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General Assembly Substitute Bill No. 1055
January Session, 2021
AN ACT CONCERNING TH E DEPARTMENT OF AGIN G AND
DISABILITY SERVICES.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in General
Assembly convened:
Section 1. Section 17b-660 of the general statutes is repealed and the 1
following is substituted in lieu thereof (Effective July 1, 2021): 2
The Commissioner of Aging and Disability Services is authorized to 3
accept and use gifts, grants, reimbursements or bequests made 4
[unconditionally] by will or otherwise for carrying out the purposes of 5
the donor or of the general statutes concerning the Department of Aging 6
and Disability Services. Gifts, grants, reimbursements or bequests made 7
under such conditions as in the judgment of the Commissioner of Aging 8
and Disability Services are proper and consistent with the provisions of 9
[said sections] state and federal law may be so accepted and shall be 10
held, invested, reinvested and used in accordance with the conditions 11
of the gift, grant, reimbursement or bequest. 12
Sec. 2. Section 10-298 of the general statutes is repealed and the 13
following is substituted in lieu thereof (Effective July 1, 2021): 14
(a) The Commissioner of Aging and Disability Services shall prepare 15
and maintain a register of persons who are blind in this state which shall 16
describe their condition, cause of blindness and capacity for education 17
and rehabilitative training. The commissioner may register cases of 18 Substitute Bill No. 1055
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persons who are liable to become visually impaired or blind, and may 19
take such measures in cooperation with other authorities as the 20
commissioner deems advisable for the prevention of blindness or 21
conservation of eyesight and, in appropriate cases, for the education of 22
children and for the vocational guidance of adults whose eyesight 23
approaches visual impairment or blindness. The commissioner shall 24
establish criteria for low vision care and maintain a list of 25
ophthalmologists and optometrists that are exclusively authorized to 26
receive agency funds through established and existing state fee 27
schedules for the delivery of specifically defined low vision services that 28
increase the capacity of eligible recipients of such services to maximize 29
the use of their remaining vision. 30
[(b) The Commissioner of Aging and Disability Services may accept 31
and receive any bequest or gift of money or personal property and, 32
subject to the consent of the Governor and Attorney General as provided 33
in section 4b-22, any devise or gift of real property made to the 34
Commissioner of Aging and Disability Services, and may hold and use 35
such money or property for the purposes, if any, specified in connection 36
with such bequest, devise or gift.] 37
[(c)] (b) The Commissioner of Aging and Disability Services shall 38
provide the Department of Motor Vehicles with the names of all 39
individuals sixteen years of age or older who, on or after October 1, 2005, 40
have been determined to be blind by a physician, an advanced practice 41
registered nurse or an optometrist, as provided in section 10-305. The 42
Commissioner of Aging and Disability Services shall provide 43
simultaneous written notification to any individual whose name is 44
being transmitted by the Commissioner of Aging and Disability Services 45
to the Department of Motor Vehicles. The Commissioner of Aging and 46
Disability Services shall update the list of names provided to the 47
Department of Motor Vehicles on a quarterly basis. The list shall also 48
contain the address and date of birth for each individual reported, as 49
shown on the records of the Department of Aging and Disability 50
Services. The Department of Motor Vehicles shall maintain such list on 51 Substitute Bill No. 1055
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a confidential basis, in accordance with the provisions of section 14-46d. 52
The Commissioner of Aging and Disability Services shall enter into a 53
memorandum of understanding with the Commissioner of Motor 54
Vehicles to effectuate the purposes of this subsection. 55
Sec. 3. Section 17b-607 of the general statutes is repealed and the 56
following is substituted in lieu thereof (Effective July 1, 2021): 57
(a) The Commissioner of Aging and Disability Services is authorized 58
to establish and administer [a fund] state financing activities as outlined 59
in the federal Assistive Technology Act of 2004, P.L. 108-364, as 60
amended from time to time, to be known as the Assistive Technology 61
[Revolving Fund. Said fund] Loan Program. The program shall be used 62
by [said] the commissioner to make and guarantee loans to persons with 63
disabilities, [senior citizens] older adults or the family members of 64
persons with disabilities or [senior citizens] older adults for the 65
purchase of assistive technology and adaptive equipment and services. 66
Each such loan shall be made for a term of not more than ten years. Any 67
loans made under this section [after July 1, 2013,] shall bear interest at a 68
fixed rate not to exceed six per cent. [Said] The commissioner is 69
authorized to expend any funds necessary for the reasonable direct 70
expenses relating to the administration of [said fund. Said] the program. 71
The commissioner shall adopt regulations, in accordance with the 72
provisions of chapter 54, to implement the purposes of this section. 73
(b) The State Bond Commission shall have power from time to time 74
to authorize the issuance of bonds of the state in one or more series in 75
accordance with section 3-20 and in a principal amount necessary to 76
carry out the purposes of this section, but not in excess of an aggregate 77
amount of one million dollars. All of [said] the bonds shall (1) be payable 78
at such place or places as may be determined by the Treasurer pursuant 79
to section 3-19, [and shall] (2) bear such date or dates, (3) mature at such 80
time or times, not exceeding five years from their respective dates, (4) 81
bear interest at such rate or different or varying rates and payable at 82
such time or times, (5) be in such denominations, (6) be in such form 83
with or without interest coupons attached, (7) carry such registration 84 Substitute Bill No. 1055
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and transfer privileges, (8) be payable in such medium of payment, and 85
(9) be subject to such terms of redemption with or without premium as, 86
irrespective of the provisions of [said] section 3-20, may be provided by 87
the authorization of the State Bond Commission or fixed in accordance 88
therewith. The proceeds of the sale of such bonds shall be deposited in 89
the Assistive Technology [Revolving Fund] Loan Program created by 90
this section. Such bonds shall be general obligations of the state and the 91
full faith and credit of the state of Connecticut are pledged for the 92
payment of the principal of and interest on such bonds as the same 93
become due. Accordingly, and as part of the contract of the state with 94
the holders of such bonds, appropriation of all amounts necessary for 95
punctual payment of such principal and interest is hereby made and the 96
Treasurer shall pay such principal and interest as the same become due. 97
Net earnings on investments or reinvestments of proceeds, accrued 98
interest and premiums on the issuance of such bonds, after payment 99
therefrom of expenses incurred by the Treasurer or State Bond 100
Commission in connection with their issuance, shall be deposited in the 101
General Fund of the state. 102
(c) The Connecticut Tech Act Project, within the Department of Aging 103
and Disability Services and as authorized by 29 USC 3001, as amended 104
from time to time, may provide assistive technology evaluation and 105
training services upon the request of any person or any public or private 106
entity, to the extent persons who provide assistive technology services 107
are available. The project may charge a fee to any person or entity 108
receiving such assistive technology evaluation and training services to 109
reimburse the department for its costs. The Commissioner of Aging and 110
Disability Services shall establish fees at reasonable rates that will cover 111
the department's direct and indirect costs. 112
Sec. 4. Subsection (c) of section 9-20 of the general statutes is repealed 113
and the following is substituted in lieu thereof (Effective July 1, 2021): 114
(c) The application for admission as an elector shall include a 115
statement that (1) specifies each eligibility requirement, (2) contains an 116
attestation that the applicant meets each such requirement, and (3) 117 Substitute Bill No. 1055
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requires the signature of the applicant under penalty of perjury. Each 118
registrar of voters and town clerk shall maintain a copy of such 119
statement in braille, large print and audio form. The Department of 120
Aging and Disability Services shall, in consultation with the Secretary 121
of the State, produce [a videotape presenting] an accessible version of 122
such statement in voice and sign language and provide the [videotape] 123
accessible version to the Secretary of the State who shall make [copies of 124
the videotape and provide a copy] it available to the registrars of voters 125
of any municipality. [, upon request and at a cost equal to the cost of 126
making the copy.] If a person applies for admission as an elector in 127
person to an admitting official, such admitting official shall, upon the 128
request of the applicant, administer the elector's oath. 129
Sec. 5. Subsection (a) of section 46a-28 of the general statutes is 130
repealed and the following is substituted in lieu thereof (Effective July 1, 131
2021): 132
(a) The Advisory Board for Persons Who are Deaf or Hard of Hearing 133
shall consist of the following [sixteen members appointed by the 134
Governor] members: (1) The consultant appointed by the State Board of 135
Education in accordance with section 10-316a, or the consultant's 136
designee; (2) the president of the Connecticut Council of Organizations 137
Serving the Deaf, or the president's designee; (3) the president of the 138
Connecticut Association of the Deaf, or the president's designee; (4) the 139
president of the Connecticut Registry of Interpreters for the Deaf, or the 140
president's designee; (5) the Commissioner of Aging and Disability 141
Services, or the commissioner's designee; (6) the executive director of 142
the American School for the Deaf, or the executive director's designee; 143
(7) [a parent of a student in a predominantly oral education program] 144
the Governor's liaison to the disability community; (8) [a parent of a 145
student at the American School for the Deaf; (9) a] the director of the 146
Connecticut Chapter of We the Deaf People; and (9) eight members 147
appointed by the Governor as follows: (A) A person who is deaf; [(10)] 148
(B) a person who is hard of hearing; [(11)] (C) a person who is deaf and 149
blind; [(12)] (D) an interpreting professional who serves deaf or hard of 150 Substitute Bill No. 1055
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hearing persons; [(13)] (E) a healthcare professional who works with 151
persons who are deaf or hard of hearing; [(14) the Governor's liaison to 152
the disability community; (15)] (F) a parent of a student in a 153
predominantly oral education program; (G) an educator who works 154
with children who are deaf or hard of hearing; and [(16) the director of 155
the Connecticut Chapter of We the Deaf People] (H) a parent of a 156
student at the American School for the Deaf. The Commissioner of 157
Aging and Disability Services, the Governor's liaison to the disability 158
community and a member chosen by the majority of the board shall be 159
the chairpersons of the advisory board. 160
Sec. 6. Subsection (a) of section 46a-29 of the general statutes is 161
repealed and the following is substituted in lieu thereof (Effective July 1, 162
2021): 163
(a) The Commissioner of Aging and Disability Services may request 164
and shall receive from any department, division, board, bureau, 165
commission or agency of the state or of any political subdivision thereof 166
such assistance and data as will enable the Department of Aging and 167
Disability Services to properly carry out its activities under sections 17b-168
650e and [46a-30] 46a-33 to 46a-33b, inclusive, and to effectuate the 169
purposes therein set forth. 170
Sec. 7. Sections 17a-301b and 46a-30 of the general statutes are 171
repealed. (Effective July 1, 2021) 172
This act shall take effect as follows and shall amend the following
sections:
Section 1 July 1, 2021 17b-660
Sec. 2 July 1, 2021 10-298
Sec. 3 July 1, 2021 17b-607
Sec. 4 July 1, 2021 9-20(c)
Sec. 5 July 1, 2021 46a-28(a)
Sec. 6 July 1, 2021 46a-29(a)
Sec. 7 July 1, 2021 Repealer section
Substitute Bill No. 1055
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Statement of Legislative Commissioners:
In Section 5(a), "of: the following sixteen members appointed by the
Governor:]" was changed to "the following [sixteen members appointed
by the Governor] members:"; and Subdiv. designators (9) to (16),
inclusive, were replaced with Subdiv. designators 9(A) to 9(H),
inclusive, for clarity and to conform to standard drafting conventions.
HS Joint Favorable Subst. -LCO