Substitute Senate Bill No. 445
Substitute Senate Bill No. 445
PUBLIC ACT NO. 97-238
AN ACT CONCERNING ECONOMIC CLUSTERS AND TOURISM.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of
Representatives in General Assembly convened:
Section 1. On or before February 1, 1998, the
Commissioner of Economic and Community Development
shall report to the joint standing committee of
the General Assembly having cognizance of matters
relating to commerce on (1) the extent to which
the state has identified economic clusters for
state support and the programs or initiatives
which the state has implemented to support growth
in such clusters and (2) the activities and
initiatives of the International Trade Council
established under section 32-511 of the general
statutes.
Sec. 2. Subsection (b) of section 32-301 of
the general statutes is repealed and the following
is substituted in lieu thereof:
(b) The council shall:
(1) Adopt procedures for the operation of the
council and the oversight of the Office of
Tourism;
(2) Review and approve or amend the strategic
marketing plan developed by the Office of Tourism
pursuant to subdivision (1) of subsection (b) of
section 32-300;
(3) (A) Review the plans and activities of the
tourism districts established under section
32-302, the convention center authorities and the
coliseum authorities, and (B) determine whether
such plans and activities are consistent with the
strategic marketing plan and will promote economic
growth and employment opportunities in the state
PROVIDED, IN MAKING SUCH DETERMINATION, THE
COUNCIL SHALL CONSIDER THE STATUTORY MISSION OF
THE DISTRICTS AND THE UNIQUE MISSION OF EACH
DISTRICT AND FURTHER PROVIDED THE COUNCIL SHALL
PROVIDE ANY RECOMMENDATIONS FOR CHANGES IN SUCH
PLANS OR ACTIVITIES TO THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS FOR
EACH DISTRICT;
(4) Not later than January 15, 1993, and
annually thereafter, submit a report on its
findings and recommendations to the joint standing
committee of the General Assembly having
cognizance of matters relating to the Department
of Economic and Community Development WHICH REPORT
SHALL FURTHER INCLUDE A DESCRIPTION OF TOURISM
PROMOTION EFFORTS BY THE STATE;
(5) Determine which applications for challenge
grants should be approved under subdivision (5) of
section 32-300;
(6) Allocate not more than four hundred
twenty-nine thousand dollars between July 1, 1994,
and June 30, 1996, from the tourism account
established under section 32-303, to carry out the
purposes of sections 32-306 and 32-307, which
shall include, but not be limited to, the
operation of the visitor welcome centers;
(7) Make a grant to each tourism district
whose allocation under section 32-305 during any
fiscal year is less than one hundred thousand
dollars. The amount of any such grant shall be the
difference of one hundred thousand dollars and the
amount of such allocation; and
(8) Determine which applications for municipal
grants should be approved under subdivision (6) of
subsection (b) of section 32-300.
Sec. 3. Section 32-302 of the general statutes
is repealed and the following is substituted in
lieu thereof:
(a) THERE ARE ESTABLISHED TOURISM DISTRICTS TO
PROMOTE AND MARKET DISTRICTS AS REGIONAL LEISURE
AND BUSINESS TRAVELER DESTINATIONS TO STIMULATE
ECONOMIC GROWTH. There shall be eleven tourism
districts as follows:
(1) The Greater Fairfield district, consisting
of: Greenwich, Stamford, Darien, New Canaan,
Wilton, Norwalk, Weston, Westport, Easton,
Fairfield, Monroe, Bridgeport and Stratford;
(2) The Greater Waterbury district, consisting
of: Waterbury, Wolcott, Watertown, Middlebury,
Naugatuck, Thomaston, Beacon Falls, Oxford and
Seymour;
(3) The Greater New Haven district, consisting
of: Prospect, Bethany, Hamden, Ansonia, Derby,
Orange, Milford, West Haven, Woodbridge, North
Haven, New Haven, East Haven, North Branford,
Shelton and Trumbull;
(4) The Connecticut Valley district,
consisting of: Meriden, Wallingford, Cromwell,
Middletown, Middlefield, Portland, East Hampton,
Durham, Haddam, East Haddam, Killingworth,
Clinton, Chester, Deep River, Essex, Westbrook,
Old Saybrook, Branford, Guilford and Madison;
(5) The Southeastern Connecticut district,
consisting of: Colchester, Salem, Lyme, Old Lyme,
East Lyme, Franklin, Bozrah, Montville, Waterford,
New London, Sprague, Lisbon, Norwich, Preston,
Ledyard, Groton, Griswold, Voluntown, North
Stonington and Stonington;
(6) The Litchfield Hills district, consisting
of: Salisbury, Sharon, Kent, New Milford, North
Canaan, Canaan, Cornwall, Warren, Washington,
Roxbury, Southbury, Norfolk, Goshen, Litchfield,
Morris, Bethlehem, Woodbury, Colebrook,
Winchester, Torrington, Hartland, Barkhamsted, New
Hartford, Harwinton, Plymouth and Bristol;
(7) The Central Connecticut district,
consisting of: Southington, Berlin, Plainville,
New Britain and Cheshire;
(8) The Greater Hartford district, consisting
of: Canton, Simsbury, South Windsor, Ellington,
Vernon, Tolland, Burlington, Avon, West Hartford,
Hartford, East Hartford, Manchester, Bolton,
Andover, Farmington, Newington, Wethersfield,
Glastonbury, Marlborough, Hebron and Rocky Hill;
(9) The Northeast Connecticut district,
consisting of: Union, Woodstock, Thompson,
Willington, Ashford, Eastford, Pomfret, Putnam,
Killingly, Coventry, Mansfield, Chaplin, Hampton,
Brooklyn, Columbia, Lebanon, Windham, Scotland,
Canterbury, Plainfield and Sterling;
(10) The Housatonic Valley district,
consisting of: Bethel, Bridgewater, Brookfield,
Danbury, New Fairfield, Newtown, Redding,
Ridgefield and Sherman; and
(11) The Tobacco Valley district, consisting
of: Granby, East Granby, Suffield, Windsor Locks,
Windsor, Bloomfield, Enfield, East Windsor, Somers
and Stafford.
(b) Each tourism district shall have a board
of directors consisting of one representative from
each municipality within the district with a
population less than sixty-five thousand and two
representatives from each municipality within the
district with a population greater than sixty-five
thousand, appointed by the board of selectmen of
towns, the council or board of aldermen of cities
or the board of burgesses of boroughs. ANY SUCH
DIRECTOR SHALL SERVE FOR A TERM OF THREE YEARS. In
addition, the board of directors may appoint up to
twenty-one persons representing tourism interests
within the district to serve on the board. All
appointments to the board of directors shall be
reported to the director of the Office of Tourism.
A TOURISM DISTRICT SHALL INDEMNIFY ANY DIRECTOR OR
EMPLOYEE OF SUCH DISTRICT FOR LIABILITY IMPOSED BY
LAW FOR NEGLIGENT ACTS OR OMISSIONS.
(c) The provisions of section 1-19 shall apply
to each tourism district and to any other entity
contracting with a tourist district to carry out
the functions of the region.
(d) The Office of Tourism shall assist each
tourism district to establish an ad hoc committee
to draft a charter and bylaws for the tourism
district and to organize the initial meeting of
the board of directors of the district.
(e) ON OR BEFORE JANUARY FIRST OF EACH YEAR
EACH DISTRICT SHALL (1) SUBMIT TO THE CONNECTICUT
TOURISM COUNCIL ITS BUDGET FOR THE PRIOR YEAR AND
THE BUDGET FOR THE CURRENT YEAR PROVIDED SUCH
SUBMITTAL SHALL BE IN A FORM DEVELOPED
COLLECTIVELY BY THE DISTRICTS, THE CONNECTICUT
TOURISM COUNCIL AND THE OFFICE OF POLICY AND
MANAGEMENT AND SHALL BE BASED ON TOURISM INDUSTRY
STANDARDS AND (2) SUBMIT TO THE OFFICE OF POLICY
AND MANAGEMENT AN INDEPENDENT AUDIT IN ACCORDANCE
WITH THE PROVISIONS OF SECTIONS 4-230 TO 4-236,
INCLUSIVE.
(f) EACH TOURISM DISTRICT SHALL COORDINATE ITS
ACTIVITIES WITH ANY PRIVATE NONPROFIT TOURIST
ASSOCIATION WITHIN THE DISTRICT AND WITHIN THIS
STATE, WHICH PROMOTES TOURISM INDUSTRY BUSINESSES
IN THIS STATE, IN ORDER TO FOSTER COOPERATION IN
THE PROMOTION OF SUCH BUSINESSES.
Sec. 4. Section 32-305 of the general statutes
is repealed and the following is substituted in
lieu thereof:
(a) The Commissioner of Revenue Services shall
segregate (1) one and one-half per cent of the
gross receipts from the tax from sales within the
meaning of subdivision (h) of subsection (2) of
section 12-407 by any hotel or lodging house
located in any municipality having a population of
less than sixty-five thousand, (2) three and
one-half per cent of the gross receipts from such
tax in any municipality having a population of
sixty-five thousand or more but less than
seventy-five thousand, and (3) four and one-half
per cent of the gross receipts from such tax in
any municipality having a population of
seventy-five thousand or more, provided the
commissioner shall segregate three and one-half
per cent of the gross receipts from such tax in
the municipality having the most popular tourist
attraction in the state, as determined by the
Office of Tourism, if such municipality has a
population of less than sixty-five thousand. Such
segregated funds shall be allocated to tourism
districts established under section 32-302 as
follows: The portion of the funds attributable to
such tax receipts in a municipality shall be
allocated to the tourism district in which the
municipality is located, provided (A) one hundred
per cent of the amount attributable to such tax
receipts from sales in Hartford shall be allocated
to the Connecticut Convention Center Authority,
(B) seventy-five per cent of the amount
attributable to such tax receipts from sales in
New Haven shall be allocated to the New Haven
Coliseum Authority, (C) seventy-five per cent of
the amount attributable to such tax receipts from
sales in Stamford shall be allocated to the
Stamford Center for the Arts, (D) seventy-five per
cent of the amount attributable to such tax
receipts from sales in Norwalk shall be allocated
to the Maritime Center Authority and (E)
seventy-five per cent of the amount attributable
to such tax receipts from sales in Bridgeport
shall be allocated to the Greater Fairfield
district established in section 32-302, for the
sole purpose of marketing tourist attractions
located in Bridgeport. If for any state fiscal
year the amount of the allocation under
subparagraph (E) is less than the amount of funds
allocated during the fiscal year ending June 30,
1991, to the then existing Bridgeport convention
and visitors bureau, pursuant to sections 7-136b
and 7-136c of the general statutes, revised to
January 1, 1991, the Connecticut Tourism Council
shall provide a grant under section 32-300, from
the tourism account, in the amount of such
difference, to said Greater Fairfield district for
the purpose set forth in subparagraph (E). Not
later than [October 1, 1994] JANUARY 1, 1999, and
annually thereafter, each tourism district and
each authority receiving funds under this section
shall submit to the Connecticut Tourism Council a
full audit of the books and accounts of the
district or authority for the preceding fiscal
year AT THE SAME TIME THAT AN AUDIT IS SUBMITTED
TO THE OFFICE OF POLICY AND MANAGEMENT UNDER
SUBSECTION (f) OF SECTION 32-302. Each such audit
shall be conducted by an independent certified
public accountant. The Commissioner of Revenue
Services shall also segregate an additional one
million dollars of the gross receipts from such
tax in the state during each state fiscal year and
allocate such funds to the cultural heritage
development account established under section
10-373bb. The Commissioner of Revenue Services may
adopt regulations, in accordance with the
provisions of chapter 54, concerning accounting
procedures necessary to carry out the purposes of
this section.
(b) Except as provided by law, a tourism
district, convention center authority or coliseum
authority, as the case may be, may borrow money to
pay its obligations that cannot be paid at
maturity out of current revenue from such
allocations, but shall not borrow a sum greater
than can be repaid out of the allocations
anticipated during the year in which the money is
borrowed. The tourism district, convention center
authority or coliseum authority, as the case may
be, may pledge its securities to secure the
repayment of any sum so borrowed.
(c) NOTWITHSTANDING THE PROVISIONS OF
SUBSECTION (a) OF THIS SECTION, IF NINETY DAYS
HAVE ELAPSED SINCE A PLAN FOR CORRECTIVE ACTION
HAS BEEN FILED FOR A TOURISM DISTRICT UNDER
SUBSECTION (g) OF SECTION 4-233 AND THE SECRETARY
OF THE OFFICE OF POLICY AND MANAGEMENT, IN
CONSULTATION WITH THE CONNECTICUT TOURISM COUNCIL,
FINDS THAT THE PLAN HAS NOT BEEN IMPLEMENTED, THE
SECRETARY SHALL NOTIFY THE COMMISSIONER OF REVENUE
SERVICES WHO SHALL THEN SEGREGATE TEN PER CENT OF
THE DISTRICT'S MONTHLY DISBURSEMENT OF FUNDS UNDER
SUBSECTION (a) OF THIS SECTION AND DEPOSIT SUCH
AMOUNT INTO A SEPARATE ACCOUNT EACH MONTH UNTIL
THE SECRETARY FINDS THAT SUCH PLAN IS BEING
IMPLEMENTED AT WHICH TIME HE SHALL INFORM SAID
COMMISSIONER WHO SHALL THEN DISBURSE ANY FUNDS
ACCRUED IN THE ACCOUNT TO THE DISTRICT.
Sec. 5. Subdivision (10) of section 4-230 of
the general statutes is repealed and the following
is substituted in lieu thereof:
(10) "Audited agency" means a fire district,
fire and sewer district, sewer district or other
municipal utility, the Metropolitan District of
Hartford County, a regional board of education, a
regional planning agency, any other political
subdivision of similar character which is created
or any other agency created or designated by a
municipality to act for such municipality whose
average annual receipts from all sources exceed
two hundred thousand dollars OR ANY TOURISM
DISTRICT ESTABLISHED UNDER SECTION 32-302, AS
AMENDED BY SECTION 3 OF THIS ACT.
Sec. 6. Section 32-4f of the general statutes
is repealed and the following is substituted in
lieu thereof:
(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
[the Department of Economic and Community
Development and capital bonding] 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.
Sec. 7. Subdivision (6) of section 32-307 of
the general statutes is repealed and the following
is substituted in lieu thereof:
(6) The Department of Transportation shall (A)
maintain the visitor welcome centers owned by the
Department of Transportation and (B) provide
housekeeping services at the Middletown,
Southington, Wallingford, West Willington,
Danbury, North Stonington and Westbrook visitor
welcome centers. [, provided the Office of Tourism
shall provide funding to the Department of
Transportation for such housekeeping services at
the Westbrook visitor welcome center;]
Sec. 8. (NEW) There is established an account
to be known as the "Connecticut film, video and
media account". Any funds received by the state as
the result of an activity originated or sponsored
by the Connecticut Film, Video and Media Office,
including, but not limited to, advertising revenue
or payments from film premieres or screenings, or
other film or video products, shall be deposited
in the account. Any moneys in said account shall
be used by the Connecticut Film, Video and Media
Office to carry out the purposes of sections 32-86
to 32-90, inclusive, of the general statutes.
Approved June 24, 1997