(a) The commissioner shall create distinct service regions and shall create in each such region, a regional advisory council to advise the commissioner and the regional director on the development and delivery of services of the department in that region and to facilitate the coordination of services for children, youths and their families in the region.

(b) Each regional advisory council shall consist of no more than twenty-one persons, a majority of whom shall be persons who earn less than fifty per cent of their salaries from the provision of services to children, youths and their families, and the balance representative of private providers of human services throughout the region. The commissioner, or the commissioner's designee, shall appoint one-third of the representatives of each group for a term of three years, one-third for a term of two years, and one-third for a term of one year. No person may serve more than two consecutive three-year terms. All subsequent appointments to replace those whose terms have expired shall be for a term of three years. No person may serve on more than one regional advisory council at a time. The regional director shall make a good faith effort to ensure that, to the extent possible, the membership is qualified and closely reflects the gender and racial diversity of the region. All members shall serve without compensation. Each regional advisory council shall elect two cochairpersons. Each regional advisory council shall meet at least quarterly, or more often at the call of the cochairpersons or a majority of the council members. The regional director, or a designee of the regional director, shall be an ex-officio member of the council without the right to vote. Any member who fails to attend three consecutive meetings or fifty per cent of all meetings during any calendar year shall be deemed to have resigned. A majority of the members in office, but not less than six members, shall constitute a quorum.

(P.A. 75-524, S. 23, 30; P.A. 77-511, S. 2; P.A. 84-256, S. 13, 17; P.A 05-246, S. 7; P.A. 06-196, S. 119; P.A. 11-105, S. 9.)

History: P.A. 77-511 specified Sec. 4-60n as it appears in 1975 edition of statutes; P.A. 84-256 specified facilitation of coordination of services as duty of councils, added meeting, attendance and quorum requirements, required that a majority of members of each council be persons who earn less than 50% of their salaries from provision of services to children, youth and their families, and deleted provision authorizing reimbursement of members for expenses incurred in performance of duties; Sec. 17-434 transferred to Sec. 17a-30 in 1991; P.A. 05-246 replaced provisions re regions with provisions re service areas and changed “regional advisory council” to “area advisory council” in Subsecs. (a) and (b), added reference to area director in Subsec. (a) and granted commissioner's designee appointment authority, restricted service to not more that two consecutive three-year terms, prohibited persons from serving on more than one area advisory council at a time, required area director to make good faith effort to ensure membership reflects gender and racial diversity of area, replaced provisions re chairman and vice-chairman with provisions re cochairpersons and made area director or designee ex-officio member of council in Subsec. (b), effective July 8, 2005; P.A. 06-196 made technical changes, effective June 7, 2006; P.A. 11-105 replaced “area” with “region” or “regional” and made conforming changes, effective July 1, 2011.