(a) The Commissioner of Early Childhood shall have the discretion to refuse to license under sections 19a-77 to 19a-80, inclusive, and 19a-82 to 19a-87, inclusive, a person to conduct, operate or maintain a child care center or a group child care home, as described in § 19a-77, or to suspend or revoke the license or take any other action set forth in regulation that may be adopted pursuant to § 19a-79 if, the person who owns, conducts, maintains or operates such center or home or a person employed therein in a position connected with the provision of care to a child receiving child care services, has been convicted in this state or any other state of a felony as defined in § 53a-25 involving the use, attempted use or threatened use of physical force against another person, of cruelty to persons under § 53-20, injury or risk of injury to or impairing morals of children under § 53-21, abandonment of children under the age of six years under § 53-23, or any felony where the victim of the felony is a child under eighteen years of age, or of a violation of § 53a-70b of the general statutes, revision of 1958, revised to January 1, 2019, or § 53a-70, 53a-70a, 53a-71, 53a-72a, 53a-72b or 53a-73a, or has a criminal record in this state or any other state that the commissioner reasonably believes renders the person unsuitable to own, conduct, operate or maintain or be employed by a child care center or group child care home. However, no refusal of a license shall be rendered except in accordance with the provisions of sections 46a-79 to 46a-81, inclusive.

(b) Any person who is licensed to conduct, operate or maintain a child care center or group child care home shall notify the commissioner of any criminal conviction of the owner, conductor, operator or maintainer of the center or home or of any person employed therein in a position connected with the provision of care to a child receiving child care services, immediately upon obtaining knowledge of the conviction. Failure to comply with the notification requirement may result in the suspension or revocation of the license or the imposition of any action set forth in regulation, and shall subject the licensed person to a civil penalty of not more than one hundred dollars per day for each day after the person obtained knowledge of the conviction.

(c) It shall be a class A misdemeanor for any person seeking employment in a position connected with the provision of care to a child receiving child care services to make a false written statement regarding prior criminal convictions pursuant to a form bearing notice to the effect that such false statements are punishable, which statement he does not believe to be true and is intended to mislead the prospective employer.

(d) Any person having reasonable cause to believe that a child care center or a group child care home is operating without a current and valid license or in violation of regulations adopted under § 19a-79 or in a manner which may pose a potential danger to the health, welfare and safety of a child receiving child care services, may report such information to the Office of Early Childhood. The office shall investigate any report or complaint received pursuant to this subsection. The name of the person making the report or complaint shall not be disclosed unless (1) such person consents to such disclosure, (2) a judicial or administrative proceeding results therefrom, or (3) a license action pursuant to subsection (a) of this section results therefrom. All records obtained by the office in connection with any such investigation shall not be subject to the provisions of § 1-210 for a period of thirty days from the date of the petition or other event initiating such investigation, or until such time as the investigation is terminated pursuant to a withdrawal or other informal disposition or until a hearing is convened pursuant to chapter 54, whichever is earlier. A formal statement of charges issued by the office shall be subject to the provisions of § 1-210 from the time that it is served or mailed to the respondent. Records which are otherwise public records shall not be deemed confidential merely because they have been obtained in connection with an investigation under this section.

(e) In addition to any powers the office may have, in any investigation (1) concerning an application, reinstatement or renewal of a license for a child care center, a group child care home or a family child care home, as such terms are defined in § 19a-77, (2) of a complaint concerning child care services, as described in § 19a-77, or (3) concerning the possible provision of unlicensed child care services, the office may administer oaths, issue subpoenas, compel testimony and order the production of books, records and documents. If any person refuses to appear, testify or produce any book, record or document when so ordered, a judge of the Superior Court may make such order as may be appropriate to aid in the enforcement of this section.