Sec. 17b-420. Commission on Aging. Membership. Duties. Authority. Personnel. Agreements with state agencies. (a) There is established a Commission on Aging
composed of twenty-one voting members.
(1) With respect to members appointed prior to October 5, 2009, upon the occurrence of a vacancy or the expiration of the term of a member, whichever occurs first,
such vacancy shall be filled as follows: (A) If the Governor appointed the member, such
vacancy shall be filled by a joint appointment of the president pro tempore of the Senate
and the speaker of the House of Representatives; (B) if the president pro tempore of the
Senate appointed the member, such vacancy shall be filled by an appointment of the
president pro tempore of the Senate; (C) if the majority leader of the Senate appointed
the member, such vacancy shall be filled by an appointment of the majority leader of
the Senate; (D) if the minority leader of the Senate appointed the member, such vacancy
shall be filled by an appointment of the minority leader of the Senate; (E) if the speaker
of the House of Representatives appointed the member, such vacancy shall be filled by
an appointment of the speaker of the House of Representatives; (F) if the majority leader
of the House of Representatives appointed the member, such vacancy shall be filled by
an appointment of the majority leader of the House of Representatives; and (G) if the
minority leader of the House of Representatives appointed the member, such vacancy
shall be filled by an appointment of the minority leader of the House of Representatives.
(2) On or after October 5, 2009, four additional members shall be appointed as
follows: (A) The president pro tempore of the Senate shall appoint one member from
the southeastern region of the state; (B) the minority leader of the Senate shall appoint
one member from the southwestern region of the state; (C) the speaker of the House of
Representatives shall appoint one member from the northeastern region of the state; and
(D) the minority leader of the House of Representatives shall appoint one member from
the northwestern region of the state. In the event of a vacancy for any member appointed
pursuant to this subdivision, such vacancy shall be filled by the appointing authority
and such appointed member shall be from the respective region of the state.
(3) Any member appointed on or after October 5, 2009, shall have experience in the
field of issues affecting elderly persons by virtue of such person's status as an advocate or
an academic, civic or cultural leader.
(4) Any member appointed pursuant to this subsection shall serve for a term of two
years from August fifteenth in the year of his or her appointment, except that the term
of any member appointed pursuant to this subsection during the period from January 1,
2010, to August 14, 2010, inclusive, shall begin on the date of appointment and shall
expire on August 14, 2012. The commission shall elect a chairperson and a vice-chairperson from among its members who shall each serve in such capacity for a period of two
years. Any person absent from (A) three consecutive meetings of the commission, or
(B) fifty per cent of such meetings during any calendar year shall be deemed to have
resigned from the commission, effective immediately.
(5) Vacancies on the commission shall be filled by the appointing authority. Members of the commission shall serve without compensation but shall, within the limits of
available funds, be reimbursed for expenses necessarily incurred in the performance of
their duties. The commission shall meet as often as deemed necessary by the chairperson
or a majority of the commission.
(b) The Commission on Aging shall:
(1) Focus its efforts on the following quality of life desired results for the elderly
population of the state: (A) That all members of the elderly population of the state are
healthy; (B) that all members of the elderly population are safe; (C) that all members
of the elderly population of the state achieve educational fulfillment; (D) that all members of the elderly population of the state are economically self-sufficient; and (E) that
all members of the elderly population of the state are free from discrimination. The
commission shall meet regularly to review matters pertaining to the achievement of the
desired results described in subparagraphs (A) to (E), inclusive, of this subdivision and,
not later than January first, annually, shall submit a status report concerning such desired
results to the joint standing committee of the General Assembly having cognizance of
appropriations. The commission shall develop (i) appropriate population-level indicators of the state's progress in achieving such desired results and (ii) strategies that are
intended to improve progress on such indicators through a process that is inclusive of
all relevant partners, including, but not limited to, state and local government agencies,
the faith community, the business sector, nonprofit organizations, advocacy groups and
philanthropic organizations;
(2) Make recommendations to the General Assembly and the Governor for new or
enhanced policies, programs and services that will foster progress in achieving the desired results described in subdivision (1) of this subsection;
(3) Review and comment on any proposed state legislation or recommendations that
may affect the elderly population of the state and provide copies of any such comments to
members of the General Assembly;
(4) Advise the General Assembly and Governor concerning the coordination and
administration of state programs that affect the elderly population of the state;
(5) Gather and maintain current information regarding the elderly population of the
state that can be used to better understand the status, condition and contributions of such
elderly population. Such information shall be included in the annual report described
in subsection (c) of this section and shall be made available to legislators and other
interested parties upon request;
(6) Maintain a liaison between the elderly population of the state and government
agencies, including the General Assembly; and
(7) Conduct educational and outreach activities intended to raise awareness of critical issues for the elderly population of the state.
(c) Not later than January first, annually, in accordance with section 11-4a, the
commission shall submit a report to the General Assembly that: (1) Identifies the quality
of life desired results described in subdivision (1) of subsection (b) of this section, (2)
displays current trend data for the indicators related to each such desired result area, (3)
identifies barriers to progress on such indicators, (4) identifies strategies developed
pursuant to subdivision (1) of subsection (b) of this section, and (5) describes performance measures for the commission, including measures of research, education and
outreach, and partnership development.
(d) In carrying out its responsibility to make recommendations to the General Assembly and the Governor on the need for legislation, policies, programs or services
to improve the quality of life for members of the elderly population of the state, the
commission shall have the assistance of staff, as described in subsection (f) of this
section. Any such recommendations shall be provided solely with the approval of a
majority of the members of the commission. A majority of the members of the commission shall be required to approve any specific advocacy before the General Assembly
or any state agency.
(e) The commission may: (1) Request, and shall receive, from any state agency
such information and assistance as the commission may require; (2) use such funds as
may be available from federal, state or other sources and may enter into contracts to
carry out the purposes of this section; (3) utilize voluntary and uncompensated services
of individuals, state or federal agencies and organizations as may, from time to time,
be offered and needed; (4) recommend policies to federal agencies and political subdivisions of the state relative to the elderly population of the state; (5) accept any gift,
donation or bequest for the purpose of performing the duties described in subsection
(b) of this section; (6) hold public hearings; (7) establish task forces, as necessary, to
perform the duties described in subsection (b) of this section; (8) adopt regulations, in
accordance with chapter 54, as it may deem necessary to carry out the duties described
in subsection (b) of this section; and (9) inform leaders of business, education, state
and local governments and the communications media of the nature and scope of the
problems faced by the elderly population of the state, with a view to enlisting such
persons' support in working toward solving such problems.
(f) There shall be an executive director of the Commission on Aging. There may
be additional staff within available appropriations. The commission shall be within
the Legislative Department. The executive director and any necessary staff shall be
employed by the Joint Committee on Legislative Management. The commission shall
have no authority over staffing or personnel matters.
(g) The commission shall be part of the Legislative Department.
(h) The commission may enter into any agreement with a state agency for the purpose of maximizing the receipt of federal funds by such state agency, provided such
state agency shall utilize any federal funds received as a result of such agreement to
perform those statutory duties of such agency that relate to such commission's duties.
The commission may accept that portion of federal funds received by any such state
agency as a result of any such agreement which federal law otherwise permits to be
received by such commission.
(P.A. 93-262, S. 5, 87; 93-381, S. 9, 39; 93-435, S. 59, 95; P.A. 95-250, S. 1; 95-257, S. 11, 12, 21, 58; P.A. 05-77, S.
1; P.A. 07-73, S. 2(b); Sept. Sp. Sess. P.A. 09-7, S. 146; P.A. 10-1, S. 5; P.A. 11-139, S. 1.)
History: P.A. 93-262 effective July 1, 1993; P.A. 93-381 and P.A. 93-435 authorized substitution of commissioner and
department of public health and addiction services for commissioner and department of health services and executive
director of Connecticut alcohol and drug abuse commission, effective July 1, 1993; P.A. 95-250 replaced Commissioner
and Department of Housing with Commissioner and Department of Economic and Community Development; 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 (Revisor's note: In Subsec. (a), references to "Commissioner
of Insurance" and "Commissioner of Labor" were replaced editorially by the Revisors with "Insurance Commissioner"
and "Labor Commissioner" for consistency with customary statutory usage and minor changes in wording were made to
accommodate the changes); P.A. 05-77 amended Subsec. (a) by increasing composition of commission from 11 to 17
voting members and increasing total number of appointments to the commission by legislative leaders from 6 to 12, by
specifying that chairpersons and ranking members of aging committee and human services committee are ex-officio voting
members of commission, by specifying that commission chairperson shall be elected from among commission members,
by removing provision re Governor's selection of chairperson and by removing obsolete language re initial organizational
meeting, amended Subsec. (b)(3) by requiring that commission meet regularly with representatives of state agencies and
eliminating requirement re meeting with commissioner and head of Division of Elderly Services of Department of Social
Services, amended Subsec. (b)(4) by replacing "Division of Elderly Services of" with "State Unit on Aging within",
amended Subsec. (b) by authorizing commission to enter into contracts for purposes of section, and amended Subsec. (c)
by substituting "Legislative Department" for "Department of Social Services", effective July 1, 2005; pursuant to P.A.
07-73 "Commissioner of Mental Retardation" was changed editorially by the Revisors to "Commissioner of Developmental
Services", effective October 1, 2007; Sept. Sp. Sess. P.A. 09-7 amended Subsec. (a) to delete provisions re purpose and
initial appointees of commission, to increase number of members from 17 to 21, and to add Subdiv. (1) re filling of vacancies
after expiration of terms of members appointed prior to October 5, 2009, Subdiv. (2) re appointment of 4 additional members
after October 5, 2009, Subdiv. (3) re requisite experience for members appointed on or after October 5, 2009, Subdiv. (4)
re term for members, selection of chairperson and vice-chairperson, and absence of members, and Subdiv. (5) re vacancies
on commission, compensation and frequency of meetings, amended Subsec. (b) to replace former provisions with Subdiv.
(1) re duties focusing on quality of life results, meeting regularly concerning achievement of desired results, submitting
annual status report concerning desired results, developing appropriate population-level indicators of state's progress in
achieving desired results and strategies to improve progress on such indicators, Subdiv. (2) re making recommendations
for new programs to achieve desired results, Subdiv. (3) re reviewing and commenting on proposed legislation, Subdiv.
(4) re advising General Assembly and Governor concerning administration of certain programs, Subdiv. (5) re gathering
and maintaining certain population specific information, Subdiv. (6) re maintaining a liaison between population served
and government agencies, and Subdiv. (7) re conducting educational and outreach activities, added new Subsec. (c) re
annual report, added new Subsec. (d) re assistance of staff, making of recommendations to and advocacy before General
Assembly, added new Subsec. (e) re commission authority, redesignated existing Subsec. (c) as Subsec. (f) and amended
same to delete provision re authority of commission to appoint executive director, delete "for administrative purposes
only" and add provisions re staff, added Subsec. (g) re commission to be part of Legislative Department and added Subsec.
(h) re authority to enter agreements with state agencies for purpose of maximizing receipt of federal funds by such agency,
effective October 5, 2009; P.A. 10-1 amended Subsec. (a) to make a technical change in Subdiv. (2) and add exception to
standard 2-year term of members for appointments made January 1, 2010, to August 14, 2010, in Subdiv. (4), effective
February 4, 2010; P.A. 11-139 made a technical change in Subsec. (f), effective July 8, 2011.
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Sec. 17b-424. Adult foster care program. Section 17b-424 is repealed, effective
July 1, 2011.
(P.A. 93-212, S. 1, 2; 93-262, S. 1, 87; 93-435, S. 59, 95; P.A. 11-44, S. 178.)
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