CHAPTER 814d
COMMISSION ON CHILDREN

      Sec. 46a-126. Commission on Children established. There is established a Commission on Children consisting of sixteen voting members as follows: One cochairperson of each of the joint standing committees of the General Assembly having cognizance of matters relating to human services, public health, education and judiciary appointed jointly by the majority leaders of the House of Representatives and the Senate; four members appointed by the Governor, including a lawyer and a pediatrician who are knowledgeable in issues concerning children, one person representing organized labor and one person representing all state agencies providing services to children; two members appointed by the president pro tempore of the Senate, including one person representing the interests of the municipalities and small towns and one person representing the business and corporate community; two members appointed by the speaker of the House of Representatives, including a person representing the education community and a mental health professional who is either a child psychologist, child psychiatrist or a social worker; two members appointed by the minority leader of the Senate, including a person representing a state-wide advocacy agency for children and a private citizen who has demonstrated an interest in children's issues; two members appointed by the minority leader of the House of Representatives, including a person representing a state-wide advocacy agency for children and a private citizen who has demonstrated an interest in children's issues; and nine nonvoting ex-officio members as follows: The Commissioners of Children and Families, Mental Retardation, Public Health, Education, Social Services and Corrections, the Secretary of the Office of Policy and Management, the Attorney General and the Chief Court Administrator. The commission shall be a legislative agency for administrative purposes only.

      (P.A. 85-584, S. 1, 9; P.A. 93-91, S. 1, 2; 93-262, S. 67, 87; 93-381, S. 9, 39; P.A. 95-257, S. 12, 21, 58; P.A. 96-268, S. 4, 34.)

      History: P.A. 93-91 substituted commissioner and department of children and families for commissioner and department of children and youth services, effective July 1, 1993; P.A. 93-262 replaced reference to commissioners of income maintenance and human resources with commissioner of social services, reducing the number of nonvoting ex-officio members from ten to nine to reflect the change, effective July 1, 1993; P.A. 93-381 replaced commissioner of health services with commissioner of public health and addiction services, effective July 1, 1993; P.A. 95-257 replaced Commissioner and Department of Public Health and Addiction Services with Commissioner and Department of Public Health, effective July 1, 1995; P.A. 96-268 replaced Commission on Children and Youth with Commission on Children, effective July 1, 1996.

      See Sec. 4-38f for definition of "administrative purposes only".

      Sec. 46a-127. Appointment and terms of members. Expenses. (a) The Governor shall appoint on or before July 1, 1985, one member for a term of one year, one member for a term of two years, one member for a term of three years, and one member for a term of four years. Thereafter, he shall appoint members to succeed those whose terms expire for terms of three years and until successors are appointed.

      (b) The speaker of the House of Representatives shall appoint on or before July 1, 1985, one member for a term of two years and one member for a term of three years. Thereafter, he shall appoint members to succeed those whose terms expire for terms of three years and until successors are appointed.

      (c) The president pro tempore of the Senate shall appoint on or before July 1, 1985, one member for a term of two years and one member for a term of three years. Thereafter, he shall appoint members to succeed those whose terms expire for a term of three years and until successors are appointed.

      (d) The minority leader of the House of Representatives shall appoint on or before July 1, 1985, one member for a term of two years and one member for a term of three years. Thereafter, he shall appoint a member to succeed the member whose term expires for a term of three years and until successors are appointed.

      (e) The minority leader of the Senate shall appoint on or before July 1, 1985, one member for a term of two years and one member for a term of three years. Thereafter, he shall appoint a member to succeed the member whose term expires for a term of three years and until successors are appointed.

      (f) Vacancies in the appointed membership of the commission shall be filled by the original appointing authority for the balance of the unexpired term.

      (g) The members shall elect from their number a chairperson and a vice-chairperson.

      (h) The members of the commission shall receive no compensation for their services, but shall be reimbursed for any necessary expenses incurred in the performance of their duties.

      (P.A. 85-584, S. 2, 9.)

      Sec. 46a-128. Review of statutes. Report of findings and recommendations. The commission shall review the general statutes with regard to matters involving children and shall on or before February 1, 1986, and annually thereafter on or before September first, make a report of its findings with regard to any matter before it with specific recommendations for legislation to the Governor and the General Assembly.

      (P.A. 85-584, S. 3, 9.)

      Sec. 46a-129. Duties generally. The commission shall meet regularly to review all matters concerning children and in furtherance of that responsibility shall: (a) Meet at least twice a year with the commissioners, state agency executive directors, any other state officials and members of advisory committees to state agencies who have oversight of the expenditure of state or federal funds on behalf of children; (b) receive from the executive branch and its advisory committees requests for review and recommendation by the commission on any matter related to children; (c) meet at least twice a year with representatives of the judicial branch including judges, public defenders, probation officers, and representatives of the Probate Court concerning judicial branch involvement with children; (d) receive from the judicial branch requests for review and recommendation by the commission on any matter related to children; (e) meet with and be available to representatives of private providers of services to children, foster parents, and support groups to children, for the purpose of understanding their concerns with regard to the provision of services to children; (f) receive from individuals and agencies identified in subsection (e) of this section requests for review and recommendation by the commission on any matter related to children and the delivery of services to children; (g) receive from the legislative branch any requests for review and recommendation on any matter related to children; (h) inform leaders of the business community, education community, state and local governments and the communications media of the nature and scope of problems faced by children, in order to enlist their support in improving the mandated service delivery system, state budgeting processes, and state policies concerning children; (i) serve as a liaison between government and private groups concerned with children; (j) coordinate its activities with the Permanent Commission on the Status of Women in areas of mutual concern; and (k) review coordination and assess programs and practices in all state agencies as they affect children.

      (P.A. 85-584, S. 4, 9.)

      Sec. 46a-130. Powers. Regulations. The powers of the commission shall include, but not be limited to, the following: (a) To utilize such voluntary and uncompensated services of private individuals, agencies and organizations as may from time to time be offered and needed; (b) to recommend policies and make recommendations to agencies and officers of the state and local subdivisions of government relative to children; (c) to acquire on a contractual or other basis such necessary legal, technical, secretarial and administrative services as it may require for the discharge of its duties; (d) to establish and maintain such offices as it may deem necessary; (e) to hold public hearings; (f) to establish task forces as necessary to accomplish the purposes of sections 46a-126 to 46a-131, inclusive; and (g) to adopt such regulations as it may deem necessary to carry out the purposes of sections 46a-126 to 46a-131, inclusive.

      (P.A. 85-584, S. 5, 9.)

      Sec. 46a-131. Information and assistance from state agencies. Acceptance of gifts. (a) The Commission on Children may request from all state agencies such information and assistance as it may require.

      (b) The commission may accept any gifts, donations or bequests for any of the purposes of sections 46a-126 to 46a-131, inclusive.

      (P.A. 85-584, S. 6, 9.)

      Sec. 46a-131a. Annual social health index report. (a) The Commission on Children shall develop, within available appropriations, an annual social health index report for the state of Connecticut to monitor the social health of its citizens and assist the state in analyzing and publicizing social health issues and in evaluating the state's progress in addressing these issues.

      (b) Said commission may accept for the development of said index, any and all grants, contributions or donations of money and may receive, utilize and dispose of the same.

      (P.A. 97-312, S. 4.)

      Secs. 46a-132 to 46a-149. Reserved for future use.