Conn. Gen. Stat. § 17a-77 (2026)

(a) Upon receipt of such application, the court shall assign a time for the hearing, not later than ten business days after such receipt, unless such application has been transferred in accordance with section 17a-76, in which event such hearing shall be held by the Superior Court within ten business days of receipt of such application. The court hearing the matter shall further assign a place for hearing such application and shall cause reasonable notice thereof to be given to the child, his or her parents and the hospital for mental illness named in such application and to such relatives and others as it deems advisable. The notice shall inform the child (1) that he or she has a right to be present at the hearing; (2) that he or she has a right to present evidence and to cross-examine witnesses testifying at any hearing upon such application; (3) that the court has appointed an attorney to represent him or her, and the name, address and telephone number of such attorney. Counsel appointed to represent such child shall also be appointed guardian ad litem for such child unless the court deems it appropriate to appoint a separate guardian ad litem. The fees for counsel appointed to represent the child shall be paid by the parents or guardian or the estate of such child. The notice to the child's parents or legal guardian shall inform them that (A) they have the right to be present at the hearing; (B) they have the right to present evidence and to cross-examine witnesses testifying at the hearing upon such application; and (C) they may be represented by an attorney and if they cannot afford an attorney, that the court shall appoint an attorney to represent them. The notice to the hospital for mental illness of children shall inform such hospital of the time and place of the hearing, and request that if such hospital is unable to admit such child, it shall so inform the court immediately. Prior to such hearing, counsel for the child and counsel for the parents, respectively, in accordance with the provisions of section 52-146e, shall be afforded access to all records including, without limitation, hospital records if such child is hospitalized, and shall be entitled to take notes therefrom. If such child is hospitalized at the time of any hearing held under this section, the hospital shall make available at such hearing for use by the court or his or her counsel and by counsel for the parents all records in its possession relating to the child's need for hospitalization. The reasonable compensation of counsel appointed under the provisions of this section for persons who are indigent or otherwise unable to pay shall be established by, and paid from funds appropriated to, the Judicial Department, however, if funds have not been included in the budget of the Judicial Department for such purposes, such compensation shall be established by the Probate Court Administrator and paid from the Probate Court Administration Fund.

(b) The court hearing the matter shall require a sworn certificate from at least two impartial physicians selected by the court, one of whom shall be a physician specializing in psychiatry. Both physicians shall be licensed to practice medicine in this state and shall have practiced medicine for at least one year. All appointments shall be made in accordance with procedures adopted by the Judicial Department. If such appointments have not already been made for a case transferred from the Probate Court under subsections (b) and (c) of section 17a-76, then such physicians shall be appointed as soon as reasonably possible by the superior court to which such matter has been transferred. Each physician shall make a report on a separate form adopted for such purpose by the Probate Court Administrator or the Superior Court. The certificates shall include a statement from each physician that he or she has personally examined such child within ten days of the hearing. The charges for such physicians shall be established by the Judicial Department and shall be paid in accordance with section 17a-82.

(c) If the child refuses to be examined by the court appointed physicians as herein provided, the court may issue a warrant for the apprehension of the child and a police officer for the town in which such court is located or if there is no such police officer then the state police shall deliver the child to a general hospital where the child shall be examined by two physicians one of whom shall be a psychiatrist, in accordance with subsection (b) of this section. If, as a result of such examination, the child is committed under subsection (e) of this section, transportation of the child to any such hospital shall be in accordance with said subsection (e). If the child is not committed under subsection (e) of this section, he or she shall be released and the reports of such physicians shall be sent to the Court of Probate to satisfy the requirement of examination of two physicians under subsection (b) of this section.

(d) The child shall be present at any hearing for his or her commitment under the provisions of this section, provided the court may exclude him or her from such portions of the hearing at which testimony is given which the court determines would be seriously detrimental to his or her emotional or mental condition. If the child is medicated at that time, a representative from the hospital shall inform the court of such fact and of the common effects of such medication. At the request of counsel for such child or if in the opinion of at least one physician the child could be a danger to himself or herself or others or it would be detrimental to the child's health and welfare to travel to the court facility hearing the application, then such hearing shall be held at the hospital in which the child is hospitalized. In that event, such hospital shall provide adequate facilities for such hearing. All interested parties shall have the right to present evidence and cross-examine witnesses who testify at any hearing on the application.

(e) If, after such hearing, the court finds by clear and convincing evidence that the child suffers from a mental disorder, is in need of hospitalization for treatment, and such treatment is available, and such hospitalization is the least restrictive available alternative, it shall make an order for his or her commitment for a definite period not to exceed six months to a hospital for mental illness of children to be named in such order. Unless already hospitalized, such order shall direct some suitable person to convey the child to such hospital together with a copy of such order. In appointing a person to execute such order, the court shall give preference to a near relative or friend of the child, so far as it deems practicable and judicious. All costs for transportation shall be paid in accordance with section 17a-82. Such hospital shall release the child when it concludes that he or she is no longer in need of hospitalization.

(f) Any child who has been committed by any court to a hospital for mental illness of children may be transferred to any other hospital for mental illness of children upon agreement of the superintendents of the respective institutions from and to which it is desired to make such transfer. Such agreement shall be in writing, executed in triplicate and in accordance with a form prescribed by the Attorney General, which form shall be uniform throughout the state. One copy of such agreement shall be filed for record in the court by which such person was committed and one copy retained in the files of each of the institutions participating in such transfer. Any such agreement shall have the same effect as an order of the court committing the person named in such order. No such transfer shall be made until the parent or representative of the child has received written notification. The parent of any child so transferred, or his or her next friend, may make application to the court which made the order of commitment, for a revocation or modification of such agreement, and such court shall order such notice of the time and place of hearing on such application as it finds reasonable and upon such hearing may revoke, modify or affirm such transfer. Such application shall act as a stay of any such order of transfer. Such hospital shall release the child when it concludes that he or she is no longer in need of hospitalization.

(g) No later than ten days prior to the expiration of the period of commitment, or prior to the expiration of any period of recommitment under the provisions of sections 17a-75 to 17a-83, inclusive, an application for recommitment may be brought by any person to the court which heard the original application. Such application shall be brought in conformity with the provisions of this section and section 17a-76 and may result in a further commitment for a definite period not to exceed six months. In the event such an application is filed, the original commitment or recommitment order shall be extended for a sufficient time to hold a hearing under this section and section 17a-76, but in no event for more than twenty days beyond the expiration of the original commitment or recommitment. All fees and expenses incurred upon proceedings required by this section shall be payable as provided in section 17a-82.

(P.A. 79-511, S. 3; P.A. 80-204; 80-269; P.A. 81-472, S. 35, 159; P.A. 83-295, S. 22; P.A. 89-326, S. 5, 7; P.A. 96-170, S. 2, 23; P.A. 97-90, S. 5, 6; P.A. 16-28, S. 24.)

History: P.A. 80-204 inserted new Subsec. (c) re procedure when child refuses to be examined, redesignating former Subsec. (c) and remaining Subsecs. accordingly; P.A. 80-269 specified that ten-day deadline in Subsec. (a) refers to “business” days, required appointments to be in accordance with judicial department procedures rather than supreme court rules in Subsec. (b) and moved provision re child's release when no longer in need of hospitalization from Subsec. (e) to Subsec. (d); P.A. 81-472 removed Sec. 17-184 from the scope of Subsec. (g); P.A. 83-295 amended Subsec. (a) to provide that the reasonable compensation of counsel appointed to represent indigent persons shall be established by the judicial department rather than “the court in accordance with rules adopted by the superior court”; P.A. 89-326 amended Subsec. (a) to provide that the compensation of appointed counsel shall be established by the probate court administrator, rather than by the judicial department, and be paid from the probate court administration fund, rather than from funds appropriated to the judicial department; Sec. 17-205d transferred to Sec. 17a-77 in 1991; P.A. 96-170 amended Subsec. (a) by changing funding of counsel from Probate Court Administration Fund to funds appropriated to Judicial Department unless funds not included in budget of Judicial Department for such purpose, effective July 1, 1998; P.A. 97-90 revised effective date of P.A. 96-170 but without affecting this section; P.A. 16-28 amended Subsecs. (b) and (c) to make technical changes.

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