AN ACT CONCERNING FEES CHARGED FOR CRIMINAL HISTORY RECORDS CHECKS.

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General Assembly Raised Bill No. 343
February Session, 2026 LCO No. 2277

Referred to Committee on JUDICIARY

Introduced by:
(JUD)

AN ACT CONCERNING FEES CHARGED FOR CRIMINAL HISTORY
RECORDS CHECKS.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in General
Assembly convened:

Section 1. Section 29 -11 of the general statutes is repealed and the 1
following is substituted in lieu thereof (Effective July 1, 2026): 2
(a) The bureau in the Division of State Police within the Department 3
of Emergency Services and Public Protection known as the State Police 4
Bureau of Identification shall be maintained for the purposes of: (1) 5
Providing an authentic record of each person sixteen years of age or over 6
who is charged with the commission of any crime involving moral 7
turpitude, (2) providing definite information relative to the identity of 8
each person so arrested, (3) providing a record of the final judgment of 9
the court resulting from such arrest, unless such record has been erased 10
pursuant to section 54-142a, and (4) maintaining a central repository of 11
complete criminal history record disposition information. The 12
Commissioner of Emergency Services and Public Protection is directed 13
to maintain the State Police Bureau of Identification, which bureau shall 14
receive, classify and file in an orderly manner all fingerprints, pictures 15
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and descriptions, including previous criminal records as far as known 16
of all persons so arrested, and shall classify and file in a like manner all 17
identification material and records received from the government of the 18
United States and from the various state governments and subdivisions 19
thereof, and shall cooperate with such governmental units in the 20
exchange of information relative to criminals. The State Police Bureau of 21
Identification shall accept fingerprints of applicants for admission to the 22
bar of the state and, to the extent permitted by federal law, shall 23
exchange state, multistate and federal criminal history records with the 24
State Bar Examining Committee for purposes of investigation of the 25
qualifications of any applicant for admission as an attorney under 26
section 51-80. The record of all arrests reported to the bureau after March 27
16, 1976, shall contain information of any disposition within ninety days 28
after the disposition has occurred. 29
(b) Any cost incurred by the State Police Bureau of Identification in 30
conducting any name search and fingerprinting of applicants for 31
admission to the bar of the state shall be paid from fees collected by the 32
State Bar Examining Committee. 33
(c) (1) (A) The Commissioner of Emergency Services and Public 34
Protection shall charge the following fees for the service indicated: (i) 35
Name search, thirty -six dollars; (ii) fingerprint search, seventy-five 36
dollars; (iii) personal record search, seventy-five dollars; (iv) letters of 37
good conduct search, seventy-five dollars; (v) bar association search, 38
seventy-five dollars; (vi) fingerprinting, fifteen dollars; and (vii) 39
criminal history record information search, seventy-five dollars. 40
(B) [The] (i) Prior to July 1, 2029, the commissioner shall waive fees 41
imposed under subparagraph (A)(vii) of this subdivision for any 42
applicant requesting a criminal history record information search for the 43
purpose of applying for a pardon authorized pursuant to section 54 -44
124a. (ii) On and after July 1, 2029, the commissioner may waive fees 45
imposed under subparagraph (A)(vii) of this subdivision for any 46
applicant requesting a criminal history record information search for the 47
purpose of applying for a pardon authorized pursuant to section 54 -48
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124a, provided such applicant completes a form prescribed by the 49
Department of Emergency Services and Public Protection representing 50
such person's indigency. 51
(2) Except as provided in subsection (b) of this section, the provisions 52
of this subsection shall not apply to any (A) federal, state or municipal 53
agency, (B) volunteer fire company or department, or (C) volunteer 54
ambulance service or company. The commissioner shall not require a 55
volunteer fire company or department or a volunteer ambulance service 56
or company to provide proof of insurance as a condition to receiving the 57
waiver of fees pursuant to the provisions of this subsection. 58
(d) (1) The Commissioner of Emergency Services and Public 59
Protection may enter into one or more agreements with independent 60
contractors requiring such contractors to receive and transmit by 61
electronic means fingerprints and demographic information to the State 62
Police Bureau of Identification for the processing of criminal history 63
records checks. The commissioner shall require such contractors to 64
comply with terms and conditions as the commissioner shall prescribe 65
to protect and ensure the security, privacy, confidentiality and value of 66
the fingerprints and demographic information received and transmitted 67
by such contractors. [The] Except as provided in subdivision (2) of this 68
subsection, the commissioner may authorize such contractors to charge 69
a convenience fee, which shall not exceed thirty dollars, for 70
fingerprinting. 71
(2) (A) Prior to July 1, 2029, no independent contractor may charge an 72
individual the convenience fee authorized under subdivision (1) of this 73
subsection when such individual requests receipt and transmission of 74
fingerprints and demographic information for the processing of a 75
criminal history records check for the purpose of applying for a pardon 76
authorized pursuant to section 54-124a. 77
(B) On and after July 1, 2029, no independent contractor may charge 78
an individual the convenience fee authorized under subdivision (1) of 79
this subsection when such individual (i) requests receipt and 80
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transmission of fingerprints and demographic information for the 81
processing of a criminal history records check for the purpose of 82
applying for a pardon authorized pursuant to section 54 -124a, and (ii) 83
applies for a waiver of such fee due to indigency, on a form prescribed 84
by the Department of Emergency Services and Public Protection, and 85
the commissioner approves such waiver. When the commissioner 86
approves such a waiver, the commissioner shall pay such fee to such 87
contractor. 88
(e) The Commissioner of Emergency Services and Public Protection 89
may adopt regulations, in accordance with the provisions of chapter 54, 90
necessary to implement the provisions of the National Child Protection 91
Act of 1993, the Violent Crime Control and Law Enforcement Act of 92
1994, the Volunteers for Children Act of 1998, and the National Crime 93
Prevention and Privacy Compact as provided in section 29 -164f to 94
provide for national criminal history records checks to determine an 95
employee's or volunteer's suitability and fitness to care for the safety 96
and well-being of children, the elderly and individuals with disabilities. 97
(f) (1) Prior to July 1, 2029, the Department of Emergency Services and 98
Public Protection shall not charge an individual any processing or 99
distribution fee for providing a criminal history report or any fee 100
associated with electronic preregistration with the Connecticut Criminal 101
History Request System when such individual is seeking such report or 102
such preregistration for the purpose of applying for a pardon 103
authorized pursuant to section 54-124a. 104
(2) On and after July 1, 2029, the Department of Emergency Services 105
and Public Protection shall not charge an individual any processing or 106
distribution fee for providing a criminal history report or any fee 107
associated with electronic preregistration with the Connecticut Criminal 108
History Request System when such individual (A) is seeking such report 109
or such preregistration for the purpose of applying for a pardon 110
authorized pursuant to section 54 -124a, and (B) applies for a waiver of 111
any such fee due to indigency, on a form prescribed by the department, 112
and the commissioner approves such waiver. 113
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(g) Not later than July 1, 2029, the commissioner shall make the forms 114
described in subparagraph (B) of subdivision (1) of subsection (c) of this 115
section, subparagraph (B) of subdivision (2) of subsection (d) of this 116
section and subdivision (2) of subsection (f) of this section available on 117
the Internet web site of the State Police Bureau of Identification and 118
provide such forms to each location where a municipal police 119
department provides fingerprinting services. Such forms shall be 120
prominently displayed at such locations, along with other materials and 121
documents necessary to complete an application for a pardon pursuant 122
to section 54-124a. 123
This act shall take effect as follows and shall amend the following
sections:

Section 1 July 1, 2026 29-11

JUD Joint Favorable
FIN Joint Favorable