Bill Text: CT SB00175 | 2010 | General Assembly | Comm Sub
Bill Title: An Act Triggering Certain Economic Development Programs And Extending The Deadline For Certain Tax Exemptions.
Spectrum: Moderate Partisan Bill (Democrat 12-1-1)
Status: (Passed) 2010-06-09 - Signed by the Governor [SB00175 Detail]
Download: Connecticut-2010-SB00175-Comm_Sub.html
General Assembly |
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February Session, 2010 |
*_____SB00175GAE___032610____* |
AN ACT ESTABLISHING THE CONNECTICUT COMPETITIVENESS COUNCIL.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in General Assembly convened:
Section 1. (NEW) (Effective July 1, 2010) (a) There shall be established a Connecticut Competitiveness Council which shall be within the Department of Economic and Community Development. The council shall consist of eighteen members appointed as follows: (1) Nine, each from different geographic areas of the state, at least one of whom shall be an economist and at least one of whom shall be a member of a chamber of commerce or a regional economic development organization, who shall be appointed by the Governor; (2) two members representing environmental, housing, the arts or any other aspect of quality of life, who shall be appointed by the president pro tempore of the Senate; (3) two members representing financial or venture capital, who shall be appointed by the majority leader of the Senate; (4) one member representing financial regulation, taxation or other financial services, who shall be appointed by the minority leader of the Senate; (5) two members representing workforce training, job retention or human resources, who shall be appointed by the speaker of the House of Representatives; (6) one member representing telecommunications, energy, transportation or other physical infrastructure, who shall be appointed by the majority leader of the House of Representatives; and (7) one member representing technology research, discovery or deployment, who shall be appointed by the minority leader of the House of Representatives.
(b) The Commissioners of Developmental Services, Transportation and Higher Education, the Labor Commissioner and the director of the Office of Workforce Competitiveness shall be ex-officio members of the Connecticut Competitiveness Council without the right to vote. The commissioners and director, or their designees, shall attend its meetings.
(c) Appointed members of the council shall serve for four-year terms which shall commence October 1, 2010, except that members first appointed shall have the following terms: Five of the members initially appointed by the Governor and the members appointed by the majority leader of the House of Representatives, minority leader of the House of Representatives and the speaker of the House of Representatives shall serve a term of two years, and four of the members appointed by the Governor and the president pro tempore of the Senate, the majority leader of the Senate and the minority leader of the Senate shall initially serve a term of four years. The appointing authority shall fill any vacancy by appointment for the unexpired portion of the term vacated. A majority of the council shall constitute a quorum for the transaction of any business. The members of the council shall serve without compensation, except for necessary expenses incurred in performing their duties.
(d) The Governor shall schedule and convene the first meeting of the board after the initial appointment of members under subsection (a) of this section. Such meeting shall be held not later than November 1, 2010.
(e) The council shall appoint annually, from among its members, a chairman, vice chairman and secretary. The council may make rules for the conduct of its affairs. The council shall meet at least quarterly and at other times upon the call of the chair or the written request of any four members.
(f) The Department of Economic and Community Development shall provide staff support and other resources to the council.
(g) The council shall be responsible for assisting the Department of Economic and Community Development on the development of a strategic plan, as required under section 32-1o of the general statutes, to promote the competitiveness of the state's industry and economy. Such assistance shall include, but not be limited to, (1) recommendations for the development of public policy to promote competitiveness, (2) review of the state investment strategy and the effect of such strategy on competitiveness, (3) analysis of the economic industry cluster initiative, including recommendations to strengthen said initiative, (4) review of state agency and other public and private agencies' implementation of recommendations made by the economic clusters, and (5) recommendations for legislative or administrative action to promote the competitiveness of the state's industry and economy.
(h) Not later than January 1, 2011, and annually thereafter, the council shall submit a report, in accordance with the provisions of section 11-4a of the general statutes, to the Governor, the Commissioner of Economic and Community Development and the joint standing committee of the General Assembly having cognizance of matters relating to commerce on the competitiveness of the state's industry and economy. Such report shall include, but not be limited to, (1) a list of recommendations made by the council to the Department of Economic and Community Development, pursuant to subsection (g) of this section, to promote the competitiveness of the state's industry and economy; (2) the status of state agency and partner agency implementation of the recommendations made by the economic clusters; and (3) recommendations for administrative and legislative action that would promote the state's competitiveness.
(i) Upon request of the chairpersons of the joint standing committee of the General Assembly having cognizance of matters relating to commerce, the Legislative Program Review and Investigations Committee, Auditors of Public Accounts, legislative Office of Fiscal Analysis or Office of Legislative Research shall review such report.
Sec. 2. Section 32-717 of the general statutes is repealed and the following is substituted in lieu thereof (Effective July 1, 2010):
(a) The Commissioner of Economic and Community Development, the chairperson of Connecticut Innovations, Incorporated, the president of The University of Connecticut and the chairperson of the Connecticut Development Authority, or their respective designees, shall prepare, within available appropriations, and in consultation with the [Governor's] Connecticut Competitiveness Council, the Commissioner of Education, the Commissioner of Higher Education, the chancellor of the community-technical college system, the director of the Office of Workforce Competitiveness and any other agencies and leading technology-focused organizations deemed appropriate by the Commissioner of Economic and Community Development, recommendations for an implementation plan and budget to establish an Innovation Network that will include the following: (1) The creation of endowed chairs and the hiring of leading academic professionals in targeted fields based on core competencies to work at universities, state colleges and community colleges, in collaboration with other technology initiatives; (2) the focused and aggressive solicitation of and leveraged partnership with federal research funds; (3) increased corporate-sponsored research; (4) the establishment of at least one innovation accelerator, linked to universities and involving corporations and start-up enterprises focused on advanced technology and leveraging the efforts underway by the Connecticut Center for Advanced Technology in the Hartford area; (5) the strengthening of technology transfer and entrepreneurship activities at universities in the state; (6) incentives and financial support for collaborative research between universities and industry or federally sponsored technology centers; (7) the creation of linkages to angel networks; and (8) the creation of linkages to incubators in Connecticut. Said plan shall also include provisions for the utilization of existing resources, including, but not limited to, Connecticut Innovations, Incorporated, the Connecticut Development Authority, The University of Connecticut and the Office of Workforce Competitiveness.
(b) Not later than January 1, 2006, the Commissioner of Economic and Community Development, in consultation with the chairperson of Connecticut Innovations, Incorporated, the president of The University of Connecticut and the chairperson of the Connecticut Development Authority, shall develop an implementation plan for the Innovation Network, within available resources, and submit said plan and budget to the Governor and the joint standing committees of the General Assembly having cognizance of matters relating to economic development, education and labor, in accordance with the provisions of section 11-4a.
This act shall take effect as follows and shall amend the following sections: | ||
Section 1 |
July 1, 2010 |
New section |
Sec. 2 |
July 1, 2010 |
32-717 |
Statement of Legislative Commissioners:
In section 1, grammatical corrections were made.
CE |
Joint Favorable Subst. C/R |
GAE |
GAE |
Joint Favorable Subst.-LCO |