SB 1055 — AN ACT CONCERNING THE DEPARTMENT OF AGING AND DISABILITY SERVICES.

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492 Sec.

6 July 1, 2021 46a-29(a) Sec.

7 July 1, 2021 Repealer section Statement of Legislative Commissioners:

In Section 5(a), "of:

the following sixteen members appointed by the Governor:]" was changed to "the following [sixteen members appointed by the Governor] members:";

and Subdiv.

designators (9) to (16), inclusive, were replaced with Subdiv.

designators 9(A) to 9(H), inclusive, for clarity and to conform to standard drafting conventions.

HS Joint Favorable Subst.

-LCO sSB1055 / File No.

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492 The following Fiscal Impact Statement and Bill Analysis are prepared for the benefit of the members of the General Assembly, solely for purposes of information, summarization and explanation and do not represent the intent of the General Assembly or either chamber thereof for any purpose.

In general, fiscal impacts are based upon a variety of informational sources, including the analyst’s professional knowledge.

Whenever applicable, agency data is consulted as part of the analysis, however final products do not necessarily reflect an assessment from any specific department.

OFA Fiscal Note State Impact:

None Municipal Impact:

None Explanation The bill makes various technical and conforming changes to the DepartmentofAgingandDisability'sstatutesthathavenofiscalimpact.

This includes updating statutes governing the Assistive Technology loan program to reflect the agency's current practice of partnering with banks and guaranteeing loans.

The Out Years State Impact:

None Municipal Impact:

None sSB1055 / File No.

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492 OLR Bill Analysis sSB 1055 AN ACT CONCERNING THE DEPARTMENT OF AGING AND DISABILITY SERVICES.

SUMMARY This bill makes various changes and updates to the statutes governing the Department of Aging and Disability Services (ADS).

More specifically, it:

1.

consolidates redundant gift acceptance and use provisions that allow ADS to accept gifts and bequests;

2.

replaces the current Assistive Technology Revolving Fund, which makes direct loans, with a program to make and guarantee loans for the same purposes;

3.

updates the format of a required informational resource about the voter application process;

4.

eliminates required appointments for the eight ex-officio members oftheAdvisoryBoardforPersonsWhoareDeaforHardofHearing;

and 5.

deletes an obsolete reference to the Department of Social Services taking over programs of the former Department on Aging, as they were instead merged into ADS (CGS § 17a-301b).

The bill also makes technical and conforming changes.

EFFECTIVE DATE:

July 1, 2021 §§ 1, 2, 6 & — GIFT ACCEPTANCE AUTHORIZATION The bill consolidates under one provision, the ADS commissioner’s existing authority to accept and use gifts under three separate sSB1055 / File No.

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492 provisions in statute.

It specifies that she may accept and use gifts, grants, reimbursements, or bequests made by will or otherwise for carrying out the donor’s purposes or the laws governing ADS, provided they are made under conditions that she judges are proper and consistent with state and federal law.

If she accepts them, they must be held, invested, reinvested, and used according to the conditions of the gift, grant, reimbursement, or bequest.

The bill eliminates two similar provisions authorizing the ADS (formerly the Department of Rehabilitation Services (DRS)) commissioner to accept and use gifts, grants, bequests, personal property, and reimbursements for the donor’s specified purposes, if any, or to support its programs.

It also eliminates an authorization for ADS (formerly DRS) to expend its appropriation to engage consultants.

§ 3 — ASSISTIVE TECHNOLOGY LOANS Current law authorizes the ADS commissioner to establish and administer the Assistive Technology Revolving Fund, which makes direct loans to persons with disabilities, senior citizens, or their family members to purchase necessary assistive technology and adaptive equipment and services.

The bill instead authorizes her to establish and administer state financing activities as outlined in the federal Assistive Technology Act.

This is to be known as the Assistive Technology Loan Program, which must make and guarantee loans to persons with disabilities, older adults, or their family members, for the same purposes as the current fund.

§ 4 — VOTER INFORMATIONAL RESOURCE Current election law requires ADS to produce a videotape presenting the oath statement on voter application forms in voice and sign language and provide it to the secretary of the state.

The secretary must then provide a copy to municipal registrars of voters upon request.

This statement specifies each voter eligibility requirement, contains an attestation that the applicant meets each requirement, and requires his sSB1055 / File No.

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492 or her signature under penalty of perjury.

The bill instead requires ADS to produce an accessible version (e.g., an online video) of the oath statement, in consultation with the secretary, and provide it to her.

In turn, the secretary must make it available to registrars of voters.

§ 5 — ADVISORY BOARD APPOINTMENTS Current law requires the governor to appoint the 16 members of the Advisory Board for Persons Who are Deaf or Hard of Hearing, eight of whom are members by virtue of holding another office.

The bill eliminates the requirement that he appoint these ex-officio members, thus enabling their immediate board participation upon assuming their outside positions.

BACKGROUND Related Bill sHB 6637, favorably reported by the Human Services Committee, changes the name of the Advisory Board for Persons Who are Deaf or Hard of Hearing to the Advisory Board for Persons Who are Deaf, Hard of Hearing or Deafblind.

COMMITTEE ACTION Human Services Committee Joint Favorable Yea 19 Nay 0 (03/31/2021) sSB1055 / File No.

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