Substitute House Bill No. 5363, Public Act No. 24-125, is a legislative act that revises the structure and responsibilities of the Planning Commission for Higher Education in Connecticut. The bill introduces changes to the composition of the commission, including the addition of the chairpersons and ranking members of the General Assembly's joint standing committee on higher education and employment advancement. It also updates the language to be more inclusive and specifies the roles of the Board of Regents for Higher Education. The bill sets deadlines for initial appointments to the commission and its first meeting, and it empowers the commission to seek advice, hire consultants, and receive funding to fulfill its mandate. The commission's primary task is to revise the 2015 higher education strategic master plan, focusing on trends, progress, and goals related to degree attainment, workforce entry, and closing the achievement gap among minority students. It also requires the commission to examine and recommend changes to funding policies to support these goals, with the administrative staff of the General Assembly's joint standing committee serving as the commission's administrative staff.

The bill includes insertions and deletions to the existing law, emphasizing the promotion of "transfer" and "articulation" programs, as well as the Connecticut Automatic Admissions Program. It extends the deadlines for the preliminary report and the final strategic master plan to September 1, 2025, and December 1, 2025, respectively, setting goals for 2026 and 2030. The bill mandates annual reports on the plan's implementation starting January 1, 2027, and modifies the appointment process for subcommittees and working groups, giving the commission's chairpersons joint appointment powers. The collaboration with the Office of Policy and Management is removed from the bill. The bill was enacted on June 5, 2024.