O F F I C E O F L E G I S L A T I V E R E S E A R C H
P U B L I C A C T S U M M A R Y
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PA 21-151—sSB 1055
Human Services Committee
AN ACT CONCERNING TH E DEPARTMENT OF AGIN G AND
DISABILITY SERVICES
SUMMARY: This act makes various changes and updates in the statutes
governing the Department of Aging and Disability Services (ADS). More
specifically, it:
1. consolidates gift acceptance and use provisions that allow ADS to accept
gifts and bequests;
2. replaces the Assistive Technology Revolving Fund, which makes direct
loans, with a program to make and guarantee loans for the same purposes;
3. updates the format of a required informational resource about the voter
application process; and
4. changes the name of the Advisory Board for Persons Who are Deaf or
Hard of Hearing and eliminates required appointments for its eight ex-
officio members.
The act also makes technical and conforming changes, including repealing an
obsolete statute that referred to the Department of Social Services taking over
programs of the former Department on Aging, as they were instead merged into
ADS (CGS § 17a-301b).
EFFECTIVE DATE: July 1, 2021
§§ 1, 2, 6 & 7 — GIFT ACCEPTANCE AUTH ORIZATION
The act consolidates under one provision, the ADS commissioner’s existing
authority to accept and use gifts under three separate statutory provisions. It
specifies that she may accept and use gifts, grants, reimbursements, or bequests
made by will or otherwise for carrying out the donor’s purposes or the laws
governing ADS, provided they are made under conditions that she judges proper
and consistent with state and federal law. If she accepts them, they must be held,
invested, reinvested, and used according to the conditions of the gift, grant,
reimbursement, or bequest.
To effectuate the consolidation, the act eliminates two similar provisions that
authorized the ADS (formerly the Department of Rehabilitation Services (DRS))
commissioner to accept and use gifts, grants, bequests, personal property, and
reimbursements for the donor’s specified purposes, if any, or to support its
programs. It also eliminates an authorization for ADS (formerly DRS) to expend
its appropriation to engage consultants.
§ 3 — ASSISTIVE TECHNOLOGY LOANS
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Prior law authorized the ADS commissioner to establish and administer the
Assistive Technology Revolving Fund, which made direct loans to people with
disabilities, senior citizens, or their family members to purchase necessary
assistive technology and adaptive equipment and services.
The act instead authorizes her to establish and administer state financing
activities as outlined in the federal Assistive Technology Act. This is to be known
as the Assistive Technology Loan Program, which must make and guarantee loans
to people with disabilities, older adults, or their family members, for the same
purposes as the prior fund.
§ 4 — VOTER INFORMATIONAL RESOURCE
Prior election law required ADS to make a videotape presenting the oath
statement on voter application forms in voice and sign language and provide it to
the secretary of the state. The secretary then had to give a copy to municipal
registrars of voters upon request. The statement specifies each voter eligibility
requirement, has an attestation that the applicant meets each requirement, and
requires his or her signature under penalty of perjury. The act instead requires
ADS to produce an accessible version (e.g., an online video) of the oath
statement, in consultation with the secretary, and provide it to her. In turn, the
secretary must make it available to registrars of voters.
§ 5 — ADVISORY BOARD APPOI NTMENTS
The act changes the name of the Advisory Board for Persons Who are Deaf or
Hard of Hearing to the Advisory Board for Persons Who are Deaf, Hard of
Hearing or Deafblind. It makes several minor and conforming changes in the
statute governing the board’s membership to allow representation by service
providers who work with individuals who are deafblind.
Prior law required the governor to appoint the board’s 16 members, eight of
whom are members by virtue of holding another office. The act eliminates the
requirement that he appoint these ex-officio members, thus enabling their
immediate board participation upon assuming their outside positions.
Background - Related Act
PA 21-72 (§ 5) makes the same changes to the Advisory Board for Persons
Who are Deaf or Hard of Hearing.