This bill, sHB6794, aims to waive certain fees associated with pardon applications for indigent individuals. It repeals and substitutes Section 29-11 of the general statutes, allowing the Commissioner of Emergency Services and Public Protection to waive fees for a criminal history record information search for an applicant seeking a pardon if they can prove their indigency. The bill also allows the Commissioner to enter into agreements with independent contractors to process criminal history records checks and charge a convenience fee for fingerprinting, but waives this fee for individuals seeking a pardon and applying for a waiver due to indigency. The bill also includes provisions for the reimbursement of waived fees and the availability of forms for pardon applications. The effective date of the bill is July 1, 2023.

In more specific terms, the bill waives the convenience fee for fingerprinting, processing or distribution fees for a criminal history report, and fees for electronically preregistering with the Connecticut criminal history request system for indigent individuals applying for a pardon. The bill allows individuals to apply for a fee waiver due to indigency, and if approved, the entity providing the service must waive the fee. The Department of Emergency Services and Public Protection (DESPP) commissioner is required to reimburse any fee waivers approved for independent contractor convenience fees and may reimburse municipal police departments for their waived fees if requested. The bill also requires the DESPP commissioner to post fee waiver forms on the State Police Bureau of Identification's website and provide them to locations where municipal police departments provide fingerprinting services.

Statutes affected:
Raised Bill: 29-11
PS Joint Favorable Substitute: 29-11
File No. 363: 29-11