Senate Bill No. 817
Public Act No. 21-7
AN ACT CONCERNING SE NIOR CENTERS AND SEN IOR CRIME
PREVENTION EDUCATION .
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in General
Assembly convened:
Section 1. Section 7-127b of the general statutes is repealed and the
following is substituted in lieu thereof (Effective October 1, 2021):
(a) The chief elected official or the chief executive officer if by
ordinance of each municipality shall appoint a municipal agent for
elderly persons. Such agent shall be a staff member of a senior center, a
member of an agency that serves elderly persons in the municipality or
a responsible resident of the municipality who has demonstrated an
interest in the elderly or has been involved in programs in the field of
aging.
(b) The duties of the municipal agent may include, but shall not be
limited to: [,] (1) [disseminating] Disseminating information to elderly
persons, assisting such persons in learning about the community
resources available to them and publicizing such resources and benefits;
(2) assisting elderly persons to apply for federal and other benefits
available to such persons; and (3) reporting to the chief elected official
or chief executive officer of the municipality and the Department of
Aging and Disability Services any needs and problems of the elderly Senate Bill No. 817
Public Act No. 21-7 2 of 8
and any recommendations for action to improve services to the elderly.
(c) Each municipal agent shall serve for a term of two or four years,
at the discretion of the appointing authority of each municipality, and
may be reappointed. If more than one agent is necessary to carry out the
purposes of this section, the appointing authority, in its discretion, may
appoint one or more assistant agents. The town clerk in each
municipality shall notify the Department of Aging and Disability
Services immediately of the appointment of a new municipal agent.
Each municipality may provide to its municipal agent resources
sufficient for such agent to perform the duties of the office.
(d) The Department of Aging and Disability Services shall adopt and
disseminate to municipalities guidelines as to the role and duties of
municipal agents and such informational and technical materials as may
assist such agents in performance of their duties. The department, in
cooperation with the area agencies on aging, may provide training for
municipal agents within the available resources of the department and
of the area agencies on aging.
Sec. 2. (NEW) (Effective October 1, 2021) (a) Any one or more
municipalities, or any one or more private organizations that serve older
persons and are designated to act as agents of one or more
municipalities, may establish a multipurpose senior center, as defined
in Title I of the Older Americans Act of 1965, as amended from time to
time.
(b) A multipurpose senior center established pursuant to subsection
(a) of this section may, but need not be limited to, providing: (1)
Nutrition services; (2) health programs, including, but not limited to,
mental health, behavioral health and wellness programs; (3)
employment assistance; (4) intergenerational initiatives; (5) community
service and civic engagement opportunities; (6) public benefits
counseling; (7) socialization and educational opportunities; (8) Senate Bill No. 817
Public Act No. 21-7 3 of 8
transportation; (9) peer counseling; (10) financial and retirement
counseling; (11) arts and recreation programs; and (12) case
management services.
Sec. 3. (NEW) (Effective October 1, 2021) Within available
appropriations, the Commission on Women, Children, Seniors, Equity
and Opportunity shall provide assistance to senior centers, which may
include, but need not be limited to: (1) Establishment and maintenance
of a list of senior centers and municipal services for older persons; (2)
establishment and maintenance of a list of resources for staff of senior
centers and municipal services for older persons; (3) development of
technical assistance for staff of senior centers and municipal services for
older persons through direct assistance or referral to expert resources;
(4) regular communication with staff of senior centers and municipal
services for older persons; (5) dissemination of information about local,
state and federal support and services of interest to senior centers and
municipal services for older persons; and (6) establishment and
facilitation of a state-wide senior center work group as described in
section 4 of this act. The executive director of the Commission on
Women, Children, Seniors, Equity and Opportunity shall assign or
appoint necessary personnel to perform such duties.
Sec. 4. (Effective October 1, 2021) (a) There is established a state-wide
senior center working group to develop a coordinated plan of
development for senior centers and municipal services for older
persons.
(b) The working group shall: (1) Develop an annual plan for the
support and development of senior centers and municipal services for
older persons, including, but not limited to, training needs and the
coordination of existing resources; (2) evaluate the feasibility of
implementing standards for the delivery of core services and make
recommendations for such standards, including, but not limited to,
standards that allow for parity of core services across municipalities Senate Bill No. 817
Public Act No. 21-7 4 of 8
while maintaining flexibility for delivery of those core services; (3)
consult with the five area agencies on aging and other agencies; (4)
facilitate coordination and communication between senior centers and
municipal services for older persons with executive branch
departments, including, but not limited to, the Departments of Aging
and Disability Services, Housing, Mental Health and Addiction
Services, Public Health, Social Services, Transportation and agencies
and initiatives that impact older persons in the community; (5) develop
and provide access to best practices and procedures for senior centers
and municipal services for older persons; and (6) make
recommendations to the joint standing committees of the General
Assembly having cognizance of matters relating to aging, human
services, housing, planning and development, public health and
transportation for any necessary appropriations or legislative changes.
(c) The working group shall consist of the following members:
(1) Five representatives of senior centers, one from each of the five
planning and services areas, as described in section 17a-304 of the
general statutes, two appointed by the speaker of the House of
Representatives, two appointed by the president pro tempore of the
Senate, and one appointed by the majority leader of the House of
Representatives;
(2) Two representatives of the Connecticut Association of Senior
Center Personnel appointed by the majority leader of the Senate;
(3) One representative of the Connecticut Local Administrators of
Social Services appointed by the minority leader of the House of
Representatives;
(4) One representative from a senior center that is accredited by the
National Institute of Senior Centers appointed by the minority leader of
the Senate; Senate Bill No. 817
Public Act No. 21-7 5 of 8
(5) One representative of the Connecticut Association of Municipal
Agents for the Elderly and one representative of a nonprofit senior
center, appointed by the Governor;
(6) The executive director of the Commission on Women, Children,
Seniors, Equity and Opportunity, who shall serve as chairperson of the
working group;
(7) The Commissioner of the Department of Aging and Disability
Services, or the commissioner's designee; and
(8) The Commissioner of Social Services, or the commissioner's
designee.
(d) Any member of the working group appointed under subdivision
(1), (2), (3) or (4) of subsection (c) of this section may be a member of the
General Assembly.
(e) All initial appointments to the working group shall be made not
later than thirty days after the effective date of this section. Any vacancy
shall be filled by the appointing authority.
(f) The chairperson of the working group shall schedule the first
meeting, which shall be held not later than sixty days after the effective
date of this section.
(g) The administrative staff of the Commission on Women, Children,
Seniors, Equity and Opportunity shall serve as administrative staff of
the working group.
(h) Not later than January 1, 2023, the working group shall submit a
report on its findings and recommendations to the joint standing
committees of the General Assembly having cognizance of matters
relating to aging, human services, housing, planning and development,
public health and transportation, in accordance with the provisions of Senate Bill No. 817
Public Act No. 21-7 6 of 8
section 11-4a of the general statutes. The working group shall terminate
on the date that it submits such report or January 1, 2023, whichever is
later.
Sec. 5. Section 54-261 of the general statutes is repealed and the
following is substituted in lieu thereof (Effective July 1, 2021):
(a) The Court Support Services Division, in conjunction with state-
wide experts in law enforcement, the treatment of sexual offenders and
sexual assault victim services, shall, within available appropriations,
develop a community response education program to be offered to
neighborhoods and municipalities that have been notified pursuant to
section 54-258 that a person who has registered under said section is or
will be residing in that community.
(b) The purpose of such program shall be to assist neighborhoods,
senior centers and other facilities serving or housing senior citizens in
such neighborhoods, parents and children to learn how to better protect
themselves from sexual abuse and sexual assault. The program shall
develop educational materials and community information resources
on prevention and risk reduction concerning sexual abuse and sexual
assault and the enforcement of requirements concerning the registration
and supervision of sexual offenders and the notification of communities
where such offenders reside.
(c) The program may include the following:
(1) An initial community meeting following a community
notification, sponsored by the Court Support Services Division and held
in conjunction with the chief of police, chief elected officials, the
superintendent of schools and other municipal officials of the
community, to discuss the implementation of the statutory
requirements concerning the registration of a sexual offender and the
notification of the community where such offender resides, to provide Senate Bill No. 817
Public Act No. 21-7 7 of 8
information on the crime or crimes involved and to provide information
on how the offender will be monitored by the Court Support Services
Division and the specific conditions of probation applicable to the
offender;
(2) Information on how and where concerned residents may report
observed violations by an offender of the conditions of such offender's
probation;
(3) Resources to educate families, [and] children and senior citizens
in the prevention and avoidance of sexual abuse and sexual assault and
for parents seeking supportive methods for discussing relevant issues
with their children;
(4) Resources on when and how a community may wish to establish
a network of "Safe Houses" for neighborhood children to use when they
seek safe shelter or the creation of a neighborhood block watch or crime
watch;
(5) Resources for police departments and boards of education to use
in consulting with parents on appropriate school-based classroom
programs stressing safety, prevention and risk reduction and to use in
developing educational programs for parents to discuss relevant issues
with their children; [and]
(6) Resources for police departments and municipal officials to
provide programs stressing safety, prevention and risk reduction for
senior citizens living in the community or receiving services at a senior
center or other facility located in the community; and
[(6)] (7) Compilation and distribution of a list of child protective
agencies, child guidance clinics and rape crisis centers for families
seeking more in-depth counseling after a community notification has
occurred. Senate Bill No. 817
Public Act No. 21-7 8 of 8
(d) The Court Support Services Division may apply for and receive
grants from the federal government or any agency thereof or from any
foundation, corporation, association or individual for purposes of the
development of the community response education program under this
section.
Approved May 13, 2021