(a) Upon the death of any beneficiary under the state supplement or the temporary family assistance program, the Commissioner of Social Services shall order the payment of a sum not to exceed one thousand three hundred fifty dollars as an allowance toward the funeral and burial expenses of such decedent. The payment for funeral and burial expenses shall be reduced by (1) the amount in any revocable or irrevocable funeral fund, (2) any prepaid funeral contract, (3) the face value of any life insurance policy owned by the decedent that names a funeral home, cemetery or crematory as a beneficiary, (4) the net value of all liquid assets in the decedent's estate, and (5) contributions in excess of three thousand four hundred dollars toward such funeral and burial expenses from all other sources, including friends, relatives and all other persons, organizations, agencies, veterans' programs and other benefit programs. Notwithstanding the provisions of section 17b-90, whenever payment for funeral, burial or cremation expenses is reduced due to liquid assets in the decedent's estate, the commissioner may disclose information concerning such liquid assets to the funeral director, cemetery or crematory providing funeral, burial or cremation services for the decedent.
(b) The Commissioner of Social Services may adopt regulations, in accordance with chapter 54, to implement the provisions of this section.
(1969, P.A. 730, S. 21; 1972, P.A. 154, S. 1; P.A. 77-604, S. 9, 84; P.A. 78-337, S. 3, 11; P.A. 86-290, S. 2, 10; June 18 Sp. Sess. P.A. 97-2, S. 32, 165; P.A. 06-188, S. 17; June Sp. Sess. P.A. 15-5, S. 385; May Sp. Sess. P.A. 16-3, S. 44; June Sp. Sess. P.A. 17-2, S. 185; P.A. 19-117, S. 313.)
History: 1972 act replaced $150 and $50 limits on funeral and burial expenses, respectively, with limit under Sec. 17-82q and clarified statements re persons to be paid; P.A. 77-604 corrected faulty section reference; P.A. 78-337 restated provisions in simpler form; P.A. 86-290 added a reference to the state supplement or the aid to families with dependent children program, required the commissioner to order an allowance toward funeral and burial expenses and amended the method of establishing the sum of allowance due; Sec. 17-82i transferred to Sec. 17b-84 in 1995; June 18 Sp. Sess. P.A. 97-2 replaced a reference to aid to families with dependent children with temporary family assistance, effective July 1, 1997; P.A. 06-188 made technical changes and increased funeral and burial allowance from $1,200 to $1,800, effective July 1, 2006; June Sp. Sess. P.A. 15-5 reduced state funeral and burial allowance from $1,800 to $1,400, effective July 1, 2015; May Sp. Sess. P.A. 16-3 designated existing provisions re allowance toward funeral and burial expenses as Subsec. (a) and amended same to reduce maximum payment from $1,400 to $1,200, replace references to deceased and recipient with references to decedent, designate provisions re reduction of payments as Subdivs. (1) to (3), delete provision re contributions over and above sum established not to diminish state's obligation, add Subdiv. (4) re liquid assets in decedent's estate and add Subdiv. (5) re contributions from other sources, and added Subsec. (b) re adoption of regulations, effective July 1, 2016; June Sp. Sess. P.A. 17-2 amended Subsec. (a)(3) to add “that names a funeral home, cemetery or crematory as a beneficiary”, and added provision re commissioner to disclose information concerning liquid assets whenever payment is reduced due to such liquid assets, effective October 31, 2017; P.A. 19-117 amended Subsec. (a) by increasing funeral and burial benefit from $1,200 to $1,350, effective July 1, 2019.