AGO 1990-029.

• Case Date: August 30, 1990
• Court: Connecticut

Connecticut Attorney General Opinions 1990. AGO 1990-029. August 30, 1990Opinion No. 1990-029The Honorable Lorraine M. Aronson Commissioner Department of Income Maintenance 110 Bartholomew AvenueHartford, Connecticut 06106Dear Commissioner Aronson: We are responding to your request for the opinion of this office as to whether your department is legally authorized to renew an existing special two year general assistance contract with one municipality in light of the facts that the authorization of the original enabling legislation has expired and the most recent session of the General Assembly failed to enact Proposed Bill No. 5301 which would have extended such enabling legislation. For the reasons which follow, we respond in the negative. Conn. Gen. Stat. § 17-492, which was enacted into law by Public Act. No. 87-516 §§ 3,5, provides: Demonstration work, education and training program. The department of income maintenance shall develop a two-year supported work, education and training program in one municipality in the state for persons receiving general assistance under chapter 308. The commissioner of income maintenance may contract for the development of such program in the city of Hartford. The requirements of section 17-281a shall be waived for general assistance recipients who participate in such program. The state shall provide: (1) One hundred per cent benefit reimbursement to the municipality for each recipient who participates in the program and (2) a monthly payment to the municipality for each recipient who participates in the program, for administrative costs, including the cost to the municipality of workers' compensation insurance for each such participant, at the rate established pursuant to subsection (e) of said section 17-281a. For purposes of this section, each participant in the program shall be considered to be an employee of the participating municipality. The department shall report on the program to the joint standing committees of the general assembly having cognizance of matters relating to appropriations and human services on a quarterly basis. (emphasis added) You have advised us that your agency acted upon this two-year statutory authorization to enter into a contract with the City of Hartford on June 7, 1988. The City of Hartford commenced its special program pursuant to the contract in...