Bill Text: CT HB06695 | 2015 | General Assembly | Chaptered
Bill Title: An Act Concerning Revisions To The Higher Education Statutes.
Spectrum: Committee Bill
Status: (Passed) 2015-06-19 - Signed by the Governor [HB06695 Detail]
Download: Connecticut-2015-HB06695-Chaptered.html
AN ACT CONCERNING REVISIONS TO THE HIGHER EDUCATION STATUTES.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in General Assembly convened:
Section 1. Subsection (b) of section 10-16pp of the general statutes is repealed and the following is substituted in lieu thereof (Effective from passage):
(b) The Department of Education, the Board of Regents for Higher Education and the Board of Trustees for The University of Connecticut [,] shall work with the Department of Banking to leverage any available federal, state or private funds to implement the plan developed pursuant to subsection (a) of this section.
Sec. 2. Subdivision (1) of subsection (a) of section 10-283 of the general statutes is repealed and the following is substituted in lieu thereof (Effective from passage):
(a) (1) Each town or regional school district shall be eligible to apply for and accept grants for a school building project as provided in this chapter. Any town desiring a grant for a public school building project may, by vote of its legislative body, authorize the board of education of such town to apply to the Commissioner of Administrative Services and to accept or reject such grant for the town. Any regional school board may vote to authorize the supervising agent of the regional school district to apply to the Commissioner of Administrative Services for and to accept or reject such grant for the district. Applications for such grants under this chapter shall be made by the superintendent of schools of such town or regional school district on the form provided and in the manner prescribed by the Commissioner of Administrative Services. The application form shall require the superintendent of schools to affirm that the school district considered the maximization of natural light, the use and feasibility of wireless connectivity technology and, on and after July 1, 2014, the school safety infrastructure standards, developed by the School Safety Infrastructure Council, pursuant to section 10-292r, in projects for new construction and alteration or renovation of a school building. The Commissioner of Administrative Services shall review each grant application for a school building project for compliance with educational requirements and on the basis of categories for building projects established by the Commissioner of Administrative Services in accordance with this section. The Commissioner of Education shall evaluate, if appropriate, whether the project will assist the state in meeting the goals of the 2008 stipulation and order for Milo Sheff, et al. v. William A. O'Neill, et al. , as extended, or the goals of the 2013 stipulation and order for Milo Sheff, et al. v. William A. O'Neill, et al. The Commissioner of Administrative Services shall consult with the Commissioner of Education in reviewing grant applications submitted for purposes of subsection (a) of section 10-65 or section 10-76e on the basis of the educational needs of the applicant. The Commissioner of Administrative Services shall review each grant application for a school building project for compliance with standards for school building projects pursuant to regulations, adopted in accordance with section 10-287c, and, on and after July 1, 2014, the school safety infrastructure standards, developed by the School Safety Infrastructure Council pursuant to section 10-292r. Notwithstanding the provisions of this chapter, the Board of Trustees of the Community-Technical Colleges on behalf of Quinebaug Valley Community College and Three Rivers Community College and the following entities that will operate an interdistrict magnet school that will assist the state in meeting the goals of the 2008 stipulation and order for Milo Sheff, et al. v. William A. O'Neill, et al. , as extended, or the goals of the 2013 stipulation and order for Milo Sheff, et al. v. William A. O'Neill, et al. , as determined by the Commissioner of Education, may apply for and shall be eligible to receive grants for school building projects pursuant to section 10-264h for such a school: (A) The Board of Trustees of the Community-Technical Colleges on behalf of a regional community-technical college, (B) the Board of Trustees of the Connecticut State University System on behalf of a state university, (C) the Board of Trustees for The University of Connecticut on behalf of the university, (D) the board of governors for an independent [college or university] institution of higher education, as defined in subsection (a) of section [10a-37] 10a-173, or the equivalent of such a board, on behalf of the independent [college or university] institution of higher education, (E) cooperative arrangements pursuant to section 10-158a, and (F) any other third-party not-for-profit corporation approved by the Commissioner of Education.
Sec. 3. Subparagraph (E) of subdivision (3) of subsection (c) of section 10-264l of the general statutes is repealed and the following is substituted in lieu thereof (Effective from passage):
(E) Each interdistrict magnet school operated by the board of governors for an independent [college or university] institution of higher education, as defined in subsection (a) of section [10a-37] 10a-173, or the equivalent of such a board, on behalf of the independent [college or university] institution of higher education, that (i) began operations for the school year commencing July 1, 2014, (ii) enrolls less than sixty per cent of its students from Hartford pursuant to the 2008 stipulation and order for Milo Sheff, et al. v. William A. O'Neill, et al. , as extended, or the 2013 stipulation and order for Milo Sheff, et al. v. William A. O'Neill, et al. , and (iii) enrolls students on a trimester basis, shall receive a per pupil grant for each student who is enrolled at such school for at least two of the three trimesters in the amount of ten thousand four hundred forty-three dollars for the fiscal year ending June 30, 2015.
Sec. 4. Section 10a-55o of the general statutes is repealed and the following is substituted in lieu thereof (Effective from passage):
Not later than January 1, 2015, each institution of higher education shall enter into and maintain a memorandum of understanding with at least one community-based sexual assault crisis service center and at least one community-based domestic violence agency for purposes of (1) ensuring that any student or employee of such institution who reports or discloses being the victim of sexual assault, stalking or intimate partner violence can access free and confidential counseling and advocacy services, either on or off campus, and (2) establishing a partnership with such service center and agency, including, but not limited to, (A) involvement of the institution's campus resource team, and (B) trainings between the institution and such service center and agency to ensure the understanding of each other's role in responding to reports and disclosures of sexual assault, stalking and intimate partner violence against students and employees of the institution and the institution's protocols for providing support and services to such students and employees, developed [in accordance with subsection (b) of] pursuant to section 10a-55m.