2020 Connecticut General Statutes
Title 31 - Labor
Chapter 556a - Workforce Development
Section 31-11ii - *(See end of section for amended version and effective date.) Development of Workforce Training Authority. Members. Duties and responsibilities.

(a) There is established a Workforce Training Authority that shall consist of the following members: (1) Four appointed by the Governor; (2) one appointed by the president pro tempore of the Senate; (3) one appointed by the Senate Republican president pro tempore; (4) one appointed by the speaker of the House of Representatives; (5) one appointed by the majority leader of the Senate; (6) one appointed by the majority leader of the House of Representatives; (7) one appointed by the minority leader of the Senate; (8) one appointed by the minority leader of the House of Representatives; (9) the Labor Commissioner, or the commissioner's designee, who shall serve as the chairperson of the board; (10) the Commissioner of the Department of Economic and Community Development, or the commissioner's designee; (11) the president of the Connecticut State Colleges and Universities, or the president's designee; (12) the president of The University of Connecticut, or the president's designee; and (13) the Commissioner of Correction, or the commissioner's designee. Each legislatively appointed member shall have skill, knowledge or experience in industries and sciences related to insurance, financial services, bioscience, advance manufacturing, digital media, green technology, and tourism. All initial appointments to the board pursuant to this subsection shall be made not later than October 1, 2017. Appointed members shall each serve a term that is coterminous with the respective appointing authority. Each member shall hold office until a successor is appointed. Any vacancy occurring on the board, other than by expiration of term, shall be filled in the same manner as the original appointment for the balance of the unexpired term.

(b) The chairperson shall call the first meeting of the board not later than December 1, 2017. The board shall meet at such times as the chairperson deems necessary.

(c) No member of the board shall receive compensation for such member's services.

(d) A majority of the members of said board shall constitute a quorum for the transaction of any business or the exercise of any power of the board. The board may act by a majority of the members present at any meeting at which a quorum is in attendance for the transaction of any business or the exercise of any power of the board, except as otherwise provided in this section.

(e) Notwithstanding any provision of the general statutes, it shall not constitute a conflict of interest for a trustee, director, partner, officer, manager, shareholder, proprietor, counsel, public official acting in his or her official capacity or employee of an eligible recipient, or any individual with a financial interest in an eligible recipient, to serve as a member of the board, provided such trustee, director, partner, officer, manager, shareholder, proprietor, counsel, employee or individual shall abstain from deliberation, action or vote by the board concerning any matter relating to such eligible recipient, except such public official acting in his or her official capacity shall be permitted to engage in such deliberation.

(f) The board may develop industry-specific advisory councils to provide guidance on job market trends and develop connections with the business community.

(P.A. 17-207, S. 8.)

*Note: On and after May 1, 2020, this section, as amended by section 2 of public act 19-1 of the July 22 special session, is to read as follows:

“Sec. 31-11ii. Development of Workforce Training Authority. Members. Duties and responsibilities. (a) There is established a Workforce Training Authority within the Labor Department whose purpose is to oversee the grant program described in section 31-11jj. The Workforce Training Authority shall be composed of a board that:

(1) Until April 30, 2020, shall consist of the following members: (A) Four appointed by the Governor; (B) one appointed by the president pro tempore of the Senate; (C) one appointed by the Senate Republican president pro tempore; (D) one appointed by the speaker of the House of Representatives; (E) one appointed by the majority leader of the Senate; (F) one appointed by the majority leader of the House of Representatives; (G) one appointed by the minority leader of the Senate; (H) one appointed by the minority leader of the House of Representatives; (I) the Labor Commissioner, or the commissioner's designee, who shall serve as the chairperson of the board; (J) the Commissioner of Economic and Community Development, or the commissioner's designee; (K) the president of the Connecticut State Colleges and Universities, or the president's designee; (L) the president of The University of Connecticut, or the president's designee; and (M) the Commissioner of Correction, or the commissioner's designee. The term of any member appointed under this subdivision shall terminate on April 30, 2020;

(2) On and after May 1, 2020, shall consist of the following members: (A) Four appointed by the Governor, one of whom is a representative of a community college, one of whom is a representative of a state university, one of whom is a representative of The University of Connecticut and one of whom is a representative of the independent colleges; (B) two appointed by the president pro tempore of the Senate, one of whom is a formerly incarcerated individual or someone who helps formerly incarcerated individuals find employment and one of whom is a representative of the Connecticut AFL-CIO; (C) two appointed by the majority leader of the Senate, one of whom is a representative of a workforce investment board and one of whom is a representative of the Connecticut State Building and Construction Trades Council; (D) two appointed by the speaker of the House of Representatives, one of whom is a representative of The University of Connecticut Health Center and one of whom is a representative from a Connecticut affiliate of the National Urban League or the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People; (E) two appointed by the majority leader of the House of Representatives, one of whom is a representative of the Connecticut Center for Advanced Technology and one of whom is a representative of a Connecticut chamber of the United States Hispanic Chamber of Commerce; (F) two appointed by the minority leader of the Senate, one of whom has skill, knowledge or expertise in the workforce needs of the financial services industry and one of whom is a representative from the Connecticut Business and Industry Association Manufacturers Advisory Council; (G) two appointed by the minority leader of the House of Representatives, one of whom is a representative from the Connecticut Association of Public School Superintendents and one of whom has skill, knowledge and expertise in the workforce needs of the digital media industry; (H) the Labor Commissioner, or the commissioner's designee, who shall serve as chairperson of the board; (I) the Commissioner of Economic and Community Development, or the commissioner's designee; (J) the Commissioner of Correction, or the commissioner's designee; (K) the superintendent of the Technical Education and Career System, or the superintendent's designee; and (L) the Commissioner of Agriculture, or the commissioner's designee.

(b) All initial appointments to the board pursuant to subdivision (2) of subsection (a) of this section shall be made not later than July 1, 2020. Appointed members shall each serve a term that is coterminous with the respective appointing authority. Each member shall hold office until a successor is appointed. Any vacancy occurring on the board, other than by expiration of term, shall be filled in the same manner as the original appointment for the balance of the unexpired term.

(c) The chairperson shall call the first meeting of the board appointed under subdivision (2) of subsection (a) of this section not later than July 1, 2020. The board shall meet at such times as the chairperson deems necessary.

(d) No member of the board shall receive compensation for such member's services.

(e) A majority of the members of said board shall constitute a quorum for the transaction of any business or the exercise of any power of the board. The board may act by a majority of the members present at any meeting at which a quorum is in attendance for the transaction of any business or the exercise of any power of the board, except as otherwise provided in this section.

(f) Notwithstanding any provision of the general statutes, it shall not constitute a conflict of interest for a trustee, director, partner, officer, manager, shareholder, proprietor, counsel, public official acting in his or her official capacity or employee of an eligible recipient, or any individual with a financial interest in an eligible recipient, to serve as a member of the board, provided such trustee, director, partner, officer, manager, shareholder, proprietor, counsel, employee or individual shall abstain from deliberation, action or vote by the board concerning any matter relating to such eligible recipient, except such public official acting in his or her official capacity shall be permitted to engage in such deliberation.

(g) The board may develop industry-specific advisory councils to provide guidance on job market trends and develop connections with the business community.”

(P.A. 17-207, S. 8; July 22 Sp. Sess. P.A. 19-1, S. 2.)

History: P.A. 17-207 effective July 11, 2017; July 22 Sp. Sess. P.A. 19-1 amended Subsec. (a) by adding provisions re within Labor Department, purpose and board composition, designating existing provisions re members as Subdiv. (1), adding “Until April 30, 2020, “, redesignating Subdivs. (1) to (13) as Subparas. (A) to (M), deleting provisions re skill, knowledge and experience of legislatively appointed members, date by which initial appointments are to be made, term of members and filling of vacancies, and adding provision re termination of term on April 30, 2020, and adding Subdiv. (2) re membership on and after May 1, 2020, added new Subsec. (b) re initial appointments, term of appointed members and filling of vacancies, redesignated existing Subsec. (b) as new Subsec. (c) and amended same by adding reference to Subsec. (a)(2) and replacing “December 1, 2017” with “July 1, 2020”, and redesignated existing Subsecs. (c) to (f) as Subsecs. (d) to (g), effective May 1, 2020.