(a)(1) The Governor shall appoint three human rights referees for terms commencing October 1, 1998, and four human rights referees for terms commencing January 1, 1999. The human rights referees so appointed shall serve for a term of one year.

(2) (A) On and after October 1, 1999, the Governor shall appoint seven human rights referees with the advice and consent of both houses of the General Assembly. The Governor shall appoint three human rights referees to serve for a term of two years commencing October 1, 1999. The Governor shall appoint four human rights referees to serve for a term of three years commencing January 1, 2000. Thereafter, human rights referees shall serve for a term of three years.

(B) On and after July 1, 2001, there shall be five human rights referees. Each of the human rights referees serving on July 1, 2001, shall complete the term to which such referee was appointed. Thereafter, human rights referees shall be appointed by the Governor, with the advice and consent of both houses of the General Assembly, to serve for a term of three years.

(C) On and after July 1, 2004, there shall be seven human rights referees. Each of the human rights referees serving on July 1, 2004, shall complete the term to which such referee was appointed and shall serve until his successor is appointed and qualified. Thereafter, human rights referees shall be appointed by the Governor, with the advice and consent of both houses of the General Assembly, to serve for a term of three years.

(D) On and after October 5, 2009, and until July 1, 2011, there shall be five human rights referees. Each of the human rights referees serving on October 5, 2009, shall serve until the term to which such referee was appointed is completed, or until July 1, 2011, whichever is earlier, and shall serve until a successor is appointed and qualified. In the case of a vacancy, a successor shall be appointed by the Governor, with the advice and consent of both houses of the General Assembly, to serve until July 1, 2011.

(E) On and after July 1, 2011, there shall be three human rights referees who shall (i) be appointed by the Governor with the advice and consent of both houses of the General Assembly, and (ii) serve for a term of three years.

(3) When the General Assembly is not in session, any vacancy shall be filled pursuant to the provisions of section 4-19. The Governor may remove any human rights referee for cause.

(b) Human rights referees shall serve full-time and shall conduct the settlement negotiations and hearings authorized by the provisions of this chapter. A human rights referee shall have the powers granted to hearing officers and presiding officers by chapter 54 and this chapter. A human rights referee shall be an attorney admitted to the practice of law in this state. Any commissioner of the Superior Court who is able and willing to hear discriminatory practice complaints may submit his or her name to the Governor for consideration for appointment as a human rights referee. No human rights referee shall appear before the commission or another hearing officer for one year after leaving office.

(c) On or after October 1, 1998, the executive director shall designate one human rights referee to serve as Chief Human Rights Referee for a term of one year. The Chief Human Rights Referee, in consultation with the executive director, shall supervise and assign the human rights referees to conduct settlement negotiations and hearings on complaints, including complaints for which a trial on the merits has not commenced prior to October 1, 1998, on a rotating basis. The commission, in consultation with the executive director and Chief Human Rights Referee, shall adopt regulations and rules of practice, in accordance with chapter 54, to ensure consistent procedures governing contested case proceedings.

(d) When serving as a presiding officer as provided in section 46a-84, each human rights referee shall have the same subpoena powers as are granted to commissioners by subdivision (9) of section 46a-54. Each presiding officer shall also have the power to determine a reasonable fee to be paid to an expert witness called by the commission to give expert testimony in person or by deposition pursuant to section 46a-84. Such fee shall be paid to the expert witness in lieu of all other witness fees.

(1949 Rev., S. 7403; 1969, P.A. 656, S. 1; 1971, P.A. 547, S. 2; P.A. 73-444, S. 1, 3; P.A. 74-44; 74-338, S. 13, 94; P.A. 80-422, S. 6; P.A. 83-569, S. 11, 17; P.A. 88-317, S. 98, 107; P.A. 89-332, S. 3, 7; P.A. 93-313, S. 2, 4; 93-362, S. 1; P.A. 98-245, S. 1, 14; P.A. 00-150, S. 2; June Sp. Sess. P.A. 01-9, S. 5, 131; May 9 Sp. Sess. P.A. 02-7, S. 94; May Sp. Sess. P.A. 04-2, S. 9; Sept. Sp. Sess. P.A. 09-7, S. 154; June Sp. Sess. P.A. 15-5, S. 72.)

History: 1969 act increased number of examiners from 10 to 15, revising appointment provisions accordingly and increased per diem payment from $25 to $35; 1971 act made technical grammatical correction; P.A. 73-444 increased number of examiners to 25, revising appointment provisions accordingly, required that all examiners be admitted to practice law in state and increased per diem to $75; P.A. 74-44 added provision re prorated payment for time when examiner or commissioner is engaged in preparation of findings, decisions etc.; P.A. 74-338 made technical correction in appointment provision; P.A. 80-422 divided section into Subsecs., deleted obsolete provision re original appointments and changed wording slightly; Sec. 31-124 transferred to Sec. 46a-57 in 1981; P.A. 83-569 added Subsec. (e) concerning selection of hearing examiners on a rotating basis and termination of appointments after three consecutive refusals to hear cases; P.A. 88-317 substituted hearing “officer” and “officers” for hearing “examiner” and “examiners” throughout the section and substituted “presiding” officer for “hearing” officer in Subsec. (d), effective July 1, 1989, and applicable to all agency proceedings commencing on or after that date; P.A. 89-332 deleted former Subsecs. (a) and (b) and added new Subsec. (a) re procedure for appointment of hearing examiners and relettered remaining Subsecs.; (Revisor's note: In 1993 a reference in Subsec. (c) to “subdivision (8) of section 46a-54” was changed editorially by the Revisors to “subdivision (9) of section 46a-54” to reflect the renumbering of Sec. 46a-54 by P.A. 89-332, S. 2 in 1991); P.A. 93-313 amended Subsec. (b) by increasing per diem compensation for hearing officer from $75 to $125, effective July 1, 1993; P.A. 93-362 changed appointment procedure for hearing officers appointed by governor, increased minimum amount of time admitted to practice of law from two to five years, provided term of five years, provided for automatic appointment for hearing officers appointed prior to and serving on October 1, 1993, and amended Subsec. (c) re power of presiding officer to determine reasonable fee to be paid to expert witness; P.A. 98-245 revised Subsec. (a) to provide for appointment of three human rights referees by Governor for terms commencing October 1, 1998, and four human rights referees for terms commencing January 1, 1999, all for terms of one year and for appointment, on and after October 1, 1999, of seven human rights referees with advice and consent of both houses of the General Assembly for staggered terms, with all eventually serving a term of three years, revised Subsec. (b), deleting provision re hearing officers and providing that human rights referees shall be full-time, shall not appear before commission or hearing officer for one year after leaving office, revised Subsec. (c) re annual salary, fringe benefits, cost of secretarial assistance, equipment and supplies of human rights referees, revised Subsec. (d) to provide for designation of chief human rights referee and revised Subsec. (e) providing for part-time hearing officers serving on July 1, 1998, 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. (d) to require the commission, in consultation with the executive director and Chief Human Rights Referee, to develop regulations and rules of practice to ensure consistent procedures governing contested case proceedings; June Sp. Sess. P.A. 01-9 amended Subsec. (a) to designate existing Subdiv. (2) as Subdiv. (2)(A), add new Subdiv. (2)(B) re number and terms of human rights referees and transfer language re the filling of a vacancy from Subdiv. (2)(A) to new Subdiv. (3), effective July 1, 2001; May 9 Sp. Sess. P.A. 02-7 amended Subsec. (a) to transfer from Subdiv. (2)(A) to Subdiv. (3) provision authorizing the Governor to remove any human rights referee for cause and to include in Subdiv. (2)(B) provision requiring human rights referees to be appointed by the Governor with the advice and consent of both houses of the General Assembly, amended Subsec. (b) to require human rights referees to conduct “settlement negotiations” and to make a technical change for purposes of gender neutrality, deleted former Subsec. (c) re salaries of Chief Human Rights Referee and each full-time human rights referee, payment for stenographic and clerical assistance, equipment and supplies and budget for human rights referees, redesignated existing Subsec. (d) as Subsec. (c) and amended said Subsec. to provide that supervision and assignment of human rights referees by Chief Human Rights Referee shall be “in consultation with the executive director”, include “settlement negotiations” in the duties of human rights referees and make technical changes, deleted Subsec. (e) re continuation of service of part-time hearing officers serving on July 1, 1998, and transfer of their cases, deleted Subsec. (f) re per diem compensation of part-time hearing officers and commissioners and redesignated existing Subsec. (g) as Subsec. (d) and amended said Subsec. to make technical changes, effective August 15, 2002; May Sp. Sess. P.A. 04-2 amended Subsec. (a)(2) by adding Subpara. (C) requiring seven human rights referees on and after July 1, 2004, effective May 12, 2004; Sept. Sp. Sess. P.A. 09-7 amended Subsec. (a)(2) to add Subparas. (D) and (E) providing for 5 and 3 human rights referees, respectively, effective October 5, 2009; June Sp. Sess. P.A. 15-5 amended Subsec. (d) by deleting reference to hearing officer, deleting provisions re types of expert witnesses, substituting “called by the commission” for “summoned by the commission” and deleting reference to “any contested case proceeding”.

See Sec. 4-61dd re duties of human rights referees in personnel actions involving state employees, employees of quasi-public agencies or employees of large state contractors.

Annotations to former section 31-124:

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

Annotations to present section:

Cited. 236 C. 681.

Cited. 3 CA 464.