SB 105 Summary

• Establishes an Office of Higher Education as an independent agency with an executive director appointed by the governor to administer higher education programs and approve degree-granting institutions.

• Changes terminology from "private occupational school" to "private career school" throughout Connecticut statutes and updates authorization procedures for these schools and institutions of higher education.

• Creates financial screening requirements for independent institutions of higher education to identify those at risk of imminent closure, with the Office of Higher Education entering into memoranda of understanding with accrediting agencies to conduct annual financial screenings.

• Extends the deadline for institutions of higher education to conduct sexual misconduct climate assessments from March 1, 2023, to March 1, 2024, and requires assessments every two years thereafter using data points developed by the Council on Sexual Misconduct Climate Assessments.

• Creates a credential database by January 1, 2023, to explain skills and competencies earned through credentials offered in Connecticut using uniform terms and plain language, with annual submissions required from educational providers.