Connecticut General Statutes 7-294qq – Voluntary registration system for children with intellectual or other developmental disabilities
(a) For purposes of this section, “emergency services” means law enforcement, fire fighting, medical, ambulance and other emergency services.
Terms Used In Connecticut General Statutes 7-294qq
- Guardian: A person legally empowered and charged with the duty of taking care of and managing the property of another person who because of age, intellect, or health, is incapable of managing his (her) own affairs.
- intellectual disability: means a significant limitation in intellectual functioning existing concurrently with deficits in adaptive behavior that originated during the developmental period before eighteen years of age. See Connecticut General Statutes 1-1g
(b) Not later than January 1, 2024, the Department of Emergency Services and Public Protection shall, within available appropriations, develop a form for distribution by municipal police departments to parents and guardians of children with intellectual disabilities or other developmental disabilities, including, but not limited to, autism spectrum disorder, cognitive impairments and nonverbal learning disorders. Such form shall record information that may assist emergency services personnel in their interactions with such children and shall contain a section in which a parent or guardian of such child may consent to release of information, including, but not limited to, the following:
(1) The child’s name, nickname, date of birth, sex, height, weight, eye color, hair color and address and any scars or identifying marks the child has;
(2) The name of a person who may be contacted by such personnel in an emergency pertaining to the child, and such person’s telephone number;
(3) The child’s language and communication skills, including, but not limited to, whether the individual (A) is verbal or nonverbal, (B) speaks American Sign Language, and (C) can read or write, communicate by pointing to pictures, repeat questions or respond “yes” or “no” to questions;
(4) Whether the child is sensitive to noise, touch, light, crowds or other stimuli;
(5) Conditions, circumstances or items the child dislikes or avoids, including, but not limited to, eye contact, being wet or dirty, interacting with strangers and certain clothing or shoes;
(6) Atypical behaviors the child exhibits, including, but not limited to, speaking loudly, self-injury, running if chased, vocal stimming, making high-pitched noises, disregarding or having no sense of danger and sensory seeking;
(7) Pertinent medical information, including, but not limited to, whether the child is hearing or visually impaired or has a seizure disorder, motor or vocal tics or a high pain tolerance; and
(8) Methods such personnel may use to calm the child, including, but not limited to, use of a calm and quiet voice or noise-canceling headphones, providing the child with time alone or specific food items and asking the child how such personnel can help the child.
(c) Not later than July 1, 2024, the Department of Emergency Services and Public Protection shall publish the form developed pursuant to subsection (b) of this section on its Internet web site. On and after July 15, 2024, any municipal police department may make copies of such form available in a publicly accessible area of such department.
(d) If the municipal police department in a municipality in which a child with an intellectual disability or other developmental disabilities, including, but not limited to, autism spectrum disorder, a cognitive impairment or nonverbal learning disorder resides has made copies of the form developed pursuant to subsection (b) of this section available pursuant to subsection (c) of this section, or maintains an electronic database pursuant to subsection (e) of this section, the parent or guardian of such child may complete such form and return it to such department.
(e) (1) Upon receipt of a completed form returned pursuant to subsection (d) of this section, including the date of birth of a child and signed consent section of such form pursuant to subsection (b) of this section, a participating municipal police department shall record the information provided on such form in a searchable electronic database maintained by such police department, and make such database available to (A) each police officer employed by such department for purposes of determining whether an individual with an intellectual disability or other developmental disabilities, including, but not limited to, autism spectrum disorder, a cognitive impairment or nonverbal learning disorder, resides at an address to which such police officer is responding, and (B) the public safety answering point established and operated by the municipality pursuant to section 28-25a in which such police department is located for use in accordance with section 28-25c. A municipal police department shall remove information pertaining to (i) a child from such database, at the request of the parent or guardian of such child, or (ii) an individual who has attained eighteen years of age from such database, pursuant to subdivision (2) of this subsection.
(2) Not later than thirty days after an individual whose information was recorded in a searchable electronic database pursuant to subdivision (1) of this subsection attains the age of eighteen, the municipal police department that recorded such information shall notify such individual, in writing, at such individual’s last known address (A) that information concerning such individual is included in the database and the nature of such information, (B) of the purpose of the database, (C) that such individual’s information will be removed from the database ninety-five days after such individual’s eighteenth birthday unless such individual returns a signed opt-in authorization to such department not later than ninety days after such individual’s eighteenth birthday, and (D) that, if such individual returns such signed opt-in authorization, such individual may subsequently request the removal of information concerning such individual from the database, in writing, at any time. Such opt-in authorization shall be in a form and manner prescribed by such department and a copy of such opt-in authorization shall be included with such notice. Upon the timely receipt of such signed opt-in authorization, such department shall retain information concerning such individual in the database until such individual requests the removal of such information in writing. If such department (i) does not timely receive such signed opt-in authorization, such department shall remove all information concerning such individual from the database ninety-five days after such individual’s eighteenth birthday, or (ii) receives a written request from such individual to remove information concerning such individual from the database, such department shall remove all information concerning such individual from the database not later than two weeks after receipt of such request. Such department shall ensure that information removed from the database is not accessible to the public safety answering point established and operated by the municipality.
(f) Not later than January 1, 2024, the Commissioner of Emergency Services and Public Protection, within available appropriations, shall establish a grant-in-aid program to provide funding to municipalities and local police departments to establish and implement a local voluntary registration system for residents with an intellectual disability or other developmental disabilities pursuant to subsection (d) of this section. The commissioner shall prescribe requirements and an application process for such program.