-	LCO 4656 2 of 9
	42	+
	43	+	LCO No. 4656 2 of 9
41	44
42	45		manner prescribed by the Commissioner of Administrative Services. 15
43	46		[The application form shall require the superintendent of schools to 16
44	47		affirm that the school district considered the maximization of natural 17
45	48		light, the use and feasibility of wireless connectivity technology and, on 18
46	49		and after July 1, 2014, the school safety infrastructure criteria, described 19
47	50		in section 10-292r, in projects for new construction and alteration or 20
48	51		renovation of a school building.] The Commissioner of Administrative 21
49	52		Services shall review, in consultation with the Commissioner of 22
50	53		Education, each grant application for a school building project for 23
51	54		compliance with educational specifications. The Commissioner of 24
52	55		Education shall evaluate, if appropriate, whether the project will assist 25
53	56		the state in meeting its obligations pursuant to the decision in Sheff v. 26
54	57		O'Neill, 238 Conn. 1 (1996), or any related stipulation or order in effect, 27
55	58		as determined by the Commissioner of Education. The Commissioner of 28
56	59		Administrative Services shall consult with the Commissioner of 29
57	60		Education in reviewing grant applications submitted for purposes of 30
58	61		subsection (a) of section 10-65 or section 10-76e on the basis of the 31
59	62		educational needs of the applicant. The Commissioner of 32
60	63		Administrative Services shall review each grant application for a school 33
61	64		building project for compliance with standards for school building 34
62	65		projects pursuant to regulations, adopted in accordance with section 10-35
63	66		287c, and, on and after July 1, 2014, the school safety infrastructure 36
64	67		criteria, described in section 10-292r. Notwithstanding the provisions of 37
65	68		this chapter, the Board of Trustees of the Community-Technical 38
66	69		Colleges on behalf of Quinebaug Valley Community College and Three 39
67	70		Rivers Community College and the following entities that will operate 40
68	71		an interdistrict magnet school that will assist the state in meeting its 41
69	72		obligations pursuant to the decision in Sheff v. O'Neill, 238 Conn. 1 42
70	73		(1996), or any related stipulation or order in effect, as determined by the 43
71	74		Commissioner of Education, may apply for and shall be eligible to 44
72	75		receive grants for school building projects pursuant to section 10-264h 45
73	76		for such a school: (A) The Board of Trustees of the Community-46
74	77		Technical Colleges on behalf of a regional community-technical college, 47
75	78		(B) the Board of Trustees of the Connecticut State University System on 48
76		-	~~behalf of a state university, (C) the Board of Trustees for The University 49~~ Raised Bill No. 6922
	79	+	Raised Bill No. 6922
77	80
78	81
79		-	LCO 4656 3 of 9
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	83	+	LCO No. 4656 3 of 9
	84	+
	85	+	behalf of a state university, (C) the Board of Trustees for The University 49
81	86		of Connecticut on behalf of the university, (D) the board of governors 50
82	87		for an independent institution of higher education, as defined in 51
83	88		subsection (a) of section 10a-173, or the equivalent of such a board, on 52
84	89		behalf of the independent institution of higher education, (E) 53
85	90		cooperative arrangements pursuant to section 10-158a, and (F) any other 54
86	91		third-party not-for-profit corporation approved by the Commissioner of 55
87	92		Education. 56
88	93		(2) All applications submitted prior to July first shall be reviewed 57
89	94		promptly by the Commissioner of Administrative Services. The 58
90	95		Commissioner of Administrative Services shall estimate the amount of 59
91	96		the grant for which such project is eligible, in accordance with the 60
92	97		provisions of section 10-285a, provided an application for a school 61
93	98		building project determined by the Commissioner of Education to be a 62
94	99		project that will assist the state in meeting its obligations pursuant to the 63
95	100		decision in Sheff v. O'Neill, 238 Conn. 1 (1996), or any related stipulation 64
96	101		or order in effect, as determined by the Commissioner of Education, 65
97	102		shall have until September first to submit an application for such a 66
98	103		project and may have until December first of the same year to secure 67
99	104		and report all local and state approvals required to complete the grant 68
100	105		application. The Commissioner of Administrative Services shall 69
101	106		annually prepare a listing of all such eligible school building projects 70
102	107		with the amount of the estimated grants for such projects and shall 71
103	108		submit the same to the Governor, the Secretary of the Office of Policy 72
104	109		and Management and the General Assembly on or before the fifteenth 73
105	110		day of December, except as provided in section 10-283a, with a request 74
106	111		for authorization to enter into grant commitments. On or before 75
107	112		December thirty-first annually, the Secretary of the Office of Policy and 76
108	113		Management may submit comments and recommendations regarding 77
109	114		each eligible project on such listing of eligible school building projects 78
110	115		to the school construction committee, established pursuant to section 10-79
111	116		283a. Each such listing shall include a report on the following factors for 80
112	117		each eligible project: [(i)] (A) An enrollment projection and the capacity 81
113		-	of the school, including who conducted the enrollment projection for the 82
114		-	school and the cost of conducting such enrollment projection, [(ii)] (B) a 83 Raised Bill No. 6922
	118	+	Raised Bill No. 6922
115	119
116	120
117		-	LCO 4656 4 of 9
118	121
	122	+	LCO No. 4656 4 of 9
	123	+
	124	+	of the school, including who conducted the enrollment projection for the 82
	125	+	school and the cost of conducting such enrollment projection, [(ii)] (B) a 83
119	126		substantiation of the estimated total project costs, [(iii)] (C) the readiness 84
120	127		of such eligible project to begin construction, [(iv)] (D) efforts made by 85
121	128		the local or regional board of education to redistrict, reconfigure, merge 86
122	129		or close schools under the jurisdiction of such board prior to submitting 87
123	130		an application under this section, [(v)] (E) enrollment and capacity 88
124	131		information for all of the schools under the jurisdiction of such board 89
125	132		for the five years prior to application for a school building project grant, 90
126	133		[(vi)] (F) enrollment projections and capacity information for all of the 91
127	134		schools under the jurisdiction of such board for the eight years following 92
128	135		the date such application is submitted, including who conducted the 93
129	136		enrollment projection for the school and the cost of conducting such 94
130	137		enrollment projection, [(vii)] (G) the state's education priorities relating 95
131	138		to reducing racial and economic isolation for the school district, and 96
132	139		[(viii)] (H) an estimation of the total ineligible costs and an itemization 97
133	140		of such ineligible costs for such project. On and after July 1, 2022, each 98
134	141		such listing shall include an addendum that contains all grants 99
135	142		approved pursuant to subsection (b) of this section during the prior 100
136	143		fiscal year. For the period beginning July 1, 2006, and ending June 30, 101
137	144		2012, no project may appear on the separate schedule of authorized 102
138	145		projects which have changed in cost more than twice. On and after July 103
139	146		1, 2012, no project [, other than a project for a technical education and 104
140	147		career school,] may appear on the separate schedule of authorized 105
141	148		projects which have changed in cost more than once, except the 106
142	149		Commissioner of Administrative Services may allow a project to appear 107
143	150		on such separate schedule of authorized projects a second time if the 108
144	151		town or regional school district for such project can demonstrate that 109
145	152		exigent circumstances require such project to appear a second time on 110
146	153		such separate schedule of authorized projects. Notwithstanding any 111
147	154		provision of this chapter, no projects which have changed in scope or 112
148	155		cost to the degree determined by the Commissioner of Administrative 113
149	156		Services, in consultation with the Commissioner of Education, shall be 114
150	157		eligible for reimbursement under this chapter unless it appears on such 115
	158	+	Raised Bill No. 6922
	159	+
	160	+
	161	+
	162	+	LCO No. 4656 5 of 9
	163	+
151	164		list. The percentage determined pursuant to section 10-285a at the time 116
152	165		a school building project on such schedule was originally authorized 117
153		-	shall be used for purposes of the grant for such project. On and after July 118 Raised Bill No. 6922
154		-
155		-
156		-	LCO 4656 5 of 9
157		-
	166	+	shall be used for purposes of the grant for such project. On and after July 118
158	167		1, 2006, a project that was not previously authorized as an interdistrict 119
159	168		magnet school shall not receive a higher percentage for reimbursement 120
160	169		than that determined pursuant to section 10-285a at the time a school 121
161	170		building project on such schedule was originally authorized. The 122
162	171		General Assembly shall annually authorize the Commissioner of 123
163	172		Administrative Services to enter into grant commitments on behalf of 124
164	173		the state in accordance with the commissioner's categorized listing for 125
165	174		such projects as the General Assembly shall determine. The 126
166	175		Commissioner of Administrative Services may not enter into any such 127
167	176		grant commitments except pursuant to such legislative authorization. 128
168	177		Any regional school district which assumes the responsibility for 129
169	178		completion of a public school building project shall be eligible for a 130
170	179		grant pursuant to subdivision (5) or (6), as the case may be, of subsection 131
171	180		(a) of section 10-286 when such project is completed and accepted by 132
172	181		such regional school district. 133
173	182		(3) (A) All final calculations completed by the Department of 134
174	183		Administrative Services for school building projects shall include a 135
175	184		computation of the state grant for the school building project amortized 136
176	185		on a straight line basis over a twenty-year period for school building 137
177	186		projects with costs equal to or greater than two million dollars and over 138
178	187		a ten-year period for school building projects with costs less than two 139
179	188		million dollars. Any town or regional school district which abandons, 140
180	189		sells, leases, demolishes or otherwise redirects the use of such a school 141
181	190		building project to other than a public school use or a public use during 142
182	191		such amortization period shall refund to the state the unamortized 143
183	192		balance of the state grant remaining as of the date the abandonment, 144
184	193		sale, lease, demolition or redirection occurs. The amortization period for 145
185	194		a project shall begin on the date the project was accepted as complete by 146
186	195		the local or regional board of education. [A town or regional school 147
187	196		district required to make a refund to the state pursuant to this 148
	197	+	Raised Bill No. 6922
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	199	+
	200	+
	201	+	LCO No. 4656 6 of 9
	202	+
188	203		subdivision may request forgiveness of such refund if the building is 149
189	204		redirected for public use. The Department of Administrative Services 150
190	205		shall include as an addendum to the annual school construction priority 151
191		-	list all those towns requesting forgiveness. General Assembly approval 152 Raised Bill No. 6922
192		-
193		-
194		-	LCO 4656 6 of 9
195		-
	206	+	list all those towns requesting forgiveness. General Assembly approval 152
196	207		of the priority list under section 10-283a, containing such request shall 153
197	208		constitute approval of such request.] This subdivision shall not apply to 154
198	209		projects to correct safety, health and other code violations or to remedy 155
199	210		certified school indoor air quality emergencies approved pursuant to 156
200	211		subsection (b) of this section or projects subject to the provisions of 157
201	212		section 10-285c. 158
202	213		(B) If the board of governors for an independent institution of higher 159
203	214		education, as defined in subsection (a) of section 10a-173, or the 160
204	215		equivalent of such a board, on behalf of the independent institution of 161
205	216		higher education, that operates an interdistrict magnet school makes 162
206	217		private use of any portion of a school building in which such operator 163
207	218		received a school building project grant pursuant to this chapter, such 164
208	219		operator shall annually submit a report to the Commissioner of 165
209	220		Education that demonstrates that such operator provides an equal to or 166
210	221		greater than in-kind or supplemental benefit of such institution's 167
211	222		facilities to students enrolled in such interdistrict magnet school that 168
212	223		outweighs the private use of such school building. If the commissioner 169
213	224		finds that the private use of such school building exceeds the in-kind or 170
214	225		supplemental benefit to magnet school students, the commissioner may 171
215	226		require such institution to refund to the state the unamortized balance 172
216	227		of the state grant. 173
217	228		(b) (1) Notwithstanding the application date requirements of this 174
218	229		section, at any time within the limit of available grant authorization and 175
219	230		within the limit of appropriated funds, the Commissioner of 176
220	231		Administrative Services, in consultation with the Commissioner of 177
221	232		Education, may approve applications for grants and make payments for 178
222	233		such grants, for any of the following reasons: (A) To assist school 179
223	234		building projects to remedy damage from fire and catastrophe, (B) to 180
224	235		correct safety, health and other code violations, (C) to replace roofs, 181
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	238	+
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	240	+	LCO No. 4656 7 of 9
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225	242		including the replacement or installation of skylights as part of the roof 182
226	243		replacement project, (D) to remedy a certified school indoor air quality 183
227	244		emergency, (E) to install insulation for exterior walls and attics, [or] (F) 184
228	245		to purchase and install a limited use and limited access elevator, 185
229		-	windows, photovoltaic panels, wind generation systems, building 186 Raised Bill No. 6922
230		-
231		-
232		-	LCO 4656 7 of 9
233		-
	246	+	windows, photovoltaic panels, wind generation systems, building 186
234	247		management systems or portable classroom buildings, provided 187
235	248		portable classroom building projects shall not create a new facility or 188
236	249		cause an existing facility to be modified so that the portable buildings 189
237	250		comprise a substantial percentage of the total facility area, as 190
238	251		determined by the commissioner, or (G) to upgrade heating, ventilation 191
239	252		and air conditioning systems or make other improvements to indoor air 192
240	253		quality in school buildings subject to subdivision (2) of this subsection. 193
241	254		(2) The commissioner shall not award a grant under subparagraph 194
242	255		(G) of subdivision (1) of this subsection to any applicant that, on or after 195
243	256		July 1, 2026, has not certified compliance with the uniform inspection 196
244	257		and evaluation of an existing heating, ventilation and air conditioning 197
245	258		system pursuant to subsection (d) of section 10-220. The following 198
246	259		expenses shall not be eligible for reimbursement under this subsection: 199
247	260		Routine maintenance and cleaning of the heating, ventilation and air 200
248	261		conditioning system, and work performed at or on a public school 201
249	262		administrative or service facility that is not located or housed within a 202
250	263		public school building. Recipients of a grant under subparagraph (G) of 203
251	264		subdivision (1) of this subsection shall be responsible for the routine 204
252	265		maintenance and cleaning of the heating, ventilation and air 205
253	266		conditioning system and provide training to school personnel and 206
254	267		building maintenance staff concerning the proper use and maintenance 207
255	268		of the heating, ventilation and air conditioning system. 208
256	269		Sec. 2. Subdivision (4) of subsection (b) of section 10-287 of the general 209
257	270		statutes is repealed and the following is substituted in lieu thereof 210
258	271		(Effective from passage): 211
259	272		(4) All orders and contracts for any other consultant services, 212
260	273		including, but not limited to, consultant services rendered by an owner's 213
	274	+	Raised Bill No. 6922
	275	+
	276	+
	277	+
	278	+	LCO No. 4656 8 of 9
	279	+
261	280		representatives, construction administrators, program managers, 214
262	281		environmental professionals, planners and financial specialists, shall 215
263	282		comply with the public selection process described in subdivision (2) of 216
264	283		this subsection. [No costs associated with an order or contract for such 217
265	284		consultant services shall be eligible for state financial assistance under 218
266		-	this chapter unless such order or contract receives prior approval from 219 Raised Bill No. 6922
267		-
268		-
269		-	LCO 4656 8 of 9
270		-
	285	+	this chapter unless such order or contract receives prior approval from 219
271	286		the Commissioner of Administrative Services in writing or through a 220
272	287		written electronic communication.] 221
273	288		Sec. 3. Section 10-287d of the general statutes is repealed and the 222
274	289		following is substituted in lieu thereof (Effective from passage): 223
275	290		For the purposes of funding (1) grants to projects that have received 224
276	291		approval of the Department of Administrative Services pursuant to 225
277	292		section 10-287, subsection (a) of section 10-65 and section 10-76e, and (2) 226
278	293		grants to assist school building projects to remedy safety and health 227
279	294		violations and damage from fire and catastrophe, [and (3) technical 228
280	295		education and career school projects pursuant to section 10-283b,] the 229
281	296		State Treasurer is authorized and directed, subject to and in accordance 230
282	297		with the provisions of section 3-20, to issue bonds of the state from time 231
283	298		to time in one or more series in an aggregate amount not exceeding 232
284	299		thirteen billion eight hundred sixty-two million one hundred sixty 233
285	300		thousand dollars. Bonds of each series shall bear such date or dates and 234
286	301		mature at such time or times not exceeding thirty years from their 235
287	302		respective dates and be subject to such redemption privileges, with or 236
288	303		without premium, as may be fixed by the State Bond Commission. They 237
289	304		shall be sold at not less than par and accrued interest and the full faith 238
290	305		and credit of the state is pledged for the payment of the interest thereon 239
291	306		and the principal thereof as the same shall become due, and accordingly 240
292	307		and as part of the contract of the state with the holders of said bonds, 241
293	308		appropriation of all amounts necessary for punctual payment of such 242
294	309		principal and interest is hereby made, and the State Treasurer shall pay 243
295	310		such principal and interest as the same become due. The State Treasurer 244
296	311		is authorized to invest temporarily in direct obligations of the United 245
297	312		States, United States agency obligations, certificates of deposit, 246
	313	+	Raised Bill No. 6922
	314	+
	315	+
	316	+
	317	+	LCO No. 4656 9 of 9
	318	+
298	319		commercial paper or bank acceptances such portion of the proceeds of 247
299	320		such bonds or of any notes issued in anticipation thereof as may be 248
300	321		deemed available for such purpose. 249
301	322		Sec. 4. Sections 10-265r and 10-283b of the general statutes are 250
302		-	repealed. (Effective from passage) 251 Raised Bill No. 6922
303		-
304		-
305		-	LCO 4656 9 of 9
306		-
	323	+	repealed. (Effective from passage) 251
307	324		This act shall take effect as follows and shall amend the following
308	325		sections:
309	326
310	327		Section 1 from passage 10-283(a) and (b)
311	328		Sec. 2 from passage 10-287(b)(4)
312	329		Sec. 3 from passage 10-287d
313	330		Sec. 4 from passage Repealer section
314	331
315		-	ED Joint Favorable
	332	+	Statement of Purpose:
	333	+	To implement the recommendations of the Department of
	334	+	Administrative Services regarding the school building projects statutes.
	335	+
	336	+	[Proposed deletions are enclosed in brackets. Proposed additions are indicated by underline, except
	337	+	that when the entire text of a bill or resolution or a section of a bill or resolution is new, it is not
	338	+	underlined.]
316	339