OFFICE OF FISCAL ANALYSIS
Legislative Office Building, Room 5200
Hartford, CT 06106 (860) 240-0200
http://www.cga.ct.gov/ofa
sHB-5500
AN ACT CONCERNING REVISIONS TO VARIOUS LAWS
CONCERNING JUROR COMPENSATION, IGNITION INTERLOCK
DEVICES, THE DEPARTMENT OF CORRECTION, JUDICIAL
RETIREMENT SALARIES AND CRIMINAL LAW AND CRIMINAL
PROCEDURE.
Primary Analyst: BP 4/16/24
Contributing Analyst(s): LD, ME, PM, NN, RP, ES
OFA Fiscal Note
State Impact:
Agency Affected Fund-Effect FY 25 $ FY 26 $
Judicial Dept. GF - Cost 1,300,000 -
2,250,000
2,000,000 -
3,000,000
Department of Developmental
Services; Social Services, Dept.;
Mental Health & Addiction
Serv., Dept.
GF - Cost See Below See Below
State Comptroller - Fringe
Benefits
1
GF - Cost See Below See Below
Note: GF=General Fund
Municipal Impact: None
Explanation
The bill makes various technical and conforming changes to court-
related matters as well as significant changes including juror
compensation and diversionary services for individuals with
intellectual disabilities charged with crimes. The bill results in an
estimated cost of $1,300,000 - $2,250,000 in FY 25 and $2,000,000 -
$3,000,000 in FY 26 to the Judicial Department and results in a cost to the
1
The fringe benefit costs for most state employees are budgeted centrally in accounts
administered by the Comptroller. The estimated active employee fringe benefit cost
associated with most personnel changes is 41.25% of payroll in FY 25. 2024HB-05500-R000543-FN.DOCX Page 2 of 4
Department of Developmental Services (DDS), the Department of Social
Services (DSS), and the Department of Mental Health and Addiction
Services (DMHAS) as described below.
Section 1 results in a cost of $1,300,000 - $2,250,000 in FY 25 and $2
million - $3 million annually thereafter to the Judicial Department for
juror compensation and increased reimbursement rates for certain jury-
service related expenses. The estimate in FY 25 is adjusted to reflect a
partial year implementation due to the effective date of the bill.
The bill sets juror compensation to minimum wage for an eight-hour
workday and allows unemployed and part-time employed individuals
to be compensated for jury duty.
2
The bill also provides the same rate
for individuals who are not compensated by their employer after the
fifth day of jury service. It is anticipated that this will result in an annual
cost of $1.5 million to $2.5 million for juror compensation.
3
The bill also makes changes to expenses that jurors may be
reimbursed for including: requiring expenses to be reimbursed for the
first five days of service in most circumstances, raising the mileage rate
from $0.20/mile to the rate that is set by the federal government,
4
requiring reimbursable expenses to be capped at the minimum wage
for an eight-hour workday, and requires reimbursement for family-care
expenses at a rate set by the Judicial Department.
5
These changes are
expected to result in an annual cost of up to $500,000.
Section 2 codifies the current practice of appointing counsel in certain
circumstances for in-court proceedings related to risk warrants and is
not anticipated to result in a fiscal impact.
Section 3 results in a cost to the state associated with expanding a
pretrial diversion program to include individuals with intellectual
2
The current minimum wage is $15.69.
3
In Court Year 2023, less than 40,000 jurors were called for service. 95% of jurors
complete their service in one day.
4
The current federal mileage rate is $0.67/mile.
5
The current family care rate is set at $40.46. 2024HB-05500-R000543-FN.DOCX Page 3 of 4
disabilities or autism spectrum disorder (ASD).
The bill requires the Departments of Developmental Services (DDS),
Social Services (DSS) or Mental Health and Addiction Services
(DMHAS) to assist CSSD with assessing individuals and identifying
appropriate treatment and services. Under the current diversionary
program, CSSD determines eligibility, conducts assessments and
identifies appropriate services. While the responsible agency under the
bill is unclear, DDS, DSS and DMHAS may incur (1) administrative costs
of approximately $84,200 (with associated fringe of approximately
$34,700) for staff to perform assessments, identify services and establish
treatment plans, and (2) programmatic costs to support treatment for
such individuals to the extent that is required. For context, the DMHAS
jail diversion program, which does not support the population required
under the bill, costs approximately $5.3 million annually. This supports
approximately 40 staff and the evaluation of 2,650 clients (1,200 of whom
were diverted from incarceration). For services provided under DDS, a
residential program is anticipated to cost approximately $530,000 per
bed.
The extent of the actual cost depends on (1) the number of individuals
with intellectual disabilities or ADS eligible for diversion, (2) the agency
responsible for assessments and related requirements, and (3) the extent
to which new diversionary programs are required to support this
population.
Section 6 makes technical changes regarding inmate compensation
resulting in no fiscal impact to the state.
Section 9 makes conforming changes to the retirement salary statutes
for judges, family support magistrates, and administrative law judges
and does not result in a fiscal impact.
The Out Years
The annualized ongoing fiscal impact identified above would
continue into the future subject to the actual number of jurors, future 2024HB-05500-R000543-FN.DOCX Page 4 of 4
minimum wage rates, federal mileage rate, the number of applicable
assessments, and required treatment services.