Upon the death of a patient or of a person who has, at any time, been a patient in a state humane institution, the state shall have a claim against his estate for reimbursement for institutional support according to the provisions of sections 4a-12, 17b-223, 17b-224 and 17b-229 to the extent that the amount which the surviving spouse, parent or dependent children of the decedent would otherwise take from such estate is not needed for their support. Such claims shall have priority over all unsecured claims against such estate, except

1. (1) expenses of last sickness not to exceed three hundred seventy-five dollars,
2. (2) funeral and burial expenses in accordance with section 17b-84,
3. (3) such unpaid fees and expenses of the conservator of such patient, if any, as are authorized by law, and
4. (4) administrative expenses, including probate fees and taxes, and including fiduciary fees not exceeding the following commissions on the value of the whole estates accounted for by such fiduciaries: On the first two thousand dollars or portion thereof, five per cent; on the next eight thousand dollars or portion thereof, four per cent; on the excess over ten thousand dollars, three per cent. Upon petition by any fiduciary, the Probate Court, after hearing thereon, may authorize compensation in excess of the above schedule for extraordinary services. Notice of any such petition and hearing shall be given to the Commissioner of Administrative Services in Hartford at least ten days in advance of such hearing. The allowable funeral and burial payment herein shall be reduced by the amount of any prepaid funeral arrangement. Any amount paid from the estate under this section to any person which exceeds the limits provided herein shall be repaid to the estate by such person, and such amount may be recovered in a civil action with interest at six per cent from the date of demand.

(1957, P.A. 500; 1959, P.A. 395, S. 3; 1961, P.A. 426, S. 3; 1963, P.A. 438, S. 9; February, 1965, P.A. 625, S. 8; 1967, P.A. 151, S. 8; 314, S. 16; 1969, P.A. 730, S. 39; 1972, P.A. 294, S. 16; P.A. 77-614, S. 70, 610; P.A. 78-337, S. 10, 11; P.A. 88-364, S. 27, 123; P.A. 24-81, S. 29.)

History: 1959 act amended Subdiv. (2) to raise total funeral and burial expenses from $300 to $600 and added Subdiv. (3) and provisions re reductions for prepaid funeral arrangements and recovery or repayment of amounts paid in excess of limits; 1961 act clarified language re restrictions placed on application of Secs. 17-295 and 17-299; 1963 act reduced funeral and burial expense priority amount from $600 to $400; 1965 act increased funeral and burial expense priority amount to $450; 1967 acts raised funeral and burial expense ceiling to $500 and substituted commissioner of finance and control for welfare commissioner; 1969 act increased limit on funeral and burial expenses to $600; 1972 act added reference to Sec. 17-295b; P.A. 77-614 replaced commissioner of finance and control with commissioner of administrative services; P.A. 78-337 replaced specific dollar limit on funeral and burial expenses with reference to amounts allowed under Sec. 17-82q; P.A. 88-364 made technical change in section; Sec. 17-300 transferred to Sec. 17b-230 in 1995; P.A. 24-81 inserted reference to Sec. 4a-12 re estate recovery limitation and made a technical change, effective July 1, 2024.