§ 4-9b — Membership of boards, commissions, committees and councils: Qualifications; gender and racial diversity required considerations; coordination with community and similar organizations. Report and analysis. Right of action.

Connecticut § 4-9b

• Jurisdiction: Connecticut
• Title 4: Management of State Agencies
• Ch. 46: State Appointive Officers

Text

(a)(1) Appointing authorities, in cooperation with one another, shall make a good faith effort to ensure that, to the extent possible and consistent with applicable law, by January 1, 2026, and thereafter, the membership, except the ex-officio membership, of each state appointive board, commission, committee and council having members appointed by the Governor or appointed by members of the General Assembly is qualified and closely reflects the gender and racial diversity of the state according to the most recent United States census population data. (2) If there are multiple appointing authorities for any board, commission, committee or council described in subdivision (1) of this subsection, the appointing authorities shall inform each other of their appointees or planned appointees in order to facilitate compliance with this section. (3) Appointing authorities for any board, commission, committee or council described in subdivision (1) of this subsection shall, consistent with applicable law, (A) consider each recommendation for appointment of a public member to any such board, commission, committee or council made by any community or other similar organization representing the interests of gender and racial diversity, and (B) make a good faith effort to seek out individuals for such appointment that reflect such diversity. The Governor, or the Governor's designee, and the chairpersons of the Joint Committee on Legislative Management, or the chairpersons' designee, shall coordinate public education and outreach strategies with such community or other similar organizations to increase awareness of, and recruit diverse applicants for, such appointments. (b) (1) At the time of a member's appointment to any state appointive board, commission, committee or council described in subsection (a) of this section, the executive officer or chairperson of such board, commission, committee or council shall maintain a record of, and make available to the Secretary of the State, any data voluntarily provided to the executive officer or chairperson concerning such member's gender and race. In addition, the executive officer or chairperson of each such state appointive board, commission, committee and council, except committees whose membership consists solely of members of the General Assembly, shall submit in writing to the Secretary of the State on or after September first, but not later than October 1, 1993, and biennially thereafter, (A) the number of members of such body and (B) the composition of the body according to the term “race/sex”, as defined in the regulations of the Commission on Human Rights and Opportunities. Such data shall not include the names of the individual members of the board, commission, committee or council. (2) The Secretary of the State shall receive and maintain the data submitted pursuant to this subsection as public records. In addition, not later than January 1, 2022, and every two years thereafter, the Secretary shall develop and publish, including on the Internet web site of the office of the Secretary of the State, a report regarding the gender and racial composition of each state appointive board, commission, committee and council described in subsection (a) of this section, and shall conduct an analysis comparing the gender and racial composition of the state according to the most recent United States census population data with the goal of reflecting the most recent United States census population data on such boards, commissions, committees and councils by January 1, 2026. (c) No provision of this section shall (1) prohibit an individual from completing a term as a member of a state appointive board, commission, committee or council being served on July 2, 1993, or (2) create a private right of action.

Legislative History

(P.A. 93-424, S. 1, 2; P.A. 05-288, S. 212; P.A. 21-49, S. 6.) History: P.A. 93-424 effective July 2, 1993; P.A. 05-288 made a technical change in Subsec. (a), effective July 13, 2005; P.A. 21-49 amended Subsec. (a) to designate existing provision re qualification and reflection of gender and racial diversity of state as Subdiv. (1) and amended same to add “and consistent with applicable law, by January 1, 2026, and thereafter” and reference to U.S. census population data, to designate existing provision re multiple appointing authorities as Subdiv. (2) and to add Subdiv. (3) re consideration of certain organization recommendations, good faith effort to seek out diverse individuals and public education and outreach strategies, amended Subsec. (b) to designate existing provision re submission of data by executive officers or chairpersons as Subdiv. (1) and amended same to add provision re maintenance by executive officers or chairpersons of voluntarily provided data, delete reference to members appointed by Governor or by members of General Assembly, change “report” to “submit”, change “report shall not include” to “data shall not include” and redesignate existing Subdivs. (1) and (2) as Subparas. (A) and (B), and to designate existing provision re receipt of data by Secretary of the State as Subdiv. (2) and amend same to change “reports” to “data” and add provision re report and analysis by the Secretary of the State, and made technical and conforming changes, effective July 1, 2021.