Bill Text: CT SB00302 | 2014 | General Assembly | Introduced

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Bill Title: An Act Concerning An Entrepreneur In Residence Program.

Spectrum: Committee Bill

Status: (Introduced - Dead) 2014-03-07 - Public Hearing 03/11 [SB00302 Detail]

Download: Connecticut-2014-SB00302-Introduced.html

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General Assembly		Raised Bill No. 302
February Session, 2014		LCO No. 1808
		*01808_______CE_*
Referred to Committee on COMMERCE
Introduced by:
(CE)

AN ACT CONCERNING AN ENTREPRENEUR IN RESIDENCE PROGRAM.

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

Section 1. (NEW) (Effective October 1, 2014) As used in sections 1 to 3, inclusive, of this act:

(1) "Commissioner" means the Commissioner of Economic and Community Development, or the commissioner's designee;

(2) "Department" means the Department of Economic and Community Development;

(3) "Entrepreneur in residence" means any individual appointed by the commissioner pursuant to section 2 of this act; and

(4) "State agency" means any state department, office or other executive branch agency of the state.

Sec. 2. (NEW) (Effective October 1, 2014) (a) The Commissioner of Economic and Community Development shall develop and administer an entrepreneur in residence pilot program, under which the commissioner shall appoint individuals as entrepreneurs in residence to serve in state agencies in order to (1) provide for outreach by the state to the private sector, (2) strengthen coordination between the state and the private sector on issues relevant to entrepreneurs and small businesses, and (3) make state programs simpler, easier to access, more efficient and more responsive to the needs of entrepreneurs and small businesses. The pilot program shall commence on January 1, 2015, and terminate on December 31, 2017.

(b) The commissioner shall appoint not more than ten entrepreneurs in residence during any year. Each entrepreneur in residence shall (1) have a favorable reputation for skill, knowledge and experience in his or her field, (2) have demonstrated success in working with entrepreneurs and small businesses, or (3) have successfully developed, invented or created a product and brought such product to the marketplace. The commissioner shall make a good faith effort to ensure that, to the extent possible, the individuals appointed as entrepreneurs in residence closely reflect the gender and racial diversity of the state. No individual appointed as an entrepreneur in residence shall receive compensation for such individual's services, except, at the discretion of the commissioner of the agency to which such individual is appointed, each entrepreneur in residence may be entitled to reimbursement for actual and necessary expenses incurred during the performance of such individual's official duties. An individual may serve as an entrepreneur in residence for not more than two years. No person appointed as an entrepreneur in residence shall be deemed a state employee under title 5 of the general statutes.

(c) In appointing entrepreneurs in residence, the commissioner shall (1) give priority to placing entrepreneurs in residence at separate state agencies, and (2) appoint not more than two entrepreneurs in residence to a single state agency in the same year.

(d) The commissioner may convene a working group comprising the appointed entrepreneurs in residence to (1) discuss best practices, experiences, obstacles and opportunities encountered at the Department of Economic and Community Development and respective state agencies to which such entrepreneurs in residence are appointed, and (2) make recommendations concerning the development, implementation and delivery of state agency services to entrepreneurs and small businesses.

(e) On or before January 1, 2016, the Commissioner of Economic and Community Development shall report, in accordance with the provisions of section 11-4a of the general statutes, to the joint standing committee of the General Assembly having cognizance of matters relating to commerce on the program established pursuant to this section. Such report shall include, but not be limited to: (1) A list of the state agencies to which entrepreneurs in residence were appointed, (2) any recommendations made by entrepreneurs in residence pursuant to section 3 of this act and adopted by the relevant state agency, (3) the recommendations of any working group established pursuant to subsection (d) of this section, (4) any obstacles encountered by the commissioner and individual entrepreneurs in residence in implementing and carrying out the duties of the program, and (5) any recommendations for legislative modifications to the program.

Sec. 3. (NEW) (Effective October 1, 2014) (a) The duties of an entrepreneur in residence shall include the following:

(1) Assist the department and other state agencies in improving outreach to small businesses and entrepreneurs;

(2) Provide recommendations to the department and the head of the state agency to which such entrepreneur in residence is appointed regarding inefficient or duplicative programs, if any, at such agency;

(3) Provide recommendations to the department and the head of the state agency to which such entrepreneur in residence is appointed regarding methods to improve program efficiency at such agency or new initiatives, if any, that may be instituted at such agency;

(4) Facilitate meetings and forums to educate entrepreneurs and small businesses regarding programs or initiatives of the department and the state agency to which such entrepreneur in residence is appointed;

(5) Facilitate in-service sessions with employees of the department and the state agency to which such entrepreneur in residence is appointed regarding issues of concern to entrepreneurs and small businesses; and

(6) Provide technical assistance or mentorship to entrepreneurs and small businesses in accessing programs at the department and the state agency to which such entrepreneur in residence is appointed.

(b) An entrepreneur in residence shall report directly to the head of the state agency to which such entrepreneur in residence is appointed.

This act shall take effect as follows and shall amend the following sections:
Section 1	October 1, 2014	New section
Sec. 2	October 1, 2014	New section
Sec. 3	October 1, 2014	New section

Statement of Purpose:

To establish a pilot entrepreneur in residence program under which the Commissioner of Economic and Community Development would place successful entrepreneurs in state agencies to make agency services and operations simpler, more efficient, and more responsive to the needs of entrepreneurs and businesses.

[Proposed deletions are enclosed in brackets. Proposed additions are indicated by underline, except that when the entire text of a bill or resolution or a section of a bill or resolution is new, it is not underlined.]