AN ACT CONCERNING A WORKING GROUP ON A PUBLIC-PRIVATE MARKETING PARTNERSHIP TO RECRUIT BUSINESSES TO CONNECTICUT.

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

Section 1. (Effective from passage) (a) The chairpersons of the joint standing committee of the General Assembly having cognizance of matters relating to commerce shall appoint and convene a working group to examine and make recommendations regarding:

(1) The development of a comprehensive, unified and proactive marketing plan to attract businesses to the state;

(2) Methods to improve the state's overall business marketing efforts in order to recruit and retain businesses in the state, increase job creation, encourage entrepreneurship, and make businesses in other regions aware of the benefits and incentives for new businesses offered by the state;

(3) Methods to increase the visibility of Connecticut as a globally competitive business location through proactive international marketing efforts and enhance the potential economic and employment benefits that may result from the development of such marketing efforts; and

(4) The leveraging of private sector expertise, resources and funds to bolster the state's marketing efforts.

(b) Appointments to the working group shall include, but need not be limited to, representatives from the joint standing committee of the General Assembly having cognizance of matters relating to commerce, the Commission on Economic Competitiveness, the Department of Economic and Community Development, the Connecticut Economic Resource Center, chambers of commerce, traditional and new media private sector marketing firms, the banking and private equity industries, public and private institutions of higher education and high growth employment sectors, which may include, but need not be limited to, health care, bioscience, insurance, financial services, advanced manufacturing, digital media and green technology. All appointments to the working group shall be made not later than thirty days after the effective date of this section.

(c) The chairpersons of the joint standing committee of the General Assembly having cognizance of matters relating to commerce shall select the chairperson of the working group. The chairperson of the working group shall schedule the first meeting of the working group, which shall be held not later than sixty days after the effective date of this section. The working group shall meet at least quarterly thereafter, until it submits its report pursuant to subsection (d) of this section.

(d) Not later than January 15, 2018, the working group shall submit a report on its findings and recommendations pursuant to subsection (a) of this section to the joint standing committee of the General Assembly having cognizance of matters relating to commerce, in accordance with the provisions of section 11-4a of the general statutes. The working group shall terminate on the date that it submits such report or January 15, 2018, whichever is later.