1. (a) A private career school which is authorized by the commissioner pursuant to sections 10a-22a to 10a-22o, inclusive, and sections 10a-22u to 10a-22w, inclusive, may request authorization to establish and operate additional classroom sites or branch schools, or to offer existing or new programs through a distance learning program, as defined in section 10a-22h, for the purpose of offering the occupational instruction authorized by the commissioner, provided the additional classroom site or branch school complies with the provisions of subsection (b) of this section. Such school shall make such request for authorization to operate an additional classroom site or branch school or to offer existing or new programs through a distance learning program, in the manner and on such forms as prescribed by the commissioner, at least sixty days prior to the proposed establishment of such additional classroom site or branch school or such distance learning program.
2. (b) The buildings and premises for such additional classroom site or branch school shall meet all applicable state and local fire and zoning requirements, and certificates attesting the same signed by the local fire marshal and zoning enforcement officer shall be filed with the commissioner prior to offering such occupational instruction. The additional classroom site or branch school shall be in compliance with the relevant requirements set forth in subsection (g) of section 10a-22b, or on and after the effective date of the regulations adopted pursuant to section 10a-22k, the requirements set forth in such regulations.
3. (c) The commissioner, or the commissioner's designee, not later than thirty days after the proposed date for establishment of a branch school, may issue an order prohibiting any such establishment of a branch school if it would constitute a material or substantial deviation from the conditions of authorization or if the private career school fails to meet the requirements set forth in subsection (b) of this section.
4. (d) If the commissioner, or the commissioner's designee, fails to take action upon the request for revision by the thirtieth day after the proposed date for establishment of such additional classroom site or branch school or such distance learning program, such request shall be deemed approved.

(P.A. 79-380, S. 8; P.A. 83-501, S. 6, 12; P.A. 91-295, S. 3, 7; P.A. 93-294, S. 7, 17; P.A. 06-150, S. 7; P.A. 09-99, S. 6; P.A. 12-156, S. 27; P.A. 16-155, S. 5; P.A. 22-123, S. 17; P.A. 24-81, S. 143.)

History: P.A. 83-501 amended Subsec. (a) requiring evaluation of branch or extension school pursuant to Subsec. (e) of Sec. 10-7b and requiring payment of $50 nonrefundable fee; P.A. 91-295 in Subsec. (a) increased the fee from $50 to $100; P.A. 93-294 made changes necessitated by the transfer of authority for the authorization of the schools from the department of education to the department of higher education and made technical changes, effective July 1, 1993; Sec. 10-7h transferred to Sec. 10a-22g in 1995; P.A. 06-150 amended Subsec. (a) to permit schools to request authorization to establish and operate additional classroom sites, require that additional classroom sites and branch schools comply with provisions of Subsec. (b), require request for authorization to be made at least 30 days prior to proposed establishment of additional classroom site or branch school and designate part of subsection as new Subsec. (b), amended said Subsec. (b) to make provisions applicable to additional classroom site and branch school, delete provisions requiring that notice of extension or branch operation and course or program of instruction offered be filed with commissioner, increase amount of annual fee from $100 to $200 to be paid into the private occupational school student protection account, redesignated existing Subsec. (b) as Subsec. (c) and amended subsection to permit commissioner or commissioner's designee to issue order prohibiting establishment of branch school not later than 30 days after proposed date for establishment of branch school and to add failure of school to meet requirements of Subsec. (b) as reason for issuing order, added Subsec. (d) re approval of request upon failure of commissioner or commissioner's designee to act on request by thirtieth day after proposed date for establishment of additional classroom site or branch school, and made technical and conforming changes throughout section; P.A. 09-99 amended Subsec. (b) by making a conforming change and deleting requirement re fee paid annually to student protection account, effective July 1, 2009; P.A. 12-156 replaced references to commissioner with references to executive director, effective June 15, 2012; P.A. 16-155 amended Subsec. (a) by replacing “thirty” with “sixty” in provision re request for authorization to operate additional classroom site or branch school, effective July 1, 2016; P.A. 22-123 amended Subsecs. (a) and (c) to change “private occupational school” to “private career school”, amended Subsecs. (a) and (d) to add references to distance learning programs and amended Subsec. (b) to allow requirements to be set forth in regulations, effective July 1, 2022; P.A. 24-81 replaced references to executive director of the Office of Higher Education with Commissioner of Higher Education, effective May 30, 2024.