Substitute House Bill No. 5694
          Substitute House Bill No. 5694

              PUBLIC ACT NO. 96-207

AN  ACT  CONCERNING  FORFEITURE AND RESTORATION OF
VOTING RIGHTS.


    Be  it  enacted  by  the  Senate  and House of
Representatives in General Assembly convened:
    Section  1.  Section   9-45   of  the  general
statutes  is  repealed   and   the   following  is
substituted in lieu thereof:
    (a)  The  [clerk  of  each court of this state
having criminal jurisdiction] JUDICIAL  DEPARTMENT
shall,  on  or  before  the  fifteenth day of each
month, [make] TRANSMIT TO  THE  SECRETARY  OF  THE
STATE  a  list  of  all  persons  who,  during the
preceding calendar month, have been  convicted  in
[such]  THE  SUPERIOR court of any crime for which
the privileges of an elector are forfeited. [, and
shall  furnish  to the registrars of voters of the
towns in which such convicted persons  resided  at
the  time  of  their  conviction, a list of their]
SUCH LISTS SHALL INCLUDE THE  names,  birth  dates
and  addresses  OF  SUCH  PERSONS, with the [date]
DATES of their conviction and the crimes of  which
such  persons have been convicted. [, and the] THE
SECRETARY OF THE STATE SHALL TRANSMIT  SUCH  LISTS
TO  THE  REGISTRARS  OF  THE  TOWNS  IN WHICH SUCH
CONVICTED PERSONS RESIDED AT  THE  TIME  OF  THEIR
CONVICTION  AND  TO  THE  REGISTRARS  OF ANY TOWNS
WHERE THE SECRETARY BELIEVES SUCH PERSONS  MAY  BE
ELECTORS.  THE  registrars  of  such  towns  shall
compare the same with the list  of  electors  upon
their  registry  lists  and,  after written notice
mailed by certified mail to each  of  the  persons
named  at  his  last-known place of address, shall
erase such names from the registry lists in  their
respective towns or voting districts.
    (b)   Any   person  who  procures  himself  or
another  to  be  registered  after   having   been
disfranchised  by  reason  of conviction of crime,
and any person who votes  at  any  election  after
having  forfeited  his  privileges  by  reason  of
conviction of crime, shall be fined not more  than
five  hundred dollars and imprisoned not more than
one year.
    Sec.  2.  Section 9-46 of the general statutes
is repealed and the following  is  substituted  in
lieu thereof:
    (a)  A  person  shall  forfeit  his  right  to
become an elector and his privileges as an elector
upon  conviction  of  a  felony.  [, except that a
person convicted of the crime of nonsupport  shall
not forfeit such right or privileges.]
    (b)  No  person  who  has  forfeited  and  not
regained his privileges as an elector, as provided
in  section 9-46a, AS AMENDED BY SECTION 3 OF THIS
ACT, may be a candidate for or hold public office.
    Sec.  3. Section 9-46a of the general statutes
is repealed and the following  is  substituted  in
lieu thereof:
    (a)  A  person  who  has  been  convicted of a
felony  shall  have   his   electoral   privileges
restored  upon  submission  of  written  or  other
satisfactory  proof  to  the  admitting   official
before  whom  he presents his qualifications to be
admitted  as  an  elector,  that  all   fines   in
conjunction with the conviction have been paid and
that he  has  been  discharged  from  confinement,
parole or probation, as the case may be.
    (b)   The   registrars   of   voters   of  the
municipality in which a person is admitted  as  an
elector,   pursuant  to  subsection  (a)  of  this
section, within thirty  days  after  the  date  on
which  such  person  is admitted, shall notify the
registrars of voters of the  municipality  wherein
such  person resided at the time of his conviction
that his electoral rights have been so restored to
him.
    (c)  THE JUDICIAL DEPARTMENT, THE COMMISSIONER
OF CORRECTION AND THE PAROLE BOARD SHALL ESTABLISH
PROCEDURES  TO  INFORM THOSE PERSONS WHO HAVE BEEN
CONVICTED  OF  A  FELONY,  HAVE  BEEN  UNDER   THE
JURISDICTION  OF  SAID DEPARTMENT, COMMISSIONER OR
BOARD, AND ARE ELIGIBLE TO  HAVE  THEIR  ELECTORAL
PRIVILEGES RESTORED, PURSUANT TO SUBSECTION (a) OF
THIS SECTION, OF THE RIGHT AND PROCEDURES TO  HAVE
SUCH PRIVILEGES RESTORED.
    Sec. 4. This  act shall take effect January 1,
1997.

Approved June 4, 1996