Connecticut SB 417: AN ACT REQUIRING THE DEPARTMENT OF ECONOMIC AND COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT TO DEVELOP A PLAN TO ESTABLISH AN ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE SMALL BUSINESS PROGRAM.

Bill Text

Senate Bill No. 417 
 
Special Act No. 26-23 
 
 
AN  ACT  REQUIRING  THE  DEPARTMENT  OF  ECONOMIC  AND 
COMMUNITY    DEVELOPMENT    TO    DEVELOP    A    PLAN    TO 
ESTABLISH  AN  ARTIFICIAL  INTELLIGENCE  SMALL  BUSINESS 
PROGRAM. 
Be  it  enacted  by  the  Senate  and House  of  Representatives  in  General 
Assembly convened: 
 
Section  1.  (Effective from  passage)  (a)  As  used  in  this  section,  (1) 
"artificial  intelligence"  means  a  machine-based  system  that  makes 
predictions,  recommendations  or  decisions  influencing  real  or  virtual 
environments, (2) "artificial intelligence technology" means a computer 
system,  application  or  other  product  that  uses  or  incorporates  one  or 
more forms of artificial intelligence, and (3) "financial assistance" means 
any   and   all   forms   of   grants,   extensions   of   credit,   loans   or   loan 
guarantees, equity investments or other forms of financing. 
(b)  The  Department  of  Economic  and  Community  Development,  in 
consultation  with  other  relevant  state  agencies,  public  institutions  of 
higher  education  or  any  other  public  entity  that  the  Department  of 
Economic   and   Community   Development   deems   necessary,   shall 
develop  a  plan  to  establish  an  artificial  intelligence  small  business 
program for the purpose of (1) providing financial assistance to eligible 
small  businesses  to  adopt  and  deploy  artificial  intelligence  to  achieve 
improvements  in  productivity  and  the  quality  of  any  products  or 

Senate Bill No. 417 
 
Special Act No. 26-23 2 of 2 
 
services   offered   by   such   small   businesses,   and   (2)   establishing   a 
competitive  small  business  environment  for  the  development  and 
deployment   of   artificial   intelligence   technologies.   Such   plan   shall 
include, but need not be limited to, eligibility criteria and an application 
process  with  guidelines  and  terms  for  financial  assistance  for  the 
program,  and  a  requirement  that,  as  a  condition  of  receiving  financial 
assistance, any applicant train such applicant's employees to work with 
artificial intelligence and prepare any such employees, whose jobs may 
be displaced as a result of the adoption of artificial intelligence, for new 
roles with the applicant. 
(c) Not later than January 1, 2027, the Department of Economic and 
Community  Development  shall  report  on  such  plan,  including  any 
recommendations  for  legislative  action  required  to  implement  such 
plan, in accordance with the provisions of section 11-4a of the general 
statutes,  to  the  joint  standing  committee  of  the  General  Assembly 
having cognizance of matters relating to commerce. 
 
 
 
Governor's Action: 
Approved June 2, 2026