(a) The commission shall consist of nine persons. On and after October 1, 2000, such persons shall be appointed with the advice and consent of both houses of the General Assembly. (1) On or before July 15, 1990, the Governor shall appoint five members of the commission, three of whom shall serve for terms of five years and two of whom shall serve for terms of three years. Upon the expiration of such terms, and thereafter, the Governor shall appoint either two or three members, as appropriate, to serve for terms of five years. On or before July 14, 1990, the president pro tempore of the Senate, the minority leader of the Senate, the speaker of the House of Representatives and the minority leader of the House of Representatives shall each appoint one member to serve for a term of three years. Upon the expiration of such terms, and thereafter, members so appointed shall serve for terms of three years. (2) If any vacancy occurs, the appointing authority making the initial appointment shall appoint a person to serve for the remainder of the unexpired term. The Governor shall select one of the members of the commission to serve as chairperson for a term of one year. The commission shall meet at least once during each two-month period and at such other times as the chairperson deems necessary. Special meetings shall be held on the request of a majority of the members of the commission after notice in accordance with the provisions of section 1-225.

(b) Except as provided in section 46a-57, the members of the commission shall serve without pay, but their reasonable expenses, including educational training expenses and expenses for necessary stenographic and clerical help, shall be paid by the state upon approval of the Commissioner of Administrative Services. Not later than two months after appointment to the commission, each member of the commission shall receive a minimum of ten hours of introductory training prior to voting on any commission matter. Each year following such introductory training, each member shall receive five hours of follow-up training. Such introductory and follow-up training shall consist of instruction on the laws governing discrimination in employment, housing, public accommodation and credit, affirmative action and the procedures of the commission. Such training shall be organized by the managing director of the legal division of the commission. Any member who fails to complete such training shall not vote on any commission matter. Any member who fails to comply with such introductory training requirement within six months of appointment shall be deemed to have resigned from office. Any member who fails to attend three consecutive meetings or who fails to attend fifty per cent of all meetings held during any calendar year shall be deemed to have resigned from office.

(c) On or before July 15, 1989, the commission shall appoint an executive director who shall be the chief executive officer of the Commission on Human Rights and Opportunities to serve for a term expiring on July 14, 1990. Upon the expiration of such term and thereafter, the executive director shall be appointed for a term of four years. The executive director shall be supervised and annually evaluated by the commission. The executive director shall serve at the pleasure of the commission but no longer than four years from July fifteenth in the year of his or her appointment unless reappointed pursuant to the provisions of this subsection. The executive director shall receive an annual salary within the salary range of a salary group established by the Commissioner of Administrative Services for the position. The executive director (1) shall conduct comprehensive planning with respect to the functions of the commission; (2) shall coordinate the activities of the commission; and (3) shall cause the administrative organization of the commission to be examined with a view to promoting economy and efficiency. In accordance with established procedures, the executive director may enter into such contractual agreements as may be necessary for the discharge of the director's duties.

(d) The executive director may appoint no more than two deputy directors with the approval of a majority of the members of the commission. The deputy directors shall be supervised by the executive director and shall assist the executive director in the administration of the commission, the effectuation of its statutory responsibilities and such other duties as may be assigned by the executive director. Deputy directors shall serve at the pleasure of the executive director and without tenure. The executive director may remove a deputy director with the approval of a majority of the members of the commission.

(e) The commission shall be within the Labor Department for administrative purposes only.

(1949 Rev., S. 7400, 7402; September, 1957, P.A. 11, S. 13; 1959, P.A. 145, S. 2; 1967, P.A. 426, S. 1; 636, S. 7; P.A. 74-57, S. 1, 2; P.A. 75-446, S. 1; P.A. 77-614, S. 137, 610; P.A. 78-148, S. 9; 78-315, S. 1, 4; P.A. 80-422, S. 2; P.A. 83-569, S. 9, 17; P.A. 89-332, S. 1, 7; P.A. 91-302, S. 1, 5; P.A. 93-362, S. 2; P.A. 98-245, S. 12, 14; P.A. 00-150, S. 1; June Sp. Sess. P.A. 00-1, S. 29, 46; Sept. Sp. Sess. P.A. 09-7, S. 153; June 12 Sp. Sess. P.A. 12-1, S. 101.)

History: 1959 act required investigation of cases of discrimination involving age; 1967 acts required investigation of cases of discrimination involving sex, increased commission members from 10 to 12 and required appointment of 4 members by July 15, 1967; P.A. 74-57 required investigation of cases of discrimination re physical disability or blindness; P.A. 75-446 required investigation of cases of discrimination involving marital status; P.A. 77-614 replaced commissioner of finance and control with commissioner of administrative services, imposed new appointment procedure, authorized governor, rather than commission members, to choose chairman and deputy and added Subsec. (b); P.A. 78-148 required investigation of discrimination cases involving mental retardation; P.A. 78-315 added provision for appointment of successors to original members and returned power to appoint chairman and deputy to commission members; P.A. 80-422 divided former Subsec. (a) into Subsecs. (a) and (b), relettering former Subsec. (b) accordingly, and deleted provisions re commission's duties to investigate discrimination cases and report to governor; Sec. 31-123 transferred to Sec. 46a-52 in 1981; P.A. 83-569 changed membership from 12 to 9, included legislative appointments and established attendance requirements; P.A. 89-332 amended Subsec. (a) re expiration of terms of members on July 14, 1990, and appointment and terms of new members and appointment of chairman by governor, amended Subsec. (b) by adding educational training expenses, added a new Subsec. (c) re appointment of executive director on or before July 15, 1989, to serve until July 14, 1990, term of director appointed after July 14, 1990, and duties of executive director; P.A. 91-302 deleted provision in Subsec. (a)(1) re appointment of members of commission on or before July 1, 1983, and added Subsec. (d) re appointment of no more than two deputy directors by the executive director with the approval of a majority of the commission, and the duties and status of the deputy directors; P.A. 93-362 inserted new Subsec. (e) re appointment of no more than two hearing adjudicators by executive director and powers of hearing adjudicators, relettering former Subsec. (e) as (f); P.A. 98-245 amended Subsec. (c) to provide for annual evaluation of the executive director by the commission and to specify that executive director shall serve at the pleasure of the commission but no longer than four years from July fifteenth unless reappointed, effective July 1, 1998, and applicable to all cases pending with the commission or in the courts and cases filed on or after said date; P.A. 00-150 amended Subsec. (a) to require that commission members be appointed with the advice and consent of both houses of the General Assembly on and after October 1, 2000; June Sp. Sess. P.A. 00-1 amended Subsec. (c) to give executive director authority to enter into necessary contractual agreements, effective June 21, 2000; Sept. Sp. Sess. P.A. 09-7 amended Subsec. (b) to add provisions re training requirements for members, made a technical change in Subsec. (c), deleted former Subsec. (e) re appointment of hearing adjudicators and redesignated existing Subsec. (f) as Subsec. (e), effective October 5, 2009; June 12 Sp. Sess. P.A. 12-1 amended Subsec. (e) by replacing reference to Department of Administrative Services with reference to Labor Department, effective July 1, 2012.

See Sec. 4-38f for definition of “administrative purposes only”.

Annotations to former section 31-123:

Cited. 153 C. 173; 163 C. 327.

Cited. 28 CS 472.

Annotations to present section:

Cited. 236 C. 681.

Cited. 3 CA 464.