(a) The Department of Developmental Services shall be responsible for the coordination of family support services for children with disabilities. The department shall, within available appropriations, promote state-wide availability of family support services.

(b) The Department of Developmental Services, in coordination with other state, regional and local agencies that operate family support services or administer programs, shall assist families in accessing all other sources of government funds before using existing family support funds appropriated by the General Assembly pursuant to sections 17a-219a to 17a-219c, inclusive, or any other provision of the general statutes or public or special act.

(P.A. 94-228, S. 2, 4; P.A. 96-185, S. 12, 16; 96-238, S. 14, 25; P.A. 07-73, S. 2(a).)

History: P.A. 94-228 effective June 8, 1994 (Revisor's note: The reference to “this or any other act” was replaced editorially by the Revisors with “sections 17a-219a to 17a-219c, inclusive, or any other provision of the general statutes or public or special act” for consistency with existing statutory custom); P.A. 96-185 deleted references in Subsec. (a) to Secs. 10-91a to 10-91d, 10-94f, 10-94g and section 5 of public act 93-383, effective July 1, 1996; P.A. 96-238 deleted references in Subsec. (a) to repealed Secs. 10-91a to 10-91d, inclusive, and section 5 of public act 93-383, effective July 1, 1996; pursuant to P.A. 07-73 “Department of Mental Retardation” was changed editorially by the Revisors to “Department of Developmental Services”, effective October 1, 2007.