Substitute Senate Bill No. 1055
Public Act No. 21-151
AN ACT CONCERNING THE DEPARTMENT OF AGING 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 Section 17b-660 of the general statutes is repealed and the
following is substituted in lieu thereof (Effective July 1, 2021):
The Commissioner of Aging and Disability Services is authorized to
accept and use gifts, grants, reimbursements or bequests made
[unconditionally] by will or otherwise for carrying out the purposes of
the donor or of the general statutes concerning the Department of Aging
and Disability Services. Gifts, grants, reimbursements or bequests made
under such conditions as in the judgment of the Commissioner of Aging
and Disability Services are proper and consistent with the provisions of
[said sections] state and federal law may be so accepted and shall be
held, invested, reinvested and used in accordance with the conditions
of the gift, grant, reimbursement or bequest.
Sec. 2. Section 10-298 of the general statutes is repealed and the
following is substituted in lieu thereof (Effective July 1, 2021):
(a) The Commissioner of Aging and Disability Services shall prepare
and maintain a register of persons who are blind in this state which shall
describe their condition, cause of blindness and capacity for education Substitute Senate Bill No. 1055
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and rehabilitative training. The commissioner may register cases of
persons who are liable to become visually impaired or blind, and may
take such measures in cooperation with other authorities as the
commissioner deems advisable for the prevention of blindness or
conservation of eyesight and, in appropriate cases, for the education of
children and for the vocational guidance of adults whose eyesight
approaches visual impairment or blindness. The commissioner shall
establish criteria for low vision care and maintain a list of
ophthalmologists and optometrists that are exclusively authorized to
receive agency funds through established and existing state fee
schedules for the delivery of specifically defined low vision services that
increase the capacity of eligible recipients of such services to maximize
the use of their remaining vision.
[(b) The Commissioner of Aging and Disability Services may accept
and receive any bequest or gift of money or personal property and,
subject to the consent of the Governor and Attorney General as provided
in section 4b-22, any devise or gift of real property made to the
Commissioner of Aging and Disability Services, and may hold and use
such money or property for the purposes, if any, specified in connection
with such bequest, devise or gift.]
[(c)] (b) The Commissioner of Aging and Disability Services shall
provide the Department of Motor Vehicles with the names of all
individuals sixteen years of age or older who, on or after October 1, 2005,
have been determined to be blind by a physician, an advanced practice
registered nurse or an optometrist, as provided in section 10-305. The
Commissioner of Aging and Disability Services shall provide
simultaneous written notification to any individual whose name is
being transmitted by the Commissioner of Aging and Disability Services
to the Department of Motor Vehicles. The Commissioner of Aging and
Disability Services shall update the list of names provided to the
Department of Motor Vehicles on a quarterly basis. The list shall also Substitute Senate Bill No. 1055
Public Act No. 21-151 3 of 7
contain the address and date of birth for each individual reported, as
shown on the records of the Department of Aging and Disability
Services. The Department of Motor Vehicles shall maintain such list on
a confidential basis, in accordance with the provisions of section 14-46d.
The Commissioner of Aging and Disability Services shall enter into a
memorandum of understanding with the Commissioner of Motor
Vehicles to effectuate the purposes of this subsection.
Sec. 3. Section 17b-607 of the general statutes is repealed and the
following is substituted in lieu thereof (Effective July 1, 2021):
(a) The Commissioner of Aging and Disability Services is authorized
to establish and administer [a fund] state financing activities as outlined
in the federal Assistive Technology Act of 2004, P.L. 108-364, as
amended from time to time, to be known as the Assistive Technology
[Revolving Fund. Said fund] Loan Program. The program shall be used
by [said] the commissioner to make and guarantee loans to persons with
disabilities, [senior citizens] older adults or the family members of
persons with disabilities or [senior citizens] older adults for the
purchase of assistive technology and adaptive equipment and services.
Each such loan shall be made for a term of not more than ten years. Any
loans made under this section [after July 1, 2013,] shall bear interest at a
fixed rate not to exceed six per cent. [Said] The commissioner is
authorized to expend any funds necessary for the reasonable direct
expenses relating to the administration of [said fund. Said] the program.
The commissioner shall adopt regulations, in accordance with the
provisions of chapter 54, to implement the purposes of this section.
(b) The State Bond Commission shall have power from time to time
to authorize the issuance of bonds of the state in one or more series in
accordance with section 3-20 and in a principal amount necessary to
carry out the purposes of this section, but not in excess of an aggregate
amount of one million dollars. All of [said] the bonds shall (1) be payable
at such place or places as may be determined by the Treasurer pursuant Substitute Senate Bill No. 1055
Public Act No. 21-151 4 of 7
to section 3-19, [and shall] (2) bear such date or dates, (3) mature at such
time or times, not exceeding five years from their respective dates, (4)
bear interest at such rate or different or varying rates and payable at
such time or times, (5) be in such denominations, (6) be in such form
with or without interest coupons attached, (7) carry such registration
and transfer privileges, (8) be payable in such medium of payment, and
(9) be subject to such terms of redemption with or without premium as,
irrespective of the provisions of [said] section 3-20, may be provided by
the authorization of the State Bond Commission or fixed in accordance
therewith. The proceeds of the sale of such bonds shall be deposited in
the Assistive Technology [Revolving Fund] Loan Program created by
this section. Such bonds shall be general obligations of the state and the
full faith and credit of the state of Connecticut are pledged for the
payment of the principal of and interest on such bonds as the same
become due. Accordingly, and as part of the contract of the state with
the holders of such bonds, appropriation of all amounts necessary for
punctual payment of such principal and interest is hereby made and the
Treasurer shall pay such principal and interest as the same become due.
Net earnings on investments or reinvestments of proceeds, accrued
interest and premiums on the issuance of such bonds, after payment
therefrom of expenses incurred by the Treasurer or State Bond
Commission in connection with their issuance, shall be deposited in the
General Fund of the state.
(c) The Connecticut Tech Act Project, within the Department of Aging
and Disability Services and as authorized by 29 USC 3001, as amended
from time to time, may provide assistive technology evaluation and
training services upon the request of any person or any public or private
entity, to the extent persons who provide assistive technology services
are available. The project may charge a fee to any person or entity
receiving such assistive technology evaluation and training services to
reimburse the department for its costs. The Commissioner of Aging and
Disability Services shall establish fees at reasonable rates that will cover Substitute Senate Bill No. 1055
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the department's direct and indirect costs.
Sec. 4. Subsection (c) of section 9-20 of the general statutes is repealed
and the following is substituted in lieu thereof (Effective July 1, 2021):
(c) The application for admission as an elector shall include a
statement that (1) specifies each eligibility requirement, (2) contains an
attestation that the applicant meets each such requirement, and (3)
requires the signature of the applicant under penalty of perjury. Each
registrar of voters and town clerk shall maintain a copy of such
statement in braille, large print and audio form. The Department of
Aging and Disability Services shall, in consultation with the Secretary
of the State, produce [a videotape presenting] an accessible version of
such statement in voice and sign language and provide the [videotape]
accessible version to the Secretary of the State who shall make [copies of
the videotape and provide a copy] it available to the registrars of voters
of any municipality. [, upon request and at a cost equal to the cost of
making the copy.] If a person applies for admission as an elector in
person to an admitting official, such admitting official shall, upon the
request of the applicant, administer the elector's oath.
Sec. 5. Subsection (a) of section 46a-28 of the general statutes is
repealed and the following is substituted in lieu thereof (Effective July 1,
2021):
(a) The Advisory Board for Persons Who are Deaf, [or] Hard of
Hearing or Deafblind shall consist of the following [sixteen members
appointed by the Governor] members: (1) The consultant appointed by
the State Board of Education in accordance with section 10-316a, or the
consultant's designee; (2) the president of the Connecticut Council of
Organizations Serving the Deaf, or the president's designee; (3) the
president of the Connecticut Association of the Deaf, or the president's
designee; (4) the president of the Connecticut Registry of Interpreters
for the Deaf, or the president's designee; (5) the Commissioner of Aging Substitute Senate Bill No. 1055
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and Disability Services, or the commissioner's designee; (6) the
executive director of the American School for the Deaf, or the executive
director's designee; (7) [a parent of a student in a predominantly oral
education program] the Governor's liaison to the disability community;
(8) [a parent of a student at the American School for the Deaf; (9) a] the
director of the Connecticut Chapter of We the Deaf People; and (9) eight
members appointed by the Governor as follows: (A) A person who is
deaf; [(10)] (B) a person who is hard of hearing; [(11)] (C) a person who
is [deaf and blind] deafblind; [(12)] (D) an interpreting professional who
serves deaf, [or] hard of hearing or deafblind persons; [(13)] (E) a
healthcare professional who works with persons who are deaf, [or] hard
of hearing or deafblind; [(14) the Governor's liaison to the disability
community; (15)] (F) a parent of a student in a predominantly oral
education program; (G) an educator who works with children who are
deaf, [or] hard of hearing or deafblind; and [(16) the director of the
Connecticut Chapter of We the Deaf People] (H) a parent of a student at
the American School for the Deaf. The Commissioner of Aging and
Disability Services, the Governor's liaison to the disability community
and a member chosen by the majority of the board shall be the
chairpersons of the advisory board.
Sec. 6. Subsection (a) of section 46a-29 of the general statutes is
repealed and the following is substituted in lieu thereof (Effective July 1,
2021):
(a) The Commissioner of Aging and Disability Services may request
and shall receive from any department, division, board, bureau,
commission or agency of the state or of any political subdivision thereof
such assistance and data as will enable the Department of Aging and
Disability Services to properly carry out its activities under sections 17b-
650e and [46a-30] 46a-33 to 46a-33b, inclusive, and to effectuate the
purposes therein set forth.
Sec. 7. Sections 17a-301b and 46a-30 of the general statutes are Substitute Senate Bill No. 1055
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repealed. (Effective July 1, 2021)