1. (a) There shall be an Office of the Claims Commissioner which shall hear and determine all claims against the state except:

   1. (1) Claims for the periodic payment of disability, pension, retirement or other employment benefits; (2) claims upon which suit otherwise is authorized by law including suits to recover similar relief arising from the same set of facts; (3) claims for which an administrative hearing procedure otherwise is established by law; (4) requests by political subdivisions of the state for the payment of grants in lieu of taxes; and (5) claims for the refund of taxes.
2. (b) The Office of the Claims Commissioner shall consist of the Claims Commissioner, and, within available appropriations, the Deputy Claims Commissioner, not more than six special deputies and such administrative staff as may be provided by the Department of Administrative Services. The Claims Commissioner, the Deputy Claims Commissioner, or a special deputy assigned to assist the Claims Commissioner pursuant to section 4-142b shall hear and determine all claims against the state, except as otherwise provided in subsection (a) of this section. Such claims shall be heard and determined in accordance with the rules prescribed by the Claims Commissioner pursuant to section 4-157, except as may be provided in section 4-160.

See Sec. 3-70a(b) re duties with respect to claims for abandoned property.

(1959, P.A. 685, S. 2; P.A. 75-605, S. 1, 27; P.A. 96-85; P.A. 16-127, S. 3; P.A. 21-91, S. 1; P.A. 23-131, S. 1; P.A. 24-44, S. 1.)

History: P.A. 75-605 replaced commission on claims with claims commissioner; P.A. 96-85 amended Subdiv. (2) to include suits to recover similar relief arising from the same set of facts; P.A. 16-127 designated existing provisions re Claims Commissioner as Subsec. (a) and amended same by substituting “an Office of the Claims Commissioner which” for “a Claims Commissioner who” and added Subsec. (b) re provision of administrative staff by Department of Administrative Services and re Claims Commissioner or magistrate to hear and determine claims, effective June 9, 2016; P.A. 21-91 amended Subsec. (b) by adding references to temporary deputies and adding “, except as may be provided in section 4-160”, effective June 28, 2021; P.A. 23-131 amended Subsec. (b) by adding that office consists of, “within available appropriations, the Deputy Claims Commissioner” and “not more than” 6 temporary deputies and by removing reference to “magistrate”, effective July 1, 2023; P.A. 24-44 substituted “special deputies” and “special deputy” for “temporary deputies” and “temporary deputy” in Subsec. (b), effective July 1, 2024.