2023 Connecticut General Statutes › Title 32 - Commerce and Economic and Community Development › Chapter 588n - Credit, Jobs, Capital Investment and Tax Incremental Financing Programs › Section 32-285a. - Community Investment Fund 2030 Board. Bond authorization. Report.

(a) As used in this section:
(1) “Administrative costs” means the costs paid or incurred by the administrator of the Community Investment Fund 2030 Board established under subsection (b) of this section, including, but not limited to, allocated staff costs and other out-of-pocket costs attributable to the administration and operation of the board;
(2) “Administrator” means the Commissioner of Economic and Community Development, or the commissioner's designee;
(3) “Eligible project” means:
(A) (i) A project proposed by a municipality, community development corporation or nonprofit organization, for the purpose of promoting economic or community development in the municipality or a municipality served by such corporation or organization, such as brownfield remediation, affordable housing, establishment of or improvements to water and sewer infrastructure to support smaller scale economic development, pedestrian safety and traffic calming improvements, establishment of or improvements to energy resiliency or clean energy projects and land acquisition and capital projects to construct, rehabilitate or renovate buildings and structures to facilitate or improve home rehabilitation programs and facilities such as libraries and senior centers; or
(ii) A grant-in-aid proposed by a municipality, community development corporation or nonprofit organization for the purpose of providing (I) a revolving loan program, microloans or gap financing, to small businesses located within such municipality or a municipality served by such corporation or organization, or (II) start-up funds to establish a small business in any such municipality; and
(B) Such project or grant-in-aid furthers consistent and systematic fair, just and impartial treatment of all individuals, including individuals who belong to underserved and marginalized communities that have been denied such treatment, such as Black, Latino and indigenous and Native American persons; Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders and other persons of color; members of religious minorities; lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer persons and other persons comprising the LGBTQ+ community; persons who live in rural areas; and persons otherwise adversely affected by persistent poverty or inequality; and
(4) “Municipality” means a municipality designated as a public investment community pursuant to section 7-545 or as an alliance district pursuant to section 10-262u.
(b) (1) There is established a Community Investment Fund 2030 Board, which shall be within the Department of Economic and Community Development. The board shall consist of the following members:
(A) The speaker of the House of Representatives and the president pro tempore of the Senate;
(B) The majority leader of the House of Representatives, the majority leader of the Senate, the minority leader of the House of Representatives and the minority leader of the Senate;
(C) One appointed by the speaker of the House of Representatives and one appointed by the president pro tempore of the Senate, each of whom shall be a member of the Black and Puerto Rican Caucus of the General Assembly;
(D) The two chairpersons of the general bonding subcommittee of the joint standing committee of the General Assembly having cognizance of matters relating to finance, revenue and bonding;
(E) Two appointed by the Governor; and
(F) The Secretary of the Office of Policy and Management, the Attorney General, the Treasurer, the Comptroller, the Secretary of the State and the Commissioners of Economic and Community Development, Administrative Services, Social Services and Housing, or their designees.
(2) All initial appointments shall be made not later than sixty days after June 30, 2021. The terms of the members appointed by the Governor shall be coterminous with the term of the Governor or until their successors are appointed, whichever is later. Any vacancy in appointments shall be filled by the appointing authority. Any vacancy occurring other than by expiration of term shall be filled for the balance of the unexpired term.
(3) Notwithstanding any provision of the general statutes, it shall not constitute a conflict of interest for a trustee, director, partner, officer, stockholder, proprietor, counsel or employee of any person to serve as a member of the board, provided such trustee, director, partner, officer, stockholder, proprietor, counsel or employee abstains and absents himself or herself from any deliberation, action and vote by the board in specific respect to such person. The members appointed by the Governor shall be deemed public officials and shall adhere to the code of ethics for public officials set forth in chapter 10.
(4) The speaker of the House of Representatives and the president pro tempore of the Senate shall serve as the chairpersons of the board and shall schedule the first meeting of the board, which shall be held not later than January 1, 2022. The board shall meet at least quarterly.
(5) Eleven members of the board shall constitute a quorum for the transaction of any business.
(6) The members of the board shall serve without compensation, but shall, within the limits of available funds, be reimbursed for expenses necessarily incurred in the performance of their duties.
(7) The board shall have the following powers and duties: (A) Review eligible projects to be recommended to the Governor under subsection (c) of this section for approval; (B) establish bylaws to govern its procedures; (C) review and provide comments to the Department of Economic and Community Development on projects funded through the state's Economic Action Plan as provided under section 32-4p; and (D) perform such other acts as may be necessary and appropriate to carry out its duties described in this section.
(8) The administrator shall hire such employee or employees as may be necessary to assist the board to carry out its duties described in this section.
(c) (1) The Community Investment Fund 2030 Board shall establish an application and review process with guidelines and terms for funds provided from the bond proceeds under subsection (d) of this section for eligible projects. Such funds shall be used for costs related to an eligible project recommended by the board and approved by the Governor pursuant to this subsection and to pay or to reimburse the administrator for administrative costs under this section.
(2) The chairpersons of the board shall notify the chief elected official of each municipality when the application and review process has been established and shall publicize the availability of any funds available under this section. Each such official or any community development corporation or nonprofit organization may submit an application to the board requesting funds for an eligible project. The board shall meet to consider applications submitted and determine which, if any, the board will recommend to the Governor for approval.
(3) (A) The board shall give priority to eligible projects (i) that are proposed by a municipality that (I) has implemented local hiring preferences pursuant to section 7-112, or (II) has or will leverage municipal, private, philanthropic or federal funds for such project, and (ii) that have a project labor agreement or employ or will employ ex-offenders or individuals with physical, intellectual or developmental disabilities. The board shall give additional priority to an application submitted by a municipality that includes a letter of support for the proposed eligible project from a member or members of the General Assembly in whose district the eligible project is or will be located.
(B) In evaluating applications for an eligible project described in subparagraph (A)(ii) of subdivision (3) of subsection (a) of this section, the board shall (i) evaluate the risk of default on the repayment of a proposed loan or financing, (ii) consider the impact of the eligible project on job creation or retention in the municipality, (iii) consider the impact of the eligible project on blighted properties in the municipality, and (iv) consider the overall impact of the eligible project on the community. The board shall not recommend any proposed loan or financing under subparagraph (A)(ii) of subdivision (3) of subsection (a) of this section for which the interest rate varies from the prevailing market rate.
(4) (A) Whenever the board deems it necessary or desirable, the chairpersons of the board shall submit to the Governor a list of the board's recommendations of eligible projects to be funded from bond proceeds under subsection (d) of this section. The board may recommend state funding for eligible projects, provided the total cost of such recommendations shall not exceed one hundred seventy-five million dollars in any fiscal year. Such list shall include, at a minimum:
(i) For each eligible project described in subparagraph (A)(i) of subdivision (3) of subsection (a) of this section, a description of such project, the municipality in which such project is located, the amount of funds sought for such project, any cost estimates for such project, any schematics or plans for such project, the total estimated project costs and the applicable fiscal year to which such disbursement will be attributed; and
(ii) For each eligible project described in subparagraph (A)(ii) of subdivision (3) of subsection (a) of this section, a description of and specific terms for any proposed loans, financing or start-up funds to be provided from such grant-in-aid, the types of small businesses located or to be located in the municipality that may be eligible for such loan, financing or start-up funds, the amount of the grant-in-aid sought and the applicable fiscal year to which such disbursement will be attributed.
(B) The Governor shall review the eligible projects on the list and may recommend changes to any eligible project on the list. The Governor shall determine the most appropriate method of funding for each eligible project and shall provide to the members of the board, in writing, such determination for each eligible project on the list and the reasons therefor. The board may reconsider at a future meeting any eligible project for which the Governor recommends a change. Each eligible project for which the Governor recommends the allocation of bond funds shall be considered at a State Bond Commission meeting not later than two months after the date such eligible project was submitted to the Governor pursuant to subparagraph (A) of this subdivision.
(5) Funds for an eligible project approved under this section may be administered on behalf of the board by a state agency, as determined by the Secretary of the Office of Policy and Management, provided a memorandum of understanding between the administrator of the Community Investment Fund 2030 Board and the state, acting by and through the Secretary of the Office of Policy and Management, has been entered into with respect to such funds and project.
(6) Not later than August 31, 2023, the board shall submit a report, in accordance with the provisions of section 11-4a, to the General Assembly, the Black and Puerto Rican caucus of the General Assembly, the Auditors of Public Accounts and the Governor, for the preceding fiscal year, that includes (A) a list of the eligible projects recommended by the board and approved by the Governor pursuant to this section, (B) the total amount of funds provided for such eligible projects, (C) for each such eligible project, a description of the project and the amounts and terms of the funds provided, (D) the status of the project and any balance remaining of the allocated funds, and (E) any other information the board deems relevant or necessary. The board shall submit such report annually for each fiscal year in which the funds specified in subparagraph (A) of subdivision (3) of this subsection are disbursed for eligible projects.
(7) The Auditors of Public Accounts shall audit, on a biennial basis, all eligible projects funded under this section and shall report their findings to the Governor, the Secretary of the Office of Policy and Management and the General Assembly.
(d) (1) The State Bond Commission may authorize the issuance of bonds of the state, in accordance with the provisions of section 3-20, in principal amounts not exceeding in the aggregate eight hundred seventy-five million dollars. The amount authorized for the issuance and sale of such bonds in each of the following fiscal years shall not exceed the following corresponding amount for each such fiscal year, except that, to the extent the State Bond Commission does not provide for the use of all or a portion of such amount in any such fiscal year, such amount not provided for shall be carried forward and added to the authorized amount for the next succeeding fiscal year, and provided further, the costs of issuance and capitalized interest, if any, may be added to the capped amount in each fiscal year, and each of the authorized amounts shall be effective on July first of the fiscal year indicated as follows:
Fiscal Year Ending June 30,
Amount
2023
$175,000,000
2024
175,000,000
2025
175,000,000
2026
175,000,000
2027
175,000,000
Total
$875,000,000
(2) The proceeds of the sale of bonds set forth in this subsection shall be used for the purpose of funding eligible projects for which the Governor has determined under subsection (c) of this section that bond funding is appropriate and that no other bond authorization is available.
(e) (1) Upon the agreement of the Governor and the Community Investment Fund 2030 Board, and subsequent to the adoption of a resolution by the General Assembly affirming the reauthorization of the board and the program provided for under this section, the State Bond Commission may authorize the issuance of bonds of the state, in accordance with the provisions of section 3-20, in principal amounts not exceeding in the aggregate one billion two hundred fifty million dollars. The amount authorized for the issuance and sale of such bonds in each of the following fiscal years shall not exceed the following corresponding amount for each such fiscal year, except that, to the extent the State Bond Commission does not provide for the use of all or a portion of such amount in any such fiscal year, such amount not provided for shall be carried forward and added to the authorized amount for the next succeeding fiscal year, and provided further, the costs of issuance and capitalized interest, if any, may be added to the capped amount in each fiscal year, and each of the authorized amounts shall be effective on July first of the fiscal year indicated as follows:
Fiscal Year Ending June 30,
Amount
2028
$250,000,000
2029
250,000,000
2030
250,000,000
2031
250,000,000
2032
250,000,000
Total
$1,250,000,000
(2) The proceeds of the sale of bonds set forth in this subsection shall be used for the purpose of funding eligible projects for which the Governor has determined under subsection (c) of this section that bond funding is appropriate and that no other bond authorization is available.
(f) All provisions of section 3-20, or the exercise of any right or power granted thereby, that are not inconsistent with the provisions of this section are hereby adopted and shall apply to all bonds authorized by the State Bond Commission pursuant to this section. Temporary notes in anticipation of the money to be derived from the sale of any such bonds so authorized may be issued in accordance with said section, and from time to time renewed. All bonds issued pursuant to this section shall be general obligations of the state and the full faith and credit of the state of Connecticut are pledged for the payment of the principal of and interest on said bonds as the same become due, and accordingly and as part of the contract of the state with the holders of said bonds, appropriation of all amounts necessary for punctual payment of such principal and interest is hereby made, and the Treasurer shall pay such principal and interest as the same become due.
(P.A. 21-111, S. 112; June Sp. Sess. P.A. 21-2, S. 475.)
History: P.A. 21-111 effective June 30, 2021; June Sp. Sess. P.A. 21-2 amended Subsec. (b)(7) by replacing “subsection (d) of this section” with “section 32-4p”, deleted former Subsec. (d) re funds available under state's Economic Action Plan reserved for certain projects, redesignated existing Subsecs. (e) to (g) as Subsecs. (d) to (f), and made conforming changes throughout, effective July 1, 2021.