Sign Up
HB 5517 Connecticut House · 2026 Regular Session

AN ACT CONCERNING THE DEPARTMENT OF MENTAL HEALTH AND ADDICTION SERVICES' RECOMMENDATIONS REGARDING RECOVERY-FRIENDLY LANGUAGE AND VARIOUS REVISIONS TO MENTAL HEALTH AND ADDICTION STATUTES.

This bill updates Connecticut's mental health and addiction statutes to promote recovery-friendly language and clarify definitions related to prevention and research-based programs. It requires the Department of Mental Health and Addiction Services to incorporate specific terminology changes and mandates a ten-year plan addressing child poverty reduction through various support services. The legislation also expands required school curricula to include mental health, substance use prevention, and financial literacy education while allowing local advisory councils to assist schools with prevention efforts. These changes aim to standardize language across state programs and enhance educational resources for students and families.
Issues: ✓ EducationSupports EducationBill expands school curricula to include mental health and substance use prevention, enhancing student programs and educational access.75% confidence ✓ HealthcareSupports HealthcareBill promotes recovery-friendly language, clarifies mental health definitions, and mandates mental health education in schools, strengthening mental health services.85% confidence
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 formally adopted as a joint substitute version, changing its status from a draft 'Raised Bill' to an approved legislative text. The substantive content remains largely the same, with minor formatting adjustments to section headers and page numbering. The primary policy focus remains on repealing and updating statutes related to child poverty prevention plans and substance use education councils.
Scope change
The bill's scope and applicability remain unchanged; the text represents the final agreed-upon version of the legislation.
TECHNICAL

The document title was updated from 'Raised Bill No. 5517' to 'Substitute Bill No. 5517', indicating the bill has passed committee review and is ready for final passage.

Page headers and footers were updated to reflect the new 'Substitute Bill' status and adjusted page counts from 106 to 103 pages.

Minor formatting adjustments were made to section headers and line breaks throughout the text to align with standard legislative formatting.

Floor votes

How they voted

No floor votes recorded yet.
Full legislative history

Actions timeline

Total actions
9
Key actions
1
Committee
2
Mar 23, 2026
Lower · Passed
Joint Favorable Substitute
lower
Mar 5, 2026
Committee
REF. TO JOINT COMM. ON Public Health
lower
0 primary · 0 co-sponsors

Sponsors

No sponsor information available.