Budget & Taxes

HB 5247 establishes a test bed technologies program to help state agencies evaluate cost-saving technologies through temporary pilot programs. The bill creates an advisory board (with members appointed by the Governor, agency heads, and a nonprofit leader) to review technology proposals, ensuring they are safe, commercially viable, and not developed by businesses already eligible for other state programs. State agencies can run 30-60 day pilot tests using approved technologies, but applicants (technology providers) must cover all costs, provide independent market assessments, and maintain records. The program requires a 2030 report on pilot effectiveness to the legislature, with no mention of changes to the JobsCT tax rebate program in the provided text.

This bill establishes the "Federal Cuts Response Fund" to help the state address reductions in federal funding for state programs. It transfers $330,811,954 from the state's Budget Reserve Fund into this new fund, which can be used by the Office of Policy and Management to respond to federal policy changes (like P.L. 119-21) that reduce funding for state programs. Unspent funds can carry over to the next fiscal year, but the state legislature must be notified of all spending or transfers and has 24 hours to disapprove any action. Any remaining balance in the fund must be returned to the Budget Reserve Fund by June 30, 2027, ending the fund's operation.