HB05467 • 2026

AN ACT CONCERNING THE DESIGNATION OF A DEPARTMENT OF ECONOMIC AND COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT EMPLOYEE FOR THE PURPOSE OF PROVIDING CONCIERGE SERVICES TO SMALL BUSINESSES.

Labor Small Business

Passed Legislature

This bill passed both chambers and reached final enrollment, even if later executive action is not shown here.

Sponsor: Commerce Committee
Last action: 2026-06-02
Official status: Signed by the Governor
Effective date: Not listed

Plain English Breakdown

The bill amends an existing statute (Section 32-9n), meaning some functions of the Office of Small Business Affairs may have existed prior to this change.

Designating an Employee for Small Business Concierge Services

This law requires a state official to assign an existing employee to help small businesses by providing information and guidance on government programs.

What This Bill Does

Establishes the Office of Small Business Affairs within the Department of Economic and Community Development.
Requires this office to aid and encourage small business enterprises, especially those owned by minorities or disadvantaged individuals.
Directs the Commissioner to designate an existing employee responsible for providing concierge services to small businesses.
Defines concierge services as including information and assistance about economic or community development projects run by the department.
Requires the office to act as a single contact point for small businesses seeking financial and technical help from state agencies.
Orders the creation of an informational web page listing all available resources, which must be updated at least every three months within available funding.

Who It Names or Affects

Small business owners in Connecticut
The Department of Economic and Community Development
Employees designated to provide concierge services

Terms To Know

Concierge services: Help that includes giving information and guidance about government projects or programs.
Office of Small Business Affairs: A new office inside the state department dedicated to helping small businesses, especially those owned by minorities or disadvantaged individuals.

Limits and Unknowns

The web page must be created and updated only within available funding.
The law does not specify a specific budget amount for these services.

Bill History

2026-06-02 Connecticut General Assembly
Signed by the Governor
2026-05-28 Connecticut General Assembly
Transmitted to the Secretary of State
2026-05-28 Connecticut General Assembly
Transmitted by Secretary of the State to Governor
2026-05-20 LCO
Public Act 26-135
2026-05-06 Connecticut General Assembly
Senate Adopted House Amendment Schedule A
2026-05-06 Connecticut General Assembly
Senate Passed as Amended by House Amendment Schedule A
2026-05-06 Connecticut General Assembly
On Consent Calendar / In Concurrence
2026-04-27 Connecticut General Assembly
Favorable Report, Tabled for the Calendar, Senate
2026-04-27 Connecticut General Assembly
Senate Calendar Number 457
2026-04-27 LCO
File Number 723
2026-04-23 Connecticut General Assembly
House Adopted House Amendment Schedule A 4416
2026-04-23 Connecticut General Assembly
House Passed as Amended by House Amendment Schedule A
2026-04-01 LCO
Reported Out of Legislative Commissioners' Office
2026-04-01 Connecticut General Assembly
Favorable Report, Tabled for the Calendar, House
2026-04-01 Connecticut General Assembly
House Calendar Number 249
2026-04-01 LCO
File Number 332
2026-03-26 LCO
Referred to Office of Legislative Research and Office of Fiscal Analysis 03/31/26 5:00 PM
2026-03-17 CE
Joint Favorable Substitute
2026-03-17 LCO
Filed with Legislative Commissioners' Office
2026-03-06 Connecticut General Assembly
Public Hearing 03/10
2026-03-05 Connecticut General Assembly
Referred to Joint Committee on Commerce

Official Summary Text

To require the Commissioner of Economic and Community Development to designate an employee of the Office of Small Business Affairs to be responsible for providing concierge services to small businesses in the state.

Current Bill Text

Read the full stored bill text

Substitute House Bill No. 5467

Public Act No. 26-135

AN ACT CONCERNING THE DESIGNATION OF A DEPARTMENT OF
ECONOMIC AND COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT EMPLOYEE FOR
THE PURPOSE OF PROVIDING CONCIERGE SERVICES TO SMALL
BUSINESSES.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in General
Assembly convened:

Section 1. Section 32 -9n of the general statutes is repealed and the
following is substituted in lieu thereof (Effective October 1, 2026):
(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
Substitute House Bill No. 5467

Public Act No. 26-135 2 of 3

participation or community identification.
(b) Said Office of Small Business Affairs shall: (1) Administer at least
one regional office of the small business development center program
within the Department of Economic and Community Development; (2)
coordinate, with the director of the small business d evelopment center
program, the flow of information within the technical and management
assistance program within the Department of Economic and
Community Development; (3) encourage Connecticut Innovations,
Incorporated to grant loans to small businesse s, 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 aff airs; (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; (6) provide a single point of contact for
small businesses seeking fin ancial and technical assistance from the
state and quasi-public agencies; (7) coordinate all state funded revolving
loan funds used to assist small businesses; and (8) establish, in
cooperation with the Commissioner of Economic and Community
Development, a nd within available appropriations, an informational
web page with a list and links to all small business resources available
and post them in a conspicuous place on the department's web site. The
office shall update this information on its web site on at least a quarterly
basis.
(c) The Commissioner of Economic and Community Development
shall designate an existing employee of the Department of Economic
and Community Development to be responsible for providing concierge
services to small businesses in the state. For purposes of this subsection,
"concierge services" includes, but is not be limited to, providing
information and assistance relating to economic or community
Substitute House Bill No. 5467

Public Act No. 26-135 3 of 3

development projects or programs administered by the department.
[(c)] (d) On or after February 1, 2011, the Office of Small Business
Affairs shall compile a summary of all small business activities and
programs available and incorporate such summary into the report
required pursuant to section 32-1m.