Sec. 32-4f. (Formerly Sec. 4-70d). Connecticut Economic Conference Board. Economic cluster conference and report. - Connecticut Statutes

      Sec. 32-4f. (Formerly Sec. 4-70d). Connecticut Economic Conference Board. Economic cluster conference and report. (a) There is created a Connecticut Economic Conference Board. Said board shall consist of (1) the Governor, or his designee; (2) the Commissioner of Economic and Community Development; (3) the Commissioner of Higher Education and the commissioners of four state agencies in the executive department which have jurisdiction over matters of importance to economic clusters, who shall be appointed by the Governor; (4) the chairpersons and ranking members of the joint standing committees of the General Assembly having cognizance of matters relating to commerce, finance, revenue and bonding, and education; (5) a representative of each of the following areas: (A) Technology research, discovery or deployment, who shall be appointed by the president pro tempore of the Senate; (B) workforce training, job retention or human resources, who shall be appointed by the majority leader of the Senate; (C) financial or venture capital, who shall be appointed by the minority leader of the Senate; (D) telecommunications, energy, transportation or other physical infrastructure, who shall be appointed by the speaker of the House of Representatives; (E) regulatory, taxes or other financial services, who shall be appointed by the majority leader of the House of Representatives; (F) environmental, housing, the arts or any other aspect of quality of life, who shall be appointed by the minority leader of the House of Representatives; and (6) two economists, who shall be appointed by the Governor. Each member of the board described in subdivision (2), (3) or (4) of this subsection may designate a deputy to represent him as a member at meetings of the board, with full powers to act and vote in his behalf. All appointments under subdivisions (3), (5) and (6) of this subsection shall be made by October 1, 1996. The persons initially appointed under subparagraphs (A) and (D) of subdivision (5) of this subsection shall serve for a term of three years from October 1, 1996, the persons initially appointed under subparagraphs (B) and (E) of said subdivision shall serve for a term of two years from October 1, 1996, and the persons initially appointed under subparagraphs (C) and (F) of said subdivision shall serve for a term of one year from October 1, 1996. Thereafter all persons appointed under said subdivision (5) shall serve for terms of three years from October first in the year of their appointment. Any vacancy under said subdivision shall be filled by the appointing authority. Each member of the board shall serve without compensation. The board shall choose a chairman from among its members.

      (b) The Governor shall schedule and convene the first meeting of the board after the initial appointment of members under subdivisions (3), (5) and (6) of subsection (a) of this section. Such meeting shall be held no later than November 1, 1996.

      (c) Not later than January 1, 1998, and annually thereafter, the board shall submit a report to the Governor, the Commissioner of Economic and Community Development and the General Assembly on the state of economic clusters in the state and the nation. Such report shall include, but not be limited to, analyses of (1) the growth, maturity and decline of existing economic clusters and (2) the formation of new economic clusters which employ emerging technologies. The board shall annually hold an economic cluster conference for the purpose of gathering information for such report. The board shall invite to the conference, business leaders, government officials and higher education faculty who work in, support or study economic clusters.

      (June Sp. Sess. P.A. 91-3, S. 130, 168; P.A. 92-44, S. 1, 2; 92-65, S. 1, 2; P.A. 93-196, S. 1, 3; 93-210, S. 2, 3; P.A. 95-250, S. 1; P.A. 96-211, S. 1, 5, 6; 96-252, S. 2, 8; P.A. 97-238, S. 6.)

      History: P.A. 92-44 added commissioner of economic development or his designee to board; P.A. 92-65 amended section to expand the one-month periods of November and February for the holding of conferences to two-month periods of November and December and of February and March; P.A. 93-196 amended Subsec. (b)(2) to eliminate specific time periods for holding conferences, effective June 23, 1993; P.A. 93-210 amended Subsec. (a) by adding two economists to board, appointed by majority leaders, effective June 23, 1993; P.A. 95-250 and P.A. 96-211 replaced Commissioner of Economic Development with Commissioner of Economic and Community Development; P.A. 96-252 entirely replaced previous provisions re board, effective July 1, 1996; Sec. 4-70d transferred to Sec. 32-4f in 1997; P.A. 97-238 amended Subsec. (a) to add to the board the Commissioner of Higher Education and the chairpersons and ranking members of the joint standing committee of the General Assembly having cognizance of matters relating to education.