Bill
HB 7220
HB 7220 enacts Public Act 25-98 to standardize and potentially reduce transcripts fees for agency proceeding transcripts, improving access and transparency.
Status and procedural history
- Introduced: March 13, 2025; referred to the Joint Committee on Judiciary.
- Public hearing held March 31, 2025.
- Reported favorably and placed on calendars; House and Senate adopted amendments (House Amendment Schedule A).
- Passed both chambers in concurrence and transmitted to the Governor.
- Signed by the Governor on June 24, 2025 and enacted as Public Act 25-98. (Transmitted to Secretary of the State June 23, 2025.)
Purpose and intent
- The bill addresses the fees and procedures for obtaining transcripts of proceedings held before state and municipal administrative agencies. Its overall intent, as indicated by the title, is to regulate or standardize the costs charged to parties or requesters seeking transcripts of agency hearings or proceedings to improve transparency and access.
Key provisions (summary and note on source)
- The legislative record provided does not contain the bill’s enrolled text. The list below describes the types of provisions that HB 7220’s title and legislative treatment indicate the Act was intended to create or modify. For precise statutory language, consult the enacted Public Act 25-98.
- Fee standards or caps: Establishes how agencies calculate fees for producing verbatim transcripts (e.g., per-page charges, hourly rates for transcription, minimum deposits) or requires fees to reflect actual costs.
- Electronic access and format: May require agencies to provide transcripts in electronic form (PDF or text) where feasible, potentially reducing costs and delivery time.
- Fee waiver or reduced-cost provisions: Could create waivers or reduced fees for indigent parties, litigants represented by legal aid, or requests made in the public interest.
- Timelines and production duties: Likely sets timeframes for producing transcripts after request and payment, and may require agencies to provide cost estimates before transcription begins.
- Notice and transparency: May require agencies to publish or provide to parties a fee schedule and estimated costs for transcription services.
- Allocation of costs: Could clarify when parties (appellant, petitioner, or general public) bear transcription costs, including for appeals of agency decisions.
- Enforcement and appeals: May provide administrative or judicial recourse for disputes over fees or delays.
Who is affected
- Primary: parties to administrative hearings (applicants, licensees, respondents), attorneys, and members of the public who request copies of agency hearing transcripts.
- Secondary: state and municipal agencies that administer, produce, and charge for transcripts; official court/agency reporters and contracted transcription vendors.
- Potential fiscal impact: agencies’ administrative workload and budgets (if fees are reduced or production timelines tightened); potential offset if fees better reflect actual costs.
Next steps / where to read the law
- The bill has been enacted as Public Act 25-98 (signed June 24, 2025). For full, authoritative language and effective date(s), consult:
- The enrolled Public Act 25-98 on the Connecticut General Assembly website or the Secretary of the State’s Public Acts listing.
- The Office of Legislative Research (OLR) or Office of Fiscal Analysis (OFA) publications related to the bill for fiscal and implementation details.
Compiled from official sources — confirm details with the bill’s official record.
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