CT HB07277

Establishes a Commission on Equity and Opportunity within the Legislative Department to focus on issues affecting African Americans, Asian Pacific Americans, and Latinos and Puerto Ricans, replacing three separate existing commissions.

Reduces the commission membership from 63 to 39 members, with appointments distributed among legislative leaders (speaker, president pro tempore, majority and minority leaders of both chambers), each appointing 3 to 6 members with representation from different ethnic affairs fields and geographic regions.

Sets initial commission member terms to expire June 30, 2017, with subsequent members serving two-year terms; establishes an executive director hired by the Joint Committee on Legislative Management.

Organizes the commission into three policy divisions addressing African-American affairs, Asian Pacific-American affairs, and Latino and Puerto Rican affairs respectively.

Allows state agencies to suspend paper filing requirements and establish electronic filing systems for documents and data submitted to the agency, effective October 1, 2017, while permitting hardship exemptions from electronic filing requirements.