Government Administration and Elections Committee
AN ACT CONCERNING GOVERNMENT ADMINISTRATION AND THE DESIGNATION OF CERTAIN DAYS AND MONTHS BY THE GOVERNOR
SUMMARY: This act (1) authorizes the state librarian to establish the Real Property Electronic Recording Advisory Committee before, rather than on or after, October 1, 2009; (2) repeals the requirement for state agencies to include a cost-benefit analysis of volunteer services in their annual report to the General Assembly and governor; (3) designates several days, one week, and one month to heighten public awareness of various issues; and (4) requires that national and Connecticut state flags purchased after July 1, 2009 and displayed on state-owned or -leased public buildings be manufactured in the United States.
EFFECTIVE DATE: Upon passage, except that the flag provision is effective July 1, 2009.
REAL PROPERTY ELECTRONIC RECORDING ADVISORY COMMITTEE
Effective October 1, 2009, PA 08-56 §5 requires the state librarian to (1) establish a Real Property Electronic Recording Advisory Committee and (2) adopt regulations to implement the Uniform Real Property Electronic Recording Act, in consultation with the committee and the public records administrator.
The act makes this requirement effective upon signing by the governor (May 12, 2008), rather than October 1, 2009, thus authorizing the state librarian to establish the committee and regulations before the time the librarian must implement the Uniform Real Property Electronic Recording Act.
STATE DESIGNATIONS
The act requires the governor to proclaim, with suitable exercises held in the State Capitol and elsewhere as the governor designates:
1. September as Arnold-Chiari Malformation Awareness Month to heighten public awareness of its symptoms and treatments;
2. the third week in September of each year as Mitochondrial Disease Awareness Week to raise awareness of the disease;
3. January 29 of each year as Thomas Paine Day to honor the author and theorist for his instrumental role in the cause of independence leading to the American Revolution;
4. March 1 of each year as Self Injury Awareness Day to increase awareness of the issues surrounding self injury;
5. May 12 of each year as Fibromyalgia Awareness Day to heighten public awareness about its symptoms and treatments;
6. July 1 of each year as Canada Appreciation Day to honor the close geographic, cultural, and economic ties between the United States and Canada;
7. August 23 of each year as Missing Persons Day to raise awareness of the plight of families of state citizens who have been reported as missing; and
8. September 13 of each year as Fragile X Awareness Day to heighten public awareness of its symptoms and treatments.
The act also adds the designation “Honor Our Heroes” to Remembrance Day, which, by law, is observed on September 11 each year in memory of those who lost their lives or were injured in the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks and to honor the service, sacrifice, and contributions of the responders.
STATE AND NATIONAL FLAGS
The act requires that national and Connecticut state flags purchased after July 1, 2009 be manufactured in the United States if they are (1) displayed on or in state-owned or -leased public buildings; on the walls of polling places during election hours; or outside of courthouses, the State Armory, State Office Building, state police building, or the State Library in Hartford or (2) provided by the veterans' affairs commissioner for use on the graves of legislators or statewide officers.
OLR Tracking: KS: CR: SS: ts