Connecticut 2025 Regular Session

Connecticut Senate Bill SB00013 Compare Versions

Version 1 (Old)

Version 2 (New)

Old	New		Differences
1		-
2		-
3		-	LCO 1 of 4
4		-
5		-	General Assembly Substitute Bill No. 13
6		-	January Session, 2025
7	1
8	2
9	3
10		-	AN ACT ESTABLISHING AN ELDER JUSTICE UNIT AND ELDER
11		-	ABUSE TASK FORCE TO TARGET CRIMES AGAINST ELDERLY
12		-	PERSONS.
	4	+	LCO No. 5068 1 of 5
	5	+
	6	+	General Assembly Committee Bill No. 13
	7	+	January Session, 2025
	8	+	LCO No. 5068
	9	+
	10	+
	11	+	Referred to Committee on AGING
	12	+
	13	+
	14	+	Introduced by:
	15	+	(AGE)
	16	+
	17	+
	18	+
	19	+	AN ACT CONCERNING FINANCIAL FRAUD SCHEMES
	20	+	PERPETRATED AGAINST SENIOR CITIZENS.
13	21		Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in General
14	22		Assembly convened:
15	23
16	24		Section 1. (NEW) (Effective October 1, 2025) (a) Within available 1
17	25		appropriations, there is established within the Division of State Police 2
18	26		within the Department of Emergency Services and Public Protection a 3
19	27		state-wide elder abuse task force for the effective enforcement of the 4
20	28		laws of this state concerning elder abuse. 5
21	29		(b) The task force shall conduct investigations in coordination with 6
22	30		the elder justice unit established pursuant to sections 51-279 of the 7
23	31		general statutes, as amended by this act, and 51-279b of the general 8
24	32		statutes, as amended by this act, and may investigate suspected elder 9
25	33		abuse at any place within the state as the task force deems necessary. 10
26	34		(c) The task force may (1) request and receive from any federal, state 11
27	35		or local agency cooperation and assistance in the performance of its 12
28	36		duties, including the temporary assignment of personnel that may be 13
29	37		necessary to carry out the performance of its functions, (2) enter into 14
30	38		mutual assistance and cooperation agreements with other states 15
	39	+	Committee Bill No. 13
	40	+
	41	+
	42	+	LCO No. 5068 2 of 5
	43	+
31	44		pertaining to elder abuse law enforcement matters extending across 16
32	45		state boundaries, and (3) consult and exchange information and 17
33		-	personnel with agencies of other states with reference to elder abuse law 18 Substitute Bill No. 13
34		-
35		-
36		-	LCO 2 of 4
37		-
	46	+	personnel with agencies of other states with reference to elder abuse law 18
38	47		enforcement problems of mutual concern. 19
39	48		(d) The Commissioner of Emergency Services and Public Protection 20
40	49		may appoint a commanding officer and such other personnel as said 21
41	50		commissioner deems necessary for the duties of the task force. 22
42	51		Sec. 2. Subsection (a) of section 51-279 of the general statutes is 23
43	52		repealed and the following is substituted in lieu thereof (Effective October 24
44	53		1, 2025): 25
45	54		(a) The Chief State's Attorney, with the advice of the Division of 26
46	55		Criminal Justice Advisory Board under section 51-279a, shall 27
47	56		administer, direct, supervise, coordinate and control the operations, 28
48	57		activities and programs of the division as it shall apply to the Superior 29
49	58		Court. [He] The Chief State's Attorney shall: (1) Establish such bureaus, 30
50	59		divisions, facilities and offices, including an appellate unit, a 31
51	60		racketeering and continuing criminal activities unit, [and] a bond 32
52	61		forfeiture unit and an elder justice unit, and select such professional, 33
53	62		technical and other personnel, including chief inspectors, as [he] the 34
54	63		Chief State's Attorney deems reasonably necessary for the efficient 35
55	64		operation and discharge of the duties of the division, subject to the 36
56	65		personnel policies and compensation plan established by the 37
57	66		Department of Administrative Services; (2) adopt and enforce rules and 38
58	67		regulations to carry out the purposes of this chapter; (3) establish 39
59	68		guidelines, policies and procedures for the internal operation and 40
60	69		administration of the division which shall be binding on all division 41
61	70		personnel; (4) enter into contracts with consultants and such other 42
62	71		persons as are necessary for the proper functioning of the office; (5) 43
63	72		engage in long-range planning and review policy and legislation 44
64	73		concerning the administration of criminal justice in the state and 45
65	74		recommend needed changes and additions thereto; (6) collect statistical 46
66	75		data concerning administration of criminal justice in the state and 47
	76	+	Committee Bill No. 13
	77	+
	78	+
	79	+	LCO No. 5068 3 of 5
	80	+
67	81		furnish the data to the appropriate committee of the General Assembly; 48
68	82		(7) conduct research and evaluate programs within his office; (8) 49
69	83		establish staff development, training and education programs designed 50
70		-	to improve the quality of the division's services and programs; (9) 51 Substitute Bill No. 13
71		-
72		-
73		-	LCO 3 of 4
74		-
	84	+	to improve the quality of the division's services and programs; (9) 51
75	85		coordinate the activities of the division with those of such other state, 52
76	86		municipal, regional, federal and private agencies as are concerned with 53
77	87		the administration of criminal justice; (10) be authorized to receive and 54
78	88		administer funds from the federal government or any charitable 55
79	89		foundation to assist in the operations of the division; (11) supervise, 56
80	90		approve and issue all orders concerning all purchases of commodities, 57
81	91		equipment and services for the Division of Criminal Justice; (12) 58
82	92		supervise the administrative methods and systems employed in the 59
83	93		Division of Criminal Justice; (13) submit to the Department of 60
84	94		Administrative Services for its approval a compensation plan for all 61
85	95		employees of the division, which plan may include sick leave, vacation 62
86	96		leave, absences without pay, longevity payments, increments and all 63
87	97		other matters regarding personnel policies and procedures; (14) 64
88	98		establish with the approval of the Department of Administrative 65
89	99		Services such job classifications as [he] the Chief State's Attorney deems 66
90	100		necessary for the operation of the division; (15) audit bills to be paid 67
91	101		from state appropriations for the expenses of the Division of Criminal 68
92	102		Justice; (16) maintain adequate accounting and budgetary records for all 69
93	103		appropriations by the state for the maintenance of the Division of 70
94	104		Criminal Justice and all other appropriations assigned by the legislature 71
95	105		or state budgetary control offices for administration by the Division of 72
96	106		Criminal Justice; (17) serve as payroll officer for the Division of Criminal 73
97	107		Justice; and (18) have such other powers and duties as are reasonably 74
98	108		necessary to administer the division and implement the purposes of this 75
99	109		chapter. [He] The Chief State's Attorney shall prepare and submit to the 76
100	110		Office of Policy and Management estimates of appropriations necessary 77
101	111		for the maintenance of the division and make recommendations with 78
102	112		respect thereto for inclusion as a separate item in the budget request of 79
103	113		the Division of Criminal Justice. 80
104	114		Sec. 3. Section 51-279b of the general statutes is repealed and the 81
	115	+	Committee Bill No. 13
	116	+
	117	+
	118	+	LCO No. 5068 4 of 5
	119	+
105	120		following is substituted in lieu thereof (Effective October 1, 2025): 82
106	121		(a) The Chief State's Attorney shall establish a racketeering and 83
107	122		continuing criminal activities unit within the Division of Criminal 84
108		-	Justice. Such unit shall be available for the investigation and prosecution 85 Substitute Bill No. 13
109		-
110		-
111		-	LCO 4 of 4
112		-
	123	+	Justice. Such unit shall be available for the investigation and prosecution 85
113	124		of criminal matters including, but not limited to, the illegal purchase and 86
114	125		sale of controlled substances, criminal activity by gangs, fraud, 87
115	126		corruption, illegal gambling and the recruitment of persons to carry out 88
116	127		such illegal activities. 89
117	128		(b) The Chief State's Attorney shall establish a bond forfeiture unit 90
118	129		within the Division of Criminal Justice. Such unit shall be responsible 91
119	130		for the collection, in the name of the state, and by suit when necessary, 92
120	131		of all forfeited bonds payable to the state. Such unit may compromise 93
121	132		and settle forfeited bonds for less than the amount thereof without 94
122	133		regard to the expiration of any stay of forfeiture. 95
123	134		(c) The Chief State's Attorney shall develop uniform standards for the 96
124	135		compromise and settlement of forfeited bonds. Such standards shall be 97
125	136		applied on a state-wide basis. 98
126	137		(d) The Chief State's Attorney shall establish an elder justice unit 99
127	138		within the Division of Criminal Justice. Such unit shall be available for 100
128	139		the investigation and prosecution of criminal matters that involve 101
129	140		criminal activity against elderly persons. 102
130	141		This act shall take effect as follows and shall amend the following
131	142		sections:
132	143
133	144		Section 1 October 1, 2025 New section
134	145		Sec. 2 October 1, 2025 51-279(a)
135	146		Sec. 3 October 1, 2025 51-279b
136	147
137		-	Statement of ~~Legislative Commissioners~~:
138		-	~~The title was changed~~.
	148	+	Statement of Purpose:
	149	+	To protect senior citizens from financial fraud schemes.
139	150
140		-	AGE Joint Favorable Subst. -LCO
	151	+	Committee Bill No. 13
	152	+
	153	+
	154	+	LCO No. 5068 5 of 5
	155	+
	156	+	[Proposed deletions are enclosed in brackets. Proposed additions are indicated by underline, except
	157	+	that when the entire text of a bill or resolution or a section of a bill or resolution is new, it is not
	158	+	underlined.]
	159	+
	160	+	Co-Sponsors: SEN. HWANG, 28th Dist.; REP. BOLINSKY, 106th Dist.
	161	+	REP. PIZZUTO, 71st Dist.; SEN. BERTHEL, 32nd Dist.
	162	+	REP. FORTIER, 79th Dist.
	163	+
	164	+	S.B. 13
	165	+
141	166