Section 32-NEW - [Newly enacted section not yet numbered] [Effective 7/1/2025] Youth sports grant program to provide grants to distressed municipalities(a) As used in this section, (1) "eligible organization" means a nonprofit youth sports organization that provides sports programs and sports activities primarily for children and young adults under eighteen years of age residing in a distressed municipality, and (2) "distressed municipality" has the same meaning as provided in section 32-9p of the general statutes.(b)(1) There is established a youth sports grant program to provide grants to distressed municipalities for the support of eligible organizations in such municipalities. Such grants shall be disbursed by a distressed municipality to be used by eligible organizations for the expenses of operating sports programs and sports activities in such municipality, including, but not limited to, personnel, equipment, insurance, permits, training and facility fees, renovation of sports facilities and refurbishment of playing fields and to help defray or eliminate participant registration fees.(2) Priority for grants under the program shall be given to sports programs and sports activities that (A) provide adaptive sports for children and young adults with disabilities, or (B) seek to foster improved outcomes in (i) mental health through social and emotional skills development, (ii) educational achievements through increased attendance and attainment, or (iii) community cohesion by strengthening cooperation, teamwork and leadership.(3) Commencing with the fiscal year ending June 30, 2027, and annually thereafter, the Secretary of the Office of Policy and Management shall notify the chief elected official of each distressed municipality of the application period for grants under the program to be awarded in such fiscal year. Any such official may apply to the Secretary of the Office of Policy and Management for a grant, provided a new application shall be required each year such official wishes to apply. The application shall be in such form and manner as prescribed by the secretary and shall include information sufficient to allow the secretary to consider the priority criteria set forth in subdivision (2) of this subsection.(4) Each distressed municipality that is awarded a grant under this section shall, at the close of the fiscal year during which such grant was awarded, submit to the secretary a summary of each eligible organization to which program funds were disbursed and a description of the sports program or sports activity and related expenses for which such funds were used.(c) Not later than January 1, 2029, and biennially thereafter, the Secretary of the Office of Policy and Management shall submit a report, in accordance with the provisions of section 11-4a of the general statutes, to the joint standing committees of the General Assembly having cognizance of matters relating to children, education and finance, revenue and bonding, on the youth sports grant program for the preceding two fiscal years. The report shall include, but need not be limited to, for each fiscal year, (1) the amounts deposited in the youth sports grant account pursuant to subsection (a) of section 12-867 of the general statutes, (2) the municipalities that applied for a grant, the municipalities that were awarded a grant and the total amount of grants awarded, and (3) the summaries provided to the secretary under subdivision (4) of subsection (b) of this section.(d) There is established an account to be known as the "youth sports grant account" which shall be a separate, nonlapsing account within the General Fund. The account shall contain any moneys required by law to be deposited in the account and may accept gifts, grants and donations from public or private sources. Moneys in the account shall be expended by the Secretary of the Office of Policy and Management for the purposes of providing grants to distressed municipalities in accordance with the provisions of this section.Conn. Gen. Stat. § 32-NEW
Added by P.A. 24-0151,S. 110 of the Connecticut Acts of the 2024 Regular Session, eff. 7/1/2025.