Connecticut General Statutes
Chapter 319a - Child Welfare
Section 17a-151. (Formerly Sec. 17-50). - Investigation. Issuance of license or provisional license. Revocation, suspension or limitation of license. Appeal.

(a) The Commissioner of Children and Families shall investigate the conditions stated in each application made under the provisions of sections 17a-145 and 17a-149 and shall require any person identified on the application under said sections and any individual eighteen years of age or older who is employed by a child care facility licensed pursuant to section 17a-145 to submit to (1) state and national criminal history records checks, (2) a check of the state child abuse and neglect registry established pursuant to section 17a-101k, and (3) a check of the child abuse and neglect registry in any state in which such person or individual resided in the preceding five years. The commissioner shall comply with any request to check the child abuse and neglect registry established pursuant to section 17a-101k made by the child welfare agency of another state. The commissioner shall investigate the conditions in each application under the provisions of sections 17a-145 and 17a-149 and, if the commissioner finds such conditions suitable for the proper care of children, or for the placing out of children, under such standards for the promotion of the health, safety, morality and well-being of such children as the commissioner prescribes, shall issue such license as is required as promptly as possible, without expense to the licensee. If, after such investigation, the commissioner finds that the applicant, notwithstanding good faith efforts, is not able to fully comply with all the requirements the commissioner prescribes, but compliance can be achieved with minimal efforts, the commissioner may issue a provisional license for a period not to exceed sixty days. The provisional license may be renewed for additional sixty-day periods, but in no event shall the total of such periods be for longer than one year. Before issuing any license, the commissioner shall give to the selectmen of the town wherein such licensee proposes to carry on the licensed activity ten days' notice in writing that the issuance of such license is proposed, but such notice shall not be required in case of intention to issue such license to any corporation incorporated for the purpose of caring for or placing such children. Each license so issued shall specify whether it is granted for child-caring or child-placing purposes, shall state the number of children who may be cared for, shall be in force twenty-four months from date of issue, and shall be renewed for the ensuing twenty-four months, if conditions continue to be satisfactory to the commissioner. The commissioner shall provide such periodical inspections and review as shall safeguard the well-being, health and morality of all children cared for or placed under a license issued by the commissioner under this section and shall visit and consult with each such child and with the licensee as often as the commissioner deems necessary but at intervals of not more than ninety days. Each licensee under the provisions of this section shall file annually with the commissioner a report containing such information concerning its functions, services and operation, including financial data, as the commissioner requires. Any license issued under this section may be revoked, suspended or limited by the commissioner for cause, after notice given to the person or entity concerned and after opportunity for a hearing thereon. Any party whose application is denied or whose license is revoked, suspended or limited by the commissioner may appeal from such adverse decision in accordance with the provisions of section 4-183. Appeals under this section shall be privileged in respect to the order of trial assignment.

(b) The criminal history records checks required pursuant to subsection (a) of this section shall be conducted in accordance with section 29-17a.
(1949 Rev., S. 2640; 1961, P.A. 601, S. 3; 1971, P.A. 179, S. 7; 870, S. 46; P.A. 73-62, S. 2, 3; P.A. 75-420, S. 4, 6; P.A. 76-436, S. 364, 681; P.A. 77-603, S. 44, 125; 77-614, S. 521, 610; P.A. 78-209, S. 1, 3; P.A. 79-631, S. 74, 111; P.A. 81-91, S. 1; P.A. 93-91, S. 1, 2; P.A. 95-349, S. 1; P.A. 96-194, S. 11; P.A. 98-241, S. 4, 18; P.A. 01-175, S. 10, 32; June Sp. Sess. P.A. 01-2, S. 35, 69; June Sp. Sess. P.A. 01-9, S. 129, 131; P.A. 03-243, S. 8; P.A. 14-187, S. 20; P.A. 19-117, S. 159; 19-120, S. 5.)
History: 1961 act added child-placing agencies to scope of section, changed requisite conditions for issuing license from satisfactory to suitable for the proper care of children, etc., required notice to be given in town where licensee proposes to carry on activity rather than where he resides, added provisions re review, visitation and consultation by commissioner and required licensee to file annual report; 1971 acts replaced “next” or “next but one” return day with return day not less than 12 or more than 30 days after decision and replaced superior court with court of common pleas, effective September 1, 1971, except that courts with cases pending retain jurisdiction unless pending matters deemed transferable; P.A. 73-62 included children and youth services commissioner in provisions except that welfare commissioner alone is to investigate conditions in application under Sec. 17-49a; P.A. 75-420 replaced welfare commissioner with commissioner of social services; P.A. 76-436 replaced court of common pleas with superior court, effective July 1, 1978; P.A. 77-603 replaced previous detailed appeal provisions with statement that appeals be made in accordance with Sec. 4-183 and deleted provision re assessment of costs; P.A. 77-614 replaced social services commissioner with commissioner of human resources, effective January 1, 1979; P.A. 78-209 added provisions re provisional license; P.A. 79-631 replaced human resources commissioner with commissioner of children and youth services; P.A. 81-91 made technical changes; Sec. 17-50 transferred to Sec. 17a-151 in 1991; 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. 95-349 extended the length of each license from 12 months to 24 months, made technical corrections and added Subsec. (b) re regulations; P.A. 96-194 amended Subsec. (a) by providing that the commissioner may suspend or limit a license in addition to revoke and replaced “institution, person or group of persons” with “person or entity”; P.A. 98-241 amended Subsec. (a) by adding request of a criminal records check for persons applying under Sec. 17a-145 and inserted new provisions as Subsec. (b) re criminal records check by State Police Bureau of Identification and to require Commissioner of Children and Families to arrange for fingerprinting of person and forwarding fingerprints to State Police Bureau of Identification and redesignated existing Subsec. (b) as (c), effective July 1, 1998; P.A. 01-175 amended Subsec. (a) by replacing provisions re criminal records checks with provisions re state and national criminal history records checks and making technical changes for purposes of gender neutrality, and amended Subsec. (b) by replacing provisions re criminal records checks and fingerprinting with provisions re criminal history records checks pursuant to Sec. 29-17a, effective July 1, 2001; June Sp. Sess. P.A. 01-2 amended Subsec. (a) to require any person “identified on the application”, in lieu of any person “applying”, to submit to criminal history records checks; June Sp. Sess. P.A. 01-9 revised effective date of June Sp. Sess. P.A. 01-2 but without affecting this section; P.A. 03-243 amended Subsec. (a) to add references to Secs. 17a-149 and 17a-145 re child placing agencies and child-care facilities; P.A. 14-187 deleted former Subsec. (c) re regulations, effective June 11, 2014; P.A. 19-117 amended Subsec. (a) by adding provision re individual age 18 or older employed by child care facility, designating existing provision re national criminal history records checks as Subdiv. (1), adding Subdiv. (2) re check of state child abuse and neglect registry, adding Subdiv. (3) re check of child abuse and neglect registry in any state person or individual resided in preceding 5 years, adding provision re commissioner to comply with request to check child abuse and neglect registry made by child welfare agency of another state, and making a technical change, effective July 1, 2019; P.A. 19-120 made identical changes as P.A. 19-117, effective July 1, 2019.
Annotation to former section 17-50:
Cited. 214 C. 560.

Structure Connecticut General Statutes