2011 Connecticut Code
Title 46a Human Rights
Chapter 814d Commission on Children
Sec. 46a-126. Commission on Children. Membership. Vacancies. Executive director. Staff and personnel matters.

      Sec. 46a-126. Commission on Children. Membership. Vacancies. Executive director. Staff and personnel matters. (a) There is established a Commission on Children consisting of twenty-one voting members. There shall be nine nonvoting ex-officio members of the commission as follows: The Commissioners of Children and Families, Developmental Services, Public Health, Education, Social Services and Correction, the Secretary of the Office of Policy and Management, the Attorney General and the Chief Court Administrator.

      (1) With respect to members appointed prior to October 5, 2009, upon the occurrence of a vacancy or the expiration of the term of a member, whichever occurs first, such vacancy shall be filled as follows: (A) For any member appointed jointly by the majority leaders of the House of Representatives and the Senate, such vacancy shall be filled by a joint appointment of the majority leaders of the House of Representatives and the Senate; (B) for any member appointed by the Governor, such vacancy shall be filled by a joint appointment of the president pro tempore of the Senate and the speaker of the House of Representatives; (C) for any member appointed by the president pro tempore of the Senate, such vacancy shall be filled by an appointment of the president pro tempore of the Senate; (D) for any member appointed by the speaker of the House of Representatives, such vacancy shall be filled by an appointment of the speaker of the House of Representatives; (E) for any member appointed by the minority leader of the Senate, such vacancy shall be filled by an appointment of the minority leader of the Senate; and (F) for any member appointed by the minority leader of the House of Representatives, such vacancy shall be filled by the minority leader of the House of Representatives.

      (2) On or after October 5, 2009, (A) the majority leaders of the House of Representatives and the Senate shall jointly appoint one additional member to the commission who shall be from the central region of the state; (B) the president pro tempore of the Senate shall appoint one additional member to the commission from the northeastern region of the state; (C) the speaker of the House of Representatives shall appoint one additional member to the commission from the southeastern region of the state; (D) the minority leader of the Senate shall appoint one additional member to the commission from the northwestern region of the state; and (E) the minority leader of the House of Representatives shall appoint one additional member to the commission from the southwestern region of the state. In the event of a vacancy for any member appointed pursuant to this subdivision, such vacancy shall be filled by the appointing authority and such appointed member shall be from the respective region of the state.

      (3) Any member appointed on or after October 5, 2009, shall have experience in the field of issues affecting children by virtue of such person's status as an advocate or an academic, civic or cultural leader.

      (4) Any member appointed pursuant to this subsection shall serve for a term of two years from July first in the year of his or her appointment, except that the term of any member appointed pursuant to this subsection during the period from January 1, 2010, to June 30, 2010, inclusive, shall begin on the date of appointment and shall expire on June 30, 2012. The commission shall elect a chairperson and a vice-chairperson from among its members who shall each serve in such capacity for a period of two years. Any person absent from (A) three consecutive meetings of the commission, or (B) fifty per cent of such meetings during any calendar year shall be deemed to have resigned from the commission, effective immediately.

      (5) Vacancies on the commission shall be filled by the appointing authority. Members of the commission shall serve without compensation but shall, within the limits of available funds, be reimbursed for expenses necessarily incurred in the performance of their duties. The commission shall meet as often as deemed necessary by the chairperson or a majority of the commission.

      (b) There shall be an executive director of the Commission on Children. The executive director and any necessary staff shall be employed by the Joint Standing Committee on Legislative Management. The commission shall have no authority over staffing or personnel matters.

      (c) The commission shall be part of the Legislative Department.

      (P.A. 85-584, S. 1, 9; P.A. 93-91, S. 1, 2; 93-262, S. 67, 87; 93-381, S. 9, 39; P.A. 95-257, S. 12, 21, 58; P.A. 96-268, S. 4, 34; P.A. 07-73, S. 2(b); Sept. Sp. Sess. P.A. 09-7, S. 150; P.A. 10-1, S. 7.)

      History: P.A. 93-91 substituted commissioner and department of children and families for commissioner and department of children and youth services, effective July 1, 1993; P.A. 93-262 replaced reference to commissioners of income maintenance and human resources with commissioner of social services, reducing the number of nonvoting ex-officio members from ten to nine to reflect the change, effective July 1, 1993; P.A. 93-381 replaced commissioner of health services with commissioner of public health and addiction services, effective July 1, 1993; P.A. 95-257 replaced Commissioner and Department of Public Health and Addiction Services with Commissioner and Department of Public Health, effective July 1, 1995; P.A. 96-268 replaced Commission on Children and Youth with Commission on Children, effective July 1, 1996; pursuant to P.A. 07-73 "Commissioner of Mental Retardation" was changed editorially by the Revisors to "Commissioner of Developmental Services", effective October 1, 2007; Sept. Sp. Sess. P.A. 09-7 designated existing provisions as Subsec. (a) and amended same to eliminate reference to initial appointees of commission, increase number of members of commission after October 5, 2009, from 16 to 21 voting members, make technical changes and add Subdiv. (1) re the filling of vacancies on commission after expiration of terms of members appointed prior to October 5, 2009, Subdiv. (2) re appointment of 5 additional members after October 5, 2009, Subdiv. (3) re requisite experience for members appointed on or after October 5, 2009, Subdiv. (4) re term for members, selection of chairperson and vice-chairperson, and absence of members from 3 consecutive meetings of commission or 50% of such meetings during any calendar year, and Subdiv. (5) re vacancies on commission, compensation and frequency of meetings of commission, added Subsec. (b) re executive director of commission, any necessary staff and commission's lack of authority over staffing or personnel matters, and added Subsec. (c) re commission as part of Legislative Department, effective October 5, 2009; P.A. 10-1 amended Subsec. (a) to make technical changes in Subdivs. (1) and (2) and to add exception to 2-year term of members for appointments made January 1, 2010, to June 30, 2010, in Subdiv. (4) effective February 4, 2010.