Bill Text: CT HB05424 | 2016 | General Assembly | Comm Sub

Connecticut House Bill 5424 (Prior Session Legislation)

Bill Title: An Act Concerning The Implementation Of The Learn Here, Live Here Program.

Spectrum: Committee Bill

Status: (Introduced - Dead) 2016-04-19 - File Number 666 [HB05424 Detail]

Download: Connecticut-2016-HB05424-Comm_Sub.html

General Assembly		*Substitute Bill No. 5424*
*February Session, 2016*		_____HB05424FIN___040816____

AN ACT CONCERNING THE IMPLEMENTATION OF THE LEARN HERE, LIVE HERE PROGRAM.

Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in General Assembly convened:

Section 1. Section 32-4i of the general statutes is repealed and the following is substituted in lieu thereof (Effective July 1, 2016, and applicable to taxable years commencing on or after January 1, 2016):

(a) The Commissioner of Economic and Community Development, in consultation with the Commissioner of Revenue Services and the president of the Board of Regents for Higher Education, [may] shall establish the Learn Here, Live Here program. Such program [may] shall provide an incentive for graduates of a public institution of higher education, private university or college, or health care training school in this state, or graduates from a technical high school, to buy a first home in the state. Persons who graduate on or after January 1, [2014] 2016, from such institutions, universities, colleges or schools may elect to become participants in said program and have their income tax liability, up to a maximum of two thousand five hundred dollars annually, segregated into the Connecticut first-time homebuyers account established pursuant to section 32-4j, provided not more than one million dollars from all [program] participants may be so segregated in any calendar year. After a period not exceeding ten years after graduation, any [amounts so] amount segregated on behalf of a participant may be [withdrawn by a] used by such participant for the purchase of a first home in the state. The Commissioner of Economic and Community Development [may] shall make payments from said account, in accordance with this section, [from said fund to the] on behalf of participants. For the purposes of this section, "health care training school" means a medical or dental school, chiropractic college, school or college of optometry, school or college of chiropody or podiatry, school of occupational therapy, hospital-based occupational school, school or college of naturopathy, school of dental hygiene, school of physical therapy or any other school or institution giving instruction in the healing arts.

(b) (1) After a period not exceeding ten years after the date of graduation, a participant in the program established pursuant to subsection (a) of this section may apply to the Commissioner of Economic and Community Development for a payment to be issued, on behalf of such participant, and used as the down payment on a house, which [must] shall be the first house such participant [has bought] buys, either singly or jointly. Such payment may be in an amount equal to the amount of segregated funds deposited on behalf of such participant. If the payment is less than such amount, any excess amount shall be deposited in the General Fund. If no such payment is issued within such period, the entire amount of segregated funds deposited on behalf of such participant shall be deposited in the General Fund.

(2) If a participant ceases to live in the state at any time up to one year after [such date] the date of issuance of such payment, such participant shall repay one hundred per cent of the amount paid out. If a participant ceases to live in the state at any time up to two years after such date, such participant shall repay eighty per cent of the amount paid out. If a participant ceases to live in the state at any time up to three years after such date, such participant shall repay sixty per cent of the amount paid out. If a participant ceases to live in the state at any time up to four years after such date, such participant shall repay forty per cent of the amount paid out. If a participant ceases to live in the state at any time up to five years after such date, such participant shall repay twenty per cent of the amount paid out. After five years, there [is] shall be no repayment obligation. Any amounts repaid under this subdivision shall be deposited in the General Fund.

(c) On or before December 1, [2012] 2016, the Commissioner of Economic and Community Development [may] shall develop, within available appropriations, a comprehensive public education program to educate recent graduates of a public institution of higher education, private university or college, or health care training school in the state, or of a technical high school, about the program established under this section for first-time home buyers. The public education program shall include, but not be limited to, information concerning life-time savings plans and information on the purchase of a home. [If the commissioner develops such public education program, the] The department shall [begin to] implement such program not later than January 1, [2014] 2017.

Sec. 2. Section 32-4k of the general statutes is repealed and the following is substituted in lieu thereof (Effective July 1, 2016, and applicable to taxable years commencing on or after January 1, 2016):

As part of the Learn Here, Live Here program established pursuant to section 32-4i, as amended by this act, for taxable years commencing on or after January 1, [2014] 2016, the Commissioner of Revenue Services shall segregate the income taxes paid by a participant in said program during a period not exceeding ten taxable years following the year of graduation. Upon the request of such participant, the commissioner shall segregate an annual amount of such tax liability, up to a maximum of two thousand five hundred dollars per year. The total amount segregated for all program participants shall not exceed one million dollars in any calendar year. The commissioner shall deposit such segregated amounts into the Connecticut first-time homebuyers account established pursuant to section 32-4j.


This act shall take effect as follows and shall amend the following sections:
Section 1	July 1, 2016, and applicable to taxable years commencing on or after January 1, 2016	32-4i
Sec. 2	July 1, 2016, and applicable to taxable years commencing on or after January 1, 2016	32-4k