CHAPTER 53
CLAIMS AGAINST THE STATE

      Sec. 4-141. Definitions. As used in this chapter: "Claim" means a petition for the payment or refund of money by the state or for permission to sue the state; "just claim" means a claim which in equity and justice the state should pay, provided the state has caused damage or injury or has received a benefit; "person" means any individual, firm, partnership, corporation, limited liability company, association or other group, including political subdivisions of the state; "state agency" includes every department, division, board, office, commission, arm, agency and institution of the state government, whatever its title or function; and "state officers and employees" includes every person elected or appointed to or employed in any office, position or post in the state government, whatever such person's title, classification or function and whether such person serves with or without remuneration or compensation, including judges of probate courts, employees of such courts and special limited conservators appointed by such courts pursuant to section 17a-543a. In addition to the foregoing, "state officers and employees" includes attorneys appointed as victim compensation commissioners, attorneys appointed by the Public Defender Services Commission as public defenders, assistant public defenders or deputy assistant public defenders and attorneys appointed by the court as Division of Public Defender Services assigned counsel, individuals appointed by the Public Defender Services Commission, or by the court, as a guardian ad litem or attorney for a party in a neglect, abuse, termination of parental rights, delinquency or family with service needs proceeding, the Attorney General, the Deputy Attorney General and any associate attorney general or assistant attorney general, any other attorneys employed by any state agency, any commissioner of the Superior Court hearing small claims matters or acting as a fact-finder, arbitrator or magistrate or acting in any other quasi-judicial position, any person appointed to a committee established by law for the purpose of rendering services to the Judicial Department, including, but not limited to, the Legal Specialization Screening Committee, the State-Wide Grievance Committee, the Client Security Fund Committee, the advisory committee appointed pursuant to section 51-81d and the State Bar Examining Committee, any member of a multidisciplinary team established by the Commissioner of Children and Families pursuant to section 17a-106a, and any physicians or psychologists employed by any state agency. "State officers and employees" shall not include any medical or dental intern, resident or fellow of The University of Connecticut when (1) the intern, resident or fellow is assigned to a hospital affiliated with the university through an integrated residency program, and (2) such hospital provides protection against professional liability claims in an amount and manner equivalent to that provided by the hospital to its full-time physician employees.

      (1959, P.A. 685, S. 1; P.A. 76-371, S. 1, 5; P.A. 80-153, S. 1; 80-197, S. 1; P.A. 84-74, S. 1, 2; P.A. 85-152, S. 1; P.A. 86-110; P.A. 91-349, S. 1, 8; P.A. 93-310, S. 28, 32; P.A. 95-79, S. 8, 189; P.A. 96-246, S. 23; P.A. 99-215, S. 1; P.A. 04-160, S. 4; 04-257, S. 2; May Sp. Sess. P.A. 04-2, S. 19; P.A. 11-51, S. 9, 19; 11-152, S. 7.)

      History: P.A. 76-371 included public defenders or assistant public defenders appointed by public defenders services commission, attorney general, deputy attorney general, assistant attorneys general and any other attorney appointed by state agency and physicians and psychologists employed by state agencies in definition of "state officers and employees"; P.A. 80-153 included commissioners of superior court hearing small claims matters in definition of "state officers and employees"; P.A. 80-197 included deputy assistant public defenders and special assistant public defenders as state officers and employees; P.A. 84-74 included any "associate attorney general" in the definition of state officers and employees; P.A. 85-152 included fact-finders, arbitrators, magistrates, persons in quasi-judicial positions and certain appointees rendering service to the judicial department in definition of "state officers and employees"; P.A. 86-110 included judges of probate court and employees of such courts in definition of "state officers and employees"; P.A. 91-349 added exception to the definition of state officers and employees for medical and dental interns, residents and fellows of The University of Connecticut; P.A. 93-310 added "attorneys appointed as victim compensation commissioners", effective July 1, 1993; P.A. 95-79 redefined "person" to include a limited liability company, effective May 31, 1995; P.A. 96-246 included members of multidisciplinary team established by Commissioner of Children and Families in definition of "state officers and employers"; P.A. 99-215 included the State-Wide Grievance Committee and the Client Security Fund Committee in the definition of "state officers and employees" and made technical changes; P.A. 04-160 added provision re special limited conservators appointed pursuant to Sec. 17a-543a; P.A. 04-257 made technical changes, effective June 14, 2004; May Sp. Sess. P.A. 04-2 added provision re advisory committee appointed pursuant to Sec. 51-81d and made technical changes; P.A. 11-51 substituted "Division of Public Defender Services assigned counsel" for "special assistant public defenders", effective July 1, 2011; pursuant to P.A. 11-51, "Commission on Child Protection" was changed editorially by the Revisors to "Public Defender Services Commission", effective July 1, 2011; P.A. 11-152 redefined "state officers and employees" to include individuals appointed by Public Defender Services Commission, or by the court, as guardian ad litem or attorney in a neglect, abuse, termination of parental rights, delinquency or family with service needs proceeding.

      Sec. 4-142b. Staff. Office. The Department of Administrative Services shall provide staff support for the Office of the Claims Commissioner. The Claims Commissioner shall maintain a permanent office in Hartford County in such suitable space as the Commissioner of Administrative Services provides. All papers required to be filed with the Claims Commissioner shall be delivered to such office.

      (P.A. 75-605, S. 3, 27; P.A. 77-614, S. 73, 610; P.A. 82-167, S. 2, 7; P.A. 84-346, S. 2, 4; P.A. 87-496, S. 42, 110; Sept. Sp. Sess. P.A. 09-7, S. 26; P.A. 11-51, S. 98.)

      History: P.A. 77-614 substituted commissioner of administrative services for public works commissioner; P.A. 82-167 changed required location of office from Hartford to Hartford county; P.A. 84-346 provided that the positions of clerk and assistant shall be in the unclassified service with compensation fixed pursuant to Sec. 4-40, rather than by the legislative management committee and deleted provision authorizing committee to approve appointment by the claims commissioner of such assistants; P.A. 87-496 replaced administrative services commissioner with public works commissioner; Sept. Sp. Sess. P.A. 09-7 deleted provisions re employment of clerk and other assistants and added provision requiring Department of Administrative Services to provide staff support, effective October 5, 2009; P.A. 11-51 changed "Commissioner of Public Works" to "Commissioner of Administrative Services", effective July 1, 2011.

      Sec. 4-165. Immunity of state officers and employees from personal liability. (a) No state officer or employee shall be personally liable for damage or injury, not wanton, reckless or malicious, caused in the discharge of his or her duties or within the scope of his or her employment. Any person having a complaint for such damage or injury shall present it as a claim against the state under the provisions of this chapter.

      (b) For the purposes of this section, (1) "scope of employment" includes but is not limited to, (A) representation by an attorney appointed by the Public Defender Services Commission as a public defender, assistant public defender or deputy assistant public defender or an attorney appointed by the court as Division of Public Defender Services assigned counsel of an indigent accused or of a child on a petition of delinquency, (B) representation by such other attorneys, referred to in section 4-141, of state officers and employees in actions brought against such officers and employees in their official and individual capacities, (C) the discharge of duties as a trustee of the state employees retirement system, (D) the discharge of duties of a commissioner of the Superior Court hearing small claims matters or acting as a fact-finder, arbitrator or magistrate or acting in any other quasi-judicial position, (E) the discharge of duties of a person appointed to a committee established by law for the purpose of rendering services to the Judicial Department, including, but not limited to, the Legal Specialization Screening Committee, the State-Wide Grievance Committee, the Client Security Fund Committee, the advisory committee appointed pursuant to section 51-81d and the State Bar Examining Committee, (F) military duty performed by the armed forces of the state while under state active duty, and (G) representation by an individual appointed by the Public Defender Services Commission, or by the court, as a guardian ad litem or attorney for a party in a neglect, abuse, termination of parental rights, delinquency or family with service needs proceeding; provided the actions described in subparagraphs (A) to (G), inclusive, of this subdivision arise out of the discharge of the duties or within the scope of employment of such officers or employees, and (2) "state employee" includes a member or employee of the soil and water district boards established pursuant to section 22a-315.

      (1959, P.A. 685, S. 25; P.A. 76-371, S. 2, 5; P.A. 80-153, S. 2; 80-197, S. 2; 80-394, S. 6, 13; P.A. 83-464, S. 1, 5; 83-533, S. 45, 54; P.A. 84-45, S. 1, 2; 84-397, S. 2, 7; 84-546, S. 10, 173; P.A. 85-152, S. 2; P.A. 99-215, S. 2; P.A. 04-257, S. 3; May Sp. Sess. P.A. 04-2, S. 20; P.A. 05-79, S. 1; P.A. 11-51, S. 10, 19; 11-152, S. 8.)

      History: P.A. 76-371 defined "scope of employment" for purposes of section; P.A. 80-153 added performance of duties of superior court commissioner in hearing small claims matter to definition of "scope of employment"; P.A. 80-197 included representation by assistant public defenders or court-appointed special assistant public defender in definition of "scope of employment"; P.A. 80-394 included court security officers as state employees for purposes of section; P.A. 83-464 replaced "performance of his duties" with "discharge of his duties" and replaced "wilful" with "reckless or malicious"; P.A. 83-533 amended section to include performance of duties as a trustee of the state employees' retirement system; P.A. 84-45 included members or employees of the soil and water district boards as state employees for purposes of section; P.A. 84-397 deleted provision that included court security officers as state employees for purposes of section; P.A. 84-546 made technical change substituting "discharge" for "performance" of duties; P.A. 85-152 included discharge of duties of commissioner of superior court acting as fact-finder, arbitrator, magistrate or in other quasi-judicial position and discharge of certain appointees rendering services to judicial department in definition of "scope of employment"; P.A. 99-215 added phrase "including, but not limited to, the Legal Specialization Screening Committee, the State-Wide Grievance Committee, the Client Security Fund Committee and the State Bar Examining Committee"; P.A. 04-257 made technical changes, effective June 14, 2004; May Sp. Sess. P.A. 04-2 added provision re advisory committee appointed pursuant to Sec. 51-81d and made technical changes; P.A. 05-79 divided section into Subsecs. (a) and (b), making technical changes in Subsec. (a) for the purposes of gender neutrality, and in newly designated Subsec. (b) inserted Subdiv. indicators for each of the existing activities enumerated in the definition of "scope of employment", and added new provision to said definition, designated as Subdiv. (F), concerning "military duty performed by the armed forces of the state while under state active duty", and made technical changes, effective June 2, 2005; P.A. 11-51 substituted "Division of Public Defender Services assigned counsel" for "a special assistant public defender", effective July 1, 2011; pursuant to P.A. 11-51, "Commission on Child Protection" was changed editorially by the Revisors to "Public Services Defender Commission" in Subsec. (b), effective July 1, 2011; P.A. 11-152 added Subsec. (b)(1)(G) to redefine "scope of employment" to include representation by individual appointed by Public Defender Services Commission, or by the court, as guardian ad litem or attorney in a neglect, abuse, termination of parental rights, delinquency or family with service needs proceeding and made a conforming change.

      Sec. 4-165c. Immunity of the state and its officials, employees and agents from certain actions. No cause of action or liability shall arise against the state, any of its agencies or subdivisions, or any state official, employee or agent, for failure to comply with the provisions of section 4-67y, 10-215h, 17b-4a, 17b-112i, 17b-112j, 17b-790b, 17b-800a or 19a-59g.

      (P.A. 10-133, S. 12; P.A. 11-18, S. 2.)

      History: P.A. 10-133 effective June 8, 2010; P.A. 11-18 deleted reference to Sec. 17b-749l, effective May 24, 2011.