Sec. 12-170f. Applications for grants. Assessors' duties.
Sec. 12-170f. Applications for grants. Assessors' duties. (a) Any renter, believing himself or herself to be entitled to a grant under section 12-170d for any calendar
year, shall make application for such grant to the assessor of the municipality in which
the renter resides or to the duly authorized agent of such assessor or municipality on or
after May fifteenth and not later than September fifteenth of each year with respect to
such grant for the calendar year preceding each such year, on a form prescribed and
furnished by the Secretary of the Office of Policy and Management to the assessor. A
renter may make application to the secretary prior to December fifteenth of the claim
year for an extension of the application period. The secretary may grant such extension
in the case of extenuating circumstance due to illness or incapacitation as evidenced by
a physician's certificate to that extent, or if the secretary determines there is good cause
for doing so. A renter making such application shall present to such assessor or agent,
in substantiation of the renter's application, a copy of the renter's federal income tax
return, and if not required to file a federal income tax return, such other evidence of
qualifying income, receipts for money received, or cancelled checks, or copies thereof,
and any other evidence the assessor or such agent may require. When the assessor or
agent is satisfied that the applying renter is entitled to a grant, such assessor or agent
shall issue a certificate of grant, in triplicate, in such form as the secretary may prescribe
and supply showing the amount of the grant due. The assessor or agent shall forward
the original copy and attached application to the secretary not later than the last day of
the month following the month in which the renter has made application. On or after
December 1, 1989, any municipality which neglects to transmit to the secretary the
claim and supporting applications as required by this section shall forfeit two hundred
fifty dollars to the state, provided said secretary may waive such forfeiture in accordance
with procedures and standards adopted by regulation in accordance with chapter 54. A
duplicate of such certificate with a copy of the application attached shall be delivered
to the renter and the assessor or agent shall keep the third copy of such certificate and
a copy of the application. After the secretary's review of each claim, pursuant to section
12-120b, and verification of the amount of the grant the secretary shall, not later than
September thirtieth of each year prepare a list of certificates approved for payment, and
shall thereafter supplement such list monthly. Such list and any supplements thereto
shall be approved for payment by the secretary and shall be forwarded by the secretary
to the Comptroller, not later than ninety days after receipt of such applications and
certificates of grant from the assessor or agent, and the Comptroller shall draw an order
on the Treasurer, not later than fifteen days following, in favor of each person on such
list and on supplements to such list in the amount of such person's claim and the Treasurer
shall pay such amount to such person, not later than fifteen days following. Any claimant
aggrieved by the results of the secretary's review shall have the rights of appeal as set
forth in section 12-120b. Applications filed under this section shall not be open for
public inspection. Any person who, for the purpose of obtaining a grant under section
12-170d, wilfully fails to disclose all matters related thereto or with intent to defraud
makes false statement shall be fined not more than five hundred dollars.
(b) Any municipality may provide, upon approval by its legislative body, that the
duties and responsibilities of the assessor, as required under this section and section 12-170g, shall be transferred to (1) the officer in such municipality having responsibility
for the administration of social services, or (2) the coordinator or agent for the elderly
in such municipality.
(P.A. 74-55, S. 10, 14; P.A. 77-614, S. 139, 610; P.A. 79-610, S. 3, 47; P.A. 80-391, S. 5, 6; P.A. 82-322, S. 4, 6; P.A.
85-561, S. 6, 8; P.A. 87-586, S. 5, 12; P.A. 88-321, S. 7, 10; P.A. 90-73, S. 4, 5; P.A. 93-129, S. 2, 7; May 25 Sp. Sess.
P.A. 94-1, S. 16, 130; P.A. 95-307, S. 8, 14; P.A. 98-262, S. 20, 22; June Sp. Sess. P.A. 01-6, S. 52, 85; June Sp. Sess.
P.A. 01-9, S. 99, 131.)
History: P.A. 77-614 substituted commissioner of revenue services for tax commissioner, effective January 1, 1979;
P.A. 79-610 substituted secretary of the office of policy and management for commissioner of revenue services, effective
July 1, 1980; P.A. 80-391 changed application period dates from between April fifteenth and December thirty-first to
between May fifteenth and December thirty-first in 1980 and between May fifteenth and September fifteenth in following
years, effective May 29, 1980, and applicable in any town to assessment year commencing October 1, 1980, and each
assessment year thereafter; P.A. 82-322 added Subsec. (b) to enable a municipality to transfer duties of assessor related
to applications for grants by renters to the municipal officer responsible for social service administration or the municipal
agent for the elderly; P.A. 85-561 provided that in cases of illness or incapacitation, evidenced by a physician's certificate,
an applicant for benefits under the program for elderly renters may apply to the secretary of the office of policy and
management for an extension of the application period beyond September fifteenth, provided application for such extension
is made prior to December fifteenth of the claim year, effective July 5, 1985, and applicable to grants for renters paid in
the calendar year 1986 and each calendar year thereafter; P.A. 87-586 inserted the provision for forfeiture by any municipality which fails to transmit the claim and supporting applications as required by this section; P.A. 88-321 amended Subsec.
(a) to extend the time in 1988 to file applications for grant related to increases in qualifying income under Sec. 12-170e
and added Subsec. (c) to clarify the state payment procedure for purposes of such grants, effective May 10, 1988, and
applicable to grants for renters in calendar year 1988 and thereafter; P.A. 90-73 amended Subsec. (a) by deleting the
provision concerning application for grants in 1988 related to increases in that year, adding the provision allowing waiver
of municipal forfeiture for failure to submit applications for grant as required and extending to 60 days the period after
receipt of applications for approval of grants; P.A. 93-129 amended Subsec. (a) to change the time for assessors to forward
applications from 30 days after receipt to the last day of the month after the month in which the application was made,
effective June 14, 1993; May 25 Sp. Sess. P.A. 94-1 amended Subsec. (a) by making technical change, effective July 1,
1994; P.A. 95-307 amended Subsec. (a) to eliminate requirement that the assessor maintain a permanent record of information regarding the grant, changed the deadline for preparation by the Secretary of the Office of Policy and Management
to prepare a list of certificates approved from August thirty-one to September thirtieth and extended the time to file the
list with Comptroller from 60 to 90 days after receipt of the applications, effective July 6, 1995; P.A. 98-262 amended
Subsec. (a) to allow Secretary of the Office of Policy and Management to grant extensions for good cause, and allowed
requests for 1997 claim year until August 1, 1998, effective June 8, 1998; June Sp. Sess. P.A. 01-6 amended Subsec. (a)
to add provision re extension in the case of extenuating circumstance due to illness or incapacitation, to provide for appeal
of decisions in accordance with Sec. 12-120b, to provide a penalty for failure to disclose related matters or false statement,
to make technical changes and to delete obsolete provisions, amended Subsec. (b) to delete reference to Sec. 12-170g and
deleted former Subsec. (c) re period between July 1, 1988, and December 1, 1988, effective July 1, 2001; June Sp. Sess.
P.A. 01-9 reinstated language in Subsec. (b) which had been deleted by June Sp. Sess. P.A. 01-6, effective July 1, 2001.