Bill Text: CT HB07277 | 2017 | General Assembly | Comm Sub

Connecticut House Bill 7277 (Prior Session Legislation)

Bill Title: An Act Concerning Government Administration.

Spectrum: Committee Bill

Status: (Introduced - Dead) 2017-04-13 - File Number 597 [HB07277 Detail]

Download: Connecticut-2017-HB07277-Comm_Sub.html

General Assembly		*Substitute Bill No. 7277*
*January Session, 2017*		_____HB07277GAE___032817____

AN ACT CONCERNING GOVERNMENT ADMINISTRATION.

Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in General Assembly convened:

Section 1. Section 2-127 of the general statutes is repealed and the following is substituted in lieu thereof (Effective from passage):

(a) There is established a Commission on Equity and Opportunity which shall be part of the Legislative Department. The commission shall focus on issues affecting each of the following underrepresented and underserved populations: African Americans, Asian Pacific Americans, and Latinos and Puerto Ricans. The Commission on Equity and Opportunity shall constitute a successor to the African-American Affairs Commission, Latino and Puerto Rican Affairs Commission and Asian Pacific American Affairs Commission in accordance with the provisions of subsections (b) to (d), inclusive, and subsection (f) of section 4-38d and section 4-38e.

(b) The Commission on Equity and Opportunity shall consist of [sixty-three] thirty-nine members, as follows:

(1) With respect to members appointed prior to July 1, 2016, to serve on either the African-American Affairs Commission, Latino and Puerto Rican Affairs Commission or Asian Pacific American Affairs Commission and whose term has not expired as of July 1, 2016, such members shall be deemed appointed to serve on the Commission on Equity and Opportunity until the expiration of the term of the member on such former commission, [or] the occurrence of a vacancy or June 30, 2017, whichever occurs first. Upon the expiration of any such member's term or the occurrence of a vacancy on or after July 1, 2017, the vacancy shall be filled by the appointing authority who made the original appointment, except such appointment shall be made in accordance with the provisions of subdivision (2) of this subsection.

(2) [With respect to members appointed on or] On and after July 1, [2016] 2017, [to serve on] the Commission on Equity and Opportunity [, such] shall consist of the following members [shall be] appointed as follows:

(A) [Nine] Three members appointed by a joint appointment of the speaker of the House of Representatives and the president pro tempore of the Senate, [three] one of whom [have] has experience in the field of African-American affairs, [three] one of whom [have] has experience in the field of Asian Pacific-American affairs and [three] one of whom [have] has experience in the field of Latino and Puerto Rican affairs, provided at least [three] one of such members shall also be from the central region of the state;

(B) [Nine] Six members appointed by the president pro tempore of the Senate, [three] two of whom have experience in the field of African-American affairs, [three] two of whom have experience in the field of Asian Pacific-American affairs, [and three] two of whom have experience in the field of Latino and Puerto Rican affairs, provided at least [three] two of such members shall also be from the northeastern region of the state;

(C) [Nine] Six members appointed by the speaker of the House of Representatives, [three] two of whom have experience in the field of African-American affairs, [three] two of whom have experience in the field of Asian Pacific-American affairs and [three] two of whom have experience in the field of Latino and Puerto Rican affairs, provided at least [three] two of such members shall also be from the southeastern region of the state;

(D) [Nine] Six members appointed by the majority leader of the Senate, [three] two of whom have experience in the field of African-American affairs, [three] two of whom have experience in the field of Asian Pacific-American affairs and [three] two of whom have experience in the field of Latino and Puerto Rican affairs;

(E) [Nine] Six members appointed by the majority leader of the House of Representatives, [three] two of whom have experience in the field of African-American affairs, [three] two of whom have experience in the field of Asian Pacific-American affairs and [three] two of whom have experience in the field of Latino and Puerto Rican affairs;

(F) [Nine] Six members appointed by the minority leader of the Senate, [three] two of whom have experience in the field of African-American affairs, [three] two of whom have experience in the field of Asian Pacific-American affairs and [three] two of whom have experience in the field of Latino and Puerto Rican affairs, provided at least [three] two of such members shall also be from the northwestern region of the state; and

(G) [Nine] Six members appointed by the minority leader of the House of Representatives, [three] two of whom have experience in the field of African-American affairs, [three] two of whom have experience in the field of Asian Pacific-American affairs and [three] two of whom have experience in the field of Latino and Puerto Rican affairs, provided at least [three] two of such members shall also be 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.

(c) All initial appointments to the commission, other than appointments made pursuant to subdivision (1) of subsection (b) of this section, shall be made not later than July 31, 2016, and the term of such initial members shall terminate on June 30, [2018] 2017, regardless of when the initial appointment was made. The speaker of the House of Representatives and the president pro tempore of the Senate shall jointly select the chairperson of the commission from among the members of the commission. Such chairperson shall schedule the first meeting of the commission.

(d) Members of the commission appointed on or after July 1, [2018] 2017, shall serve for two-year terms which shall commence on the date of appointment. Members shall continue to serve until their successors are appointed. Any vacancy shall be filled by the appointing authority. Any vacancy occurring other than by expiration of term shall be filled for the balance of the unexpired term. The 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.

(e) A majority of the commission shall constitute a quorum for the transaction of any business. The commission shall meet as often as deemed necessary by the chairperson or a majority of the commission. Any appointed member who fails to attend three consecutive meetings or who fails to attend fifty per cent of all meetings held during any calendar year shall be deemed to have resigned from the commission.

(f) The commission shall have no authority over staffing or personnel matters. There shall be an executive director of the commission. The executive director and any necessary staff shall be employed by the Joint Committee on Legislative Management, which shall have authority over the hiring, termination and performance review of the executive director and any staff.

(g) The commission shall be organized into three policy divisions, one of which shall advise on policies affecting members of the African-American population, one of which shall advise on policies affecting members of the Asian Pacific-American population and one of which shall advise on policies affecting members of the Latino and Puerto Rican population.

Sec. 2. Section 4-60s of the general statutes is repealed and the following is substituted in lieu thereof (Effective October 1, 2017):

(a) Each state agency of the Executive Department shall explore the feasibility of converting all applications and forms used by the public to electronic format and create an inventory of all forms used by such agency.

(b) Notwithstanding [the provisions of chapter 54] any provision of the general statutes, an agency, as defined in section 4-166, may (1) suspend any requirements for paper filing or service of documents [requirements] or data contained in any regulation adopted by such agency, [pursuant to subdivision (1) of subsection (a) of section 4-167 and] or (2) in a manner prescribed by the agency, require the electronic filing or service of any documents or data (A) required to be submitted to such agency by any provision of federal or state law, any regulation adopted by an agency, any order or any license, as such term is defined in section 4-166, or (B) otherwise filed with the agency or served on others in formal and informal proceedings. Any agency that determines to suspend such regulatory requirements or to require such electronic filing or service may establish an electronic filing system [for formal and informal agency proceedings] for the electronic filing or service of such documents or data. Such agency, before establishing such a system, shall give at least thirty days' notice by posting on its Internet web site and publishing in the Connecticut Law Journal a notice of its intended action and the instructions for the use of such system. The agency shall maintain such instructions on its Internet web site as long as the agency requires the electronic filing or service of documents or data in formal and informal agency proceedings in accordance with this subsection. Any agency establishing such a system shall grant a request from a person, as defined in section 4-166, for an exemption from any electronic filing requirements due to a hardship communicated in writing to the agency, including, but not limited to, a lack of access to a device capable of electronic filing or the incompatibility of a specific filing with the electronic filing system.