2023 Connecticut General Statutes › Title 32 - Commerce and Economic and Community Development › Chapter 578 - Department of Economic and Community Development › Section 32-9n. - Office of Small Business Affairs.

(a) There is established within the Department of Economic and Community Development an Office of Small Business Affairs. Such office shall aid and encourage small business enterprises, particularly those owned and operated by minorities and other socially or economically disadvantaged individuals in Connecticut. As used in this section, “minority” means: (1) Black Americans, including all persons having origins in any of the Black African racial groups not of Hispanic origin; (2) Hispanic Americans, including all persons of Mexican, Puerto Rican, Cuban, Central or South American, or other Spanish culture or origin, regardless of race; (3) all persons having origins in the Iberian Peninsula, including Portugal, regardless of race; (4) women; (5) Asian Pacific Americans and Pacific islanders; or (6) American Indians and persons having origins in any of the original peoples of North America and maintaining identifiable tribal affiliations through membership and participation or community identification.
(b) Said Office of Small Business Affairs shall: (1) Administer at least one regional office of the small business development center program within the Department of Economic and Community Development; (2) coordinate, with the director of the small business development center program, the flow of information within the technical and management assistance program within the Department of Economic and Community Development; (3) encourage Connecticut Innovations, Incorporated to grant loans to small businesses, particularly those owned and operated by minorities and other socially or economically disadvantaged individuals; (4) coordinate and serve as a liaison between all federal, state, regional and municipal agencies and programs affecting small business affairs; (5) administer any business management training program established under section 32-352 or section 32-355 as the Commissioner of Economic and Community Development may determine; (6) provide a single point of contact for small businesses seeking financial and technical assistance from the state and quasi-public agencies; (7) coordinate all state funded revolving loan funds used to assist small businesses; and (8) establish, in cooperation with the Commissioner of Economic and Community Development, and within available appropriations, an informational web page with a list and links to all small business resources available and post them in a conspicuous place on the department's web site. The office shall update this information on its web site on at least a quarterly basis.
(c) On or after February 1, 2011, the Office of Small Business Affairs shall compile a summary of all small business activities and programs available and incorporate such summary into the report required pursuant to section 32-1m.
(P.A. 77-508, S. 1, 2; 77-614, S. 284, 587, 610; P.A. 78-303, S. 85, 136; P.A. 82-358, S. 4, 10; P.A. 87-577, S. 2; P.A. 94-152, S. 2, 3; P.A. 95-250, S. 1; P.A. 96-211, S. 1, 5, 6; P.A. 99-208, S. 7; 99-233, S. 3, 7; P.A. 10-145, S. 1; June 12 Sp. Sess. P.A. 12-1, S. 152.)
History: P.A. 77-614 and P.A. 78-303 replaced department of commerce with department of economic development, effective January 1, 1979; P.A. 82-358 defined minority in Subsec. (a) and added reference to specific inclusion of minority business enterprises in set-aside program in Subsec. (b); P.A. 87-577 amended Subsec. (a)(2) by adding all persons having origins in the Iberian Peninsula, including Portugal; P.A. 94-152 transferred “all persons having origins in the Iberian Peninsula, including Portugal” from Subdiv. (2) to new Subdiv. (3) and renumbered former Subdivs. (3), (4) and (5) accordingly, effective July 1, 1994; P.A. 95-250 and P.A. 96-211 replaced Commissioner and Department of Economic Development with Commissioner and Department of Economic and Community Development; P.A. 99-208 added Subsec. (b)(6) re business management training programs; P.A. 99-233 deleted Subsec. (b)(1) re authority to administer the set-aside program and renumbering the remaining Subdivs. accordingly, effective June 29, 1999; P.A. 10-145 amended Subsec. (b) to require administration of at least one regional office within department in Subdiv. (1), to require coordination with director of small business development center program in Subdiv. (2), and to add Subdivs. (6), (7) and (8) re single point of contact, coordinating all state revolving loan funds and establishing web page, and added Subsec. (c) re annual report, effective June 7, 2010; pursuant to June 12 Sp. Sess. P.A. 12-1, “Connecticut Development Authority” was changed editorially by the Revisors to “Connecticut Innovations, Incorporated” in Subsec. (b), effective July 1, 2012.