Page 188

House Bill No. 5506

Public Act No. 22-118 188 of 739

of an eligible applicant; (C) direct the production of, and examine or cause to be produced or examined, such books, records, vouchers, memoranda, documents, letters, contracts or other papers in relation to any matter at issue as the administrator may find proper; and (D) take or cause to be taken affidavits or depositions within or without the state. (c) There is established an account to be known as the "Connecticut premium pay account" which shall be a separate, nonlapsing account within the General Fund. The account shall contain any moneys required by law to be deposited in the account. Moneys in the account shall be expended by the Comptroller at the direction of the administrator for purposes of: (1) Compensation provided under the Connecticut Premium Pay program; and (2) costs and expenses of operating the program, including hiring of necessary employees and the expense of public outreach and education regarding the program and account. Not more than five per cent of the total moneys received by the account shall be used for any administrative costs, including hiring of temporary or durational staff or contracting with a third-party administrator, or other costs and expenses incurred by the administrator or Comptroller in connection with carrying out the provisions of this section. The administrator shall make all reasonable efforts to limit the costs and expenses of operating the program without compromising eligible applicants' access to the program. (d) To apply for compensation from the Connecticut Premium Pay program, an eligible applicant shall submit a claim to the administrator, in such form and manner as required by the administrator, not later than October 1, 2022. Any such claim shall include: (1) Proof of employment as an eligible applicant from March 10, 2020, to the effective date of this section, as determined by an eligible applicant's proof of earnings; and (2) any additional information as requested or required by the administrator. An eligible applicant may submit, as proof of employment, official payroll records or another form of proof including,