Senate Bill No. 1178 mandates the Commissioner of Economic and Community Development to conduct a comprehensive study of the state's electronic business portal, as established under section 3-99d of the general statutes. The study will evaluate the portal's effectiveness, usability, user experience, and website traffic, and will also include recommendations for improvements. The Commissioner is required to submit a report detailing the findings of this study to the relevant joint standing committee of the General Assembly by February 1, 2026.

The bill incurs a one-time cost of up to $250,000 to the Department of Economic and Community Development for consulting services necessary to complete the study. This cost may be partially offset by assistance from DECD staff or other state agencies. The bill also clarifies certain language for accuracy, such as changing "Department of Economic and Community Development" to "commissioner" for consistency, and specifies that the study will focus on the electronic business portal rather than a central Internet website. The fiscal impact is limited to the fiscal year 2026, with no ongoing costs anticipated.