Connecticut HB 5004: AN ACT DECREASING FEES FOR COPYING PUBLIC RECORDS.

Bill Text

Substitute House Bill No. 5004

Public Act No. 26-26

AN ACT CONCERNING CHILD WELFARE ACCOUNTABILITY AND
TRANSPARENCY.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in General
Assembly convened:

Section 1. Section 17a-114 of the 2026 supplement to the general
statutes is repealed and the following is substituted in lieu thereof
(Effective October 1, 2026):
(a) As used in this section, (1) "approval" or "approved" means that a
person has been approved to adopt or provide foster care by a child-
placing agency licensed pursuant to section 17a-149, (2) "licensed"
means a person holds a license to provide foster care issued by the
Department of Children and Families, (3) "fictive kin caregiver" means
a person who is twenty-one years of age or older and who is unrelated
to a child by birth, adoption or marriage but who has an emotionally
significant relationship with such child or such child's family amounting
to a familial relationship, and (4) "emergency placement" means the
placement of a child by the Department of Children and Families in the
home of a relative or fictive kin caregiver as a result of the sudden
unavailability of such child's primary caretaker.
(b) (1) No child in the custody of the Commissioner of Children and
Families shall be placed in foster care with any person, unless (A) (i)

Substitute House Bill No. 5004

Public Act No. 26-26 2 of 30

such person is licensed for such purpose by the department or the
Department of Developmental Services pursuant to the provisions of
section 17a-227, (ii) such person's home is approved by a child-placing
agency licensed by the commissioner pursuant to section 17a-149, or (iii)
such person has received approval as provided in this section, and (B)
on and after January 1, 2017, for a child twelve years of age or older,
such child has received a foster family profile in accordance with the
provisions of section 17a-114e. For the purposes of this section, any
prospective adoptive parent shall be licensed by the department. Upon
the denial of an initial license, the department shall disclose to the
applicant, in writing, the reason for such denial. Any applicant denied
an initial license by the department may appeal such denial to the
commissioner, in a form and manner prescribed by the commissioner,
not later than thirty days after such denial. Not later than sixty days after
the making of such appeal, the commissioner shall grant such license or
affirm such denial in writing. The commissioner shall adopt regulations,
in accordance with the provisions of chapter 54, to establish the licensing
procedures and standards.
(2) (A) Except as provided in subparagraph (B) of this subdivision,
the commissioner shall require each applicant for licensure or approval
pursuant to this section and any person eighteen years of age or older
living in the household of such applicant to submit to state and national
criminal history records checks prior to issuing a license or approval to
such applicant to accept placement of a child for purposes of foster care
or adoption. Such criminal history records checks shall be conducted in
accordance with section 29-17a. The commissioner shall check the (i)
state child abuse and neglect registry established pursuant to section
17a-101k for the name of such applicant and for the name of any person
eighteen years of age or older living in the household of such applicant,
and (ii) child abuse and neglect registry in any state in which such
applicant or person resided in the preceding five years for the name of
such applicant or person.

Substitute House Bill No. 5004

Public Act No. 26-26 3 of 30

(B) If an applicant for licensure or approval or any person eighteen
years of age or older living in the household of such applicant has
submitted to the state and national criminal history records checks
described in subsection (c) of this section within the previous twelve-
month period, the commissioner shall not require such applicant or
person to submit to the state and national criminal history records
checks described in subparagraph (A) of this subdivision in connection
with the issuance of a license or approval.
(3) The commissioner shall require each individual licensed or
approved pursuant to this section and any person eighteen years of age
or older living in the household of such individual to submit to state and
national criminal history records checks prior to renewing a license or
approval for any individual providing foster care or adopting. Such
criminal history records checks shall be conducted in accordance with
section 29-17a. Prior to such renewal, the commissioner shall check the
(A) state child abuse and neglect registry established pursuant to section
17a-101k for the name of such applicant and for the name of any person
eighteen years of age or older living in the household of such applicant,
and (B) child abuse and neglect registry in any state in which such
applicant or person resided in the preceding f