HB 5516 Connecticut House · 2026 Regular Session

AN ACT CONCERNING REPRODUCTIVE AND GENDER-AFFIRMING HEALTH CARE SERVICES.

This bill protects health care providers from being fired, disciplined, or demoted if they provide reproductive health care services or gender-affirming care within their professional scope and standard of practice. It requires health care entities to allow providers to give patients comprehensive, medically accurate information about their health status and available treatment options without fear of retaliation. However, the law does not prevent health care entities from requiring providers to share information about all legal care options, including vaccinations, or from enforcing insurance network rules and quality safety guidelines. The protections apply only to providers acting in good faith and within their licensed areas of expertise.

Issues: ✓ Healthcare

Bill status in committee 1 of 4 stages cleared

Introduction

Mar 2026

Committee Review

Floor Vote

Governor

Introduced Mar 5, 2026 Last action Apr 9, 2026

Maddy AI version diff · 1 comparison

What changed between versions

Raised Bill → PH Joint Favorable Substitute · 3 edits

MINOR

The bill was renamed from 'Raised Bill' to 'Substitute Bill' and its title was expanded to include 'Gender-Affirming Health Care Services,' broadening its scope beyond just reproductive rights. The effective date remains July 1, 2026, but the document now reflects a joint favorable substitute version with updated page numbering. The core provisions regarding protections for healthcare providers remain consistent, though the text was reorganized to accommodate the new title and scope.

Scope change

The bill's scope was expanded to explicitly include gender-affirming health care services alongside reproductive rights, changing the legislative focus from a single-issue bill to a broader healthcare protection measure.

SCOPE

The bill title was updated to include 'Gender-Affirming Health Care Services,' expanding the legislative intent to cover a wider range of medical treatments.

TECHNICAL

The bill status changed from 'Raised Bill' to 'Substitute Bill,' indicating it has been amended and is now a substitute version rather than the original draft.

Page numbering and footer text were updated to reflect the new 'Substitute Bill' status and revised page counts (3 pages instead of 4).

Floor votes

How they voted

No floor votes recorded yet.

Full legislative history

Actions timeline

Total actions

Key actions

Committee

Mar 23, 2026

Lower · Passed

Joint Favorable Substitute

lower

Mar 5, 2026

Committee

REF. TO JOINT COMM. ON Public Health

lower

7 primary · 0 co-sponsors