State Codes and Statutes

Statutes > Connecticut > Title32 > Chap578 > Sec32-9n

      Sec. 32-9n. Office of Small Business Affairs. (a) There is established within the Department of Economic and Community Development an Office of Small Business Affairs. Such office shall aid and encourage small business enterprises, particularly those owned and operated by minorities and other socially or economically disadvantaged individuals in Connecticut. As used in this section, minority means: (1) Black Americans, including all persons having origins in any of the Black African racial groups not of Hispanic origin; (2) Hispanic Americans, including all persons of Mexican, Puerto Rican, Cuban, Central or South American, or other Spanish culture or origin, regardless of race; (3) all persons having origins in the Iberian Peninsula, including Portugal, regardless of race; (4) women; (5) Asian Pacific Americans and Pacific islanders; or (6) American Indians and persons having origins in any of the original peoples of North America and maintaining identifiable tribal affiliations through membership and participation or community identification.

      (b) Said Office of Small Business Affairs shall: (1) Administer the small business development center program run by the Department of Economic and Community Development; (2) coordinate the flow of information within the technical and management assistance program run by the Department of Economic and Community Development; (3) encourage the Connecticut Development Authority to grant loans to small businesses, particularly those owned and operated by minorities and other socially or economically disadvantaged individuals; (4) coordinate and serve as a liaison between all federal, state, regional and municipal agencies and programs affecting small business affairs; and (5) administer any business management training program established under section 32-352 or section 32-355 as the Commissioner of Economic and Community Development may determine.

      (P.A. 77-508, S. 1, 2; 77-614, S. 284, 587, 610; P.A. 78-303, S. 85, 136; P.A. 82-358, S. 4, 10; P.A. 87-577, S. 2; P.A. 94-152, S. 2, 3; P.A. 95-250, S. 1; P.A. 96-211, S. 1, 5, 6; P.A. 99-208, S. 7; 99-233, S. 3, 7.)

      History: P.A. 77-614 and P.A. 78-303 replaced department of commerce with department of economic development, effective January 1, 1979; P.A. 82-358 defined minority in Subsec. (a) and added reference to specific inclusion of minority business enterprises in set-aside program in Subsec. (b); P.A. 87-577 amended Subsec. (a)(2) by adding all persons having origins in the Iberian Peninsula, including Portugal; P.A. 94-152 transferred "all persons having origins in the Iberian Peninsula, including Portugal" from Subdiv. (2) to new Subdiv. (3) and renumbered former Subdivs. (3), (4) and (5) accordingly, effective July 1, 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. 99-208 added Subsec. (b)(6) re business management training programs; P.A. 99-233 deleted Subsec. (b)(1) re authority to administer the set-aside program and renumbering the remaining Subdivs. accordingly, effective June 29, 1999.