The commissioner shall appoint a Deputy Commissioner of Economic and Community Development who shall be qualified by training and experience for the duties of the office of commissioner and shall, in the absence, disability or disqualification of the commissioner, perform all the functions and have all the powers and duties of said office. In addition to any other powers, duties or responsibilities, the Deputy Commissioner of Economic and Community Development shall act as the state's primary point of contact for all state programs relating to the federal opportunity zone program, established pursuant to the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act of 2017, P.L. 115-97. The position of the Deputy Commissioner of Economic and Community Development shall be exempt from the classified service.
(P.A. 73-599, S. 4; P.A. 77-614, S. 284, 610; P.A. 95-250, S. 1; P.A. 96-211, S. 1, 5, 6; P.A. 19-54, S. 1.)
History: P.A. 77-614 replaced deputy commissioner of commerce with deputy commissioner of economic development, effective January 1, 1979; P.A. 95-250 and P.A. 96-211 replaced Commissioner and Department of Economic Development with Commissioner and Department of Economic and Community Development; P.A. 19-54 added provision re Deputy Commissioner to act as primary contact for state programs relating to federal opportunity zone program, effective July 1, 2019.