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General Assembly Raised Bill No. 1213
January Session, 2025
LCO No. 3631
Referred to Committee on COMMITTEE ON CHILDREN
Introduced by:
(KID)
AN ACT CONCERNING THE LEGISLATIVE COMMISSIONERS'
RECOMMENDATIONS FOR REVISIONS TO STATUTES RELATING TO
CHILDREN.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in General
Assembly convened:
Section 1. Subsection (b) of section 17a-4 of the general statutes is 1
repealed and the following is substituted in lieu thereof (Effective July 1, 2
2025): 3
(b) The council shall meet quarterly, and more often upon the call of 4
the chair or a majority of the members. The council's meetings shall be 5
held at locations that facilitate participation by members of the public, 6
and its agenda and minutes shall be posted on the department's Internet 7
web site. A majority of the members in office, but not less than six 8
members, shall constitute a quorum. The council shall have complete 9
access to all records of the institutions and facilities of the department 10
in furtherance of its duties, while at all times protecting the right of 11
privacy of all individuals involved, as provided in section 17a-28, as 12
amended by this act. 13
Sec. 2. Subdivision (1) of subsection (j) of section 17a-28 of the general 14 Raised Bill No. 1213
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statutes is repealed and the following is substituted in lieu thereof 15
(Effective July 1, 2025): 16
(j) (1) Any person or individual aggrieved by a violation of subsection 17
(b) or (d) of this section, subsections (f) to (h), inclusive, of this section 18
or subsection (k) of this section, or a person's authorized representative, 19
may seek judicial relief in the manner prescribed in section 52-146j. 20
Sec. 3. Subdivision (4) of subsection (c) of section 17a-114 of the 21
general statutes is repealed and the following is substituted in lieu 22
thereof (Effective July 1, 2025): 23
(4) Any such relative or fictive kin caregiver who accepts placement 24
of a child shall be subject to licensure by the commissioner, pursuant to 25
regulations adopted by the commissioner in accordance with the 26
provisions of chapter 54, to implement the provisions of this section or 27
approval by a child-placing agency licensed pursuant to section 17a-149. 28
The commissioner may grant a waiver from such regulations, including 29
any standard regarding separate bedrooms or room -sharing 30
arrangements, for a child placed with a relative or fictive kin caregiver, 31
on a case-by-case basis, if such placement is otherwise in the best 32
interests of such child, provided no procedure or standard that is safety-33
related may be so waived. The commissioner shall document, in writing, 34
the reason for granting any waiver from such regulations. 35
Sec. 4. Subdivision (5) of subsection (j) of section 46b-129 of the 36
general statutes is repealed and the following is substituted in lieu 37
thereof (Effective July 1, 2025): 38
(5) The commissioner shall be the guardian of such child or youth for 39
the duration of the commitment, provided the child or youth has not 40
reached the age of eighteen years, or until another guardian has been 41
legally appointed, and in like manner, upon such vesting of the care of 42
such child or youth, such other public or private agency or individual 43
shall be the guardian of such child or youth until such child or youth 44
has reached the age of eighteen years or, in the case of a child or youth 45
in full-time attendance in a secondary school, a technical education and 46 Raised Bill No. 1213
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career school, a college or a state-accredited job training program, until 47
such child or youth has reached the age of twenty-one years or until 48
another guardian has been legally appointed. The commissioner may 49
place any child or youth so committed to the commissioner in a suitable 50
foster home or in the home of a fictive kin caregiver, relative caregiver, 51
or in a licensed child-caring institution or in the care and custody of any 52
accredited, licensed or approved child-caring agency, within or without 53
the state, provided a child shall not be placed outside the state except 54
for good cause and unless the [parents] parent or guardian of such child 55
are notified in advance of such placement and given an opportunity to 56
be heard, or in a receiving home maintained and operated by the 57
commissioner. When placing such child or youth, the commissioner 58
shall provide written notification of the placement, including the name, 59
address and other relevant contact information relating to the 60
placement, to any attorney or guardian ad litem appointed to represent 61
the child or youth pursuant to subsection (c) of this section. The 62
commissioner shall provide written notification to such attorney or 63
guardian ad litem of any change in placement of such child or youth, 64
including a hospitalization or respite placement, and if the child or 65
youth absconds from care. The commissioner shall provide such written 66
notification not later than ten business days prior to the date of change 67
of placement in a nonemergency situation, or not later than two business 68
days following the date of a change of placement in an emergency 69
situation. In placing such child or youth, the commissioner shall, if 70
possible, select a home, agency, institution or person of like religious 71
faith to that of a parent of such child or youth, if such faith is known or 72
may be ascertained by reasonable inquiry, provided such home 73
conforms to the standards of the commissioner and the commissioner 74
shall, when placing siblings, if possible, place such children together. At 75
least ten days prior to transferring a child or youth to a second or 76
subsequent placement, the commissioner shall give written notice to 77
such child or youth and such child's or youth's attorney of said 78
commissioner's intention to make such transfer, unless an emergency or 79
risk to such child's or youth's well-being necessitates the immediate 80
transfer of such child or youth and renders such notice impossible. 81 Raised Bill No. 1213
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Upon the issuance of an order committing the child or youth to the 82
commissioner, or not later than sixty days after the issuance of such 83
order, the court shall determine whether the department made 84
reasonable efforts to keep the child or youth with his or her [parents] 85
parent or guardian prior to the issuance of such order and, if such efforts 86
were not made, whether such reasonable efforts were not possible, 87
taking into consideration the child's or youth's best interests, including 88
the child's or youth's health and safety. 89
Sec. 5. Subsection (r) of section 46b-129 of the general statutes is 90
repealed and the following is substituted in lieu thereof (Effective July 1, 91
2025): 92
(r) The provisions of section 17a-152, regarding placement of a child 93
or youth from another state, and section 17a-175, regarding the 94
Interstate Compact on the Placement of Children, shall apply to 95
placements pursuant to this section. In any proceeding under this 96
section involving the placement of a child or youth in another state 97
where the provisions of section 17a-175 are applicable, the court shall, 98
before ordering or approving such placement, state for the record the 99
court's finding concerning compliance with the provisions of section 100
17a-175. The court's statement shall include, but not be limited to: (1) A 101
finding that the state has received notice in writing from the receiving 102
state, in accordance with subsection (d) of Article III of section 17a-175, 103
indicating that the proposed placement does not appear contrary to the 104
interests of the child or youth, (2) the court has reviewed such notice, (3) 105
whether or not an interstate compact study or other home study has 106
been completed by the receiving state, and (4) if such a study has been 107
completed, whether the conclusions reached by the receiving state as a 108
result of such study support the placement. 109
Sec. 6. Subsection (v) of section 46b-129 of the general statutes is 110
repealed and the following is substituted in lieu thereof (Effective July 1, 111
2025): 112
(v) In any proceeding to review, modify, terminate or extend an order 113 Raised Bill No. 1213
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of protective supervision, the Department of Children and Families 114
shall file with the court information concerning (1) whether the 115
department has received or obtained the most up-to-date information 116
concerning the child's medical, dental, developmental, educational and 117
treatment needs from any relevant service providers; (2) whether the 118
child has received services recommended by any such providers and a 119
description of any concerns identified by such providers; (3) a 120
description of (A) any new report alleging abuse or neglect pertaining 121
to the child or a parent or guardian of the child received pursuant to 122
section 17a-103a, (B) whether such report resulted in an investigation, 123
and (C) the findings of any such investigation; (4) any new criminal 124
charges pending against any such parent or guardian; and (5) for any 125
child under three years of age, whether the child was screened for 126
developmental and social-emotional delays pursuant to section 17a-127
106e, whether any such delays were identified and, if so, whether the 128
child was referred to the birth-to-three program pursuant to said 129
section. 130
This act shall take effect as follows and shall amend the following
sections:
Section 1 July 1, 2025 17a-4(b)
Sec. 2 July 1, 2025 17a-28(j)(1)
Sec. 3 July 1, 2025 17a-114(c)(4)
Sec. 4 July 1, 2025 46b-129(j)(5)
Sec. 5 July 1, 2025 46b-129(r)
Sec. 6 July 1, 2025 46b-129(v)
KID Joint Favorable