(a)(1) The Commissioner of Economic and Community Development shall, within available resources, establish a workforce development program to provide grants to nonprofit organizations that employ individuals with intellectual disability, as defined in section 1-1g. Such grants shall be awarded for infrastructure expenditures, start-up costs or expansion costs.

1. (2) Any nonprofit organization that employs, at the time of application, a workforce of which not less than ten per cent consists of individuals with intellectual disability, as defined in section 1-1g, may apply for a grant under the program.

2. (3) Grants awarded pursuant to this section shall not exceed:

   1. (A) Twenty-five thousand dollars per nonprofit organization employing a workforce of which between ten and thirty per cent, inclusive, consists of individuals with intellectual disability; and
   2. (B) Seventy-five thousand dollars per nonprofit organization employing a workforce of which more than thirty per cent consists of individuals with intellectual disability.
   3. (b) The Department of Economic and Community Development may enter into an agreement, pursuant to chapter 55a, with a person, firm, corporation or other entity to operate the program established pursuant to this section.
   4. (c) The commissioner shall prescribe the form and manner of the application and such application procedure shall include a competitive award process.

(P.A. 23-137, S. 63.)

History: P.A. 23-137 effective July 1, 2023.