Connecticut 2024 Regular Session

Connecticut House Bill HB05294 Latest Draft

Bill / Comm Sub Version Filed 03/27/2024

                             
 
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General Assembly  Raised Bill No. 5294  
February Session, 2024 
LCO No. 1746 
 
 
Referred to Committee on AGING  
 
 
Introduced by:  
(AGE)  
 
 
 
AN ACT CONCERNING A REGISTRY OF PERSONS CONVICTED OF 
FINANCIAL CRIMES AGAINST ELDERLY PERSONS.  
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in General 
Assembly convened: 
 
Section 1. (NEW) (Effective from passage) For purposes of this section 1 
and sections 2 to 4, inclusive, of this act, (1) "convicted" and "found not 2 
guilty by reason of mental disease or defect" have the same meanings as 3 
provided in section 54-280 of the general statutes, (2) "elderly person" 4 
means a person sixty years of age or older, (3) "financial crime against 5 
an elderly person" means a crime involving an elderly person as a victim 6 
prosecuted under subdivision (4) of subsection (a) of section 53a-123 or 7 
section 53a-125c, 53a-125d, 53a-125e, 53a-129b or 53a-129c of the general 8 
statutes, provided the court makes a finding that, at the time the offense 9 
was committed, the victim was sixty years of age or older, and (4) 10 
"registrant" means a person required to register pursuant to sections 3 11 
and 4 of this act. 12 
Sec. 2. (NEW) (Effective from passage) (a) The Department of 13 
Emergency Services and Public Protection shall, not later than July 1, 14 
2025, establish and maintain a registry of all persons required to register 15  Bill No. 5294 
 
 
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under sections 3 and 4 of this act. The department shall, in cooperation 16 
with the Office of the Chief Court Administrator, the Department of 17 
Correction and the Psychiatric Security Review Board, develop 18 
appropriate forms for use by persons to report registration information, 19 
including changes of address. Upon receipt of registration information, 20 
the department shall enter the information into the registry and notify 21 
the local police department or state police troop having jurisdiction 22 
where the registrant resides or plans to reside. 23 
(b) Upon receiving notification pursuant to section 3 of this act that a 24 
registrant has changed his or her address within the state, the 25 
Department of Emergency Services and Public Protection shall enter the 26 
information into the registry and notify the local police departments or 27 
state police troops having jurisdiction where the registrant previously 28 
resided and the jurisdiction to which the registrant has relocated. The 29 
Commissioner of Emergency Services and Public Protection shall ensure 30 
that the name and residential address of each registrant is available 31 
through the Connecticut on-line law enforcement communications 32 
teleprocessing system. If a registrant reports a residence in another state, 33 
the department may notify the state police agency of that state or such 34 
other agency in that state that maintains registry information, if known. 35 
(c) The Department of Emergency Services and Public Protection may 36 
suspend the registration of any person registered under sections 3 and 37 
4 of this act while such person is incarcerated, under civil commitment 38 
or residing outside this state. During the period that such registration is 39 
under suspension, the department may withdraw the registration 40 
information. Upon the release of the registrant from incarceration or 41 
civil commitment or resumption of residency in this state by the 42 
registrant, the department shall reinstate the registration and 43 
redistribute the registration information in accordance with subsection 44 
(b) of this section. Suspension of registration shall not affect the date of 45 
expiration of the registration obligation of the registrant under section 3 46 
of this act. 47 
(d) Whenever the Commissioner of Emergency Services and Public 48  Bill No. 5294 
 
 
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Protection receives notice from a superior court pursuant to section 52-49 
11 of the general statutes, as amended by this act, or a probate court 50 
pursuant to section 45a-99 of the general statutes, as amended by this 51 
act, that such court has ordered the change of name of a person, and the 52 
department determines that such person is listed in the registry, the 53 
department shall revise such person's registration information 54 
accordingly. 55 
(e) The Commissioner of Emergency Services and Public Protection 56 
shall develop a protocol for the notification of other state agencies, the 57 
Judicial Department and the applicable local police department or state 58 
police troop whenever a person listed in the registry changes such 59 
person's name and notifies the commissioner of the new name pursuant 60 
to section 3 of this act or whenever the commissioner determines 61 
pursuant to subsection (d) of this section that a person listed in the 62 
registry has changed such person's name. 63 
(f) The information in the registry shall be a public record or file for 64 
the purposes of section 1-200 of the general statutes. 65 
(g) Not later than two business days after entering the information of 66 
a new offender in the registry, the Commissioner of Emergency Services 67 
and Public Protection shall send the registry information to the 68 
Commissioner of Public Health for inclusion in a searchable database 69 
established pursuant to section 19a-491c of the general statutes, as 70 
amended by this act, for persons seeking to hire individuals for 71 
positions assisting elderly persons. 72 
Sec. 3. (NEW) (Effective from passage) (a) (1) Any person who has been 73 
convicted or found not guilty by reason of mental disease or defect of a 74 
financial crime against an elderly person and is released into the 75 
community on or after July 1, 2025, shall, within fourteen calendar days 76 
following such release or, if such person is in the custody of the 77 
Commissioner of Correction, at such time prior to release as the 78 
Commissioner of Correction shall direct, whether or not such person's 79 
place of residence is in this state, register in accordance with section 4 of 80  Bill No. 5294 
 
 
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this section. A registrant shall maintain such registration for five years 81 
from the initial date of registration. 82 
(2) Prior to accepting a plea of guilty or nolo contendere from a 83 
person with respect to a financial crime against an elderly person, a 84 
court shall (A) inform the person that the entry of a finding of guilty 85 
after acceptance of the plea will subject the person to the registration 86 
requirements of this section, and (B) determine that the person fully 87 
understands the consequences of the plea. 88 
(3) If any person who is subject to registration under this section 89 
changes such person's name, such person shall notify the Commissioner 90 
of Emergency Services and Public Protection in writing of the new 91 
name. If any person who is subject to registration under this section 92 
changes such person's address, such person shall notify the 93 
Commissioner of Emergency Services and Public Protection in writing 94 
of the new address. During such period of registration, each registrant 95 
shall complete and return any forms mailed to such registrant to verify 96 
such registrant's residential address and shall submit to the retaking of 97 
a photographic image upon request of the Commissioner of Emergency 98 
Services and Public Protection. 99 
(b) Any person required to register under this section shall, not later 100 
than twenty calendar days after each anniversary date of such initial 101 
registration, until the date such registration requirement expires under 102 
subdivision (1) of subsection (a) of this section, personally appear at the 103 
local police department or state police troop having jurisdiction where 104 
the registrant resides to verify and update, as appropriate, the contents 105 
of his or her registration. The local police department or state police 106 
troop, as the case may be, may defer such requirement to personally 107 
appear to a later date for good cause shown. Not later than thirty 108 
calendar days prior to such anniversary date, the Department of 109 
Emergency Services and Public Protection shall mail written notice of 110 
the personal appearance requirement of this subsection to the registrant 111 
and the local police department or state police troop having jurisdiction 112 
where the registrant resides. Not later than thirty calendar days after the 113  Bill No. 5294 
 
 
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anniversary date of each registrant, the local police department or state 114 
police troop having jurisdiction where the registrant resides shall notify 115 
the Commissioner of Emergency Services and Public Protection, on such 116 
form as the commissioner may prescribe, (1) whether the registrant 117 
complied with the personal appearance requirement of this subsection 118 
or whether such personal appearance requirement was deferred to a 119 
later date for good cause shown, and (2) if the personal appearance 120 
requirement was deferred to a later date for good cause shown, the later 121 
date established for such personal appearance and a description of the 122 
good cause shown. 123 
(c) Any person subject to registration under this section who violates 124 
any provisions of subsection (a) or (b) of this section, except a violation 125 
consisting of failure to notify the Commissioner of Emergency Services 126 
and Public Protection of a change of name or address, shall be guilty of 127 
a class D felony. Any person who is subject to registration under this 128 
section who fails to notify the Commissioner of Emergency Services and 129 
Public Protection of a change of name or address not later than five 130 
business days after such change of name or address shall be guilty of a 131 
class D felony. 132 
Sec. 4. (NEW) (Effective from passage) (a) The registration information 133 
for each registrant required to register under section 3 of this act shall 134 
include: 135 
(1) The registrant's name, including any other name by which the 136 
offender has been legally known, and any aliases used by the registrant; 137 
(2) Identifying information, including, but not limited to, a physical 138 
description of the registrant; 139 
(3) The current residential address and electronic mail address of the 140 
registrant; 141 
(4) The date of conviction of the offense; 142 
(5) A description of the offense; and 143  Bill No. 5294 
 
 
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(6) If the registrant was sentenced to a term of incarceration for such 144 
offense, a portion of which was not suspended, the date the registrant 145 
was released from such incarceration. 146 
(b) The registrant shall sign and date the registration. 147 
(c) At the time that the registrant appears for the purpose of 148 
registering, the Department of Emergency Services and Public 149 
Protection shall photograph the registrant and arrange for the 150 
fingerprinting of the registrant and include such photograph and a 151 
complete set of fingerprints in the registry. 152 
(d) The Department of Emergency Services and Public Protection 153 
may require the registrant to provide documentation to verify the 154 
contents of the registration. 155 
Sec. 5. Section 19a-491c of the general statutes is repealed and the 156 
following is substituted in lieu thereof (Effective from passage): 157 
(a) As used in this section: 158 
(1) "Criminal history and patient abuse background search" or 159 
"background search" means (A) a review of the registry of nurse's aides 160 
maintained by the Department of Public Health pursuant to section 20-161 
102bb, (B) checks of state and national criminal history records 162 
conducted in accordance with section 29-17a, (C) on and after July 1, 163 
2025, a review of the registry established under section 2 of this act, and 164 
[(C)] (D) a review of any other registry specified by the Department of 165 
Public Health which the department deems necessary for the 166 
administration of a background search program. 167 
(2) "Direct access" means physical access to a patient or resident of a 168 
long-term care facility that affords an individual with the opportunity 169 
to commit abuse or neglect against or misappropriate the property of a 170 
patient or resident. 171 
(3) "Disqualifying offense" means a conviction of (A) any crime 172  Bill No. 5294 
 
 
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described in 42 USC 1320a-7(a)(1), (2), (3) or (4), (B) a substantiated 173 
finding of neglect, abuse or misappropriation of property by a state or 174 
federal agency pursuant to an investigation conducted in accordance 175 
with 42 USC 1395i-3(g)(1)(C) or 42 USC 1396r(g)(1)(C), or (C) a 176 
conviction of a financial crime against an elderly person as defined in 177 
section 1 of this act or any crime described in section 53a-59a, 53a-60b, 178 
53a-60c, 53a-61a, 53a-321, 53a-322 or 53a-323. 179 
(4) "Long-term care facility" means any facility, agency or provider 180 
that is a nursing home, as defined in section 19a-521, a residential care 181 
home, as defined in section 19a-521, a home health care agency, hospice 182 
agency or home health aide agency, as defined in section 19a-490, an 183 
assisted living services agency, as defined in section 19a-490, an 184 
intermediate care facility for individuals with intellectual disabilities, as 185 
defined in 42 USC 1396d(d), except any such facility operated by a 186 
Department of Developmental Services' program subject to background 187 
checks pursuant to section 17a-227a, a chronic disease hospital, as 188 
defined in section 19a-490, or an agency providing hospice care which 189 
is licensed to provide such care by the Department of Public Health or 190 
certified to provide such care pursuant to 42 USC 1395x. 191 
(b) The Department of Public Health shall create and implement a 192 
criminal history and patient abuse background search program, within 193 
available appropriations, in order to facilitate the performance, 194 
processing and analysis of the criminal history and patient abuse 195 
background search of individuals who have direct access. 196 
(c) (1) Except as provided in subdivision (2) of this subsection, each 197 
long-term care facility, prior to extending an offer of employment to, or 198 
entering into a contract for, the provision of long-term care services with 199 
any individual who will have direct access, or prior to allowing any 200 
individual to begin volunteering at such long-term care facility when 201 
the long-term care facility reasonably expects such volunteer will 202 
regularly perform duties that are substantially similar to those of an 203 
employee with direct access, shall require that such individual submit 204 
to a background search. The Department of Public Health shall 205  Bill No. 5294 
 
 
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prescribe the manner by which (A) long-term care facilities perform the 206 
review of (i) the registry of nurse's aides maintained by the department 207 
pursuant to section 20-102bb, and (ii) any other registry specified by the 208 
department, including requiring long-term care facilities to report the 209 
results of such review to the department, and (B) individuals submit to 210 
state and national criminal history records checks, including requiring 211 
the Department of Emergency Services and Public Protection to report 212 
the results of such checks to the Department of Public Health. 213 
(2) No long-term care facility shall be required to comply with the 214 
provisions of this subsection if (A) the individual provides evidence to 215 
the long-term care facility that such individual submitted to a 216 
background search conducted pursuant to subdivision (1) of this 217 
subsection not more than three years immediately preceding the date 218 
such individual applies for employment, seeks to enter into a contract 219 
or begins volunteering with the long-term care facility and that the prior 220 
background search confirmed that the individual did not have a 221 
disqualifying offense, or (B) the commissioner determines the need to 222 
temporarily suspend the requirements of this subsection in the event of 223 
an emergency or significant disruption. The commissioner shall inform 224 
the long-term care facility when the commissioner has suspended the 225 
requirements of this subsection pursuant to subparagraph (B) of this 226 
subdivision and when such suspension is rescinded. 227 
(d) (1) The Department of Public Health shall review all reports 228 
provided to the department pursuant to subsection (c) of this section. If 229 
any such report contains evidence indicating that an individual has a 230 
disqualifying offense, the department shall provide notice to the 231 
individual and the long-term care facility indicating the disqualifying 232 
offense and providing the individual with the opportunity to file a 233 
request for a waiver pursuant to subdivisions (2) and (3) of this 234 
subsection. 235 
(2) An individual may file a written request for a waiver with the 236 
department not later than thirty days after the date the department 237 
mails notice to the individual pursuant to subdivision (1) of this 238  Bill No. 5294 
 
 
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subsection. The department shall mail a written determination 239 
indicating whether the department shall grant a waiver pursuant to 240 
subdivision (3) of this subsection not later than fifteen business days 241 
after the department receives the written request from the individual, 242 
except that said time period shall not apply to any request for a waiver 243 
in which an individual challenges the accuracy of the information 244 
obtained from the background search. 245 
(3) The department may grant a waiver from the provisions of 246 
subsection (e) of this section to an individual who identifies mitigating 247 
circumstances surrounding the disqualifying offense, including (A) 248 
inaccuracy in the information obtained from the background search, (B) 249 
lack of a relationship between the disqualifying offense and the position 250 
for which the individual has applied, (C) evidence that the individual 251 
has pursued or achieved rehabilitation with regard to the disqualifying 252 
offense, or (D) that substantial time has elapsed since committing the 253 
disqualifying offense. The department and its employees shall be 254 
immune from liability, civil or criminal, that might otherwise be 255 
incurred or imposed, for good faith conduct in granting waivers 256 
pursuant to this subdivision. 257 
(4) After completing a review pursuant to subdivision (1) of this 258 
subsection, the department shall notify in writing the long-term care 259 
facility to which the individual has applied for employment or with 260 
which the individual seeks to enter into a contract or volunteer (A) of 261 
any disqualifying offense and any information the individual provided 262 
to the department regarding mitigating circumstances surrounding 263 
such offense, or of the lack of a disqualifying offense, and (B) whether 264 
the department granted a waiver pursuant to subdivision (3) of this 265 
subsection. 266 
(e) Notwithstanding the provisions of section 46a-80, no long-term 267 
care facility shall employ an individual required to submit to a 268 
background search, contract with any such individual to provide long-269 
term care services or allow such individual to volunteer if the long-term 270 
care facility receives notice from the department that the individual has 271  Bill No. 5294 
 
 
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a disqualifying offense in the individual's background search and the 272 
department has not granted a waiver pursuant to subdivision (3) of 273 
subsection (d) of this section. A long-term care facility may, but is not 274 
obligated to, employ, enter into a contract with or allow to volunteer an 275 
individual who was granted a waiver pursuant to said subdivision (3). 276 
(f) (1) Except as provided in subdivision (2) of this subsection, a long-277 
term care facility shall not employ, enter into a contract with or allow to 278 
volunteer any individual required to submit to a background search 279 
until the long-term care facility receives notice from the Department of 280 
Public Health pursuant to subdivision (4) of subsection (d) of this 281 
section. 282 
(2) A long-term care facility may employ, enter into a contract with 283 
or allow to volunteer an individual required to submit to a background 284 
search on a conditional basis before the long-term care facility receives 285 
notice from the department that such individual does not have a 286 
disqualifying offense, provided: (A) The employment or contractual or 287 
volunteer period on a conditional basis shall last not more than sixty 288 
days, except the sixty-day time period may be extended by the 289 
department to allow for the filing and consideration of written request 290 
for a waiver of a disqualifying offense filed by an individual pursuant 291 
to subsection (d) of this section, (B) the long-term care facility has begun 292 
the review required under subsection (c) of this section and the 293 
individual has submitted to checks pursuant to subsection (c) of this 294 
section, (C) the individual is subject to direct, on-site supervision during 295 
the course of such conditional employment or contractual or volunteer 296 
period, and (D) the individual, in a signed statement (i) affirms that the 297 
individual has not committed a disqualifying offense, and (ii) 298 
acknowledges that a disqualifying offense reported in the background 299 
search required by subsection (c) of this section shall constitute good 300 
cause for termination and a long-term care facility may terminate the 301 
individual if a disqualifying offense is reported in said background 302 
search. 303 
(g) [Records] Except as provided in subsection (i) of this section, 304  Bill No. 5294 
 
 
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records and information with respect to any individual that are obtained 305 
by the department pursuant to this section shall not be subject to 306 
disclosure under section 1-210. 307 
(h) On and after July 1, 2025, the Department of Public Health shall 308 
include in the background search program the names, last-known 309 
addresses and information on the offenses of persons who have 310 
registered with the Commissioner of Emergency Services and Public 311 
Protection pursuant to sections 3 and 4 of this act. 312 
(i) On and after August 1, 2025, the Department of Public Health shall 313 
include on the department's Internet web site a link to the background 314 
search program that allows the public to search the program by name of 315 
a person. The listing will show such person's last-known address, 316 
convictions or other disciplinary actions taken and a general description 317 
of offenses committed by the person. 318 
[(h)] (j) The department shall adopt regulations, in accordance with 319 
the provisions of chapter 54, to implement the provisions of this section. 320 
The department may implement policies and procedures consistent 321 
with the provisions of this section while in the process of adopting such 322 
policies and procedures as regulation, provided notice of intention to 323 
adopt regulations is [printed in the Connecticut Law Journal] posted on 324 
the eRegulations System not later than twenty days after the date of 325 
implementation. Such policies and procedures shall be valid until the 326 
time final regulations are effective. 327 
Sec. 6. Section 45a-99 of the general statutes is repealed and the 328 
following is substituted in lieu thereof (Effective from passage): 329 
(a) The courts of probate shall have concurrent jurisdiction with the 330 
Superior Court, as provided in section 52-11, as amended by this act, to 331 
grant a change of name, except a change of name granted in accordance 332 
with subsection (a) of section 46b-63, except that no court of probate may 333 
issue an order or otherwise allow for the change of name of a person 334 
who is required to register with the Commissioner of Emergency 335  Bill No. 5294 
 
 
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Services and Public Protection as a sexual offender, [or] as an offender 336 
convicted of committing a crime with a deadly weapon or as an offender 337 
convicted of committing a financial crime against an elderly person, as 338 
defined in section 1 of this act, unless such person complies with the 339 
requirements of subdivision (1) of subsection (b) of this section. 340 
(b) (1) Any person who is required to register with the Commissioner 341 
of Emergency Services and Public Protection as a sexual offender, [or] 342 
as an offender convicted of committing a crime with a deadly weapon 343 
or as an offender convicted of committing a financial crime against an 344 
elderly person who files an application with the Court of Probate for a 345 
change of name shall (A) prior to filing such application, notify the 346 
Commissioner of Emergency Services and Public Protection, on such 347 
form as the commissioner may prescribe, that the person intends to file 348 
an application for a change of name, indicating the change of name 349 
sought, and (B) include with such application a sworn statement that 350 
such change of name is not being sought for the purpose of avoiding the 351 
legal consequences of a criminal conviction, including, but not limited 352 
to, a criminal conviction that requires such person to register as a sexual 353 
offender, [or] as an offender convicted of committing a crime with a 354 
deadly weapon or as an offender convicted of committing a financial 355 
crime against an elderly person. 356 
(2) The Commissioner of Emergency Services and Public Protection 357 
shall have standing to challenge such person's application for a change 358 
of name in the court of probate where such change of name is sought. 359 
The commissioner shall challenge the change of name through the 360 
Attorney General. The court of probate may deny such person's 361 
application for a change of name if the court finds, by a preponderance 362 
of the evidence, that the person is applying for such change of name for 363 
the purpose of avoiding the legal consequences of a criminal conviction. 364 
(c) Whenever the court, pursuant to this section, orders a change of 365 
name of a person, the court shall notify the Commissioner of Emergency 366 
Services and Public Protection of the issuance of such order if the court 367 
finds that such person is listed in the registry established and 368  Bill No. 5294 
 
 
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maintained pursuant to section 54-257, [or] in the registry established 369 
and maintained pursuant to section 54-280 or, on and after July 1, 2025, 370 
in the registry established and maintained pursuant to section 2 of this 371 
act. 372 
Sec. 7. Section 52-11 of the general statutes is repealed and the 373 
following is substituted in lieu thereof (Effective from passage): 374 
(a) The superior court in each judicial district shall have jurisdiction 375 
of complaints praying for a change of name, brought by any person 376 
residing in the judicial district, and may change the name of the 377 
complainant, who shall thereafter be known by the name prescribed by 378 
said court in its decree, except that no superior court may issue an order 379 
or otherwise allow for the change of name of a person who is required 380 
to register with the Commissioner of Emergency Services and Public 381 
Protection as a sexual offender, [or] as an offender convicted of 382 
committing a crime with a deadly weapon or as an offender convicted 383 
of committing a financial crime against an elderly person as defined in 384 
section 1 of this act unless such person complies with the requirements 385 
of subdivision (1) of subsection (b) of this section. 386 
(b) (1) Any person who is required to register with the Commissioner 387 
of Emergency Services and Public Protection as a sexual offender, [or] 388 
as an offender convicted of committing a crime with a deadly weapon 389 
or as an offender convicted of committing a financial crime against an 390 
elderly person who files an application with the [Superior Court] 391 
superior court for a change of name shall (A) prior to filing such 392 
application, notify the Commissioner of Emergency Services and Public 393 
Protection, on such form as the commissioner may prescribe, that the 394 
person intends to file an application for a change of name, indicating the 395 
change of name sought, and (B) include with such application a sworn 396 
statement that such change of name is not being sought for the purpose 397 
of avoiding the legal consequences of a criminal conviction, including, 398 
but not limited to, a criminal conviction that requires such person to 399 
register as a sexual offender, [or] as an offender convicted of committing 400 
a crime with a deadly weapon or as an offender convicted of committing 401  Bill No. 5294 
 
 
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a financial crime against an elderly person. 402 
(2) The Commissioner of Emergency Services and Public Protection 403 
shall have standing to challenge such person's application for a change 404 
of name in the superior court where such change of name is sought. The 405 
commissioner shall challenge the change of name through the Attorney 406 
General. The superior court may deny such person's application for a 407 
change of name if the court finds, by a preponderance of the evidence, 408 
that the person is applying for such change of name for the purpose of 409 
avoiding the legal consequences of a criminal conviction. 410 
(c) Whenever the court, pursuant to this section, orders a change of 411 
name of a person, the clerk of the court shall notify the Commissioner 412 
of Emergency Services and Public Protection of the issuance of such 413 
order if the clerk finds that such person is listed in the registry 414 
established and maintained pursuant to section 54-257, [or] in the 415 
registry established and maintained pursuant to section 54-280 or, on 416 
and after July 1, 2025, in the registry established and maintained 417 
pursuant to section 2 of this act. 418 
This act shall take effect as follows and shall amend the following 
sections: 
 
Section 1 from passage New section 
Sec. 2 from passage New section 
Sec. 3 from passage New section 
Sec. 4 from passage New section 
Sec. 5 from passage 19a-491c 
Sec. 6 from passage 45a-99 
Sec. 7 from passage 52-11 
 
AGE Joint Favorable