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OLR Bill Analysis
HB 5614
AN ACT ESTABLISHING A COMMISSION ON THE DISPARATE
IMPACT OF COVID-19.
SUMMARY
This bill establishes a 26-member Commission on the Disparate
Impact of COVID-19 within the legislative department. The
commission must, among other things, analyze any disparate impact
of COVID-19 and the state’s response to it on different racial, ethnic,
and socioeconomic groups and identify the causes of any such
disparate impact.
The bill establishes qualifications for commission members and
requires the commission to hold its first meeting by September 1, 2021.
The commission must convene at least two working groups and hold
any public hearings necessary to carry out its duties. The Commission
on Women, Children, Seniors, Equity, and Opportunity‘s (CWCSEO)
administrative staff serve as the commission’s administrative staff.
Starting January 1, 2022, the commission must annually report its
findings and legislative and policy recommendations to the
commission's appointing authorities.
EFFECTIVE DATE: Upon passage
COMMISSION DUTIES
Under the bill, the commission must:
1. analyze any disparate impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the
state’s different racial, ethnic, and socioeconomic groups and
identify its causes;
2. assess whether the state's response to COVID-19 exacerbated or
mitigated any such disparate impact; 2021HB-05614-R000146-BA.DOCX
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3. appoint and convene at least two working groups to analyze the
impact of COVID-19, one each on (a) education, housing, and
human services needs and (b) labor, commerce, and public
health needs;
4. hold any necessary public hearings;
5. obtain any necessary assistance and data available from
executive departments, boards, commissions, or other state
agencies;
6. accept gifts, donations, or bequests for the purpose of
performing its duties;
7. establish bylaws; and
8. perform any other necessary and appropriate acts to carry out
its duties.
COMMISSION MEMBERSHIP
The bill establishes the commission with 25 appointed members
plus the CWCSEO executive director, or his designee, who serves as an
ex-officio nonvoting member. Appointed members may be legislators.
Table 1 shows the appointing authority and required qualifications
for the commission’s 25 voting members.
Table 1: Appointed Members
Appointing Authority Number of
Appointments
Qualifications
Governor Four Must have expertise in evaluating
racial, economic, and health disparities
House speaker Four Must have expertise in evaluating
disparities in education, housing, and
human services
Senate president pro
tempore
Four Must have expertise in evaluating the
impact of COVID-19 on essential
workers
House majority leader Three Two must have expertise in public
health and infectious diseases; one 2021HB-05614-R000146-BA.DOCX
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must be a teacher
Senate majority leader Three Two must have expertise in small
business; one must be a housing
advocate
House minority leader Three Two must have expertise in nursing
homes; one must be a representative
of higher education
Senate minority leader Three Two must have expertise in health care
delivery; one must have expertise in
the hospitality industry
Chairperson of the
Black and Puerto
Rican Caucus
One Representative of the Black and Puerto
Rican Caucus
The bill requires appointing authorities to make their appointments
by September 1, 2021, and fill any vacancies. Members serve two-year
terms except for initial appointments, which terminate on August 31,
2022. Members may serve more than one term and must continue to
serve until their successors are appointed.
Commission members are not paid but may be reimbursed for
necessary expenses within available funds.
COMMISSION MEETINGS AND PROCEDURES
The bill requires the House speaker and Senate president pro
tempore to select the chairperson from among the commission’s
members. The chairperson must schedule the commission’s first
meeting, which must be held by September 1, 2021. After that, the
commission must meet upon the call of the chairperson.
Under the bill, a majority of the members constitutes a quorum to
transact business.
COMMISSION REPORTS
The bill requires the commission to annually report starting by
January 1, 2022, to all commission appointing authorities on (1) the
results of the commission's analysis of the COVID-19 pandemic's
disparate impact on the state’s racial, ethnic, and socioeconomic 2021HB-05614-R000146-BA.DOCX
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groups and (2) policy and legislative recommendations to address the
causes of any disparate impact and improve outcomes during any
future pandemic.
COMMITTEE ACTION
Commerce Committee
Joint Favorable
Yea 19 Nay 4 (03/11/2021)