State background check fees are illegal and must stop
Background Information:
In conducting an investigation upon receipt of a “Pistol Permit Application” (Form DPS-799-C), the local issuing authority forwards an applicant’s fingerprints or other positive identifying information to the Department of Emergency Services and Public Protection (DESPP) (formerly, the Department of Public Safety) for results of a state criminal history records check. CGS 29-29(b)
Prior to October 1, 2009, the DESPP did not require that the issuing authority submit a $50.00 fee made payable to the DESPP with the “Pistol Permit Application” (Form DPS-799-C) for the state criminal history records check. Instead, the DESPP required that the applicant submit two fees to the issuing authority:
- A fee made payable to the local issuing authority for costs related to the processing of the application
- A fee made payable to the DESPP for payment to the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) for the national criminal history records check
October 1, 2009, the DESPP amended its “Pistol Permit Application” (Form DPS-799-C) to require that applicants submit a $50.00 fee to the issuing authority made payable to the DESPP for the state criminal history records check. The amendment was not authorized by the Connecticut General Assembly or other lawful authority. The DESPP now requires that the applicant submit three fees to the issuing authority:
- A fee made payable to the local issuing authority for costs related to the processing of the application
- A fee made payable to the DESPP for the state criminal history records check
- A fee made payable to the DESPP for payment to the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) for the national criminal history records check
CGS 29-11(c) waives the DESPP fees for state criminal history records checks when a state criminal history records check is requested by a federal, state, or local municipality. Local issuing authorities get state background checks done for free.
Since October 1, 2009, the DESPP has used local issuing authorities to collect, unlawfully, the $50.00 fee in excess of one-half million dollars for obtaining state criminal history records checks when the local issuing authorities, as a matter of law, are entitled to state criminal history records check at no cost. CGS 29-11(c)
The collection of the $50.00 fee by the local issuing authorities, acting as agents for the DESPP, has imposed and continues to impose an unlawful tax upon individuals submitting applications for pistol permits issued by the DESPP. Since October 1, 2009 this tax has amounted to over $1.5 million. This tax on our human rights infringes on our state and federal constitutional protections.
Sec. 29-29. Information concerning criminal records of applicants for permits.
(a) No temporary state permit for carrying any pistol or revolver shall be issued under the provisions of section 29-28 unless the applicant for such permit gives to the local authority, upon its request, full information concerning the applicant's criminal record. The local authority shall require the applicant to submit to state and national criminal history records checks. The local authority shall take a full description of such applicant and make an investigation concerning the applicant's suitability to carry any such weapons.
(b) The local authority shall take the fingerprints of such applicant or conduct any other method of positive identification required by the State Police Bureau of Identification or the Federal Bureau of Investigation, unless the local authority determines that the fingerprints of such applicant have been previously taken and the applicant's identity established, and such applicant presents identification that the local authority verifies as valid. The local authority shall record the date the fingerprints were taken in the applicant's file and, within five business days of such date, shall forward such fingerprints or other positive identifying information to the State Police Bureau of Identification which shall conduct criminal history records checks in accordance with section 29-17a.
(c) The local authority may, in its discretion, issue a temporary state permit before a national criminal history records check relative to such applicant's record has been received. Upon receipt of the results of such national criminal history records check, the commissioner shall send a copy of the results of such national criminal history records check to the local authority, which shall inform the applicant and render a decision on the application within one week of the receipt of such results. If such results have not been received within eight weeks after a sufficient application for a permit has been made, the local authority shall inform the applicant of such delay, in writing. No temporary state permit shall be issued if the local authority has reason to believe the applicant has ever been convicted of a felony, or that any other condition exists for which the issuance of a permit for possession of a pistol or revolver is prohibited under state or federal law.
(d) The commissioner may investigate any applicant for a state permit and shall investigate each applicant for renewal of a state permit to ensure that such applicant is eligible under state law for such permit or for renewal of such permit.
(e) No state permit may be issued unless either the local authority or the commissioner has received the results of the national criminal history records check.
Sec. 29-11. State Police Bureau of Identification. Fees. Regulations.
(a) The bureau in the Division of State Police within the Department of Public Safety known as the State Police Bureau of Identification shall be maintained for the purposes (1) of providing an authentic record of each person sixteen years of age or over who is charged with the commission of any crime involving moral turpitude, (2) of providing definite information relative to the identity of each person so arrested, (3) of providing a record of the final judgment of the court resulting from such arrest, unless such record has been erased pursuant to section 54-142a, and (4) for maintaining a central repository of complete criminal history record disposition information. The Commissioner of Public Safety is directed to maintain the State Police Bureau of Identification, which bureau shall receive, classify and file in an orderly manner all fingerprints, pictures and descriptions, including previous criminal records as far as known of all persons so arrested, and shall classify and file in a like manner all identification material and records received from the government of the United States and from the various state governments and subdivisions thereof, and shall cooperate with such governmental units in the exchange of information relative to criminals. The State Police Bureau of Identification shall accept fingerprints of applicants for admission to the bar of the state and, to the extent permitted by federal law, shall exchange state, multistate and federal criminal history records with the State Bar Examining Committee for purposes of investigation of the qualifications of any applicant for admission as an attorney under section 51-80. The record of all arrests reported to the bureau after March 16, 1976, shall contain information of any disposition within ninety days after the disposition has occurred.
(b) Any cost incurred by the State Police Bureau of Identification in conducting any name search and fingerprinting of applicants for admission to the bar of the state shall be paid from fees collected by the State Bar Examining Committee.
(c) The Commissioner of Public Safety shall charge the following fees for the service indicated: (1) Name search, thirty-six dollars; (2) fingerprint search, fifty dollars; (3) personal record search, fifty dollars; (4) letters of good conduct search, fifty dollars; (5) bar association search, fifty dollars; (6) fingerprinting, fifteen dollars; (7) criminal history record information search, fifty dollars. Except as provided in subsection (b) of this section, the provisions of this subsection shall not apply to any federal, state or municipal agency.
(d) The Commissioner of Public Safety may adopt regulations, in accordance with the provisions of chapter 54, necessary to implement the provisions of the National Child Protection Act of 1993, the Violent Crime Control and Law Enforcement Act of 1994, the Volunteers for Children Act of 1998, and the National Crime Prevention and Privacy Compact as provided in section 29-164f to provide for national criminal history records checks to determine an employee's or volunteer's suitability and fitness to care for the safety and well-being of children, the elderly and individuals with disabilities.