(a) Funds from the Individual Development Account Reserve Fund shall be used to provide grants to community-based organizations that are operating certified state IDA programs for the purpose of providing matching funds for the individual development accounts in their programs, to assist the organizations to provide training, counseling and case management for program participants and for program administration purposes. Funds may also be used to pay for the evaluation required pursuant to section 31-51ccc, the operation of the clearinghouse, and the department's administrative expenses for the Connecticut IDA Initiative. The department shall determine what proportion of the funds in the Individual Development Account Reserve Fund shall be used for each of these purposes.

(b) The Individual Development Account Reserve Fund shall be administered as follows:

(1) No new grant shall be approved by the department unless there is sufficient funding in the Individual Development Account Reserve Fund, as determined by the department, to meet all existing funding obligations including the maximum amount of state matching funds that would be required if each account holder in these certified programs met the savings goals in such account holder's approved plan.

(2) Any funds remaining in the Individual Development Account Reserve Fund at the end of each fiscal year, and the interest thereon, shall be retained in said fund and used in the next succeeding fiscal year for expenditures set forth in subsection (a) of this section.

(c) Grants received by the community-based organization from the Individual Development Account Reserve Fund for matching funds shall be held in the organization's local reserve fund. This fund shall be an account separate from account holders' individual development accounts, and its funds shall be disbursed in accordance with subsections (e) and (f) of this section pursuant to regulations adopted pursuant to section 31-51ddd. Grants from the Individual Development Account Reserve Fund for matching funds to certified state IDA programs shall be made on behalf of each individual account holder in the maximum amount of two dollars for every one dollar deposited in the individual development account by the account holder, not to exceed three thousand dollars per account holder for the duration of the account holder's participation in the program.

(d) The department and the community-based organizations, separately or cooperatively, may solicit grants and private contributions for the Individual Development Account Reserve Fund and for the local reserve funds of community-based organizations operating certified state IDA programs.

(e) If moneys are withdrawn from an individual development account by an account holder due to the account holder's decision to leave the certified state IDA program, all matching funds designated for said moneys shall be forfeited by the account holder and shall be retained in the local reserve fund to match the funds of a new account holder, or if not used shall be returned by the community-based organization to the department for redeposit into the Individual Development Account Reserve Fund at the close of the grant. If the withdrawal is an emergency withdrawal, as defined in regulations adopted pursuant to section 31-51ddd, or is a withdrawal due to circumstances other than an account holder's decision to leave the certified state IDA program, the community-based organization may retain the matching funds for the account holder in its local reserve fund until such account holder redeposits the withdrawn funds.

(f) When the account holder has made sufficient deposits to such account holder's individual development account to achieve the savings goals set forth in such account holder's approved plan, the community-based organization shall pay such sum together with the matching funds from the organization's local reserve account that are attributed to this individual development account, directly to the person or entity providing the goods or services. Where matching funds from the Individual Development Account Reserve Fund have not been paid out by the community-based organization for an eligible purpose within five years after the establishment of an individual development account grant, the matching funds from the Individual Development Account Reserve Fund shall be returned to the department for deposit in the Individual Development Account Reserve Fund, except that the community-based organization may grant a leave of absence or extension of time to an account holder for a period not to exceed two years, within such five-year period in accordance with regulations adopted pursuant to section 31-51ddd.

(P.A. 00-192, S. 5, 102; P.A. 13-140, S. 2.)

History: P.A. 00-192 effective January 1, 2001; P.A. 13-140 amended Subsec. (b)(1) by replacing “goal” with “goals”, amended Subsec. (c) by deleting provision re $1,000 maximum on matching funds per account holder per calendar year, amended Subsec. (e) by deleting provision re December 31 deadline for return of matching funds, adding provisions requiring forfeited moneys to be retained in the local reserve fund or returned to the department at the close of the grant, deleting provision re account holder leaving the certified state IDA program, and making a technical change, and amended Subsec. (f) by replacing “goal” with “goals”, changing time frame for return of matching funds from within 5 years of opening the IDA to within 5 years of the establishment of the IDA grant and deleting provision re account holder not making contributions, effective June 18, 2013.