Substitute House Bill No. 6875
Public Act No. 23-88
AN ACT CONCERNING THE ISSUANCE OF AN IDENTITY CARD OR
MOTOR VEHICLE OPERATOR'S LICENSE TO A PERSON BEING
DISCHARGED FROM A CORRECTIONAL FACILITY.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in General
Assembly convened:
Section 1. Section 18-81ff of the general statutes is repealed and the
following is substituted in lieu thereof (Effective April 1, 2024):
(a) The Commissioners of Correction and Motor Vehicles shall [,
within available appropriations,] ensure that [an inmate] a person who
is incarcerated possesses [a state identification] an identity card issued
pursuant to section 1-1h or a motor vehicle operator's license issued
pursuant to chapter 246 at the time such [inmate] person is discharged
or released from a correctional facility after serving any part of a term
of imprisonment for a misdemeanor or felony conviction [, provided
any such inmate (1) requests and qualifies for such identification card
or license, and (2) pays any fee associated with obtaining such
identification card or license.] with a sentence of not less than one year,
unless such person (1) indicates, in writing, on a form prescribed by the
Commissioner of Correction, that such person does not wish to obtain
such card or license, or (2) is otherwise ineligible for such card or license
for reasons that include, but are not limited to, suspension, revocation
or cancellation of motor vehicle operating provisions in this or any other Substitute House Bill No. 6875
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state.
(b) In order to effectuate the provisions of subsection (a) of this
section, at the time a person is committed to the custody of the
Commissioner of Correction, said commissioner, in consultation and
collaboration with the Commissioner of Motor Vehicles, shall ascertain
(1) whether the person has been issued a valid identity card pursuant to
section 1-1h or a motor vehicle operator's license pursuant to chapter
246, and (2) if such card or license has been issued, the date upon which
such card or license is to expire.
(c) For any person who is sentenced to a term of imprisonment who
wishes to (1) obtain an initial identity card issued pursuant to section 1-
1h, or renew such card, (2) renew a motor vehicle operator's license
pursuant to chapter 246, or (3) obtain a duplicate card or license if the
original card or license has been lost, the Commissioner of Correction,
in consultation and collaboration with the Commissioner of Motor
Vehicles, shall:
(A) (i) Not later than twenty-four months prior to the date on which
such person is to be discharged from the correctional facility, determine
the documentation such person requires to obtain such card or license;
and (ii) facilitate the process that allows such person to expeditiously
obtain the required documentation by providing access to any forms,
fees and fee waivers, within available appropriations, notary services
and mailing-related needs, to secure the required documentation. The
Commissioner of Correction shall begin the process described in this
subdivision not later than twenty-four months prior to the person's
earliest date of eligibility for parole, and immediately begin the process
for any person whose sentence is reduced, if the reduced sentence
results in a date of discharge within twenty-four months or for any
person who is otherwise scheduled to be released with a date of
discharge within twenty-four months; and Substitute House Bill No. 6875
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(B) Not later than thirteen months prior to the date on which such
person is to be discharged from the correctional facility, initiate a
process that allows such person to expeditiously obtain any additionally
required documentation or photographs by providing (i) access to any
forms, fees and fee waivers, within available appropriations, notary
services and mailing-related needs, to secure the required
documentation, and (ii) a means by which to obtain the required
photographs. The Commissioner of Correction shall begin the process
described in this subdivision not later than thirteen months prior to the
person's earliest date of eligibility for parole, and immediately begin the
process for any person whose sentence is reduced, if the reduced
sentence results in a date of discharge within thirteen months or for any
person who is otherwise scheduled to be released with a date of
discharge within thirteen months.
(d) At the time a person is released from a correctional facility, the
Commissioner of Correction shall provide an identity card issued
pursuant to section 1-1h or a motor vehicle operator's license issued
pursuant to chapter 246 to any person who requested assistance in
obtaining such card or license pursuant to the provisions of this section
and is not otherwise ineligible to receive such card or license.
(e) Not later than January 1, 2025, and annually thereafter, the
Commissioner of Correction, in collaboration with the Commissioner of
Motor Vehicles, shall report, in accordance with the provisions of
section 11-4a, to the joint standing committee of the General Assembly
having cognizance of matters relating to the judiciary on:
(1) The total number of formerly incarcerated persons who were
issued original, renewal or duplicate identity cards pursuant to section
1-1h, and renewal or duplicate motor vehicle operator's licenses issued
pursuant to chapter 246, disaggregated by card and license type;
(2) The total number of identification cards and motor vehicle Substitute House Bill No. 6875
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operator's licenses issued to such persons by each individual state
correctional facility;
(3) The total number of incarcerated persons who were not able to be
issued an identification card or motor vehicle operator's license under
this section, disaggregated to the extent practicable by reasons for the
nonissuance of such cards or licenses; and
(4) Any issues encountered by the Commissioners of Correction and
Motor Vehicles in implementing the provisions of this section and
section 14-41c, as amended by this act, along with recommendations for
the resolution of such issues and any recommended legislative
enhancements to the provisions of this section and section 14-41c, as
amended by this act.
Sec. 2. Section 14-41c of the general statutes is repealed and the
following is substituted in lieu thereof (Effective April 1, 2024):
(a) The Commissioner of Motor Vehicles shall consult with the
Commissioner of Correction to establish a procedure to renew the
operator's licenses and identity cards of persons who are incarcerated,
without the appearance of such persons at the Department of Motor
Vehicles, in accordance with subsection (b) of section 14-36d. Such
renewal shall be initiated at the request of an incarcerated person who
responds to a renewal notice for such person's operator's license or
identity card. This section shall not apply to the initial issuance of an
operator's license or identity card or the issuance of a license or identity
card that has expired more than two years before the date of the
requested renewal.
(b) On or before January 1, 2025, the Commissioner of Motor Vehicles
shall examine whether any feasible modifications can be made to
expand the permissible forms of identification that may be utilized for
purposes of obtaining operator's licenses and identity cards for persons Substitute House Bill No. 6875
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who are incarcerated. If the commissioner determines that feasible
modifications can be made, the commissioner shall implement such
feasible modifications.