Conn. Gen. Stat. » Title 04 — MANAGEMENT OF STATE AGENCIES · Chapter 53 — Claims Against the State
Connecticut General Statutes

Conn. Gen. Stat. § 4-159 (2026)

Submission of certain claims to legislature. Review and disposition of claims by legislature

✓ current as of May 2026
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(a) Not later than five days after the convening of each regular session and at such other times as the speaker of the House of Representatives and president pro tempore of the Senate may desire, the Office of the Claims Commissioner shall submit to the General Assembly (1) all claims for which the Claims Commissioner, the Deputy Claims Commissioner or a special deputy recommended payment of a just claim in an amount exceeding thirty-five thousand dollars pursuant to subdivision (3) of subsection (a) of section 4-158, and (2) all claims for which a request for review has been filed pursuant to subsection (b) of section 4-158, together with a copy of the Claims Commissioner's, Deputy Claims Commissioner's or special deputy's findings and the hearing record, if any, of each claim so reported.

(b) The General Assembly shall:

(1) With respect to a decision of the Claims Commissioner, the Deputy Claims Commissioner or a special deputy ordering the denial or dismissal of a claim pursuant to subdivision (1) of subsection (a) of section 4-158 or a decision of a special deputy ordering the denial or dismissal of a claim pursuant to subsection (d) of section 4-160:

(A) Confirm the decision; or

(B) Vacate the decision and, in lieu thereof, (i) order the payment of the claim in a specified amount, or (ii) authorize the claimant to sue the state;

(2) With respect to a decision of the Claims Commissioner, the Deputy Claims Commissioner or a special deputy ordering the immediate payment of a just claim in an amount not exceeding thirty-five thousand dollars pursuant to subdivision (2) of subsection (a) of section 4-158:

(A) Confirm the decision;

(B) Modify the decision by ordering that a different amount be paid; or

(C) Vacate the decision and, in lieu thereof, (i) order no payment be made, or (ii) authorize the claimant to sue the state;

(3) With respect to a decision of the Claims Commissioner, the Deputy Claims Commissioner or a special deputy recommending payment of a just claim in an amount exceeding thirty-five thousand dollars pursuant to subdivision (3) of subsection (a) of section 4-158:

(A) Accept the recommendation and order payment of the specified amount;

(B) Modify the recommendation by ordering that a different amount be paid; or

(C) Reject the recommendation and, in lieu thereof, (i) order no payment be made, or (ii) authorize the claimant to sue the state; or

(4) With respect to a decision of the Claims Commissioner, the Deputy Claims Commissioner or a special deputy pursuant to subdivision (1), (2) or (3) of subsection (a) of section 4-158, or a decision of a special deputy pursuant to subsection (d) of section 4-160, remand the claim to the Office of the Claims Commissioner for such further proceedings as the General Assembly may direct.

(c) The General Assembly may grant the claimant permission to sue the state under the provisions of this section when the General Assembly deems it just and equitable and believes the claim to present an issue of law or fact under which the state, were it a private person, could be liable.

(d) If the General Assembly orders the payment of a claim, the Office of the Claims Commissioner shall provide a copy of the order to the Comptroller and the Comptroller shall make payment in the manner prescribed for payment of an order of the Claims Commissioner pursuant to section 4-158.

(e) The review by the General Assembly of claims submitted to it by the Office of the Claims Commissioner under this section shall be conducted in accordance with such procedures as the General Assembly may prescribe.

(1959, P.A. 685, S. 12; 1961, P.A. 476, S. 7; P.A. 75-605, S. 16, 27; P.A. 84-407, S. 4, 5; P.A. 89-208, S. 1, 2; P.A. 90-284, S. 1; P.A. 05-170, S. 2; P.A. 07-217, S. 8; Sept. Sp. Sess. P.A. 09-7, S. 175; P.A. 13-225, S. 7; P.A. 16-127, S. 17; P.A. 19-182, S. 3; P.A. 21-91, S. 5; P.A. 23-131, S. 9; P.A. 24-24, S. 1; 24-44, S. 10.)

History: 1961 act substituted “amounts exceeding” for “claims for more than” $2,500; P.A. 75-605 replaced commission with claims commissioner and raised amount of claims brought before the general assembly from $2,500 to $5,000; P.A. 84-407 amended section by increasing amount of claim to $7,500; P.A. 89-208 authorized the general assembly to grant or deny the claimant permission to sue the state when it rejects the recommendation of the claims commissioner and deleted the provision that stated the general assembly shall not be required to hold public hearings on the recommendations of the claims commissioner; P.A. 90-284 added provision specifying the standard for the general assembly to apply when granting permission to sue the state; P.A. 05-170 designated existing provisions re submission to the General Assembly of the recommendations of the Claims Commissioner, together with the findings and hearing record of each claim, and the time frame therefor, as Subsec. (a) and amended said Subsec. to replace requirement that the Claims Commissioner, after hearing, make and submit his recommendations to the General Assembly for the payment or rejection of amounts exceeding $7,500 with the requirement that the Claims Commissioner submit all claims where payment in an amount exceeding $7,500 was recommended pursuant to Sec. 4-158(a)(3) and all claims for which a request for review has been filed pursuant to Sec. 4-158(b), replaced provision authorizing the General Assembly to accept or alter any such recommendation or reject any such recommendation and grant or deny the claimant permission to sue the state with new Subsec. (b) requiring the General Assembly to take action with respect to certain decisions of the Claims Commissioner and setting forth the dispositional options available to it for each type of decision, designated existing provision re authority of the General Assembly to grant the claimant permission to sue the state and the standard therefor as Subsec. (c), added new Subsec. (d) re procedure for payment by the Comptroller if the General Assembly orders payment and added new Subsec. (e) re procedure for the review of claims by the General Assembly; P.A. 07-217 made a technical change in Subsec. (a), effective July 12, 2007; Sept. Sp. Sess. P.A. 09-7 amended Subsec. (d) by deleting reference to clerk of the office, effective October 5, 2009; P.A. 13-225 amended Subsecs. (a) and (b) to increase both the maximum amount for immediately payable just claims and the threshold amount for claims submitted to the General Assembly from $7,500 to $20,000, effective July 1, 2013; P.A. 16-127 amended Subsec. (a) by substituting “Office of the Claims Commissioner shall submit” for “Claims Commissioner shall submit” and adding references to magistrate and amended Subsecs. (b)(4) and (e) by substituting “Office of the Claims Commissioner” for “Claims Commissioner”, effective June 9, 2016; P.A. 19-182 amended Subsecs. (a)(1), (b)(2) and (b)(3) by replacing $20,000 with $35,000, effective October 1, 2019, and applicable to any claim filed on or after October 1, 2019; P.A. 21-91 added provisions re temporary deputies in Subsecs. (a)(2), (b)(1) and (b)(4) and amended Subsec. (a)(2) to add “if any”, effective June 28, 2021; P.A. 23-131 amended Subsec. (a) by deleting references to “magistrate” and adding references to “Deputy Commissioner” and “temporary deputy”, amended Subsec. (b) by adding references to “Deputy Claims Commissioner” and “temporary deputy” and amended Subsec. (d) by replacing “deliver to the Comptroller a notice of the order” with “provide a copy of the order to the Comptroller”, effective July 1, 2023; P.A. 24-24 made technical changes in Subsec. (a); P.A. 24-44 amended Subsecs. (a) and (b) by substituting “special deputy” for “temporary deputy” and further amended Subsec. (a) by making technical changes and Subsec. (b)(2) by making a conforming change, effective July 1, 2024.

Cited. 186 C. 300; 189 C. 550; 204 C. 17; 209 C. 679; 211 C. 199; 212 C. 415; 222 C. 280; 239 C. 265.

Cited. 20 CA 676. Subsec. (c): Does not contain the phrase “jury trial” or reference a litigant's personal rights, thus legislature did not intend to confer upon any litigant the right to a jury trial and, therefore, Subsec. cannot be fairly construed to grant plaintiff all of the rights he would have had, namely the right to a jury trial, if the action were brought against a private person rather than the state. 182 CA 278.

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Notes of Decisions
Cited in 32 cases (4 in the last 5 years), 1974–2026 · leading case: Chotkowski v. State, 690 A.2d 368 (Conn. 1997).
Sort: Relevance Newest Treatment
Chotkowski v. State, 690 A.2d 368 (Conn. 1997). · cites it 15× “Because of this argument, the commissioner, instead of adjudicating the claim himself pursuant to General Statutes § 4-158 or making a recommendation to the legislature of an amount for payment pursuant to General Statutes § 4-159, authorized the plaintiff to institute this…”
Martinez v. Dep't of Pub. Saf., 818 A.2d 758 (Conn. 2003). · cites it 10× “General Statutes § 4-159. 9 The claims commissioner also may authorize suit *85 against the state in Superior Court.”
184 Windsor Avenue, LLC. v. State, 875 A.2d 498 (Conn. 2005). · cites it 8× “By contrast, pursuant to General Statutes § 4-159, 8 the claims commissioner can only make recommendations to the General Assembly regarding payment for claims exceeding $7500, after a hearing.”
D'ERAMO v. Smith, 872 A.2d 408 (Conn. 2005). · cites it 4× “See General Statutes § 4-159. In addition, "[w]hen the Claims Commissioner deems it just and equitable, he may authorize suit against the state on any claim which, in his opinion, presents an issue of law or fact under which the state, were it a private person, could be liable.”
Capers v. Lee, 684 A.2d 696 (Conn. 1996). · cites it 6× “General Statutes § 4-159. Therefore, a claimant falling outside the exceptions of § 4-142 must bring a claim before commencing an action.”
Perez v. Univ. of Connecticut, 189 A.3d 664 (Conn. App. Ct. 2018). · cites it 30× “In its accompanying memorandum, the state argued that the plaintiff had no right to a jury trial in an action against the state where sovereign immunity had been waived pursuant to § 4-159 because General Statutes § 4-160(f) expressly provides that "[i]ssues arising in such…”
Miller v. Egan, 828 A.2d 549 (Conn. 2003). · cites it 2× “” Any person who has brought a claim for more than $7500 may waive immediate payment and the claims commissioner, pursuant to General Statutes § 4-159, shall submit the claim to the General Assembly with “recommendations .”
Envirotest Sys. Corp. v. Comm'r of Motor Vehs., 978 A.2d 49 (Conn. 2009). · cites it 4× “If the claim exceeds $7500, the claims commissioner must make a recommendation to the General Assembly suggesting payment or rejection, and the General Assembly may accept, reject or alter the claims commissioner's recommendation.”
Smith v. Rudolph, 191 A.3d 992 (Conn. 2018). · cites it 7× “" General Statutes § 4-159 (c) ; see Perez v.”
Merly v. State, 558 A.2d 977 (Conn. 1989). · cites it 5× “” General Statutes § 4-159. 9 In rejecting the commissioner’s recommendation for disapproval of any award to the plaintiff, the legislature was clearly performing its function as authorized by § 4-159.”
Martinez v. Dep't of Pub. Saf., 784 A.2d 347 (Conn. 2001). · cites it 4× “” General Statutes § 4-159. 7 The General Assembly, as the final arbiter, is then free to accept, reject or alter any recommendation from the claims commissioner.”
State v. Avoletta, 212 Conn. App. 309 (Conn. App. Ct. 2022). · cites it 20× “By contrast, General Statutes § 4-158 (b)13 or General Statutes § 4-159 (b)14 authorize the legisla- ture to review, vacate, and remand decisions of the commissioner over claims that were timely filed.”
Show all 32 citing cases →
— Conn. Gen. Stat. § 4-159(a) — 1 case
Perez v. Univ. of Connecticut, 189 A.3d 664 (Conn. App. Ct. 2018). “In its accompanying memorandum, the state argued that the plaintiff had no right to a jury trial in an action against the state where sovereign immunity had been waived pursuant to § 4-159 because General Statutes § 4-160(f) expressly provides that "[i]ssues arising in such…”
— Conn. Gen. Stat. § 4-159(b) — 1 case
Perez v. Univ. of Connecticut, 189 A.3d 664 (Conn. App. Ct. 2018). “In its accompanying memorandum, the state argued that the plaintiff had no right to a jury trial in an action against the state where sovereign immunity had been waived pursuant to § 4-159 because General Statutes § 4-160(f) expressly provides that "[i]ssues arising in such…”
— Conn. Gen. Stat. § 4-159(b)(1)(B)(ii) — 1 case
Perez v. Univ. of Connecticut, 189 A.3d 664 (Conn. App. Ct. 2018). “In its accompanying memorandum, the state argued that the plaintiff had no right to a jury trial in an action against the state where sovereign immunity had been waived pursuant to § 4-159 because General Statutes § 4-160(f) expressly provides that "[i]ssues arising in such…”
— Conn. Gen. Stat. § 4-159(c) — 1 case
Perez v. Univ. of Connecticut, 189 A.3d 664 (Conn. App. Ct. 2018). “In its accompanying memorandum, the state argued that the plaintiff had no right to a jury trial in an action against the state where sovereign immunity had been waived pursuant to § 4-159 because General Statutes § 4-160(f) expressly provides that "[i]ssues arising in such…”
Annotations are extracted automatically from the opinions in the Syfert caselaw corpus and ranked by authority, recency, and treatment. Dots show Syfertize treatment of the citing case itself.