Substitute House Bill No. 6745 Substitute House Bill No. 6745 PUBLIC ACT NO. 97-89 AN ACT CONCERNING THE RECORDING, COPYING AND MAINTENANCE OF CERTAIN PUBLIC RECORDS. Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in General Assembly convened: Section 1. Section 1-7 of the general statutes is repealed and the following is substituted in lieu thereof: When any officer, office, court, commission, board, institution, department, agent or employee of the state, or of any political subdivision thereof, is required or authorized by law or has the duty to record or copy any document, plat, paper or instrument of writing, such recording or copying may be done by any photographic, MICROGRAPHIC, ELECTRONIC IMAGING OR OTHER process, [approved by the Public Records Administrator,] which clearly and accurately copies, photographs or OTHERWISE reproduces the original document, plat, paper or instrument of writing. EACH SUCH PHOTOGRAPHIC, MICROGRAPHIC, ELECTRONIC IMAGING OR OTHER PROCESS SHALL BE SUBJECT TO THE APPROVAL OF THE PUBLIC RECORDS ADMINISTRATOR. Properly certified [photographic copies] REPRODUCTIONS of any record made under the provisions of this section shall be admissible in evidence in the same manner and entitled to the same weight as copies made and certified from the original. Sec. 2. Section 1-8 of the general statutes is repealed and the following is substituted in lieu thereof: When books, records, papers or documents are required to be recorded by law, the word "recorded" shall be construed to include, and such recording may be made by, photographic, [reproduction, including proper fixation, of such books, records, papers or documents, on such sensitized paper or cellulose acetate photographic film, and] MICROGRAPHIC, ELECTRONIC IMAGING OR ANY OTHER PROCESS with the reproduced image [in such ratio] PROPORTIONAL in size to the original. [object photographed, as may be approved by the Public Records Administrator] EACH SUCH PHOTOGRAPHIC, MICROGRAPHIC, ELECTRONIC IMAGING OR OTHER PROCESS SHALL BE SUBJECT TO THE APPROVAL OF THE PUBLIC RECORDS ADMINISTRATOR. Sec. 3. Section 1-14 of the general statutes is repealed and the following is substituted in lieu thereof: When the term "certified copy" is used in any statute relating to any recording agency, such term shall be construed to include a certified [photographic] reproduction of the [reproduced] image or images of such books, records, papers or documents, [in such ratio] WHICH IS PROPORTIONAL in size to the original. [object photographed as may be approved by the Public Records Administrator] EACH PROCESS USED FOR SUCH REPRODUCTIONS SHALL BE SUBJECT TO THE APPROVAL OF THE PUBLIC RECORDS ADMINISTRATOR. Any such [photographic] REPRODUCED record or any such certified copy may be admitted in evidence with the same effect as the original thereof, and shall be prima facie evidence of the facts set forth therein. Sec. 4. Section 1-16 of the general statutes is repealed and the following is substituted in lieu thereof: Any officer of the state or any political subdivision thereof, any judge of probate and any person, corporation or association required to keep records, papers or documents may cause any or all such records, papers or documents to be photographed, microphotographed or OTHERWISE reproduced [on film] BY ELECTRONIC IMAGING OR ANY OTHER PROCESS APPROVED BY THE PUBLIC RECORDS ADMINISTRATOR. Such [photographic film] REPRODUCTIONS shall conform to standards specified in [section] SECTIONS 1-7 AND 1-8, AS AMENDED BY SECTIONS 1 AND 2 OF THIS ACT, and the device used to reproduce such records [on such film] shall be one which accurately reproduces the original thereof in all details. Sec. 5. Section 1-17 of the general statutes is repealed and the following is substituted in lieu thereof: Such photographs, microphotographs, [or photographic film] ELECTRONIC IMAGES OR OTHER REPRODUCTIONS shall for all purposes be considered the same as the original records, papers or documents. A transcript, exemplification or certified copy thereof shall for all purposes be deemed to be a transcript, exemplification or certified copy of the original. Sec. 6. Section 7-23 of the general statutes is repealed and the following is substituted in lieu thereof: Town clerks shall keep the records of their respective towns and truly enter therein, either by transcribing or by photographic, [process] MICROGRAPHIC, ELECTRONIC IMAGING OR ANY OTHER PROCESS APPROVED BY THE PUBLIC RECORDS ADMINISTRATOR, all votes of the town and give true copies of the same and of all deeds and other instruments by them recorded; and all attested copies of deeds, with a certificate of the town clerk or assistant town clerk that they have been recorded, shall be conclusive evidence of that fact. No copy of record certified by the town clerk or assistant town clerk of any town shall be deemed valid in law unless the seal of such town is affixed thereto; and the town clerk of each town or his legally qualified assistant shall affix the seal of such town to all certified copies of record, and no fee shall be allowed for affixing the same. Sec. 7. Section 7-27a of the general statutes is repealed and the following is substituted in lieu thereof: Whenever land records or instruments have been photographed, microphotographed or OTHERWISE reproduced [on film] BY ELECTRONIC IMAGING OR ANY OTHER PROCESS APPROVED BY THE PUBLIC RECORDS ADMINISTRATOR, as permitted under section 1-16, AS AMENDED BY SECTION 4 OF THIS ACT, and the [filmed] REPRODUCED images have been placed in conveniently accessible files, and adequate provision has been made for preserving, examining and using the same, and a copy or copies have been deposited for security storage in the state library or in some other safe storage facility, as shall be required or approved by the Public Records Administrator, the town clerk may, with approval of the administrative head of the municipality and the Public Records Administrator, destroy the original land record books so [copied or] reproduced; provided, no original book, record or document created prior to the year 1850 shall be destroyed without the express written approval of the State Librarian. When land records have been microphotographed or otherwise reproduced [on film] BY A PROCESS APPROVED BY THE PUBLIC RECORDS ADMINISTRATOR and the originals have been destroyed as provided in this section, the [filmed] REPRODUCED images thus made shall be deemed to be the record for all purposes. Approved May 29, 1997