This bill updates motor vehicle and medical licensing laws to improve accessibility and professional training. It requires disability parking placards to display expiration dates prominently in boldface and establishes an advisory council to prevent fraud while protecting disabled individuals. The council will develop educational materials and review best practices for placard use and parking access. Additionally, the bill mandates that physicians include specific training topics like cultural competency and risk management in their continuing medical education requirements. These changes aim to enhance system integrity and improve healthcare standards without altering existing rights for qualified individuals.
This bill updates Connecticut school health regulations to allow trained school personnel to administer opioid overdose reversal medication to students experiencing an opioid-related overdose without prior written authorization. The legislation requires the State Board of Education to establish specific conditions and procedures for storing and administering these medications, similar to existing rules for epinephrine in allergic reaction emergencies. School staff must complete annual training to administer the medication, and the rules apply to both intramural and interscholastic athletics settings. The changes take effect on July 1, 2026, and aim to ensure students have access to life-saving treatment during opioid overdoses at school.
This bill restricts most Connecticut hospitals from selling and leasing back their main campus property (a "sale-leaseback") after October 1, 2026, except for hospitals in financial distress that obtain board approval and notify the state health commissioner and attorney general. It requires all hospitals to annually submit a written attestation confirming no private equity firm controls the hospital or interferes with clinical decisions, such as patient care timing, discharge policies, or medical diagnoses. The attestation must cover specific areas like emergency department triage, patient discharge decisions, and medical record entries. Hospitals must use a standard form developed by the state health commissioner to comply.
SB 123 requires assisted living facilities to hold public informational hearings when increasing resident fees by more than 10% of the previous fee. Facilities must provide at least 30 days' notice before the hearing and allow residents, families, and the public to comment. This applies to all fee increases exceeding 10% (effective October 1, 2026), while exempting adjustments tied to immediate care changes or safety needs. The bill also mandates 60-day advance disclosure of all fee increases and provides residents with three years of fee history upon request. It directly affects assisted living agencies and their residents by adding transparency to significant cost changes.
This bill establishes an Office of the Correction Ombuds within the Office of Governmental Accountability to oversee health care and other services for incarcerated individuals in the Department of Correction. The Ombuds will have the authority to evaluate service delivery, conduct unannounced facility visits, review nonemergency procedures, and receive complaints from incarcerated people through free telephone calls and email. The office will also publish semiannual reports on its activities and has the power to recommend policy changes while remaining independent from departmental control.
This bill directs state officials to establish working groups focused on eating disorder treatment and food insecurity, requiring them to compile public resources and develop best practice guidelines by July 2026. It also mandates a feasibility study for a new inpatient psychiatric facility serving children and young adults with intellectual or developmental disabilities, with results due by January 2027. Additionally, the bill increases Temporary Family Assistance benefits to at least 55% of the federal poverty level and requires annual cost-of-living adjustments tied to consumer price index increases when funding lapses.
This bill creates a dedicated state fund called the "health care facility durable medical equipment account" to provide grants for healthcare facilities. It appropriates $1 million from the General Fund for fiscal year 2027 to help facilities purchase equipment like wheelchairs, hospital beds, and patient lifts for elderly patients or people with disabilities. The Department of Public Health will manage the fund and issue grants, deducting no more than 2% of the account balance annually for administrative costs. The account will hold ongoing state appropriations, gifts, and investment earnings, with funds available starting July 1, 2026.
This bill updates Connecticut's public health statutes to clarify which facilities are considered "institutions" and expands the state's investigation process for abuse and neglect involving people with intellectual disabilities. It redefines "institution" to include various healthcare and care facilities while explicitly excluding most state-operated mental health and substance use disorder facilities, with specific exceptions. The bill also strengthens the Department of Developmental Services' authority to investigate abuse reports by allowing record reviews without full psychological exams, granting subpoena powers, and requiring electronic record-keeping of abuse reports. Additionally, it establishes protocols for investigating deaths of individuals with intellectual disabilities where abuse or neglect may be involved and clarifies confidentiality rules for investigation reports.
This bill requires healthcare facilities and schools to cover medical costs and pay full salary for staff injured during work-related assaults or aggressive incidents. It creates a system for reporting patient violence in digital health records (with patient appeal options) and ensures absences due to such incidents don’t count against paid leave. Directly affects healthcare workers, teachers, and school staff who face workplace violence while performing job duties.
SB 89 requires all state and local correctional facilities (including jails, prisons, and juvenile detention centers) to adopt and follow the federal Prison Rape Elimination Act standards effective January 1, 2024, directly affecting incarcerated individuals and staff. Key provisions include a strict zero-tolerance policy for sexual abuse, mandatory staff and contractor training, enhanced protections for vulnerable detainees, standardized reporting protocols for incidents, and access to medical/mental health services for victims. Facilities must annually certify compliance to the state, and the Corrections Commissioner must report yearly on training, incident data, and investigation outcomes starting January 2027. The bill mandates specific mechanisms like cross-gender search limits, risk screening, and victim support services to prevent, detect, and respond to sexual abuse. (Effective July 1, 2026)
