Sec. 32-35. Connecticut Innovations, Incorporated.

(a) There is hereby created a body politic and corporate to be known as “Connecticut Innovations, Incorporated”. Such corporation is constituted a public instrumentality and political subdivision of the state and the exercise by the corporation of the powers conferred in this chapter shall be deemed and held to be the performance of an essential public and governmental function. Connecticut Innovations, Incorporated shall not be construed to be a department, institution or agency of the state.

(b) The corporation shall be governed by a board of seventeen directors. Nine members shall be appointed by the Governor, six of whom shall be knowledgeable, and have favorable reputations for skill, knowledge and experience, in the development of innovative start-up businesses, including, but not limited to, expertise in academic research, technology transfer and application, the development of technological invention and new enterprise development and three of whom shall be knowledgeable, and have favorable reputations for skill, knowledge and experience, in the field of financial lending or the development of commerce, trade and business. Four members shall be the Commissioner of Economic and Community Development, the president of the Connecticut State Colleges and Universities, the Treasurer and the Secretary of the Office of Policy and Management, who shall serve ex officio and shall have all of the powers and privileges of a member of the board of directors. Each ex-officio member may designate his deputy or any member of his staff to represent him at meetings of the corporation with full power to act and vote in his behalf. Four members shall be appointed as follows: One by the president pro tempore of the Senate, one by the minority leader of the Senate, one by the speaker of the House of Representatives and one by the minority leader of the House of Representatives. Each member appointed by the Governor shall serve at the pleasure of the Governor but no longer than the term of office of the Governor or until the member's successor is appointed and qualified, whichever is longer. Each member appointed by a member of the General Assembly shall serve in accordance with the provisions of section 4-1a. A director shall be eligible for reappointment. The Governor shall fill any vacancy for the unexpired term of a member appointed by the Governor. The appropriate legislative appointing authority shall fill any vacancy for the unexpired term of a member appointed by such authority.

(c) The Governor shall appoint a chairperson from among the board members. The directors shall annually elect one of their number as secretary. The board may elect such other officers of the board as it deems proper. Members shall receive no compensation for the performance of their duties hereunder but shall be reimbursed for necessary expenses incurred in the performance thereof.

(d) Each director of the corporation before entering upon his duties shall take and subscribe the oath or affirmation required by article eleventh, section 1, of the Constitution. A record of each such oath or affirmation shall be filed in the office of the Secretary of the State. The board of directors of the corporation shall adopt written procedures, in accordance with the provisions of section 1-121, for: (1) Adopting an annual budget and plan of operations, including a requirement of board approval before the budget or plan may take effect; (2) hiring, dismissing, promoting and compensating employees of the corporation including an affirmative action policy and a requirement of board approval before a position may be created or a vacancy filled; (3) purchasing, leasing or acquiring real and personal property and personal services, including a requirement of board approval for any nonbudgeted expenditure in excess of five thousand dollars; (4) contracting for financial, legal, bond underwriting and other professional services, including a requirement that the corporation solicit proposals at least once every three years for each such service which it uses; (5) awarding loans, grants and other financial assistance, including eligibility criteria, the application process and the role played by the corporation's staff and board of directors and the Department of Economic and Community Development and including deadlines for the approval or disapproval of applications for such assistance by the corporation on and after July 1, 1996; and (6) the use of surplus funds to the extent authorized under this chapter, or other provisions of the general statutes.

(e) Notwithstanding the provisions of any other law to the contrary, it shall not constitute a conflict of interest for a trustee, director, partner or officer of any person, firm or corporation, or any individual having a financial interest in a person, firm or corporation, to serve as a member of the board of directors of Connecticut Innovations, Incorporated, provided such trustee, director, partner, officer or individual shall abstain from deliberation, action or vote by Connecticut Innovations, Incorporated in specific respect to such person, firm or corporation.

(f) The corporation shall have the authority to contract with the Department of Economic and Community Development for administrative or other services.

(g) As of October 1, 1989, all powers, duties and personnel of the Connecticut Product Development Corporation shall be transferred to Connecticut Innovations, Incorporated, in accordance with the provisions of section 4-38d. As of October 1, 1989, all cash, notes, receivables, liabilities, appropriations, authorizations, allocations, and all other assets and properties of the Connecticut Product Development Corporation shall be transferred to Connecticut Innovations, Incorporated. Such transfer shall not affect the validity, enforceability or binding nature of any contract or agreement for financial aid made by the Connecticut Product Development Corporation under the authorization of this chapter prior to October 1, 1989.

(h) The corporation shall provide funding for the operation of the Connecticut Small Business Innovation Research Office in accordance with subdivision (18) of subsection (a) of section 32-39g.

(1972, P.A. 248, S. 4; P.A. 74-273, S. 1, 2; P.A. 77-614, S. 288, 610; P.A. 79-560, S. 38, 39; P.A. 82-58, S. 1, 2; P.A. 88-225, S. 9, 14; 88-266, S. 14, 46; P.A. 89-245, S. 9; June Sp. Sess. P.A. 93-1, S. 42, 45; P.A. 95-249, S. 3, 4; 95-250, S. 1; P.A. 96-211, S. 1, 5, 6; June Sp. Sess. P.A. 09-3, S. 79; Sept. Sp. Sess. P.A. 09-7, S. 111; P.A. 11-48, S. 124, 285; June 12 Sp. Sess. P.A. 12-1, S. 151; P.A. 13-247, S. 239; P.A. 16-15, S. 41; May Sp. Sess. P.A. 16-3, S. 12.)

History: P.A. 74-273 revised appointment provisions in Subsec. (b), deleting now obsolete provision re initial appointments and making provision re successors' appointments generally applicable and added Subsec. (e) re status of corporation; P.A. 77-614 replaced department of commerce with department of economic development in Subsec. (e) and made corporation subject to department “for administrative purposes” rather than “for fiscal and budgetary purposes”, effective January 1, 1979; P.A. 79-560 increased number of directors from six to seven, specified that additional member be knowledgeable, experienced, etc. and replaced previous provision calling for six-year appointments made in even-numbered years with provision making directors' terms coterminous with governor's term; P.A. 82-58 added provisions re commissioner of economic development's service as a board member; P.A. 88-225 inserted new Subsec. (e) re when a financial interest and membership on board of directors of corporation do not constitute a conflict of interest and relettered former Subsec. (e) as Subsec. (f); P.A. 88-266 amended Subsec. (a) to specify that corporation is a body “politic” and is a public instrumentality and political subdivision of the state where previously was considered “quasi-public”, adding reference to its governmental function and providing that corporation shall not be construed to be department, institution or agency of state, amended Subsec. (b) to require that board members' terms be staggered instead of coterminous with governor's term, amended Subsec. (c) to require board chairperson to be appointed by governor with advice and consent of general assembly instead of elected by board, and amended Subsec. (d) by adding provisions requiring adoption of written procedures; P.A. 89-245 renamed Connecticut Product Development Corporation as Connecticut Innovations, Incorporated, added four members to the board of directors and made certain changes to the qualifications of board members, required the commissioner of higher education and the secretary of the office of policy and management to serve as ex-officio board members, made certain technical changes, and added Subsec. (g) re transfer of powers, duties and personnel from Connecticut Product Development Corporation to Connecticut Innovations, Incorporated; June Sp. Sess. P.A. 93-1 amended Subsec. (c) to add four legislative appointments to the board of directors, to revise length of terms of gubernatorial appointees, to specify term length for legislative appointees and to clarify procedure for filling unexpired terms, effective July 1, 1993; P.A. 95-249 amended Subsec. (d)(5) to require board to adopt procedures for deadlines for approving or disapproving assistance applications, effective July 1, 1995; P.A. 95-250 and P.A. 96-211 replaced Commissioner and Department of Economic Development with Commissioner and Department of Economic and Community Development; June Sp. Sess. P.A. 09-3 added Subsec. (h) re funding for Connecticut Small Business Innovation Research Office, effective September 9, 2009; Sept. Sp. Sess. P.A. 09-7 amended Subsec. (h) to provide that office funding is for operation of the office in accordance with Sec. 32-39(41), effective October 5, 2009; P.A. 11-48 amended Subsec. (c) by replacing provision re chairperson of board appointed by Governor with advice and consent of both houses of General Assembly with provision re chairperson of board to be Commissioner of Economic and Community Development, effective July 1, 2011; pursuant to P.A. 11-48, “Commissioner of Higher Education” was changed editorially by the Revisors to “president of the Board of Regents for Higher Education” in Subsec. (b), effective July 1, 2011; June 12 Sp. Sess. P.A. 12-1 amended Subsec. (b) by increasing number of directors from 15 to 17, increasing number of members appointed by Governor from 8 to 9, replacing “technology and technological processes” with “start-up businesses”, adding provision re 3 members having knowledge of financial lending or development of commerce, trade and business, adding Treasurer as ex-officio member and making conforming changes, effective July 1, 2012; P.A. 13-247 amended Subsec. (c) by replacing provision re chairperson of board to be Commissioner of Economic and Community Development with provision re chairperson of board to be appointed by Governor from among board members, effective July 1, 2013; P.A. 16-15 amended Subsec. (b) by replacing “president of the Board of Regents for Higher Education” with “president of the Connecticut State Colleges and Universities”, effective July 1, 2016; May Sp. Sess. P.A. 16-3 amended Subsec. (h) by replacing reference to Sec. 32-39(41) with reference to Sec. 32-39g(a)(18), effective September 1, 2016.

Notation

Cited. 167 C. 111; 230 C. 24.