Any corporation or association organized in any county to provide instruction and practical demonstration in agriculture and home economics, to promote advanced business methods among farmers or to assist in any manner in the development of agriculture and the improvement of country life, organized and conducted in a manner to receive any portion of the money appropriated under the provisions of an act of the Congress of the United States, entitled “The Smith-Lever Act”, shall annually receive towards the maintenance of a county agricultural agent, towards the maintenance of a county club agent and towards the maintenance of a county home demonstration agent such amounts as are appropriated for said purposes by each session of the General Assembly. Such payments shall be made upon certification of the trustees of The University of Connecticut of the amount to which each county is entitled under the provisions of this section and upon further certification that such organization is entitled to and has received a portion of the money allotted to the state under the provisions of said act, the amount thereof, the date when such money was paid to such organization and the amount which such organization has received from sources other than under the provisions of said act during the year ended September thirtieth next preceding, provided such sums received for the purpose of defraying the expenses of such organization from sources other than under the provisions of said act and of this section during the period stipulated shall be at least one thousand dollars from within each county, and provided the trustees of said university shall certify only one such organization in each county. There shall annually be appropriated to The University of Connecticut the sum of sixteen thousand dollars which shall be used by The University of Connecticut for a grant of two thousand dollars to each such organization in each county. The University of Connecticut may annually, in addition thereto, make a grant of the amount in excess of two thousand dollars and not exceeding ten thousand dollars which such organization has received from sources other than under the provisions of said act and of this section during the year ended September thirtieth next preceding and a sum equal to that received as an additional county appropriation during the year ended September 30, 1960. The University of Connecticut shall periodically audit the expenditures of funds paid pursuant to this section to such organizations in each county. Any municipality, at a meeting held for such purpose, may appropriate such sum as such meeting determines for the purposes of such organization, to be expended within such municipality. The buildings and properties owned on September 30, 1960, by Hartford, Middlesex and Windham Counties, including equipment and furnishings, and used on said date by the Agricultural Extension Services of The University of Connecticut, shall be transferred to The University of Connecticut to be used by the Cooperative Extension Service.

(1949 Rev., 3058; S. 1959, P.A. 152, S. 52; 1961, P.A. 502; P.A. 87-493, S. 1, 4; P.A. 88-167, S. 1, 2; P.A. 89-216, S. 1, 2.)

History: 1959 act revised manner in which county agents funded, where formerly county commissioners drew on county treasurer for funds, state treasurer is to pay funds to treasurer of organization providing agriculture and home economics aid, etc., allowed payment of additional sum not to exceed that received as an additional county appropriation, deleted provision setting forth process by which county makes additional appropriation and added provisions re transfer of county-owned property to University of Connecticut for use by extension service and payments for support of extension service; 1961 act reworded provision re additional payments, replacing sum “not to exceed” that received as an additional county appropriation with sum “equal to” that received and replacing 1959 with 1960 as year determining amount to be paid and restored procedure by which additional appropriation made but made procedure applicable to municipalities rather than counties; P.A. 87-493 provided that payments of $2,000 by the state treasurer are mandatory and made annually, increased the maximum voluntary matching grant from $6,000 to $10,000 and made a technical change; P.A. 88-167 provided that the sums paid to organizations in each county be grants from The University of Connecticut rather than payments by the state treasurer and that the university periodically audit the expenditures of the grants; P.A. 89-216 deleted provision requiring annual payment of $24,000 by state treasurer to The University of Connecticut to operate, maintain, repair and equip buildings and properties used by cooperative extension service.

Cited. 148 C. 608. Vote of county commissioners to appropriate all available surplus funds of New London county as of Sept. 30, 1960, for county agricultural extension service, valid. Id., 611. Payments for promotion of agricultural interests are for public purpose. Id., 612.