Connecticut 2025 Regular Session

Connecticut House Bill HB06850 Compare Versions

Version 1 (Old)

Version 2 (New)

Old	New		Differences
1	1
2	2
3		-	LCO 1 of 5
	3	+	LCO No. 3960 1 of 6
4	4
5		-	General Assembly ~~Substitute~~ Bill No. 6850
	5	+	General Assembly Raised Bill No. 6850
6	6		January Session, 2025
	7	+	LCO No. 3960
	8	+
	9	+
	10	+	Referred to Committee on GOVERNMENT ADMINISTRATION
	11	+	AND ELECTIONS
	12	+
	13	+
	14	+	Introduced by:
	15	+	(GAE)
	16	+
7	17
8	18
9	19
10	20		AN ACT CONCERNING REVISIONS TO THE FREEDOM OF
11	21		INFORMATION ACT CONCERNING THE NONDISCLOSURE OF THE
12	22		ADDRESSES OF CERTAIN PUBLIC AGENCY EMPLOYEES.
13	23		Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in General
14	24		Assembly convened:
15	25
16	26		Section 1. Section 1-217 of the general statutes is repealed and the 1
17	27		following is substituted in lieu thereof (Effective October 1, 2025): 2
18	28		(a) No public agency may disclose, under the Freedom of Information 3
19	29		Act, from its personnel, medical or similar files, the residential address 4
20	30		of any of the following persons: [employed by such public agency:] 5
21	31		(1) A federal court judge, federal court magistrate, judge of the 6
22	32		Superior Court, Appellate Court or Supreme Court of the state, or 7
23	33		family support magistrate; 8
24	34		(2) A sworn member of a municipal police department, a sworn 9
25	35		member of the Division of State Police within the Department of 10
26	36		Emergency Services and Public Protection or a sworn law enforcement 11
27	37		officer within the Department of Energy and Environmental Protection; 12
	38	+	Raised Bill No. 6850
	39	+
	40	+
	41	+
	42	+	LCO No. 3960 2 of 6
	43	+
28	44		(3) An employee of the Department of Correction; 13
29	45		(4) An attorney-at-law who represents or has represented the state in 14
30		-	a criminal prosecution; 15 Substitute Bill No. 6850
31		-
32		-
33		-	LCO 2 of 5
34		-
	46	+	a criminal prosecution; 15
35	47		(5) An attorney-at-law who is or has been employed by the Division 16
36	48		of Public Defender Services or a social worker who is employed by the 17
37	49		Division of Public Defender Services; 18
38	50		(6) An inspector employed by the Division of Criminal Justice; 19
39	51		(7) A firefighter; 20
40	52		(8) An employee of the Department of Children and Families; 21
41	53		(9) A member or employee of the Board of Pardons and Paroles; 22
42	54		(10) An employee of the judicial branch; 23
43	55		(11) An employee of the Department of Mental Health and Addiction 24
44	56		Services who provides direct care to patients; 25
45	57		(12) A member or employee of the Commission on Human Rights 26
46	58		and Opportunities; [or] 27
47	59		(13) A state marshal appointed by the State Marshal Commission 28
48	60		pursuant to section 6-38b; or 29
49	61		(14) Any other employee of a public agency, except when residency 30
50	62		is a condition or term of such person's employment. 31
51	63		(b) The business address of any person described in this section, and 32
52	64		the address of each town hall, city hall or other municipal building in 33
53	65		which the office of the registrars of voters of a municipality is located, 34
54	66		shall be subject to disclosure under section 1-210. The provisions of this 35
55	67		section shall not apply to Department of Motor Vehicles records 36
56	68		described in section 14-10. 37
	69	+	Raised Bill No. 6850
	70	+
	71	+
	72	+
	73	+	LCO No. 3960 3 of 6
	74	+
57	75		(c) (1) Except as provided in subsections (a), (b) and (e) of this section, 38
58	76		no public agency may disclose the residential address of any person 39
59	77		listed in subsection (a) of this section from any record described in 40
60	78		subdivision (2) of this subsection that is requested in accordance with 41
61	79		the provisions of said subdivision, regardless of whether such person is 42
62		-	an employee of the public agency, provided such person has (A) 43 Substitute Bill No. 6850
63		-
64		-
65		-	LCO 3 of 5
66		-
	80	+	an employee of the public agency, provided such person has (A) 43
67	81		submitted a written request for the nondisclosure of the person's 44
68	82		residential address to the public agency, and (B) furnished his or her 45
69	83		business address to the public agency. 46
70	84		(2) Any public agency that receives a request for a record subject to 47
71	85		disclosure under this chapter where such request (A) specifically names 48
72	86		a person who has requested that his or her address be kept confidential 49
73	87		under subdivision (1) of this subsection, shall make a copy of the record 50
74	88		requested to be disclosed and shall redact the copy to remove such 51
75	89		person's residential address prior to disclosing such record, (B) is for an 52
76	90		existing list that is derived from a readily accessible electronic database, 53
77	91		shall make a reasonable effort to redact the residential address of any 54
78	92		person who has requested that his or her address be kept confidential 55
79	93		under subdivision (1) of this subsection prior to the release of such list, 56
80	94		or (C) is for any list that the public agency voluntarily creates in 57
81	95		response to a request for disclosure, shall make a reasonable effort to 58
82	96		redact the residential address of any person who has requested that his 59
83	97		or her address be kept confidential under subdivision (1) of this 60
84	98		subsection prior to the release of such list. 61
85	99		(3) Except as provided in subsection (a) of this section, an agency shall 62
86	100		not be prohibited from disclosing the residential address of any person 63
87	101		listed in subsection (a) of this section from any record other than the 64
88	102		records described in subparagraphs (A) to (C), inclusive, of subdivision 65
89	103		(2) of this subsection. 66
90		-	(d) (1) Except as provided in subsections (a), (b) and (e) of this section 67
91		-	and subject to the provisions of subdivisions (2) and (3) of this 68
92		-	subsection, no public agency of a municipality may disclose, under the 69
93		-	Freedom of Information Act, from a public record, including any record 70
94		-	described in subdivision (2) of subsection (c) of this section, the 71
95		-	residential address of any person who is a municipal clerk, registrar of 72
96		-	voters, deputy registrar of voters, election official described in section 9-73
97		-	258, primary official described in section 9-436 or audit official described 74
98		-	in section 9-320f, regardless of whether such person is an employee of 75
99		-	the public agency, provided such person has (A) submitted to the 76 Substitute Bill No. 6850
	104	+	(d) (1) Except as provided in subsections (a) and (e) of this section and 67
	105	+	subject to the provisions of subdivisions (2) and (3) of this subsection, 68
	106	+	no public agency of a municipality may disclose, under the Freedom of 69
	107	+	Raised Bill No. 6850
100	108
101	109
102		-	LCO 4 of 5
103	110
104		-	municipality a written request for the nondisclosure of the person's 77
105		-	residential address, and (B) furnished to the municipality (i) his or her 78
106		-	business address, or (ii) if such person does not have a business address, 79
107		-	the address of the town hall, city hall or other municipal building in 80
108		-	which the office of the registrars of voters of such municipality is 81
109		-	located. 82
110		-	(2) (A) If a person submits a written request described in subdivision 83
111		-	(1) of this subsection prior to the ninetieth day preceding an election, the 84
112		-	prohibition in said subdivision against disclosing such person's 85
113		-	residential address shall take effect on the ninetieth day preceding such 86
114		-	election and shall expire on the ninetieth day following such election. 87
115		-	(B) If a person submits a written request described in subdivision (1) 88
116		-	of this subsection on or after the ninetieth day preceding an election, the 89
117		-	prohibition in said subdivision against disclosing such person's 90
118		-	residential address shall take effect upon such submission and shall 91
119		-	expire on the ninetieth day following such election. 92
120		-	(3) The provisions of this subsection shall not be construed to prohibit 93
121		-	the disclosure of the residential address of any person described in 94
122		-	subdivision (1) of this subsection in the case where such residential 95
123		-	address appears on a public record by virtue of such person holding any 96
124		-	elective or appointive state or municipal office other than municipal 97
125		-	clerk, registrar of voters or deputy registrar of voters. 98
126		-	(e) The provisions of this section shall not be construed to prohibit 99
127		-	the disclosure without redaction of any document, as defined in section 100
128		-	7-35bb, any list prepared under title 9, or any list published under 101
129		-	section 12-55. 102
130		-	(f) No public agency or public official or employee of a public agency 103
131		-	shall be penalized for violating a provision of this section, unless such 104
132		-	violation is wilful and knowing. Any complaint of such a violation shall 105
133		-	be made to the Freedom of Information Commission. Upon receipt of 106
134		-	such a complaint, the commission shall serve upon the public agency, 107
135		-	official or employee, as the case may be, by certified or registered mail, 108 Substitute Bill No. 6850
	111	+	LCO No. 3960 4 of 6
	112	+
	113	+	Information Act, from a public record, including any record described 70
	114	+	in subdivision (2) of subsection (c) of this section, the residential address 71
	115	+	of any person who is a municipal clerk, registrar of voters, deputy 72
	116	+	registrar of voters, election official described in section 9-258, primary 73
	117	+	official described in section 9-436 or audit official described in section 9-74
	118	+	320f, regardless of whether such person is an employee of the public 75
	119	+	agency, provided such person has (A) submitted to the municipality a 76
	120	+	written request for the nondisclosure of the person's residential address, 77
	121	+	and (B) furnished to the municipality (i) his or her business address, or 78
	122	+	(ii) if such person does not have a business address, the address of the 79
	123	+	town hall, city hall or other municipal building in which the office of the 80
	124	+	registrars of voters of such municipality is located. 81
	125	+	(2) (A) If a person submits a written request described in subdivision 82
	126	+	(1) of this subsection prior to the ninetieth day preceding an election, the 83
	127	+	prohibition in said subdivision against disclosing such person's 84
	128	+	residential address shall take effect on the ninetieth day preceding such 85
	129	+	election and shall expire on the ninetieth day following such election. 86
	130	+	(B) If a person submits a written request described in subdivision (1) 87
	131	+	of this subsection on or after the ninetieth day preceding an election, the 88
	132	+	prohibition in said subdivision against disclosing such person's 89
	133	+	residential address shall take effect upon such submission and shall 90
	134	+	expire on the ninetieth day following such election. 91
	135	+	(3) The provisions of this subsection shall not be construed to prohibit 92
	136	+	the disclosure of the residential address of any person described in 93
	137	+	subdivision (1) of this subsection in the case where such residential 94
	138	+	address appears on a public record by virtue of such person holding any 95
	139	+	elective or appointive state or municipal office other than municipal 96
	140	+	clerk, registrar of voters or deputy registrar of voters. 97
	141	+	(e) The provisions of this section shall not be construed to prohibit 98
	142	+	the disclosure without redaction of any document, as defined in section 99
	143	+	7-35bb, any list prepared under title 9, or any list published under 100
	144	+	Raised Bill No. 6850
136	145
137	146
138		-	LCO 5 of 5
139	147
140		-	a copy of the complaint. The commission shall provide the public 109
141		-	agency, official or employee with an opportunity to be heard at a 110
142		-	hearing conducted in accordance with the provisions of chapter 54, 111
143		-	unless the commission, upon motion of the public agency, official or 112
144		-	employee or upon motion of the commission, dismisses the complaint 113
145		-	without a hearing if it finds, after examining the complaint and 114
146		-	construing all allegations most favorably to the complainant, that the 115
147		-	public agency, official or employee has not wilfully and knowingly 116
148		-	violated a provision of this section. If the commission finds that the 117
149		-	public agency, official or employee wilfully and knowingly violated a 118
150		-	provision of this section, the commission may impose against such 119
151		-	public agency, official or employee a civil penalty of not less than twenty 120
152		-	dollars nor more than one thousand dollars. Nothing in this section shall 121
153		-	be construed to allow a private right of action against a public agency, 122
154		-	public official or employee of a public agency. 123
	148	+	LCO No. 3960 5 of 6
	149	+
	150	+	section 12-55. 101
	151	+	(f) No public agency or public official or employee of a public agency 102
	152	+	shall be penalized for violating a provision of this section, unless such 103
	153	+	violation is wilful and knowing. Any complaint of such a violation shall 104
	154	+	be made to the Freedom of Information Commission. Upon receipt of 105
	155	+	such a complaint, the commission shall serve upon the public agency, 106
	156	+	official or employee, as the case may be, by certified or registered mail, 107
	157	+	a copy of the complaint. The commission shall provide the public 108
	158	+	agency, official or employee with an opportunity to be heard at a 109
	159	+	hearing conducted in accordance with the provisions of chapter 54, 110
	160	+	unless the commission, upon motion of the public agency, official or 111
	161	+	employee or upon motion of the commission, dismisses the complaint 112
	162	+	without a hearing if it finds, after examining the complaint and 113
	163	+	construing all allegations most favorably to the complainant, that the 114
	164	+	public agency, official or employee has not wilfully and knowingly 115
	165	+	violated a provision of this section. If the commission finds that the 116
	166	+	public agency, official or employee wilfully and knowingly violated a 117
	167	+	provision of this section, the commission may impose against such 118
	168	+	public agency, official or employee a civil penalty of not less than twenty 119
	169	+	dollars nor more than one thousand dollars. Nothing in this section shall 120
	170	+	be construed to allow a private right of action against a public agency, 121
	171	+	public official or employee of a public agency. 122
155	172		This act shall take effect as follows and shall amend the following
156	173		sections:
157	174
158	175		Section 1 October 1, 2025 1-217
159	176
160		-	Statement of Legislative Commissioners:
161		-	In Subsec. (d)(1), a reference to subsection (b) was added for consistency.
	177	+	Statement of Purpose:
	178	+	To amend the prohibition against disclosing the residential address of
	179	+	certain persons contained in personnel, medical or similar files by
	180	+	deleting reference to the employing public agency and expanding the
	181	+	prohibition to other public agency employees for which residency is not
	182	+	a requirement for employment.
162	183
163		-	GAE Joint Favorable Subst. -LCO
	184	+	Raised Bill No. 6850
	185	+
	186	+
	187	+
	188	+	LCO No. 3960 6 of 6
	189	+
	190	+	[Proposed deletions are enclosed in brackets. Proposed additions are indicated by underline, except
	191	+	that when the entire text of a bill or resolution or a section of a bill or resolution is new, it is not
	192	+	underlined.]
164	193