Sec. 45a-10. (Formerly Sec. 45-14). Fire-resistant safe or vault. Office space to be provided for records.
Sec. 45a-10. (Formerly Sec. 45-14). Fire-resistant safe or vault. Office space
to be provided for records. (a) Each judge of probate shall keep the records and files
of the court of probate for the district in a fire-resistant safe or vault, in office space
provided for that purpose by the town or towns comprising the district in which he is
judge, except when the records and files are in actual use for the purpose of examination,
recording, copying, or entry, or when the records and files, after being recorded or
copied, are placed in storage as records and files not in current use. If such safe or vault
or office space is not provided for that purpose, the chief administrative officers of the
town or towns comprising the district shall provide the safe or vault or office space at
the expense of the town or towns in proportion to their grand lists last perfected.
(b) If the proper authorities in any probate district fail to provide such safe or vault
or office space, the Public Records Administrator may order the proper authorities in
the probate district to provide such safe or vault or office space. If such provision is not
made within a reasonable time thereafter, the Public Records Administrator shall so
advise the State Librarian, who may seek enforcement of compliance with the order as
provided in section 11-8.
(c) All fire-resistant rooms or vaults and all safes for the safekeeping of any such
public records shall conform to regulations adopted by the Public Records Administrator
in accordance with chapter 54, and shall be furnished with fittings of a noncombustible
nature.
(1949 Rev., S. 552, 6822; 1967, P.A. 495, S. 4; 1969, P.A. 746; P.A. 77-614, S. 131, 610; P.A. 80-338, S. 5; 80-476,
S. 6; P.A. 81-472, S. 77, 159.)
History: 1967 act required that records be kept in "fire-resistive", rather than "fire-proof" safe or vault, deleted references
to fire-proof buildings, substituted "chief administrative officers" for "selectmen", "public records administrator" for
"examiner of public records" and "records management committee" for "state library committee", deleted provisions re
provision of safe or vault by district probate judge when town officers fail to do so, required that records management
committee seek enforcement of compliance with order to provide for safe or vault, replacing detailed procedure for supplying safe or vault, and required that storage facilities conform to standards of public records administrator; 1969 act added
references to office space provided for record-keeping purposes, included in exception reference to "recording or copying"
of records and added exception re stored records not in current use; P.A. 77-614 substituted commissioner of administrative
services for records management committee; P.A. 80-338 replaced commissioner of administrative services with state
librarian, required conformity with regulations "in accordance with chapter 54" rather than with "standards" and made
other technical changes; P.A. 80-476 divided section into Subsecs. and rephrased provisions but made no substantive
changes; P.A. 81-472 made technical changes; Sec. 45-14 transferred to Sec. 45a-10 in 1991.
See Sec. 11-8(b) re appointment of Public Records Administrator.