CHAPTER 57
DEPARTMENT OF ADMINISTRATIVE SERVICES

      Sec. 4a-4. (Formerly Sec. 4-23j). Control of state property and equipment. (a) Except as provided in subsections (b) and (c) of this section, the Commissioner of Administrative Services shall consider and devise ways and means of establishing and maintaining proper control of state property and equipment, including vehicles and office equipment; shall require the establishment of proper permanent inventory records and the taking of physical inventories of both stores and equipment; shall discover unused and improperly used or neglected equipment and shall authorize the transfer, use or disposal of such equipment.

      (b) The Office of the Chief Court Administrator shall consider and devise ways and means of establishing and maintaining proper control of Judicial Department property and equipment, including vehicles and office equipment, require the establishment of proper permanent inventory records and the taking of physical inventories of Judicial Department equipment, and authorize the transfer, use or disposal of unused and improperly used or neglected Judicial Department equipment. For the purposes of this subsection, the term "Judicial Department" does not include the courts of probate, the Division of Criminal Justice and the Public Defender Services Commission, except where they share facilities in state-maintained courts.

      (c) The chief executive officer of each constituent unit of the state system of higher education may consider and devise ways and means of and The University of Connecticut shall be responsible for establishing and maintaining proper control of equipment, including all vehicles and office equipment of such unit, require the establishment of proper permanent inventory records and the taking of physical inventories of the equipment of such constituent unit, and may authorize the transfer, use or disposal of unused and improperly used or neglected equipment of such unit.

      (P.A. 77-614, S. 74, 610; P.A. 84-436, S. 1, 12; P.A. 91-256, S. 7, 69; P.A. 95-230, S. 31, 45; P.A. 07-217, S. 10.)

      History: P.A. 84-436 added Subsec. (b) re the control, inventory, transfer, use and disposal of judicial department property and equipment by the office of the chief court administrator and a definition of "judicial department", effective July 1, 1985; Sec. 4-23j transferred to Sec. 4a-4 in 1989; P.A. 91-256 added Subsec. (c) concerning constituent units of the state system of higher education; P.A. 95-230 amended Subsec. (c) to add that The University of Connecticut shall be responsible for control of property and equipment, effective June 7, 1995; P.A. 07-217 made a technical change in Subsec. (a), effective July 12, 2007.

      Sec. 4a-10. Bond issue for Capital Equipment Purchase Fund. (a) For the purposes described in subsection (b) of this section, the State Bond Commission shall have the power, from time to time to authorize the issuance of bonds of the state in one or more series and in principal amounts not exceeding in the aggregate three hundred sixty-six million five hundred fifty thousand dollars, provided twenty-six million dollars of said authorization shall be effective July 1, 2008.

      (b) The proceeds of the sale of said bonds, to the extent of the amount stated in subsection (a) of this section, shall be deposited in the Capital Equipment Purchase Fund created by section 4a-9.

      (c) All provisions of section 3-20 or the exercise of any right or power granted thereby which are not inconsistent with the provisions of section 4a-9 and this section are hereby adopted and shall apply to all bonds authorized by the State Bond Commission pursuant to section 4a-9 and this section, and temporary notes in anticipation of the money to be derived from the sale of any such bonds so authorized may be issued in accordance with said section 3-20 and from time to time renewed. Such bonds shall mature at such time or times not exceeding five years from their respective dates as may be provided in or pursuant to the resolution or resolutions of the State Bond Commission authorizing such bonds. None of said bonds shall be authorized except upon a finding by the State Bond Commission that there has been filed with it a request for such authorization, which is signed by or on behalf of the Secretary of the Office of Policy and Management and states such terms and conditions as said commission, in its discretion, may require. Said bonds issued pursuant to section 4a-9 and this section shall be general obligations of the state and the full faith and credit of the state of Connecticut are pledged for the payment of the principal of and interest on said bonds as the same become due, and accordingly and as part of the contract of the state with the holders of said bonds, appropriation of all amounts necessary for punctual payment of such principal and interest is hereby made, and the Treasurer shall pay such principal and interest as the same become due.

      (P.A. 87-361, S. 2, 3; P.A. 88-343, S. 22, 32; P.A. 89-331, S. 2, 30; P.A. 90-230, S. 5, 101; 90-297, S. 2, 24; June Sp. Sess. P.A. 91-4, S. 7, 25; June Sp. Sess. P.A. 93-1, S. 3, 45; P.A. 95-272, S. 2, 29; June 5 Sp. Sess. P.A. 97-1, S. 3, 20; P.A. 99-241, S. 3, 66; June Sp. Sess. P.A. 01-7, S. 2, 28; May 9 Sp. Sess. P.A. 02-5, S. 2; May Sp. Sess. P.A. 04-1, S. 3; June Sp. Sess. P.A. 05-5, S. 3; June Sp. Sess. P.A. 07-7, S. 42.)

      History: P.A. 88-343 increased bond authorization from $20,000,000 to $28,900,000; P.A. 89-331 increased the bond authorization to $43,900,000; P.A. 90-230 made a technical correction in Subsec. (b); P.A. 90-297 increased the bond authorization to $58,900,000; June Sp. Sess. P.A. 91-4 increased the bond authorization to $73,900,000; June Sp. Sess. P.A. 93-1, effective July 1, 1993, amended Subsec. (a) to increase bond authorization to $85,200,000, effective July 1, 1993, provided $2,700,000 of said authorization shall be effective July 1, 1994; P.A. 95-272 amended Subsec. (a) to increase authorization to $114,500,000, effective July 1, 1995, provided $11,800,000 of the authorization shall be effective July 1, 1996; June 5 Sp. Sess. P.A. 97-1 amended Subsec. (a) to increase bond authorization to $141,500,000 provided $10,800,000 is effective July 1, 1998, effective July 31, 1997; P.A. 99-241 amended Subsec. (a) to increase authorization to $189,500,000, effective July 1, 1999, provided $21,000,000 is effective July 1, 2000; June Sp. Sess. P.A. 01-7 amended Subsec. (a) to increase authorization to $227,500,000 provided $17,000,000 is effective July 1, 2002, effective July 1, 2001; May 9 Sp. Sess. P.A. 02-5 amended Subsec. (a) to increase authorization to $230,000,000 and to provide that $19,500,000 of such authorization shall be effective July 1, 2002; May Sp. Sess. P.A. 04-1 amended Subsec. (a) to increase the aggregate authorization to $248,000,000 and to provide that $18,000,000 of said authorization be effective July 1, 2004, effective July 1, 2004; June Sp. Sess. P.A. 05-5 amended Subsec. (a) to increase the aggregate authorization to $300,550,000, of which $25,050,000 is effective July 1, 2006, effective July 1, 2005; June Sp. Sess. P.A. 07-7 amended Subsec. (a) by increasing aggregate authorization from $300,550,000 to $366,550,000, of which $26,000,000 is effective July 1, 2008, effective November 2, 2007.

      Sec. 4a-12. (Formerly Sec. 4-68a). Collection services performed by Commissioner of Administrative Services. Referral of delinquent accounts to consumer collection agencies or attorney who practices in area of debt collection. Liable relatives defined. (a) The Commissioner of Administrative Services shall be responsible for the following: (1) Investigation, determination, billing and collection of all charges for support of persons aided, cared for or treated in a state humane institution, as defined in section 17b-222, and enforcement of support obligations of the liable relatives of such persons; (2) billing and collection of any money due to the state in public assistance cases, and enforcement of support obligations of liable relatives in such cases; (3) collection of benefits and maintenance of trustee accounts therefor; and (4) such collection services for other state agencies and departments as shall be agreed to between said commissioner and the heads of such other agencies and departments.

      (b) Any debt referred to the Department of Administrative Services by a state agency may be referred by the commissioner to a consumer collection agency, licensed under section 36a-801, or, with the approval of the Attorney General, to an attorney admitted under the provisions of section 51-80 who practices in the area of debt collection, for collection, provided the debtor has been given at least thirty days' notice that the debt will be so referred.

      (c) For purposes of this section, "liable relative" means the husband or wife of any person receiving public assistance or aided, cared for or treated in a state humane institution, as defined in said section 17b-222, and the father and mother of any such person under the age of eighteen years, but shall not include the parent or parents whose financial liability for a child is determined by the Bureau of Child Support Enforcement under subsection (b) of section 17b-179. The Commissioner of Administrative Services, in consultation with the Secretary of the Office of Policy and Management, shall adopt regulations in accordance with the provisions of chapter 54 establishing: (1) A uniform contribution scale for liable relatives based upon ability to pay and the administrative feasibility of collecting such contributions, provided no such liable relative shall contribute an amount in excess of twelve per cent of the remainder, if any, after the state median income, adjusted for family size, has been deducted from such liable relative's taxable income for federal income tax purposes, or if such federal income tax information is unavailable, from such relative's taxable income, as calculated from other sources, including, but not limited to, information pertaining to wages, salaries and commissions as provided by such relative's employer; (2) the manner in which the Department of Administrative Services shall determine and periodically reinvestigate the ability of such liable relatives to pay; and (3) the manner in which the department shall waive such contributions upon determination that such contribution would pose a significant financial hardship upon such liable relatives.

      (d) Notwithstanding the provisions of subsection (c) of this section, no liability shall be imposed upon a liable relative upon determination by the Department of Developmental Services, Social Services, Children and Families, Mental Health and Addiction Services or Public Health that the benefit of the assistance or service provided would be significantly impaired by the imposition of such liability. Each such department may waive all or part of any liability resulting from its delay in establishing such liability if it determines that imposition of such liability would pose a significant financial hardship upon a liable relative.

      (1967, P.A. 314, S. 1; P.A. 73-450; P.A. 75-430; P.A. 77-614, S. 86, 323, 610; P.A. 78-298, S. 7, 14; P.A. 87-421, S. 1, 13; P.A. 90-213, S. 16, 56; P.A. 91-57, S. 1; P.A. 92-79, S. 1; P.A. 93-91, S. 1, 2; 93-262, S. 1, 87; 93-381, S. 9, 39; 93-396, S. 14; May Sp. Sess. P.A. 94-5, S. 18, 30; P.A. 95-257, S. 5, 11, 12, 21, 58; P.A. 98-250, S. 13, 39; P.A. 99-2, S. 1, 2; 99-193, S. 2, 16; P.A. 00-115; P.A. 07-73, S. 2(a).)

      History: P.A. 73-450 replaced Sec. 17-21 with Sec. 4-68g in Subdiv. (3), added Subdiv. (4) concerning collection services for other state agencies and deleted temporary provision concerning transfer of welfare department personnel to division of central collections; P.A. 75-430 added Subsec. (b) concerning transfer of debt to consumer collection agency for collection; P.A. 77-614 replaced commissioner of finance and control with commissioner of administrative services and department of health with department of health services, the latter, effective January 1, 1979; P.A. 78-298 deleted reference to collection of resources under Sec. 4-68q from Subdiv. (3); P.A. 87-421 added Subsecs. (c) and (d) re relatives' legal liability and amended Subsec. (a) by substituting "state humane institution, as defined in section 17-294" for "hospitals, institutions and facilities operated by the departments of health services and mental health" and by deleting a reference in Subsec. (a)(2) to "child welfare" cases; Sec. 4-68a transferred to Sec. 4a-12 in 1989; P.A. 90-213 inserted new Subdiv. (4) in Subsec. (a) providing the commissioner of administrative services with the responsibility for the billing and collection of child support payments in certain IV-D cases, renumbering former Subdiv. (4) as (5); P.A. 91-57 repealed provision in Subsec. (b) allowing commissioner to refer debt only to collection agency "maintaining an office in the country in which the debtor resides"; P.A. 92-79 amended Subsec. (c) to provide that a liable relative's taxable income may be determined from other sources if federal income tax information is unavailable; 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 authorized substitution of department of social services for department of income maintenance, effective July 1, 1993; P.A. 93-381 replaced Connecticut alcohol and drug abuse commission with department of public health and addiction services, effective July 1, 1993; P.A. 93-396 made a technical change in Subdiv. (4); May Sp. Sess. P.A. 94-5 deleted former Subsec. (a)(4) re billing and collection of any money due in IV-D cases and of any money due in non-IV-D spouse and child support cases made payable through the support enforcement division from the duties of the commissioner of administrative services, renumbering former Subdiv. (5) accordingly, effective July 1, 1994; P.A. 95-257 replaced Commissioner and Department of Public Health and Addiction Services with Commissioner and Department of Public Health and replaced Commissioner and Department of Mental Health with Commissioner and Department of Mental Health and Addiction Services, effective July 1, 1995; P.A. 98-250 amended Subsec. (c)(1) to change limit on amount liable relative shall contribute from an amount in excess of 12% rather than 25%, substituted "the state median income" for "two hundred per cent of the federal poverty income guidelines" and added waiver authority in Subsec. (d), effective July 1, 1998; P.A. 99-2 amended Subsec. (b) by repealing condition that Department of Administrative Services be unable to collect debt for six months after referral by state agency before referring to a consumer collection agency, effective July 1, 1999; P.A. 99-193 amended Subsec. (c) by adding exception for parents whose financial liability is determined by the Bureau of Child Support Enforcement, effective July 1, 1999; P.A. 00-115 amended Subsec. (b) by permitting, with the approval of the Attorney General, collection of debt to be referred to attorney who practices in the area of debt collection; pursuant to P.A. 07-73 "Department of Mental Retardation" was changed editorially by the Revisors to "Department of Developmental Services", effective October 1, 2007.

      Sec. 4a-16. (Formerly Sec. 4-68h). Disposition of estates of public assistance beneficiaries, state institution patients, inmates and certain children. When any person supported or cared for by the state under a program of public assistance or in an institution maintained by the Department of Public Health, Department of Developmental Services or Department of Mental Health and Addiction Services, or when an inmate of the Department of Correction, or when any child committed to the Commissioner of Social Services or Commissioner of Children and Families dies leaving only personal estate, including personal assets owing and due the estate after death, not exceeding twenty thousand dollars in value, the Commissioner of Administrative Services or the commissioner's authorized representative shall, upon filing with the probate court having jurisdiction of such estate a certificate that the total estate is under twenty thousand dollars and the claim of the state, together with the expense of last illness not exceeding three hundred seventy-five dollars and funeral and burial expenses in accordance with section 17b-84, equals or exceeds the amount of such estate, be issued a certificate by said court that the commissioner is the legal representative of such estate only for the following purpose. The commissioner shall have authority to claim such estate, the commissioner's receipt for the same to be a valid discharge of the liability of any person turning over the same, and to settle the same by payment of the expense of last illness not exceeding three hundred seventy-five dollars, expense of funeral and burial in accordance with section 17b-84 and the remainder as partial or full reimbursement of the claim of the state for care or assistance rendered to the decedent. The commissioner shall file with said probate court a statement of the settlement of such estate as herein provided.

      (1961, P.A. 37, S. 1; 1963, P.A. 438, S. 2; February, 1965, P.A. 625, S. 2; 1967, P.A. 151, S. 2; 653, S. 2; 1969, P.A. 453, S. 3; 730, S. 36; P.A. 74-251, S. 3; P.A. 75-638, S. 20, 23; P.A. 77-614, S. 70, 323, 521, 610; P.A. 78-337, S. 1, 2, 11; P.A. 81-82, S. 3; P.A. 88-364, S. 4, 123; P.A. 90-86; P.A. 93-91, S. 1, 2; 93-262, S. 1, 87; 93-381, S. 9, 39; P.A. 95-257, S. 5, 11, 12, 21, 58; P.A. 00-68, S. 2; P.A. 01-26, S. 3; P.A. 04-58, S. 5; P.A. 07-73, S. 2(a).)

      History: 1963 act decreased amount allowed for burial expense from $600 to $400; 1965 act increased burial expense allotment to $450; 1967 acts increased amount to $500, applied provisions to children committed to welfare commissioner and raised limit on value of estate to $3,500; 1969 acts extended provisions to include persons in state institutions administered by health or mental health department, increased value limit of estate from $3,000 to $5,000, replaced welfare commissioner with commissioner of finance and control in provisions concerning estate settlement and increased burial allotment to $600; P.A. 74-251 included children committed to children and youth services commissioner under provisions of section; section was transferred from Sec. 17-83b to Sec. 4-68h in 1975; P.A. 75-638 included persons in institutions maintained by department of mental retardation; P.A. 77-614 replaced commissioner of finance and control with commissioner of administrative services, department of health with department of health services and replaced remaining reference to welfare commissioner with commissioner of human resources, with the latter two changes, effective January 1, 1979; P.A. 78-337 included funeral expenses and made limit for funeral and burial expenses subject to Sec. 17-82q; P.A. 81-82 increased the limit on the value of the total estate from $5,000 to $10,000; P.A. 88-364 substituted references to Sec. 17-82i for references to Sec. 17-82g; Sec. 4-68h transferred to Sec. 4a-16 in 1989; P.A. 90-86 increased the limit on the value of the total estate to $20,000; 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 authorized substitution of commissioner of social services for commissioner of human resources, effective July 1, 1993; P.A. 93-381 replaced department of health services with department 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 and replaced Commissioner and Department of Mental Health with Commissioner and Department of Mental Health and Addiction Services, effective July 1, 1995; P.A. 00-68 applied provisions to inmates of the Department of Correction and made technical changes for the purpose of gender neutrality; P.A. 01-26 made technical changes; P.A. 04-58 made a technical change; pursuant to P.A. 07-73 "Department of Mental Retardation" was changed editorially by the Revisors to "Department of Developmental Services", effective October 1, 2007.

      Sec. 4a-17. (Formerly Sec. 4-68f). Service of process on mentally ill or mentally deficient persons. In any action or proceeding in any court to which any person confined by order of any court, or as provided by section 17a-502 or 17a-506 in any institution for persons with psychiatric disabilities in this state is a party or which affects or relates to the property rights of any such person, a copy of all process, notices and documents required to be served upon such confined person either personally or at such confined person's abode or by mail shall be sent by registered or certified mail to such confined person at the institution where such person is confined and to the Commissioner of Administrative Services at Hartford, another copy thereof shall be so mailed to the superintendent of the institution where such person is confined or left with the superintendent or the superintendent's representative at his or her office, and another copy thereof so served upon the superintendent of such institution or the superintendent's representative, for such confined person, which shall be equivalent to and constitute service thereof at the usual place of abode of such confined person whether he or she then has another usual place of abode or not; and as soon thereafter as practical and reasonable, such superintendent or such superintendent's representative shall deliver such copy to such confined person. Whenever service or notice is required by publication only, two copies thereof shall be sent to the superintendent of the institution by registered or certified mail, and one copy shall also be so mailed to the Commissioner of Administrative Services at Hartford; and such superintendent or such superintendent's representative shall deliver one copy thereof to the confined person as soon as practical and reasonable. No action or proceeding shall abate because of any failure to comply with the provisions of this section, but the court before whom any such action or proceeding is pending shall, upon finding noncompliance with any of said provisions, order immediate compliance with said provisions.

      (1949, Rev., S. 2677; 1955, S. 1508d; 1957, P.A. 637; 1967, P.A. 314, S. 16; 897; P.A. 77-614, S. 70, 610; P.A. 07-148, S. 1.)

      History: 1967 acts replaced welfare commissioner and department with commissioner of finance and control and added reference to confinement as provided by Sec. 17-183; section transferred from Sec. 17-20 to Sec. 4-68f in 1975; P.A. 77-614 replaced commissioner of finance and control with commissioner of administrative services; Sec. 4-68f transferred to Sec. 4a-17 in 1989; P.A. 07-148 made technical changes, added reference to Sec. 17a-506, replaced "institution for the mentally ill or mentally deficient" with "institution for persons with psychiatric disabilities" and required copies of all process, notices and documents that would otherwise be served personally on or mailed to the home of a person committed to such institution to be mailed directly to the person at the institution.