(a) There is created a Commission on Connecticut's Future which shall be within the Department of Economic and Community Development for administrative purposes only.

(b) The commission shall consist of the following members: The Commissioners of Economic and Community Development, Education and Higher Education and the Labor Commissioner or their designees; the chairpersons and ranking members of the joint standing committee of the General Assembly having cognizance of matters relating to commerce, or their designees; the president of the Connecticut Academy of Science and Engineering, or his designee; the president of the Connecticut Business and Industries Association or his designee; the president of the Connecticut AFL-CIO or his designee; two members recommended by the president of the Connecticut AFL-CIO representing manufacturing unions, appointed by the Governor; one member representing a large manufacturing concern and one member representing a financial institution, appointed by the president pro tempore of the Senate; one member representing a large business that is heavily dependent on prime defense contracts or subcontracts and one member representing a small business that is heavily dependent on prime defense contracts or subcontracts appointed by the speaker of the House of Representatives; one member representing a small manufacturing concern appointed by the majority leader of the Senate; one member representing a peace organization appointed by the majority leader of the House of Representatives; one member representing an environmental organization appointed by the minority leader of the Senate; and one member representing an educational institution appointed by the minority leader of the House of Representatives. Notwithstanding the provisions of this subsection, the terms of all members who are not serving ex-officio who are serving on June 30, 2013, shall expire on said date. The members who are not serving ex-officio shall serve for a term of two years, commencing July 1, 2013, and biennially thereafter, and until their successors have been duly qualified. The Governor shall appoint a chairperson for the commission from its membership. The chairperson shall call a meeting of the commission not later than October 1, 2013, and at such other times as the chairperson deems necessary.

(c) The commission shall prepare a report concerning the economic renewal of Connecticut that shall include strategies for (1) the restoration and growth of manufacturing in the state, with the objective of ending the loss of manufacturing jobs and causing an increase in such jobs within five years following preparation of the report; (2) the retention and expansion of the state's economic base industries; (3) the coordination of economic development policy with capital investment in both public and private sectors; (4) the alignment of the state's educational institutions with its manufacturing base; and (5) the diversification or conversion of defense-related industries with an emphasis on encouraging environmentally-sustainable and civilian product manufacturing. On or before December 1, 2014, the commission shall submit such report to the Governor and, in accordance with the provisions of section 11-4a, to the joint standing committee of the General Assembly having cognizance of matters relating to commerce.

(d) In addition to the preparation of a report for economic renewal as required under subsection (c) of this section, the commission shall: (1) Advise the General Assembly and the Department of Economic and Community Development on issues relating to (A) the diversification or conversion of defense-related industries, (B) planning for and development of the state's manufacturing base; (C) creation and implementation of an industrial policy for the state; and (D) the creation of a business climate in the state conducive to long-term planning and capital investment; (2) evaluate legislation which concerns the state's economy and the overall competitiveness thereof, the manufacturing and industrial sectors of the state's economy and businesses that are heavily dependent on prime defense contracts or subcontracts; (3) prepare and review the implementation of short-term and long-term strategies to assist businesses that are heavily dependent on prime defense contracts or subcontracts in modifying defense industry technology production capacity into nondefense related applications with an emphasis on environmentally-sustainable and civilian product manufacturing; (4) provide a forum that encourages public involvement to address and communicate business issues, including small business issues, to the public and private sectors; (5) foster opportunities for the development of partnerships between government and private enterprise in areas that significantly affect the state's economy; and (6) stimulate and review public and private assistance and initiatives to improve the competitiveness of Connecticut's economy.

(P.A. 90-270, S. 27, 38; P.A. 91-226, S. 1, 4; P.A. 95-250, S. 1; P.A. 96-211, S. 1, 5, 6; P.A. 13-19, S. 1.)

History: P.A. 91-226 amended Subsec. (b) by adding to the commission the chairpersons and ranking members of the committee on commerce and exportation and the president of the Connecticut Academy of Science and Engineering and providing that the chairperson shall be appointed by the governor and added Subsec. (c) providing that the commission shall develop a plan for the economic renewal of Connecticut; 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 (Revisor's note: The phrase “Commissioners of Economic and Community Development, Education, Higher Education and Labor” was changed editorially by the Revisors to “Commissioners of Economic and Community Development, Education and Higher Education and the Labor Commissioner” for consistency with customary statutory usage); P.A. 13-19 amended Subsec. (a) by renaming commission as Commission on Connecticut's Future, amended Subsec. (b) by adding 2 members recommended by president of the AFL-CIO representing manufacturing unions and appointed by the Governor, replacing a member representing a large service-related business with a member representing a peace organization, replacing a member representing a small service-related business with a member representing an environmental organization, providing that terms of all members who are not serving ex officio shall expire on June 30, 2013, and requiring that chairperson call a meeting not later than October 1, 2013, and as the chairperson deems necessary, amended Subsec. (c) by changing the plan to a report, deleting former Subdiv. (4) re regional approaches to economic development, adding new Subdiv. (4) re education and manufacturing alignment, adding Subdiv. (5) re industry diversification and requiring report to be submitted on or before December 1, 2014, and amended Subsec. (d) by changing “development of a plan” to “preparation of a report”, adding in Subdiv. (3) applications “with an emphasis on environmentally-sustainable and civilian product manufacturing” and adding in Subdiv. (4) a requirement that the forum encourage public involvement, effective May 28, 2013.

See Sec. 4-38f for definition of “administrative purposes only”.