Connecticut General Statutes

Conn. Gen. Stat. § 4-151 (2026)

Consideration and hearing of claims

✓ current as of May 2026

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(a) Claims shall be considered as soon as practicable after they are filed. The following claims shall be privileged with respect to assignment for hearing: (1) Claims by persons who are sixty-five years or older or who reach such age during the pendency of the claim, (2) claims by persons who are terminally ill, as defined in section 52-191c, (3) claims by executors or administrators of estates, and (4) claims for damages not in excess of fifty thousand dollars. Hearings may be held at the Office of the Claims Commissioner, at any available hearing facility in the State Capitol or Legislative Office Building, upon request at any courthouse serving a judicial district or geographical area or city or town hall in the state or at such other suitable place as the Claims Commissioner, the Deputy Claims Commissioner or a special deputy finds is convenient and just to the claimant and to the Attorney General.

(b) The Claims Commissioner, the Deputy Claims Commissioner or a special deputy may call witnesses, examine and cross-examine any witness, require information not offered by the claimant or the Attorney General and stipulate matters to be argued. The Claims Commissioner, the Deputy Claims Commissioner or a special deputy shall not be bound by any law or rule of evidence, except the rules prescribed by the Claims Commissioner pursuant to section 4-157.

(c) The Claims Commissioner, the Deputy Claims Commissioner or a special deputy may administer oaths, cause depositions to be taken, issue subpoenas and order inspection and disclosure of books, papers, records and documents. Upon good cause shown, any such order or subpoena may be quashed by the Claims Commissioner, the Deputy Claims Commissioner or a special deputy.

(d) If any person fails to respond to a subpoena, the Claims Commissioner, the Deputy Claims Commissioner or a special deputy may issue a capias, directed to a state marshal to arrest such person and bring such person before the Claims Commissioner, the Deputy Claims Commissioner or a special deputy to testify.

(e) If any person refuses to testify or to produce any relevant, unprivileged book, paper, record or document, the Claims Commissioner, the Deputy Claims Commissioner or a special deputy shall certify such fact to the Attorney General, who shall apply to the superior court for the judicial district in which such person resides for an order compelling compliance. Further refusal of such person shall be punished as provided by section 2-46. If such person is the claimant, the Claims Commissioner, the Deputy Claims Commissioner or a special deputy shall summarily dismiss the claim and order it forfeited to the state.

(f) When subpoenaed by the Claims Commissioner, the Deputy Claims Commissioner or a special deputy, a witness shall be offered the fees and mileage allowances authorized by section 52-260, provided no such fee or allowance shall be paid to any state officer or employee who appears on behalf of the state.

(1959, P.A. 685, S. 8; P.A. 75-605, S. 8, 27; P.A. 78-280, S. 9, 127; P.A. 89-82, S. 4, 11; P.A. 00-99, S. 21, 154; P.A. 01-167, S. 2; 01-195, S. 4, 181; P.A. 16-127, S. 9; P.A. 23-131, S. 4; P.A. 24-44, S. 5.)

History: P.A. 75-605 replaced references to claims commission and its members with references to claims commissioner; P.A. 78-280 replaced “county courthouse” in Subsec. (a) with “courthouse serving a judicial district or geographical area” and substituted judicial district for county in Subsec. (e); P.A. 89-82 amended Subsec. (a) to provide for hearing of claims in legislative office building; P.A. 00-99 changed reference to “sheriff of the county in which such person resides” to “state marshal” in Subsec. (d), effective December 1, 2000; P.A. 01-167 amended Subsec. (a) to specify types of claims that are privileged with respect to assignment for hearing; P.A. 01-195 made a technical change in Subsec. (d) for the purposes of gender neutrality, effective July 11, 2001; P.A. 16-127 amended Subsecs. (a) to (f) by adding “or a magistrate”, amended Subsec. (b) by adding “the rules prescribed by the Claims Commissioner pursuant to section 4-157” and making a conforming change and amended Subsec. (e) by making a technical change, effective June 9, 2016; P.A. 23-131 amended Subsec. (a) by replacing “claims shall be heard as soon as practicable” with “claims shall be considered as soon as practicable”, by adding reference to “Deputy Claims Commissioner” and by replacing reference to “magistrate” with “temporary deputy”, amended Subsecs. (b) to (f) by adding references to “Deputy Claims Commissioner” and by replacing references to “magistrate” with “temporary deputy” and further amended Subsec. (f) by replacing “witnesses” with “a witness”, effective July 1, 2023; P.A. 24-44 added Subsec. (a)(4) re claims for damages not in excess of $50,000 being privileged with respect to hearing and amended Subsecs. (b) to (f) by substituting “special deputy” for “temporary deputy”, effective July 1, 2024.

Cited. 186 C. 300; 239 C. 265.

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Notes of Decisions

Cited in 7 cases (1 in the last 5 years), 1996–2022 · leading case: D'ERAMO v. Smith, 872 A.2d 408 (Conn. 2005).

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D'ERAMO v. Smith, 872 A.2d 408 (Conn. 2005). · cites it 4× “With respect to such claims, the claims commissioner had the authority to hold trial-like hearings; see General Statutes § 4-151; to make findings of fact and issue appropriate orders; see General Statutes § 4-154; to approve immediate payment of just claims not exceeding $7500;…”

Capers v. Lee, 684 A.2d 696 (Conn. 1996). · cites it 4× “When the exceptions of § 4-142 do not apply, General Statutes § 4-160 (a) 10 makes *272 it clear that a claimant can only institute an action against the state in a court of justice once the claims commissioner hears the claim; General Statutes § 4-151; causes a record to be…”

Lyon v. Jones, 968 A.2d 416 (Conn. 2009). · cites it 2× “” Once the attorney general makes this determination, the claims commissioner must schedule and conduct a hearing pursuant to General Statutes § 4-151. It is quite likely, therefore, that the construction of § 46a-100 favored by the Appellate Court would lead to the perverse…”

State v. Charlotte Hungerford Hosp., 36 A.3d 252 (Conn. App. Ct. 2012). · cites it 18× “” The principal issue in *481 this appeal is whether the subpoena power conferred upon the claims commissioner by General Statutes § 4-151 (c) permits him to subpoena documents from a respondent that has not been named as a party to the suit that the claims commissioner has been…”

State v. Charlotte Hungerford Hosp., 40 A.3d 784 (Conn. 2012). · cites it 2× “3d 252 , is granted, limited to the following issue: "Did the Appellate Court properly determine that the subpoena power conferred upon the claims commissioner by General Statutes § 4-151(c) permits him to subpoena documents from a respondent that has not been named as a party…”

State v. Weber, 896 A.2d 153 (Conn. Super. Ct. 2004). · cites it 2× “The state suggests that the court leave the discovery of these erased criminal documents to the decision of the claims commissioner, who may, pursuant to General Statutes § 4-151 (b) and (c), issue discovery orders.”

Torres v. Claims Comm. (D. Conn. 2022). · cites it 2× “” Conn. Gen. Stat. § 4-151 (a). Section 4-154(a) provides: “Not later than ninety days after hearing a claim, the Claims Commissioner shall render a decision.”

— Conn. Gen. Stat. § 4-151(c) — 1 case

State v. Charlotte Hungerford Hosp., 40 A.3d 784 (Conn. 2012). “3d 252 , is granted, limited to the following issue: "Did the Appellate Court properly determine that the subpoena power conferred upon the claims commissioner by General Statutes § 4-151(c) permits him to subpoena documents from a respondent that has not been named as a party…”

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