(a) The Commissioner of Rehabilitation Services is authorized to establish and administer a fund to be known as the Assistive Technology Revolving Fund. Said fund shall be used by said commissioner to make loans to persons with disabilities, senior citizens or the family members of persons with disabilities or senior citizens for the purchase of assistive technology and adaptive equipment and services. Each such loan shall be made for a term of not more than ten years. Any loans made under this section after July 1, 2013, shall bear interest at a fixed rate not to exceed six per cent. Said commissioner is authorized to expend any funds necessary for the reasonable direct expenses relating to the administration of said fund. Said commissioner shall adopt regulations, in accordance with the provisions of chapter 54, to implement the purposes of this section.

(b) The State Bond Commission shall have power from time to time to authorize the issuance of bonds of the state in one or more series in accordance with section 3-20 and in a principal amount necessary to carry out the purposes of this section, but not in excess of an aggregate amount of one million dollars. All of said bonds shall be payable at such place or places as may be determined by the Treasurer pursuant to section 3-19 and shall bear such date or dates, mature at such time or times, not exceeding five years from their respective dates, bear interest at such rate or different or varying rates and payable at such time or times, be in such denominations, be in such form with or without interest coupons attached, carry such registration and transfer privileges, be payable in such medium of payment and be subject to such terms of redemption with or without premium as, irrespective of the provisions of said section 3-20, may be provided by the authorization of the State Bond Commission or fixed in accordance therewith. The proceeds of the sale of such bonds shall be deposited in the Assistive Technology Revolving Fund created by this section. Such bonds shall be general obligations of the state and the full faith and credit of the state of Connecticut are pledged for the payment of the principal of and interest on such bonds as the same become due. Accordingly, and as part of the contract of the state with the holders of such bonds, appropriation of all amounts necessary for punctual payment of such principal and interest is hereby made and the Treasurer shall pay such principal and interest as the same become due. Net earnings on investments or reinvestments of proceeds, accrued interest and premiums on the issuance of such bonds, after payment therefrom of expenses incurred by the Treasurer or State Bond Commission in connection with their issuance, shall be deposited in the General Fund of the state.

(c) The Connecticut Tech Act Project, within the Department of Rehabilitation Services and as authorized by 29 USC 3001, may provide assistive technology evaluation and training services upon the request of any person or any public or private entity, to the extent persons who provide assistive technology services are available. The project may charge a fee to any person or entity receiving such assistive technology evaluation and training services to reimburse the department for its costs. The Commissioner of Rehabilitation Services shall establish fees at reasonable rates that will cover the department's direct and indirect costs.

(May Sp. Sess. P.A. 92-7, S. 26, 36; P.A. 93-262, S. 1, 87; June Sp. Sess. P.A. 93-1, S. 26, 45; P.A. 13-7, S. 3; 13-234, S. 108.)

History: P.A. 93-262 authorized substitution of commissioner and department of social services for commissioner and department of human resources, effective July 1, 1993; June Sp. Sess. P.A. 93-1 amended Subsec. (b) to increase bond authorization from $500,000 to $1,000,000, effective July 1, 1994; Sec. 17-606a transferred to Sec. 17b-607 in 1995; P.A. 13-7 amended Subsec. (a) to replace “Commissioner of Social Services” with “Commissioner of Rehabilitation Services”, to add provision requiring fund to be used to make loans to senior citizens or family members of persons with disabilities and senior citizens, to add provision requiring funds to be used for loans for assistive technology and adaptive services, to change maximum loan term from 5 years to 10 years, to replace provision re interest to be determined in accordance with Sec. 3-20(t) with provision re loans made after July 1, 2013, to bear interest at fixed rate not to exceed 6 per cent and to add reference to chapter 54 re adoption of regulations, effective July 1, 2013; P.A. 13-234 made identical changes as P.A. 13-7 in Subsec. (a) and added Subsec. (c) re Connecticut Tech Act Project, effective July 1, 2013.