Definitions

As used in Sections 46a-68j-21 to 46a-68j-43 inclusive: (1) "Affirmative action" means positive action, undertaken with conviction and effort, to overcome the present effects of past discriminatory practices, to achieve the full and fair participation of women and minorities in contract and employment opportunity, and to assure that qualified minority business enterprises enter the economic mainstream of this state's economy. Additionally, "affirmative action" shall mean the responsibility of contractors to develop and implement strategies to achieve equality of contracting and employment opportunity as required by Sections 46a-68c and 46a-68d of the Connecticut General Statutes, as amended by Sections 3 and 4, respectively, of Public Act 89-253; (2) "Agency" means the state or any political subdivision of the state other than a municipality; (3) "Awarding agency" means an agency which has awarded or granted a contract subject to Section 4a-60 of the Connecticut General Statutes, as amended by Section 2 of Public Act 89-253; (4) "Commission" means the commission on human rights and opportunities created by Section 46a-52 of the Connecticut General Statutes as amended by Section 1 of Public Act 89-332; (5) "Contract" means any agreement, written or otherwise, between any person and an awarding agency for goods or services; (6) "Contract compliance requirements" or "contract compliance statutes" means, if the awarding agency is the state, both Sections 4a-60, as amended by Section 2 of Public Act 89-253, and 46a-71(d) of the Connecticut General Statutes; and, if the awarding agency is a political subdivision of the state other than a municipality, but not the state, only Section 4a-60 of the Connecticut General Statutes, as amended by Section 2 of Public Act 89-253; (7) "Contractor" means a party to a contract with an awarding agency, and includes a contractor's agents, successors, assigns or any other present or future enterprise sharing one or more of the following characteristics with the contractor: (a) interlocking directorships; (b) interrelation of operations (c) common management; (d) common control of labor relations, (e) common ownership of stock, equipment or materials; (f) common financial control of operations; or (g) any other factor evidencing such intermingling of affairs that it is unjust to recognize the separate existence of otherwise nominally independent entities. In addition to the foregoing, the word "contractor" shall include a subcontractor if the awarding agency is the state or if the contract is for a public works project; (8) "Discriminatory practice" means the violation of law referred to in Section 46a-51(8) of the Connecticut General Statutes; (9) "Good faith" means that degree of diligence which a reasonable person would exercise in the performance of legal duties and obligations; (10) "Good faith efforts" means, but is not limited to, those reasonable initial efforts necessary to comply with statutory or regulatory requirements and additional or substituted efforts when it is determined that such initial efforts will not be sufficient to comply with such requirements; (11) "Minority business enterprise" means a business meeting the criteria set forth in Section 4a-60 of the Connecticut General Statutes, as amended by Section 2 of Public Act 89-253; (12) "Party" means a person having a legal or property interest in a contract; (13) "Person" means one or more individuals, partnerships, associations, corporations, legal representatives, trustees, trustees in bankruptcy, receivers and the state and all political subdivisions and agencies thereof; (14) "Political subdivision of the state" means a body politic and corporate or other public instrumentality exercising some portion of the sovereign power of the State of Connecticut; (15) "Protected group" means those classes or groups of persons specified in and protected by either applicable state or federal antidiscrimination laws, except that, for affirmative action purposes, the limitations set forth in Section 46a-61 of the Connecticut General Statutes shall apply; (16) "Public works contract" or "public works project" means a contract for public works as defined in Section 46a-68b of the Connecticut General Statutes as amended by Section 1 of Public Act 89-253; (17) "Reasonable technical assistance and training" means, but is not limited to, the extension of the following kinds of support services by a contractor to a minority business enterprise: providing assistance in bidding and estimating costs of projects, goods or services; providing assistance in the selection, organization and scheduling of suitable projects, goods or services; providing equipment or skilled personnel, under the direction and control of the minority business enterprise, to allow such enterprise either to bid on or complete a project or to obtain or supply goods or services; or any advice, assistance or training of a similar character designed to allow the minority business enterprise to enter into or fulfill contractual obligations; (18) "State" means the state of Connecticut including each agency, department, board, commission or council thereof but not any political subdivision of the state or a municipality; (19) "Subcontract" means any agreement subordinate to another contract, written or otherwise, between a party to the original contract and one who is not a party to that contract; (20) "Subcontractor" means a party to a subcontract with a contractor who has agreed to provide some or all of the goods and services the original contractor is required to provide; (21) "Support data" means statistical data, books and records of account, personnel files and other materials and information regarding compliance with antidiscrimination and contract compliance statutes; (22) "Technical assistance and training" means the financial, technical or other resources traditionally unavailable to minority business enterprises that a contractor extends to enable such enterprises to compete in the market place as any other contractor, such assistance being provided by the contractor in such a way and in such a manner as not to compromise or impair the integrity of such enterprises as legitimate minority businesses fully meeting the requirements of Section 4a-60 of the Connecticut General Statutes.