As used in sections 32-325 to 32-330, inclusive, 32-23ww and 32-23xx:

(1) “Act” means the Regional Economic Development Act.

(2) “Agency” means any regional economic development commission formed under sections 7-136 and 7-137, other regional development commission or corporation formed under any other provision of the general statutes or any special act, or any regional council of governments organized under sections 4-124i to 4-124p, inclusive, except that for purposes of financial assistance for greenways projects, “agency” means a municipality or other organizations.

(3) “Commissioner” means the Commissioner of Economic and Community Development.

(4) “Eligible project” means (A) a public or private improvement or acquisition which, in the sole judgment of the commissioner, will significantly enhance economic diversification, stability, growth or scientific knowledge in the region where the project is to be located, and includes a “business development project” as defined in subsection (a) of section 32-222 or greenways projects or (B) an application for a grant under section 32-23ww or 32-23xx. (i) In determining eligibility with regard to an application submitted for an eligible project under subparagraph (A) of this subdivision before June 21, 1994, the commissioner shall also evaluate the project in accordance with a one-hundred-point scale as follows: Fifteen points based on such criteria as the commissioner may from time to time establish, fifteen points for projects located in targeted investment communities, up to twenty-five points for projects in regions where fifty per cent or more of the member municipalities within any planning region participate and fifteen points for every two thousand manufacturing jobs that the region has lost or, in the judgment of the commissioner, is scheduled to lose between July 1, 1989, and July 1, 1996, up to a total of forty-five points. (ii) In determining eligibility with regard to an application submitted for any eligible project under this subdivision on or after June 21, 1994, the commissioner shall also evaluate the project in accordance with a one-hundred-point scale as follows: Fifteen points based on such criteria as the commissioner may from time to time establish, fifteen points for projects located in targeted investment communities, up to twenty-five points for projects in regions where fifty per cent or more of the member municipalities within any planning region participate and fifteen points for every two thousand manufacturing jobs that the region has lost or, in the judgment of the commissioner, is scheduled to lose between July 1, 1989, and July 1, 1996, up to a total of twenty-five points, and ten points if the project consists of an application for a grant under section 32-23ww or 32-23xx, up to a total of twenty points.

(5) “Manufacturing jobs” means jobs at a business that is located, in whole or in part, in Connecticut and that has a North American Industrial Classification code of 311111 through 339999; a business engaged in research and development directly related to manufacturing; a business engaged in the significant servicing, overhauling or rebuilding of machinery and equipment for industrial use; or any establishment or auxiliary or operating unit thereof, as defined in the North American Industrial Classification Manual, which the commissioner determines will materially contribute to the economy of the state by creating or retaining jobs, exporting products or services beyond the state's boundaries, encouraging innovation in products or services, adding value to products or services, or otherwise supporting or enhancing existing activities that are important to the economy of the state.

(6) “Eligible project cost” means the total cost in dollars of an eligible project.

(7) “Financial assistance” means grants, extensions of credit, loans, other investments, or guarantees of any of the foregoing, or any combination thereof, or any guaranty of any pool of such loans determined by the commissioner to be necessary or appropriate to establish or maintain a secondary market for such loans.

(8) “Regional economic development plan” means a plan prepared by an agency that identifies, and which may rank, in order of priority, eligible projects for which the agency intends to apply for financial assistance under section 32-325, and includes an economic development plan developed as contemplated by section 32-7.

(9) “Planning region” means any planning region of the state recognized by the commissioner and established in connection with the development of any regional economic development plan.

(P.A. 93-382, S. 25, 69; May Sp. Sess. P.A. 94-2, S. 191, 203; P.A. 95-250, S. 1; 95-335, S. 6, 26; P.A. 96-211, S. 1, 5, 6; P.A. 09-234, S. 4; P.A. 13-247, S. 310.)

History: P.A. 93-382 effective July 1, 1993; May Sp. Sess. P.A. 94-2 applied definitions to Secs. 32-23ww and 32-23xx, amended Subdiv. (4) by including applications for grants under Sec. 32-23ww or 32-23xx in definition of “eligible project”, applying existing point scale to project applications submitted under Subpara. (A) before June 21, 1994, and adding Subclause (ii) re point scale for project applications submitted on or after said date, repealed former Subdiv. (6) re definition of “military installation jobs”, and renumbered remaining Subdivs. accordingly, effective June 21, 1994; 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; P.A. 95-335 amended Subdiv. (2) to include reference to greenways projects and to include municipalities in definition of “agency” and amended Subdiv. (4) to include reference to greenways projects, effective July 1, 1995; P.A. 09-234 redefined “manufacturing jobs” in Subdiv. (5), effective July 9, 2009; P.A. 13-247 amended Subdiv. (2) to redefine “agency” by deleting references to any regional planning agency or any regional council of elected officials and making conforming changes, effective January 1, 2015.

Subdiv. (4):

Funds would clearly be available to plaintiffs under Regional Economic Development Act, as long as plaintiff applied for the grant. 272 C. 14.