(a) There is established a Council on the Collateral Consequences of a Criminal Record, which shall be part of the Legislative Department. The Council on the Collateral Consequences of a Criminal Record shall study discrimination faced by people in Connecticut living with a criminal record and develop recommendations for legislation to reduce or eliminate discrimination based on a person’s criminal history.

(b) The council shall consist of the following members: (1) The House chairperson of the joint standing committee of the General Assembly having cognizance of matters relating to labor and public employees or the chairperson’s designee, who shall be a member of the General Assembly; (2) the Senate chairperson of the joint standing committee of the General Assembly having cognizance of matters relating to labor and public employees or the chairperson’s designee, who shall be a member of the General Assembly; (3) the House and Senate ranking members or their designees, who shall be members of the General Assembly; (4) the undersecretary of the Office of Policy and Management Criminal Justice Policy and Planning Division, or the undersecretary’s designee; (5) the Commissioner of Correction, or the commissioner’s designee; (6) The Labor Commissioner, or the commissioner’s designee; (7) the Commissioner of Consumer Protection, or the commissioner’s designee; (8) the executive director of the Connecticut Commission on Human Rights and Opportunities, or the executive director’s designee; (9) the executive director of the Commission on Women, Children, Seniors, Equity and Opportunity, or the executive director’s designee; (10) a justice-impacted person, to be appointed by the House chairperson of the joint standing committee of the General Assembly having cognizance of matters relating to labor and public employees; (11) a representative from the American Civil Liberties Union of Connecticut, to be appointed by the Senate chairperson of the joint standing committee of the General Assembly having cognizance of matters relating to labor and public employees; (12) a representative from the Connecticut Coalition for Achievement Now, to be appointed by the House chairperson of the joint standing committee of the General Assembly having cognizance of matters relating to labor and public employees; (13) a representative from the Connecticut Coalition to End Homelessness, to be appointed by the Senate chairperson of the joint standing committee of the General Assembly having cognizance of matters relating to labor and public employees; (14) a representative from the Institute for Municipal and Regional Policy at The University of Connecticut, to be appointed by the House chairperson of the joint standing committee of the General Assembly having cognizance of matters relating to labor and public employees; (15) a representative from the Katal Center for Health, Equity, and Justice, to be appointed by the Senate chairperson of the joint standing committee of the General Assembly having cognizance of matters relating to labor and public employees; (16) a representative from the National Council for Incarcerated and Formerly Incarcerated Women and Girls, to be appointed by the House chairperson of the joint standing committee of the General Assembly having cognizance of matters relating to labor and public employees; (17) a representative from the New Haven Legal Assistance Association Reentry Clinic, to be appointed by the Senate chairperson of the joint standing committee of the General Assembly having cognizance of matters relating to labor and public employees; (18) a representative from the Service Employees’ International Union, Local 32BJ, to be appointed by the House chairperson of the joint standing committee of the General Assembly having cognizance of matters relating to labor and public employees; and (19) a representative from Voices of Women of Color, to be appointed by the Senate chairperson of the joint standing committee of the General Assembly having cognizance of matters relating to labor and public employees.

(c) The House and Senate chairpersons of the joint standing committee of the General Assembly having cognizance of matters relating to labor and public employees shall serve as the chairpersons of the council.

(d) The chairpersons of the council shall schedule the first meeting of the council, which shall be held not later than sixty days after July 1, 2019. Thereafter, the council shall meet upon the call of the chairpersons or upon the call of a majority of the council members. The council shall hold not less than three public forums in Connecticut communities to allow the public to provide input on the focus of the council.

(e) The administrative staff of the joint standing committee of the General Assembly having cognizance of matters relating to labor and public employees shall serve as administrative staff of the council.

(f) Not later than February 1, 2020, the council shall submit a report, in accordance with the provisions of § 11-4a, on its legislative recommendations to the joint standing committee of the General Assembly having cognizance of matters relating to labor and public employees.