Limitation on the amount of financial assistance which may be awarded without specific approval by the General Assembly. Exception

(a) As used in this section: (1) “Agency” means the Department of Economic and Community Development or Connecticut Innovations, Incorporated. (2) “Financial assistance” means grants, loans, loan guarantees, contracts of insurance, investments, or combinations thereof, which are provided from the proceeds of bonds, notes or other obligations of the state or an agency which constitute a debt or liability of the state or which are secured by a special capital reserve fund payable from amounts appropriated or deemed appropriated from the General Fund. (3) “Applicant” means any eligible applicant seeking financial assistance from an agency for a business project. The term “applicant” shall not include any political subdivision of the state. (4) “Business project” means a business proposal undertaken by one or more applicants, but does not include housing unless undertaken in combination with another unrelated type of business. (5) “Biotechnology business project” means any commercial project to be used or occupied by any person to conduct laboratory activity relating to, or the research, development or manufacture of, biologically active molecules or devices that apply to, affect or analyze biological processes. (b) (1) No agency or agencies may award more than a total of ten million dollars of financial assistance during any two-year period to an applicant or for a business project unless such financial assistance is specifically authorized by an act of the General Assembly which has been enacted before, on or after July 1, 1994. (2) The provisions of subdivision (1) of this subsection shall not apply to any awards funded or to be funded by bonds authorized to be issued by the State Bond Commission before July 1, 1994. (c) Notwithstanding the provisions of subsection (b) of this section, no agency or agencies may award more than twenty million dollars of financial assistance for a biotechnology business project during any two-year period unless such financial assistance is specifically authorized by an act of the General Assembly which has been enacted before, on or after July 1, 2001.