(a) The Commissioner of Social Services is authorized to enter into reciprocal agreements with other states regarding the interstate transportation of poor and indigent persons and to arrange with the selectmen and institutional authorities for the acceptance and support of persons receiving public aid in other states in accordance with the terms of such reciprocal agreements.

(b) If such poor or indigent person is mentally ill, the superintendent or director of any state-operated facility as defined in section 17a-458 is authorized to admit and hold such person in accordance with the provisions of section 17a-502, except that the certificate required may be signed by a physician licensed in the sending state or may be signed by a commissioned medical officer of the United States armed forces or Public Health Service acting in the performance of his official duties. The superintendent or director may make application for the commitment of such person in the court of probate having jurisdiction in the town where such hospital is located and the Commissioner of Administrative Services shall collect, from the person or persons liable for his support, the amount expended for the support and benefit of such person in the manner provided in section 17b-223.

(1949 Rev., S. 2604; 1949, S. 1436d; 1949, 1955, S. 1438d; 1949, June, 1955, S. 1439d; 1959, P.A. 215; 1967, P.A. 314, S. 7; P.A. 75-420, S. 4, 6; P.A. 77-614, S. 70, 608, 610; P.A. 81-93, S. 1, 2; P.A. 93-262, S. 1, 87.)

History: 1959 act provided that mental health commissioner rather than welfare commissioner institute commitment proceedings and deleted requirement they be recommended by person in charge of state hospital; 1967 act substituted commissioner of finance and control for welfare commissioner as the collecting agent in Subsec. (b); P.A. 75-420 generally replaced welfare commissioner with commissioner of social services; P.A. 77-614 replaced commissioner of finance and control with commissioner of administrative services and, effective January 1, 1979, replaced commissioner of social services with commissioner of income maintenance; P.A. 81-93 amended Subsec. (b) to conform the process for the commitment of mentally ill persons transported from another state to the process provided in Sec. 17-183 for the commitment of persons under an emergency certificate, except that the required certificate may be signed by a physician in the sending state, and transferred responsibility for the initiation of commitment proceedings from the commissioner of mental health to the superintendent or director of the facility; P.A. 93-262 authorized substitution of commissioner and department of social services for commissioner and department of income maintenance, effective July 1, 1993; Sec. 17-293 transferred to Sec. 17b-136 in 1995.

Annotation to former section 17-293:

Cited. 149 C. 223.