2012 Connecticut General Statutes
Title 17b - Social Services
Chapter 319o - Department of Social Services
Section 17b-30 - Biometric identifier system.

(a) For purposes of this section, “biometric identifier system” means a system which allows for the recognition of an individual through retinal scanning, finger-imaging, hand geometry or facial recognition. The Commissioner of Social Services and the Commissioner of Motor Vehicles shall examine available biometric identifier systems and to the greatest extent possible, select a system which is compatible with the systems of surrounding states. The Commissioner of Social Services may enter into a memorandum of understanding with the Commissioner of Motor Vehicles for the Department of Motor Vehicles to provide the hardware, software, equipment maintenance, technical training and other resources deemed necessary by the commissioner to establish said system.

(b) Said system shall be utilized for office use only in programs to be determined at the discretion of the Commissioner of Social Services.

(c) A recipient of a program utilizing said system pursuant to subsection (b) of this section shall participate in said system or be subject to disqualification from such program. The commissioner shall have the authority to exempt a recipient from participation in said system.

(d) Biometric identifier information obtained pursuant to subsection (c) of this section shall be the proprietary information of the Department of Social Services and shall not be released or made available to any agency or organization and shall not be used for any purpose other than identification or fraud prevention in this or any other state, except that such information may be made available to the office of the Chief State’s Attorney if necessary for the prosecution of fraud discovered pursuant to the biometric identifier system established in subsection (a) of this section or in accordance with section 17b-90. The penalty for a violation of this subsection shall be up to a five-thousand-dollar fine or five years’ imprisonment or both and the cost of prosecution.

(P.A. 95-194, S. 28, 33; 95-351, S. 27, 30; P.A. 96-176, S. 4; June 18 Sp. Sess. P.A. 97-2, S. 23, 165; P.A. 03-268, S. 4; P.A. 04-76, S. 8; P.A. 10-179, S. 80; June Sp. Sess. P.A. 10-1, S. 66.)

History: P.A. 95-194, S. 28 effective July 1, 1995; P.A. 95-351 amended Subsec. (b) by providing that the biometric identifier system shall be utilized for office use only, effective July 1, 1995; P.A. 96-176 inserted new Subsec. (b) authorizing one-year contract extension and requiring commissioner thereafter to issue request for proposals for maintenance or improvement of biometric identifier system, relettered former Subsecs. (b) to (e), inclusive, as Subsecs. (c) to (f), inclusive, respectively, and added Subsec. (g) re annual report by Commissioner of Social Services; June 18 Sp. Sess. P.A. 97-2 amended Subsec. (c) to replace a reference to aid to families with dependent children with temporary family assistance, effective July 1, 1997; P.A. 03-268 amended Subsec. (g) to provide that final report on implementation of biometric identifier system shall be issued not later than January 1, 2004; P.A. 04-76 deleted Subsec. (c)(1) re “general assistance” and redesignated former Subsecs. (c)(2) and (c)(3) as new Subsecs. (c)(1) and (c)(2); P.A. 10-179 deleted former Subsec. (b) re commissioner’s authority to extend contracts, redesignated existing Subsecs. (c) and (d) as Subsecs. (b) and (c), amended redesignated Subsec. (b) by replacing former Subdivs. (1) and (2) with reference to “programs”, deleted former Subsec. (e) re dates for implementation of system, redesignated existing Subsec. (f) as Subsec. (d) and deleted former Subsec. (g) re submission of annual report, effective May 7, 2010; June Sp. Sess. P.A. 10-1 made a technical change in Subsec. (d), effective June 22, 2010.