Sec. 45a-8a. Regional children's probate courts. (a) For the purposes of this
section, "children's matters" means: (1) Guardianship matters under sections 45a-603
to 45a-625, inclusive; (2) termination of parental rights matters under sections 45a-706
to 45a-719, inclusive; (3) adoption matters under sections 45a-724 to 45a-733, inclusive,
and sections 45a-736 and 45a-737; (4) claims for paternity under section 46b-172a; (5)
emancipation of minor matters under sections 46b-150 to 46b-150e, inclusive; and (6)
voluntary admission matters under section 17a-11.
(b) The Probate Court Administrator may establish seven regional children's probate courts in regions designated by the Probate Court Administrator. In establishing
such courts, the Probate Court Administrator shall consult with the probate judges of
the districts located in each designated region, each of whom may participate on a voluntary basis.
(c) The Probate Court Administrator may establish a regional children's probate
court under this section in (1) any existing probate court facility within a district located
in a region, or (2) a separate facility located in a region as may be designated by the
Probate Court Administrator. Each regional children's probate court shall be established
and operated with the advice of the participating probate judges of such districts and the
administrative judge appointed under subsection (f) of this section. Such participating
probate judges and administrative judge shall serve as the judges of the regional children's probate court, except as provided in subdivision (1) of subsection (f) of this
section. Such judges shall hear and determine all children's matters as may come before
them on a docket separate from other probate matters.
(d) (1) For the purposes of this section, the Probate Court Administrator may, subject to the provisions of section 45a-84, expend from the Probate Court Administration
Fund established under section 45a-82 such amounts as the Probate Court Administrator
may deem reasonable and necessary for the establishment, improvement, maintenance
and operations of court facilities located in each such designated region.
(2) Nothing in this section shall be construed to relieve any town of its obligation
to provide and maintain court facilities pursuant to section 45a-8.
(e) The Probate Court Administrator may, subject to the provisions of section 45a-84, expend moneys from the Probate Court Administration Fund to pay for necessary
improvements of a facility designated as a regional children's probate court under this
section, to pay operating expenses of a regional children's probate court and to reimburse
participating towns or cities for any costs of leasing office space for a regional children's
probate court, and any necessary improvements thereto, and for expenses under subsection (f) of this section.
(f) (1) The Probate Court Administrator, with the advice of the participating probate judges of the districts located in the designated region, shall appoint an administrative judge for each regional children's probate court. The administrative judge shall be
a probate judge at the time of such appointment. If the administrative judge ceases to
serve as a probate judge after such appointment, the administrative judge may continue
to serve as administrative judge at the pleasure of the Probate Court Administrator, but
shall not have the powers granted to an elected probate judge and shall not hear and
determine children's matters before such regional children's probate court. Subject to
the approval of the Chief Court Administrator, the Probate Court Administrator shall
fix the compensation of the administrative judge and such compensation shall be paid
from the Probate Court Administration Fund. Such compensation, together with the
administrative judge's compensation as a probate judge of the district to which he or
she was elected, shall not exceed the compensation provided for a judge of probate
under subdivision (4) of subsection (a) of section 45a-95a. The administrative judge
shall have such benefits as may inure to him or her as a probate judge and shall receive
no additional benefits, except for compensation provided under this section.
(2) Each administrative judge shall be responsible for the management of cases,
coordination of social services, staff, financial management and record keeping for the
regional children's probate court for which the administrative judge is appointed. The
administrative judge may, with the approval of the Probate Court Administrator, purchase furniture, office supplies, computers and other equipment and contract for services
that the administrative judge may deem necessary or advisable for the expeditious conduct of the business of the regional children's probate court. Such expenses shall be
paid for pursuant to section 45a-8. If a separate facility for a regional children's probate
court is established pursuant to subdivision (2) of subsection (c) of this section, the
participating town or city shall be reimbursed for such expenses from the Probate Court
Administration Fund upon presentation of vouchers to the Probate Court Administrator.
(g) Each administrative judge for a regional children's probate court may, with the
approval of the Probate Court Administrator, employ such persons as may be required
for the efficient operation of the regional children's probate court. Such employees shall
be employees of the regional children's probate court and shall be entitled to the benefits
of probate court employees under this chapter. Such employees shall not be deemed to
be state employees.
(h) Any probate court within a region designated under subsection (b) of this section
may transfer children's matters to the regional children's probate court for such region.
Any regional children's probate court may accept transfers and referrals of children's
matters from probate courts within its region.
(i) Each regional children's probate court shall be considered a probate court for
the purposes of this chapter.
(j) The Probate Court Administrator shall establish policies and procedures to implement the provisions of this section.
(P.A. 04-159, S. 1; P.A. 05-225, S. 1; P.A. 10-41, S. 1; P.A. 11-128, S. 1.)
History: P.A. 04-159 effective June 1, 2004; P.A. 05-225 made technical changes in Subsec. (a), amended Subsec. (b)
by deleting provisions re pilot program in a single region and making conforming changes, added new Subsec. (c) re
establishment of six additional regional courts, redesignated portion of Subsec. (b) as new Subsec. (d) and amended same
by deleting provision re designated region and making conforming changes, added new Subsec. (e) re expenditures for
establishment, improvement, maintenance and operations of regional court facilities, redesignated existing Subsecs. (c)
to (h) as new Subsecs. (f) to (k) and made conforming and technical changes therein, amended Subsec. (i) by deleting
provisions prohibiting transfer of new children's matters on or after July 1, 2007, and amended Subsec. (k) by deleting
provisions re pilot program; P.A. 10-41 amended Subsec. (g)(1) to substitute compensation for judge of probate under
Sec. 45a-95a(a)(4) for compensation under Sec. 45a-92(k), effective January 5, 2011; P.A. 11-128 deleted former Subsec.
(b) re regional children's probate court established within available resources in a region consisting of specified probate
districts, redesignated existing Subsecs. (c) to (k) as Subsecs. (b) to (j), amended Subsec. (b) to substitute "seven" for "six
additional" re regional children's probate courts, amended Subsec. (j) to delete provision re report, and made technical
changes, effective July 1, 2011.
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Sec. 45a-8c. Truancy clinic. Administration. Policies and procedures. Report.
(a) The Probate Court Administrator may, within available appropriations, establish a
pilot truancy clinic within the regional children's probate court for the district of Waterbury. The administrative judge of the regional children's probate court for the district
of Waterbury shall administer the truancy clinic.
(b) The principal of any elementary or middle school in the Waterbury school district, or the principal's designee, may refer to the truancy clinic a parent or guardian
with a child enrolled in such school who is a truant, as defined in section 10-198a, or
at risk of becoming a truant. Upon receiving such referral, the truancy clinic shall prepare
a citation and summons for the parent or guardian of the child to appear at the clinic.
An attendance officer authorized pursuant to section 10-199, or an officer authorized
pursuant to section 10-200, shall deliver the citation, summons and a copy of the referral
to the parent or guardian.
(c) The administrative judge of the regional children's probate court for the district
of Waterbury may refer any matter referred to the truancy clinic to a probate magistrate
or attorney probate referee assigned by the Probate Court Administrator pursuant to
section 45a-123a to hear the matter.
(d) The truancy clinic shall operate for the purpose of identifying and resolving the
cause of a child's truancy using nonpunitive procedures. After the initial appearance
made pursuant to the summons described in subsection (b) of this section, the participation of a parent or guardian in the truancy clinic shall be voluntary. The truancy clinic
shall establish protocols for clinic participation and shall establish programs and relationships with schools, individuals, public and private agencies, and other organizations
to provide services and support for parents, guardians and children participating in the
clinic.
(e) The Probate Court Administrator shall establish policies and procedures to implement the truancy clinic and measure the clinic's effectiveness.
(f) Not later than September 1, 2012, and annually thereafter, the administrative
judge of the regional children's probate court for the district of Waterbury shall file a
report with the Probate Court Administrator assessing the truancy clinic's effectiveness.
(g) Not later than January 1, 2015, the Probate Court Administrator shall submit,
in accordance with section 11-4a, a report assessing the effectiveness of the truancy
clinic to the joint standing committees of the General Assembly having cognizance of
matters relating to the judiciary and education.
(P.A. 11-177, S. 1.)
History: P.A. 11-177 effective July 13, 2011.
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Sec. 45a-9a. Access to data processing system or information stored in data
processing system. Fee schedule. Any person seeking on-line access to any data processing system operated by the Office of the Probate Court Administrator, or seeking,
in any other medium, information stored in such data processing system, may be required
to pay to the Office of the Probate Court Administrator an amount, as established in a
fee schedule determined by the Probate Court Administrator, for deposit in the Probate
Court Administration Fund established in section 45a-82. Such fee schedule may include
reasonable charges for personal services, fringe benefits, supplies and any other expenses related to maintaining, improving and providing such data processing services
including, but not limited to, program modifications, training expenses, central processor user time and the rental and maintenance of equipment.
(P.A. 11-128, S. 10.)
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