SB 948 Summary

• Authorizes the Office of Higher Education and state university system constituent units to establish guidelines encouraging institutions to implement programs that reduce textbook and educational resource costs for students, effective January 1, 2018.

• Exempts qualified contracts, revenue contracts, and nonmonetary contracts entered into by higher education chief executive officers from competitive bidding requirements under state procurement law, effective July 1, 2017.

• Requires the University of Connecticut Board of Trustees and Board of Regents for Higher Education to adopt and post policies governing qualified contracts on their websites, with annual reporting to legislative committees on policies and contracts executed.

• Exempts higher education qualified, revenue, and nonmonetary contracts from certain state ethics law requirements related to gifts and certifications, but requires these contracts to either include full nondiscrimination provisions or an affirmation of compliance with Connecticut nondiscrimination statutes.

• Exempts higher education large state construction or procurement contracts from ethics law summary requirements if they contain a provision requiring compliance with Connecticut's code of ethics.