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HB 7165

AN ACT CONCERNING THE DEPARTMENT OF ECONOMIC AND COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT'S RECOMMENDATIONS FOR REVISIONS TO THE COMMERCE STATUTES.

2025 Regular Session

HB 7165 implements DECD recommendations to revise CT commerce laws, streamlining procurement, grants, construction wage rules, and support for small businesses and nonprofits.

FILE NO. 519
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Bill Summary · HB 7165

Summary — HB 7165

Title: AN ACT CONCERNING THE DEPARTMENT OF ECONOMIC AND COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT'S RECOMMENDATIONS FOR REVISIONS TO THE COMMERCE STATUTES
Bill No.: HB 7165 (File No. 519) — Introduced March 6, 2025

Purpose / Intent

HB 7165 is a package bill that implements a set of statutory changes recommended by the Connecticut Department of Economic and Community Development (DECD). The stated intent is to update and streamline Connecticut’s commerce-related statutes to improve state economic development programs, procurement and contracting practices, grant administration, workforce development, and supports for targeted providers (including nonprofit and disability service providers).

Key provisions (topics addressed)

The bill text is not included here; the bill summary is based on the bill title and subject indexing. Provisions likely included or targeted by the bill cover:

  • Procurement and bidding

    • Revisions to state bidding or contracting procedures, including subcontractor protections and contractor requirements.
    • Potential changes to vendor qualification, competitive bidding thresholds, or bid evaluation criteria.

  • Building construction & prevailing wages

    • Modifications to rules applicable to state-funded construction projects (contractor compliance, prevailing wage application, enforcement, and violations).

  • Grants and financial programs administered by DECD

    • Changes to eligibility, administration, or reporting for state economic development grants.
    • Possible adjustments to the Tourism Fund or how tourism-related grants are administered.

  • Support for small businesses and workforce development

    • New or revised programs to support small businesses, job training, and workforce initiatives (possibly aligning incentives, grants, or training programs).

  • Connecticut Innovations, Inc.

    • Statutory updates affecting Connecticut Innovations (state tech/venture investment entity), potentially governance, funding, or program scope.

  • Nonprofits and providers serving persons with intellectual/developmental disabilities

    • Provisions addressing grant or contracting rules for nonprofit providers that serve persons with intellectual or developmental disabilities.

  • Compliance, violations, and enforcement

    • Changes to penalties, reporting, or oversight for violations of commerce-related laws.

Because bill detail is not provided here, exact statutory language and specific changes (dollar amounts, exact standards, or new timelines) should be confirmed from the bill text and agency analyses.

Who would be affected

  • State agencies (primarily DECD and agencies administering construction, procurement, and workforce programs)
  • Contractors, subcontractors, and firms bidding on state projects
  • Small businesses seeking state grants or procurement opportunities
  • Connecticut Innovations, Inc. (governance or program impacts)
  • Nonprofit service providers, especially those serving persons with intellectual/developmental disabilities
  • Recipients of Tourism Fund or other DECD administered grant programs
  • Workers covered by prevailing wage laws

Procedural status & timeline

  • Introduced: March 6, 2025; referred to Joint Committee on Commerce.
  • Public hearing held: March 11, 2025.
  • Joint favorable substitute filed and reported out of committee (filed with LCO March 18, 2025).
  • Referred to Office of Legislative Research and Office of Fiscal Analysis (March 28, 2025).
  • Favorable report, tabled for House calendar (April 3, 2025); House Calendar No. 327; File No. 519.

Next steps / where to find more detail

To see exact statutory changes, consult:
- The bill text at the Connecticut General Assembly or LCO website (File No. 519 / HB 7165).
- Office of Fiscal Analysis (OFA) and Office of Legislative Research (OLR) reports for fiscal and policy analyses once posted.

Compiled from official sources — confirm details with the bill’s official record.

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