Sec. 4-67r. Connecticut Progress Council. Development of long-range vision. Benchmarks. Report on use of benchmarks in budgeting.
               	 		
      Sec. 4-67r. Connecticut Progress Council. Development of long-range vision. 
Benchmarks. Report on use of benchmarks in budgeting. (a) There is created a 
Connecticut Progress Council. The council shall consist of the following members: 
The Lieutenant Governor, the Secretary of the Office of Policy and Management, the 
Commissioners of Social Services, Transportation, Education and Economic and Community Development; the president pro tempore of the Senate, the speaker of the House 
of Representatives, the minority leader of the Senate, the minority leader of the House 
of Representatives, the majority leader of the Senate and the majority leader of the House 
of Representatives, or their designees; the chairpersons and ranking members of the 
joint standing committee of the General Assembly having cognizance of matters relating 
to planning and development; a representative of a nonprofit municipal research organization, a representative of a state-sponsored economic advisory body, a representative 
of a major labor organization, a representative of a manufacturing concern, a representative of a service-related business and a representative of a financial service company, 
one appointed by the president pro tempore of the Senate, one by the speaker of the 
House of Representatives, one by the majority leader of the Senate, one by the majority 
leader of the House of Representatives, one by the minority leader of the Senate and 
one by the minority leader of the House of Representatives and six members appointed 
by the Governor, one representing medical services, one a major public or private university, one a major nonprofit organization, one a state employees' bargaining unit, one an 
environmental organization and one a business research organization. The first meeting 
of the council shall be called on or before November 1, 1993, by the Secretary of the 
Office of Policy and Management. The council shall elect a chairman from its members 
at the first meeting.
      (b) The council shall develop a long-range vision for the state and define benchmarks to measure progress to achieve the vision. The vision shall address areas of state 
concern, including, but not limited to, the areas of economic development, human resources and services, education, health, criminal justice, energy resources, transportation, housing, environmental quality, water supply, food production and natural and 
cultural resources. In developing the vision the council shall conduct public hearings, 
public meetings and workshops to insure the participation of a broad cross-section of 
the state's population. A public hearing shall be held on the vision and proposed benchmarks. The council may establish advisory committees to assist it in accomplishing its 
duties under this section. Membership on any advisory committee may include persons 
who are not members of the council.
      (c) Upon request of the council, a state department or nonpartisan legislative office 
shall provide the necessary personnel and resources to assist the council in performing 
its tasks in accordance with this section.
      (d) On or before February 1, 1994, the council shall submit a report to the General 
Assembly which describes its activities and makes recommendations concerning the 
vision and benchmarks.
      (e) On or before July 1, 1994, and biennially thereafter, the council shall submit 
the benchmarks to the Secretary of the Office of Policy and Management and the General 
Assembly for use in developing and reviewing the budget.
      (f) On or before February 1, 1996, the Secretary of the Office of Policy and Management shall submit a report to the joint standing committees of the General Assembly 
having cognizance of matters relating to planning and development and the appropriations and budgets of state agencies and to the council which recommends a plan for the 
use of benchmarks in developing the budget for the biennium beginning July 1, 1997, 
and for each biennium thereafter.
      (P.A. 93-262, S. 1, 87; 93-387, S. 1, 3; 93-435, S. 59, 95; P.A. 95-232, S. 1, 2; 95-250, S. 1; P.A. 96-211, S. 1, 5.)
      History: P.A. 93-387 effective June 30, 1993; (Revisor's note: P.A. 93-262 and P.A. 93-435 authorized substitution of 
"commissioner of social services" for "commissioner of income maintenance" in public and special acts of the 1993 regular 
and special sessions, effective July 1, 1993); P.A. 95-232 added Subsec. (f) requiring Secretary of the Office of Policy and 
Management to submit a report to the appropriations committee recommending a plan for the use of benchmarks in 
developing the budget, effective July 6, 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.