Section 46a-13k - Office of the Child Advocate established(a) There is established, within the Office of Governmental Accountability established under section 1-300, an Office of the Child Advocate. The Governor, with the approval of the General Assembly, shall appoint a person with knowledge of the child welfare system and the legal system to fill the Office of the Child Advocate. Such person shall be qualified by training and experience to perform the duties of the office as set forth in section 46a-13l. Upon any vacancy in the position of Child Advocate, the advisory committee established pursuant to section 46a-13r shall meet to consider and interview successor candidates and shall submit to the Governor a list of not fewer than three and not more than five of the most outstanding candidates, not later than sixty days after the occurrence of said vacancy, except that upon any vacancy in said position occurring after January 1, 2012, but before June 15, 2012, the advisory committee shall submit such list to the Governor on or before July 31, 2012. Such list shall rank the candidates in the order of committee preference. Not later than eight weeks after receiving the list of candidates from the advisory committee, the Governor shall designate a candidate for Child Advocate from among the choices on such list. If at any time any of the candidates withdraw from consideration prior to confirmation by the General Assembly, the designation shall be made from the remaining candidates on the list submitted to the Governor. If, not later than eight weeks after receiving the list, the Governor fails to designate a candidate from the list, the candidate ranked first shall receive the designation and be referred to the General Assembly for confirmation. If the General Assembly is not in session, the designated candidate shall serve as acting Child Advocate and be entitled to the compensation, privileges and powers of the Child Advocate until the General Assembly meets to take action on said appointment. The person appointed Child Advocate shall serve for a term of four years and may be reappointed or shall continue to hold office until such person's successor is appointed and qualified. Upon any vacancy in the position of Child Advocate and until such time as a candidate has been confirmed by the General Assembly or, if the General Assembly is not in session, has been designated by the Governor, the Associate Child Advocate shall serve as the acting Child Advocate and be entitled to the compensation, privileges and powers of the Child Advocate.(b) Notwithstanding any other provision of the general statutes, the Child Advocate shall act independently of any state department in the performance of the advocate's duties.(c) The Child Advocate may, within available funds, appoint such staff as may be deemed necessary provided, for the fiscal years ending June 30, 1996, and June 30, 1997, such staff shall not exceed one and one-half full-time positions or the equivalent thereof. The duties of the staff may include the duties and powers of the Child Advocate if performed under the direction of the Child Advocate.(d) The General Assembly shall annually appropriate such sums as necessary for the payment of the salaries of the staff and for the payment of office expenses and other actual expenses incurred by the Child Advocate in the performance of his or her duties. Any legal or court fees obtained by the state in actions brought by the Child Advocate shall be deposited in the General Fund.(e) The Child Advocate shall annually submit, in accordance with the provisions of section 11-4a, to the Governor, the joint standing committees of the General Assembly having cognizance of matters relating to the judiciary, children and human services and the advisory committee established pursuant to section 46a-13r a detailed report analyzing the work of the Office of the Child Advocate.Conn. Gen. Stat. § 46a-13k
( P.A. 95-242, S. 1 -6; P.A. 96-155, S. 2; P.A. 97-319, S. 1, 2, 6, 22; P.A. 00-49, S. 4, 7; P.A. 01-195, S. 34, 181; P.A. 05-287, S. 3; P.A. 11-48, S. 71; June 12 Sp. Sess. P.A. 12-2, S. 1; P.A. 13-247, S. 52.)