You asked for the references in the General Statutes to the number of Connecticut's congressional districts and for a description of the effect of changing them from six to five.

SUMMARY

Five sections of the General Statutes refer to the "six" congressional districts and should be amended to reflect the change in reapportionment that allocates five seats to Connecticut in the U. S. House of Representatives. The statutes (1) establish the Connecticut Hazardous Waste Management Service, (2) establish the Judicial Selection Commission, (3) call for congressional elections, (4) govern distribution of academic scholarship loan awards, and (5) make assignments for the Veterans' Advocacy and Assistance Unit in the Department of Veterans' Affairs.

Another law establishing the Connecticut Marketing Authority sets its membership at 11, specifies criteria for five of them (including one at-large), and requires appointment of a member from each of the state's congressional districts to each of the remaining positions.

Other commissions require members to come from each congressional district in the state, but the reduction in districts has no effect on their total membership and requires no change in the laws establishing them. They are the Real Estate Commission, the Real Estate Appraisal Commission, and the Student Advisory Council on Education.

The reapportionment change from six to five districts takes effect when the 108^th Congress convenes on January 3, 2003.

COMMISSION MEMBERSHIP

Connecticut Hazardous Waste Management Service

The service is a quasi-public agency managed by a board of directors. Members of the board are (1) the secretary of the Office of Policy and Management, the commissioners of public health, transportation and environmental protection; (2) the chairman appointed by the governor; and (3) six members also appointed by the governor "each of whom shall be from a different congressional district". Members serve staggered terms. (CGS § 22a-143bb). To maintain the same number on the board, one of the six can be appointed at large. If only one member is allowed from each district, the board membership is reduced by one.

Judicial Selection Commission

The law specifying membership criteria for the 12-member commission requires two members from each congressional district: each of the six gubernatorial appointments must come from a different district and each of the appointees named by legislative leaders must be from a different district. Members serve staggered terms (CGS §51-44a). Either the distribution requirement or the size of the commission must change.

Marketing Authority

The Department of Agriculture's Marketing Authority must have 11 members: one at-large member, one public member from each congressional district, and the commissioners of agriculture and economic and community development. The governor appoints three of the public members and four legislative leaders appoint the others (CGS § 22-63). To keep the membership at 11, another public member could be selected at large.

Real Estate Commission

The governor appoints all eight members of the commission, at least one of whom must be from each congressional district (CGS § 20-311a).

Real Estate Appraisal Commission

The governor appoints all eight members of the commission, at least one of whom must be from each congressional district (CGS § 20-502).

Student Advisory Council on Education

The education commissioner appoints an unspecified number of members to the council who, among other criteria, must come from each congressional district (CGS § 10-2a).

OTHER REFERENCES

The law specifically mentions six congressional districts in the sections identified below.

Election Law

The election law referring to the state's representatives in Congress requires the state to elect one representative from each of the "six congressional districts into which the state shall be divided" (CGS § 9-9).

Distribution of Academic Scholarship Loan Recipients

The commissioners of education and higher education select recipients for the higher education loan program. They distribute 60% of the awards equally among applicants who reside in the state's six congressional districts and award the balance on a statewide basis (CGS §10a-170h).

Veterans' Advocacy and Assistance Unit

Within the Department of Veterans' Affairs, the Veterans' Advocacy and Assistance Unit has six service officers each of whom is assigned to one of the six congressional districts in the state (CGS § 27-102l). The unit generally assists veterans, their spouses and eligible dependents and family members in applying for aid; gathers and disseminates information; and assesses veterans' needs.

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