Sec. 7-127b. Municipal agents for elderly persons. Responsibilities of Department of Social Services. - Connecticut Statutes

      Sec. 7-127b. Municipal agents for elderly persons. Responsibilities of Department of Social Services. (a) The chief elected official or the chief executive officer if by ordinance of each municipality shall appoint a municipal agent for elderly persons. Such agent shall be a member of the municipality's commission on aging, if any, a member of another agency that serves elderly persons, an elected official of the state or the municipality or a responsible resident of the municipality who has demonstrated an interest in the elderly or has been involved in programs in the field of aging.

      (b) Each municipal agent shall (1) disseminate information to elderly persons and assist such persons in learning about the community resources available to them and publicize such resources and benefits; (2) assist elderly persons in applying for federal and other benefits available to such persons; (3) submit written reports at least annually to the chief elected official, chief executive officer, legislative body and committee or commission on aging of the municipality, if any, and to the Department of Social Services on the services they have provided, the needs and problems of the elderly and any recommendations for municipal action with regard to elderly persons.

      (c) Each municipal agent shall serve for a term of two or four years, at the discretion of the appointing authority of each municipality, and may be reappointed. If more than one agent is necessary to carry out the purposes of this section, the appointing authority, in the discretion of such appointing authority, may appoint one or more assistant agents. The town clerk in each municipality shall notify the Department of Social Services immediately of the appointment of a new municipal agent. Each municipality may provide to its municipal agent resources sufficient for such agent to perform the duties of the office.

      (d) The Department of Social Services shall be responsible for assuring that the provisions of this section are being carried out by municipalities, and shall adopt and disseminate to municipalities guidelines as to the role and duties of municipal agents and such informational and technical materials to assist such agents in performance of their duties. Said department shall provide training for municipal agents in accordance with their needs and the resources of the department and in cooperation with area agencies on aging. The department shall sponsor at least one training session in each of the planning and service areas of the Department of Social Services. Such training shall include, but not be limited to, information, from updated lists, on the availability of housing. Each municipal agent shall attend at least one such session. Said department shall assist such agents to develop and maintain simple records about the needs of elderly persons and the services provided to them, which records shall be confidential and used only to provide data that is useful to the Department of Social Services and the area agencies on aging in the preparation of the annual state and area plans.

      (1972, P.A. 70; P.A. 77-447; P.A. 85-459, S. 1, 2; P.A. 88-206, S. 2; P.A. 93-262, S. 1, 87; P.A. 95-77; P.A. 01-195, S. 105, 181.)

      History: P.A. 77-447 replaced all former provisions re municipal agents for disseminating information to elderly with more detailed provisions of Subsecs. (a) to (d), inclusive; P.A. 85-459 amended Subsec. (b) to require written reports to be submitted to the state department on aging and amended Subsec. (c) to require the town clerk to notify the state department on aging of the appointment of a new municipal agent; P.A. 88-206 gave the chief elected official the authority to appoint a municipal agent and provided that the chief executive officer may also appoint if by ordinance he is given such authority in Subsec. (a), made a technical change in Subsec. (b) and required the department on aging to sponsor at least one training session and specified that the training shall include information re the availability of housing and required each municipal agent to attend at least one session in Subsec. (d); P.A. 93-262 authorized substitution of department of social services for department on aging, effective July 1, 1993; P.A. 95-77 amended Subsec. (c) to allow a municipal agent to serve a term of two or four years, at the discretion of the appointing authority, where previously terms were two years only; P.A. 01-195 made technical changes, effective July 11, 2001.