Conn. Agencies Regs. § 17a-247e-8 - Hearing responsibilities and procedures
(a) Within
forty-five (45) days following notification by an employer, during which the
department will verify necessary information, including the substantiation of
abuse or neglect, the department shall notify the employee by certified mail
that his name has been submitted by his former employer for placement on the
registry following a termination or separation from employment for
substantiated abuse or neglect and that a hearing will be convened to determine
whether the employee's name should be placed on the registry.
(b) Such notification shall include the date,
time and location of the hearing specifying the allegation(s) of abuse or
neglect substantiated by the authorized agency. Not less than two weeks prior
to the hearing, the department shall make available to the employee, for
review, inspection and copying, the investigation report, all documents
included in the investigation file maintained by the employer or authorized
agency, including but not limited to any statements by witnesses and
interviews, except as otherwise protected by law from disclosure, any report or
statement prepared in accordance with subsection (f), subdivision (3) of
Section
17a-247e-2
of the Regulations of Connecticut State Agencies, and the contents of the
administrative record maintained in accordance with Section
4-177
of the Connecticut General Statutes. Except for disclosure necessary for the
identification of witnesses, personally identifying information about
department clients, including client records, shall not be disclosed, except
upon a determination by the hearing officer, balancing relevant interests, that
such disclosure is necessary to the fair conduct of the hearing. Nothing in
this section alters the rights of the parties to access to relevant documents
in accordance with the Uniform Administrative Procedures Act, nor is any party
prohibited from requesting that the hearing officer conduct an in camera review
of any relevant document to resolve any issue concerning the privacy,
confidentiality, or privileged status of the information contained
herein.
(c) Hearing officers for
the conduct of hearings concerning the placement of an employee's name on the
registry shall be appointed by the commissioner. Hearing officers shall not be
employees of the department .
(d)
The hearing shall be conducted in accordance with Sections
4-177
to
4-181a,
inclusive, of the Connecticut General Statutes. The hearing officer shall
consider all relevant evidence within the scope of the hearing, except when
properly excluded in accordance with Section
4-178
of the Connecticut General Statutes. The scope of any hearing convened pursuant
to Sections
17a-247e-1 to
17a-247e-9,
inclusive, of the Regulations of Connecticut State Agencies shall be limited to
the following issues for which the department bears the burden of proof:
(1) whether the individual is or was an
employee, as defined in Section
17a-247a of the
Connecticut General Statutes;
(2)
whether the individual was employed by an employer as defined in Section
17a-247a of the
Connecticut General Statutes;
(3)
whether the individual was terminated or separated from employment due to
allegations of abuse or neglect as defined by Section
17a-247a of the
Connecticut General Statutes, and Section
17a-247e-1 of the
Regulations of Connecticut State Agencies;
(4) whether the allegations of abuse or
neglect were substantiated by an authorized agency in accordance with the
procedures set forth in Section
17a-247e-2
of the Regulations of Connecticut State Agencies; and
(5) whether the allegations of abuse or
neglect, as defined in Section
17a-247a of the
Connecticut General Statutes, that were substantiated are supported by a
preponderance of evidence.
(e) Within ten (10) business days following
the conclusion of the hearing, the hearing officer shall issue a proposed
decision to the parties and the commissioner. The hearing officer may have a
ten (10) day extension, upon approval of the commissioner, to issue a proposed
decision.
(f) The parties shall
have ten (10) business days following receipt of the proposed decision to
submit written comments to the commissioner in support of or opposition to the
proposed decision. Upon request and for good cause shown, the commissioner
shall extend this time period for an additional period of time not to exceed
thirty days.
(g) The commissioner
shall issue a final decision, following the comment period established by
subsection (f) of this section, to the parties and to the employer which
provided notification to the department pursuant to Section
17a-247e-5
of the Regulations of Connecticut State Agencies. A party, other than the
department , which is aggrieved by the final decision may appeal in accordance
with the Uniform Administrative Procedures Act, Chapter 54, of the Connecticut
General Statutes.
(h) If the final
decision concludes that the employee was terminated or separated from
employment for substantiated abuse or neglect, the name, address and social
security number of such employee, along with other information set forth in
Sections
17a-247e-1 to
17a-247e-9,
inclusive, of the Regulations of Connecticut State Agencies, shall be added to
the registry.
Notes
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