The Office of the Claims Commissioner shall maintain a permanent office in Hartford County in such suitable space as the Commissioner of Administrative Services provides. All papers required to be filed with the Office of the Claims Commissioner shall be delivered to such office. The Claims Commissioner may designate one or more magistrates who shall be available to the Office of the Claims Commissioner to hear and determine claims against the state as provided for in this chapter. The Claims Commissioner may appoint any magistrate who is on the list of available magistrates maintained by the Chief Court Administrator. The Claims Commissioner shall be solely responsible for making any decision concerning the final disposition of a claim, provided any magistrate appointed by the Claims Commissioner may review and hear a claim and make a recommendation to the Claims Commissioner concerning the final disposition of a claim. The Claims Commissioner shall establish such rules as he or she deems necessary to provide for the appointment of a magistrate to hear and decide matters pursuant to the provisions of this chapter. Such rules may include limitations on the types of matters that may be heard and decided by a magistrate and may provide for the issuance of a recommendation by a magistrate concerning the final disposition of a claim that is subject to review and approval by the Claims Commissioner.

(P.A. 75-605, S. 3, 27; P.A. 77-614, S. 73, 610; P.A. 82-167, S. 2, 7; P.A. 84-346, S. 2, 4; P.A. 87-496, S. 42, 110; Sept. Sp. Sess. P.A. 09-7, S. 26; P.A. 11-51, S. 98; P.A. 16-127, S. 5.)

History: P.A. 77-614 substituted commissioner of administrative services for public works commissioner; P.A. 82-167 changed required location of office from Hartford to Hartford county; P.A. 84-346 provided that the positions of clerk and assistant shall be in the unclassified service with compensation fixed pursuant to Sec. 4-40, rather than by the legislative management committee and deleted provision authorizing committee to approve appointment by the claims commissioner of such assistants; P.A. 87-496 replaced administrative services commissioner with public works commissioner; Sept. Sp. Sess. P.A. 09-7 deleted provisions re employment of clerk and other assistants and added provision requiring Department of Administrative Services to provide staff support, effective October 5, 2009; P.A. 11-51 changed “Commissioner of Public Works” to “Commissioner of Administrative Services”, effective July 1, 2011; P.A. 16-127 deleted provision re staff support provided by Department of Administrative Services, added provisions re authority of the Claims Commissioner to designate one or more magistrates to hear and determine claims and added provision re Claims Commissioner to establish rules, effective June 9, 2016.

Cited. 186 C. 300. P.A. 82-167, Sec. 2 of which amended this section, should be read as a clarification of Superior Court's ongoing lack of jurisdiction to hear appeals from Claims Commissioner. 195 C. 534.