Substitute House Bill No. 5016
          Substitute House Bill No. 5016

              PUBLIC ACT NO. 98-100


AN ACT CONCERNING THE FAMILY SUPPORT COUNCIL.


    Be  it  enacted  by  the  Senate  and House of
Representatives in General Assembly convened:
    Subsection  (a)  of  section  17a-219c  of the
general statutes is repealed and the following  is
substituted in lieu thereof:
    (a)  There  is  established  a  Family Support
Council  to  assist  the  Department   of   Mental
Retardation   and   other   state   agencies  that
administer or fund family support services to  act
in concert and within available appropriations, to
(1) establish a comprehensive, coordinated  system
of family support services, (2) use existing state
and other resources efficiently and effectively as
appropriate  for  such  services, (3) identify and
address, within available appropriations, services
that  are  needed  for  families  of children with
disabilities,   and   (4)    promote    state-wide
availability  of  such services. The council shall
consist  of  [twenty-four]   TWENTY-SEVEN   voting
members  including  the  Commissioners  of  Public
Health, Mental Retardation, Children and Families,
Education, Social Services or their designees, THE
CHILD ADVOCATE,  the  executive  director  of  the
Office of Protection and Advocacy for Persons with
Disabilities,  the  chair  of  the  Birth-to-Three
Council,   as  established  pursuant  to  sections
17a-248, 17a-248b to 17a-248g, inclusive, 38a-490a
and   38a-516c,  the  executive  director  of  the
Commission on Children, and family members of,  OR
INDIVIDUALS   WHO   ADVOCATE  FOR,  children  with
disabilities. The family  members  OR  INDIVIDUALS
WHO  ADVOCATE FOR CHILDREN WITH DISABILITIES shall
comprise two-thirds of the council [,]  and  shall
be  appointed  as  follows:  Six  by the Governor,
[two] THREE by the president pro  tempore  of  the
Senate,  two by the majority leader of the Senate,
one by the minority leader of  the  Senate,  [two]
THREE   by   the   speaker   of   the   House   of
Representatives, two by the majority leader of the
House  of  Representatives and one by the minority
leader  of  the  House  of  Representatives.   The
initial  appointments to the council shall be made
on or before September 1, 1994. Members  shall  be
appointed  for a term of four years. Members shall
be limited to two consecutive terms.  The  council
shall meet at least quarterly and shall select its
own  chairperson.  The  initial  meeting  of   the
council  shall be convened before October 1, 1994.
Council members shall serve  without  compensation
but  shall  be  reimbursed  for necessary expenses
incurred. The costs of administering  the  council
shall   be   within  available  appropriations  in
accordance with  sections  17a-219a  to  17a-219c,
inclusive.

Approved May 22, 1998