Connecticut 2025 Regular Session

Connecticut House Bill HB06534 Compare Versions

Version 1 (Old)

Version 2 (New)

Old	New		Differences
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3		-	LCO 6643 1 of 5
	3	+
	4	+	LCO No. 6643 1 of 5
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5	6		General Assembly Committee Bill No. 6534
6	7		January Session, 2025
7	8		LCO No. 6643
8	9
9	10
10	11		Referred to Committee on PLANNING AND DEVELOPMENT
11	12
12	13
13	14		Introduced by:
14	15		(PD)
15	16
16	17
17	18
18	19		AN ACT CONCERNING APPOINTMENTS TO MUNICIPAL HOUSING
19	20		AUTHORITIES.
20	21		Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in General
21	22		Assembly convened:
22	23
23	24		Section 1. Subsection (h) of section 8-39 of the general statutes is 1
24	25		repealed and the following is substituted in lieu thereof (Effective October 2
25	26		1, 2025): 3
26	27		(h) "Governing body" means [, for towns having a town council, the 4
27	28		council; for other towns, the selectmen; for cities, the common council 5
28	29		or other similar body of officials; and for boroughs, the warden and 6
29	30		burgesses] the legislative body of the municipality, or the board of 7
30	31		selectmen in a municipality where the legislative body is a town 8
31	32		meeting. 9
32	33		Sec. 2. Subsection (a) of section 8-41 of the general statutes is repealed 10
33	34		and the following is substituted in lieu thereof (Effective October 1, 2025): 11
34	35		(a) For purposes of this section, a "tenant of the authority" means a 12
35	36		tenant who lives in housing owned or managed by a housing authority 13
36		-	or who [is receiving] receives housing assistance in a housing program 14 Committee Bill No. 6534
	37	+	or who [is receiving] receives housing assistance in a housing program 14
	38	+	directly administered by such authority. When the governing body of a 15
	39	+	Committee Bill No. 6534
37	40
38	41
39		-	LCO 6643 2 of 5
	42	+	LCO No. 6643 2 of 5
40	43
41		-	directly administered by such authority. When the governing body of a 15
42	44		municipality [other than a town] adopts a resolution as described in 16
43	45		section 8-40, [it shall promptly notify the chief executive officer of such 17
44	46		adoption. Upon receiving such notice, the chief executive officer] such 18
45	47		governing body shall appoint five persons who are residents of such 19
46	48		municipality as commissioners of the authority. [, except that the chief 20
47	49		executive officer] The governing body may appoint two additional 21
48	50		persons who are residents of the municipality if (1) [the] such authority 22
49	51		operates more than three thousand units, or (2) upon the appointment 23
50	52		of a tenant commissioner pursuant to subsection (c) of this section, the 24
51	53		additional appointments are necessary to achieve compliance with 24 25
52	54		CFR 964.415 or section 9-167a. [If the governing body of a town adopts 26
53	55		such a resolution, such body shall appoint five persons who are 27
54	56		residents of such town as commissioners of the authority created for 28
55	57		such town, except that such body may appoint two additional persons 29
56	58		who are residents of the town if, upon the appointment of a tenant 30
57	59		commissioner pursuant to subsection (c) of this section, the additional 31
58	60		appointments are necessary to achieve compliance with 24 CFR 964.415 32
59	61		or section 9-167a.] The commissioners who are first so appointed shall 33
60	62		be designated to serve for a term of either one, two, three, four or five 34
61	63		years, except that if the authority has five members, the terms of not 35
62	64		more than one member shall expire in the same year. [Terms] The term 36
63	65		of a commissioner shall commence on the first day of the month next 37
64	66		succeeding the date of [their] the commissioner's appointment, and 38
65	67		annually thereafter a commissioner shall be appointed to serve for five 39
66	68		years, except that any vacancy [which may occur] that occurs because of 40
67	69		a change of residence by a commissioner [,] or the removal, [of a 41
68	70		commissioner,] resignation or death of a commissioner shall be filled for 42
69	71		the unexpired portion of the term. If a governing body increases the 43
70	72		membership of the authority, [on or after July 1, 1995,] such governing 44
71	73		body shall, by resolution, provide for a term of five years for each such 45
72	74		additional member. The term of the [chairman] chairperson shall be 46
73	75		three years. At least one of such commissioners of an authority having 47
74	76		five members, and at least two of such commissioners of an authority 48
75		-	having more than five members, shall be a tenant or tenants of the 49 Committee Bill No. 6534
	77	+	having more than five members, shall be a tenant or tenants of the 49
	78	+	Committee Bill No. 6534
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77	80
78		-	LCO 6643 3 of 5
	81	+	LCO No. 6643 3 of 5
79	82
80	83		authority selected pursuant to subsection (c) of this section. If, on or after 50
81	84		October 1, 1979, a [municipality] governing body that has adopted a 51
82	85		resolution as described in section 8-40 [, but] has no tenants serving as 52
83	86		commissioners, [the chief executive officer of a municipality other than 53
84	87		a town or] the governing body [of a town] shall appoint a tenant who 54
85	88		meets the qualifications set out in this section as a commissioner of such 55
86	89		authority when the next vacancy in the office of a commissioner occurs. 56
87	90		No commissioner of an authority [may] shall hold any public office in 57
88	91		the municipality for which the authority is created other than the office 58
89	92		of a commissioner of the authority. A commissioner shall hold office 59
90	93		until such commissioner's successor is appointed and has qualified. 60
91	94		[Not later than January 1, 2024, each commissioner who is serving on 61
92	95		said date and, thereafter, upon] Upon appointment, each newly 62
93	96		appointed commissioner who is not a reappointed commissioner, shall 63
94	97		participate in a training for housing authority commissioners provided 64
95	98		by an industry-recognized training provider. A certificate of the 65
96	99		appointment or reappointment of any commissioner shall be filed with 66
97	100		the clerk [and] after said commissioner has taken an oath in the form 67
98	101		prescribed in the first paragraph of section 1-25. Such certificate shall be 68
99	102		conclusive evidence of the legal appointment of such commissioner. [, 69
100	103		after said commissioner has taken an oath in the form prescribed in the 70
101	104		first paragraph of section 1-25.] The powers of each authority shall be 71
102	105		vested in the commissioners [thereof] of the authority. Three 72
103	106		commissioners shall constitute a quorum if the authority consists of five 73
104	107		commissioners. Four commissioners shall constitute a quorum if the 74
105	108		authority consists of six or more [than five] commissioners. Action may 75
106	109		be taken by the authority upon a vote of not less than a majority of the 76
107	110		commissioners present unless the bylaws of the authority require a 77
108	111		larger number. The [chief executive officer, or, in the case of an authority 78
109	112		for a town, the] governing body of the [town,] municipality shall 79
110	113		designate which of the commissioners shall be the first [chairman] 80
111	114		chairperson, but when the office of [chairman] chairperson of the 81
112	115		authority becomes vacant, the authority shall select a [chairman] 82
113	116		chairperson from among its commissioners. An authority shall select 83
114		-	~~from among its commissioners a vice [chairman, and it] chairperson. 84~~ Committee Bill No. 6534
	117	+	Committee Bill No. 6534
115	118
116	119
117		-	LCO 6643 4 of 5
	120	+	LCO No. 6643 4 of 5
118	121
	122	+	from among its commissioners a vice [chairman, and it] chairperson. 84
119	123		The authority may employ a secretary, who shall be the executive 85
120	124		director of the authority, and technical experts and such other officers, 86
121	125		agents and employees, permanent and temporary, as [it] the authority 87
122	126		requires. [, and] The authority shall determine [their] the qualifications, 88
123	127		duties and compensation [, provided,] for such experts, officers, agents 89
124	128		and employees, except that in municipalities having a civil service law, 90
125	129		all appointments and promotions, except the employment of the 91
126	130		secretary, shall be based on examinations given and lists prepared 92
127	131		under such law, and, [except so far as may be] unless inconsistent with 93
128	132		the terms of this chapter, such [civil service] law and regulations 94
129	133		adopted thereunder shall apply to such housing authority and its 95
130	134		personnel. For such legal services as it requires, an authority may 96
131	135		employ its own legal counsel and legal staff. An authority may delegate 97
132	136		any of its powers and duties to one or more of its agents or employees. 98
133	137		A commissioner, or any employee of the authority who handles its 99
134	138		funds, shall be required to furnish an adequate bond. The 100
135	139		commissioners shall serve without compensation, but shall be entitled 101
136	140		to reimbursement for their actual and necessary expenses incurred in 102
137	141		the performance of [their] such commissioners' official duties. 103
138	142		Sec. 3. Section 8-67 of the general statutes is repealed and the 104
139	143		following is substituted in lieu thereof (Effective October 1, 2025): 105
140	144		Any person injured in person or property within boundaries of 106
141	145		property owned or controlled by an authority, for which injury such 107
142	146		authority is or may be liable, may bring an action within two years after 108
143	147		the cause of action therefor arose to recover damages from such 109
144	148		authority, provided written notice of the intention to commence such 110
145	149		action and of the time when and the place where the damages were 111
146	150		incurred or sustained has been filed with the [chairman] chairperson or 112
147	151		the secretary of the authority within six months after the cause of action 113
148	152		therefor arose. 114
149		-	This act shall take effect as follows and shall amend the following
150		-	sections:
151	153		Committee Bill No. 6534
152	154
153	155
154		-	LCO 6643 5 of 5
	156	+	LCO No. 6643 5 of 5
	157	+
	158	+	This act shall take effect as follows and shall amend the following
	159	+	sections:
155	160
156	161		Section 1 October 1, 2025 8-39(h)
157	162		Sec. 2 October 1, 2025 8-41(a)
158	163		Sec. 3 October 1, 2025 8-67
159	164
160		-	PD Joint Favorable
	165	+	Statement of Purpose:
	166	+	To permit the governing body of a municipality to make appointments
	167	+	to the municipal housing authority.
	168	+
	169	+	[Proposed deletions are enclosed in brackets. Proposed additions are indicated by underline, except
	170	+	that when the entire text of a bill or resolution or a section of a bill or resolution is new, it is not
	171	+	underlined.]
	172	+
	173	+	Co-Sponsors: REP. MESKERS, 150th Dist.; REP. ARZENO, 151st Dist.
	174	+
	175	+	H.B. 6534
	176	+
161	177