CT HB 5928, PA 17-160

An Act Establishing a Manufacturer Permit for Farm Breweries

This Act establishes a farm brewery manufacturer permit, which allows for, among other things, the manufacture, storage, bottling, and wholesale distribution and sale of beer manufactured at any place or premises located on a farm. A permittee may produce up to 75,000 gallons of beer annually. Under the Act, a farm brewery permit allows for the offering and tasting of free samples and retail sales for both on- and off-premises consumption, though a town may prohibit the activity by ordinance or zoning regulation. Such permittees may also sell their beer at farmers' markets if they also obtain the farmers' market beer sales permit. The Act requires permittees to use a certain amount of hops, barley, or other fermentables grown or malted in the state. After fulfilling these requirements, permittees may then advertise and sell their product as “Connecticut Craft Beer.” The Act also sets the annual fee for a farm brewery manufacturer permit at $300. The Act also increases, from five to seven liters, the amount a farmers' market beer sales permittee may sell to a person per day at a farmers' market. Effective from Passage

 

CT HB 6333, PA 17-208

An Act Concerning Certain Authorities of the Department of Agriculture Relating to the Food Safety Modernization Act

This Act allows the Department of Agriculture (DoAg) to enforce the federal Food Safety Modernization Act rules on produce safety standards. These rules set standards for growing, harvesting, packing, and holding produce intended for human consumption. Under the Act and the federal rules, “produce” means any fruit or vegetable, including mushrooms, sprouts, peanuts, tree nuts, and herbs but excluding grains (21 C.F.R. 112.3).

The Act authorizes the DoAg commissioner to consult, collaborate, and enter into cooperative agreements with any government entity as necessary to carry out the Act's provisions. It also allows the DoAg commissioner to inspect produce farms for compliance; issue inspection certificates; and issue orders related to the Act's purpose, including orders to embargo, destroy, quarantine, or release produce.

The Act also authorizes the DoAg commissioner, in consultation with the public health and consumer protection commissioners, to adopt any necessary implementing regulations. Effective July 1, 2017

 

CT HB 7066, PA 17-184

An Act Concerning Minor Changes to the Poultry Dealer Licensing Statute, Registration of Poultry Flocks and the Labeling of Farm Stand Eggs

This Act changes the statutes on poultry and eggs by: 1. establishing a voluntary registration program for poultry flock owners to participate in the National Poultry Improvement Plan (NPIP) program, which seeks to prevent and contain avian disease breakouts (§ 2); 2. authorizing the agriculture commissioner to adopt regulations to implement the registration program (§ 2); 3. restricting when an owner can sell poultry or eggs as being disease-free or as participating in the NPIP (§ 3);  4. prohibiting farmers who sell eggs at certified farmers' markets from selling falsely labeled or adulterated eggs (§ 4); and 5. making minor changes to the definitions of certain terms used in the poultry dealer licensing statute (§ 1). Effective from Passage

 

CT SB 833, PA 17-21

An Act Concerning Bee Inspections

This Act makes changes in the statutes concerning beekeepers' registration of bee hives and the state entomologist's inspections of apiaries. It also increases fines for (1) failing to register the hives from $5 to $25 and (2) violating bee inspection provisions from $50 to $100 for a first violation, $300 for a second violation, and $500 for any subsequent violation. The Act requires beekeepers to register their bee hives with the state entomologist when they acquire bees. Under existing law, unchanged by the act, they must also annually register the hives with the entomologist by October 1. The registration information includes the registrant's name and address and where the bees are kept. By law, the entomologist must make the registration information publicly available. But under the act, he no longer has to forward the information to the town clerk in the municipality where the registrant lives. The Act expands the reasons the state entomologist or his appointed inspectors may examine, quarantine, treat, or destroy apiaries. Under prior law, they could take such action only because of disease. Under the act, they may do so if the apiaries are diseased or harboring insects, mites, or parasitic organisms that adversely affect bees and cause harm to the bee population, crops, or other plants. Effective from Passage

CT SB 1502, PA 17-2 (June Special Session)

XL Center – Hartford to Issue RFP by end of FY19

Sec. 29. (Effective from passage) Not later than June 30, 2019, the city of Hartford shall issue a request for proposals for the purchase of the civic center and coliseum complex in Hartford known as the XL Center on the effective date of this section.

Muni Surcharges on Admission Charges for Events

Sec. 111 establishes/modifies the definition of “admission charge” for purposes of a municipality’s authority to charge surcharges on tickets.

Bonding

• 378(f): For the Capital Region Development Authority: (1) Alterations, renovations and improvements to improve operational efficiency, to increase facility revenues, to modernize  security systems and operations, and to improve the overall sport, entertainment and exhibition value of the XL Center in Hartford, including capital improvements, acquisition of abutting real estate and rights of way, tenant and fan amenities and necessary infrastructure  connections, not exceeding $40m; (2) Alterations, renovations and improvements at the Connecticut Convention Center and Rentschler Field, not exceeding $1.5m; (3) Alterations, renovations and improvements to parking garages in Hartford, not exceeding $5m; (4) Infrastructure renovations and improvements to the Front Street district in Hartford, not exceeding $3m
• Sec. 397 (for FY19):  (e) For the Capital Region Development Authority: (1) Alterations, renovations and improvements at the Connecticut Convention Center and Rentschler Field, not exceeding $1.5m; (2) Alterations, renovations and improvements to parking garages  in Hartford, not exceeding $5m; (3) Infrastructure renovations and improvements to the Front Street district in Hartford, not exceeding $7m.

Bonding Tweaks for CT Convention Center and Rentschler Field

Sec. 502 modifies subsection (h) of section 21 of P.A. 13-239 as follows (Effective from passage):   (h) For the Capital Region Development Authority: Alterations, renovations and improvements at the Connecticut Convention Center and Rentschler Field, not exceeding [$3,727,500] $3,709,000.

Admissions Charges on Amusement/Recreation Facilities

Sec. 627 deletes from exemption to the 10% admission charge/tax  admission “to any event at (A) the XL Center in Hartford, or (B) the Webster Bank Arena in Bridgeport, (11) from July 1, 2015, to June 30, 2017, to any athletic event presented by a member team of the Atlantic League of Professional Baseball at the Ballpark at Harbor Yard in Bridgeport, (12) to any event presented at the Dunkin' Donuts Park in Hartford, or (13) on and after July 1, 2017, to any athletic event presented by a member team of the Atlantic League of Professional Baseball at the New Britain Stadium.”

 

CT HB 6948, PA 17-209

An Act Concerning the Advisory Council on Large Entertainment Venues, the Regulation of Sports Wagering and the Number of Off-Track Betting Branch Facilities

The Act requires the Department of Consumer Protection (DCP) commissioner to adopt regulations to regulate wagering on sporting events to the extent allowed under state and federal law.  Sports gambling in Connecticut is currently illegal under both federal and state law. The Federal Professional and Amateur Sports Protection Act of 1992, with exceptions for states with sports gambling when the act was passed, prohibits states from legalizing sports gambling (28 U.S.C. § 3701 et seq.).  Additionally, the federal Wire Act prohibits the use of wire communications to wager on any sporting event (18 U.S.C. § 1081 et seq.). These laws do not apply to gambling on horse racing.

Connecticut law, among other things, prohibits risking any money, credit, or other thing of value for gain, which is contingent upon chance. It prohibits any gambling activity in Connecticut unless specifically authorized by law (CGS § 53-278a(2)).

This Act also establishes an Advisory Council on Large Entertainment Venues to coordinate large entertainment events at certain facilities and address other issues related to operating such facilities. The council includes representatives from large Connecticut entertainment facilities and, upon the authorization of a casino gaming facility, representatives from the tribes. The Act entitles certain amusement, entertainment, and recreation facilities with seating capacities of more than 5,000 people to be represented on the council (i.e., Rentschler Field in East Hartford, XL Center in Hartford, Webster Bank Arena in Bridgeport, Harbor Yard Ballpark in Bridgeport, Dunkin' Donuts Park in Hartford, New Britain Stadium, and venues for which admission charges would have been subject to the cabaret tax). Effective from Passage

 

CT HB 7114, PA 17-28

An Act Concerning the Sale of Entertainment Event Tickets on the Secondary Market

This Act places certain conditions on the sale of tickets to an entertainment event, including generally prohibiting anyone from selling nontransferable tickets, unless employing a paperless ticketing system that gives purchasers the option to buy transferable tickets (e.g., paper tickets or e-tickets). An entertainment event includes a sporting event, concert, or theatrical or operatic performance, but it does not include a movie. The Act requires a person employing such a system to provide written secondary market (e.g., resale, trade) disclosure information to potential ticket purchasers, if applicable. Under the Act, no one may deny a ticket holder admission to an entertainment event solely because the ticket was resold. These provisions do not apply to: 1. tickets sold or offered for sale to students of a public higher education institution for entertainment events held by, or on behalf of, the institution or 2. concert or theater venues with seating capacities of up to 3,500 people, provided a duly authorized venue representative provides written notice to the consumer protection commissioner of the venue's intent not to comply with the Act. A violation of any of the Act's provisions is deemed a violation of the Connecticut Unfair Trade Practices Act (CUTPA). Effective January 1, 2018

 

CT HB 7171, PA 17-195

An Act Concerning Athletic Trainers

This Act expands and updates the scope of practice for athletic trainers by adding to the definition of “athletic training” in the athletic trainer licensing statutes. It changes the term for athletic trainers' clients, from “athletes” to “physically active individuals,” and generally includes in the definition members of sports teams or other individuals who regularly participate in sports or recreational activities and are deemed healthy by a health care provider. Additionally, the Act: 1. expands requirements for standing orders between athletic trainers and licensed health care providers to provide care and treatment to physically active individuals; 2. adds to the license renewal requirements for athletic trainers who work somewhere other than at a professional, amateur, school, or other sports organization; 3. modifies the licensure exemption requirements for athletic training students; 4. requires athletic trainers to maintain specified amounts of professional liability insurance, unless their employer maintains such insurance; and 5. requires certain athletic trainers to make their client records available, at their employer's request, for quarterly review.  The Act also makes various minor, technical, and conforming changes. Effective October1, 2017

CT SB 1059, PA 17-51

An Act Concerning Deficit Mitigation for the Fiscal Year Ending June 30, 2017

This Act modifies the FY 17 General Fund budget by $95.6 million by (1) transferring $93.4 million from various funds to the General Fund, and (2) making $2.3 million in net expenditure reductions. These actions, in addition to a transfer from the Budget Reserve Fund (the “Rainy Day Fund”) to the General Fund, eliminated the projected FY 17 deficit of $317.1 million. Effective from Passage

Note:  This Act did not impact UConn or UConn Health budgets or line items.

 

CT SB 1502, PA 17-2 (June Special Session)

 

UNIVERSITY OF CONNECTICUT	FY18	FY19
Operating Expenses	179,422,908	176,494,509
Workers’ Compensation Claims	2,299,505	2,271,228
Next Generation Connecticut	17,530,936	17,353,856
AGENCY TOTAL	199,253,349	196,119,593
UNIVERSITY OF CONNECTICUT HEALTH CENTER
Operating Expenses	106,746,887	106,746,848
AHEC	374,566	374,566
Workers’ Compensation Claims	4,320,855	4,324,771
Bioscience	10,984,843	11,567,183
AGENCY TOTAL	122,427,151	123,013,368

Lapses

• Unallocated Lapse: $42.25m (FY18); $45m (FY19)
• Lapses for Judicial and Legislative Branches are separate
• Statewide Hiring Reduction: $6.5m (FY18); $7m (FY19)
• Targeted Savings: $111,814,090 (FY18); $150,878,179 (FY19)
• Achieve Labor Concessions: $700m (FY18); $867.6m (FY19)

 

UCONN 2000

Annual allocations reduced and program extended three years from 2024 to 2027

 

2018	[295,500,000] 200,000,000
2019	[251,000,000] 200,000,000
2020	[269,000,000] 291,600,000
2021	[191,500,000] 186,200,000
2022	[144,000,000] 101,400,000
2023	[112,000,000] 98,000,000
2024	[73,500,000] 85,000,000
2025	70,100,000
2026	63,600,000
2027	40,600,000

Other Budget Numbers/Items

• Roberta B. Willis Scholarship Fund: $35,345,804 (FY18); $33,388,637 (FY19)
• DOC Inmate Medical Services: $80,426,658 (FY18); $72,383,992 (FY19)
• $1m transferred from Tobacco Fund to CICATS at UConn Health (Sec. 31)
• UConn Health $13.5m annual Fringe Benefit Differential is still in
• Contracting Standards Board, still funded
• Dental Services: Cap on payment for nonemergency care

 

Lapse Language

Sec. 12. (Effective from passage) (a) Notwithstanding the provisions of sections 2-35, 4-73, 10a-77, 10a-99, 10a-105 and 10a-143 of the general statutes, the Secretary of the Office of Policy and Management may make reductions in allotments in any budgeted agency and fund of the state for the fiscal years ending June 30, 2018, and June 30, 2019, in order to reduce labor-management expenditures by $700,000,000  the fiscal year ending June 30, 2018, and by $867,600,000 for the fiscal year ending June 30, 2019.

 

(b) Notwithstanding the provisions of sections 10a-77, 10a-99, 10a-4 10a-105 and 10a-143 of the general statutes, any reductions in allotments pursuant to subsection (a) of this section that are applicable to the Connecticut State Colleges and Universities, The University of Connecticut and The University of Connecticut Health Center shall be credited to the General Fund.

 

Sec. 13. (Effective from passage) (a) The Secretary of the Office of Policy and Management may make reductions in allotments for the executive branch for the fiscal years ending June 30, 2018, and June 30, 2019, in order to achieve budget savings in the General Fund of $42,250,000 in the fiscal year ending June 30, 2018, and $45,000,000 in the fiscal year ending June 30, 2019.

 

Sec. 14. (Effective from passage) The Secretary of the Office of Policy and Management may make reductions in allotments in any budgeted agency of the state in order to achieve targeted budget savings in the General Fund of $111,814,090 for the fiscal year ending June 30, 2018, and $150,878,179 for the fiscal year ending June 30, 2019.

 

Sec. 15. (Effective from passage) The Secretary of the Office of Policy and Management may make reductions in allotments in any budgeted agency of the state in order to achieve budget savings in the General Fund of $7,500,000 for the fiscal year ending June 30, 2018. Any such reductions shall be the result of implementation delays for newly funded programs and services or due to savings achieved during the period July 1, 2017, through September 30, 2017.

 

Standard Authorization re: Maximizing Federal Funds - UConn Health

Sec. 22. (Effective from passage) Any appropriation, or portion thereof, made to The University of Connecticut Health Center in section 1 of this act may be transferred by the Secretary of the Office of Policy and  Management to the Medicaid account in the Department of Social Services for the purpose of maximizing federal reimbursement.

 

$1m to CICATS at UConn Health

Sec. 31. (Effective from passage) Notwithstanding section 4-28f of the general statutes, the sum of $1,000,000 shall be transferred from the Tobacco and Health Trust Fund to The University of Connecticut Health Center, for Other Expenses, in each of the fiscal years ending June 30, 2018, and June 30, 2019, for the purpose of supporting the Connecticut Institute for Clinical and Translational Science.

Teachers’ Retirement System Viability Commission

Sec. 59 establishes this commission.  The commission includes members of the Teachers’ Retirement Board and a global consulting firm to be contracted by OPM or the Office of Legislative Management (if OPM does not do the contracting within 60 days of the act’s passage).  Purpose of commission is only to develop and implement a plan to maintain the financial viability of the Connecticut teachers' retirement system; there is no language in this section regarding a review of UConn Health. 

 

UConn Health required to seek to establish public-private partnerships

Sec. 60. (Effective from passage) The University of Connecticut Health Center board of directors, established pursuant to subsection (c) of section 10a-104 of the general statutes, shall seek to establish public-private partnerships with hospitals or other private entities selected by the board. Not later than April 1, 2018, the board shall submit a report concerning the status of such partnerships and any recommended legislation to the joint standing committees of the General Assembly having cognizance of matters relating to higher education, public health and appropriations, in accordance with the provisions of section 11-4a of the general statutes.

 

SEBAC Savings Report

Sec. 215-216 requires the Comptroller to issue an annual report, beginning December 1, 2018, on the amount of labor-management savings realized for the prior fiscal year pursuant to the operation of the SEBAC agreement.  Legislative hearings will be held on the reports.

 

State Collective Bargaining Agreements

Sec. 218 limits collective bargaining agreements entered into after June 30, 2027 to a term of 4 years.

Bonding

• 378(f): For the Capital Region Development Authority: (1) Alterations, renovations and improvements to improve operational efficiency, to increase facility revenues, to modernize  security systems and operations, and to improve the overall sport, entertainment and exhibition value of the XL Center in Hartford, including capital improvements, acquisition of abutting real estate and rights of way, tenant and fan amenities and necessary infrastructure  connections, not exceeding $40m; (2) Alterations, renovations and improvements at the Connecticut Convention Center and Rentschler Field, not exceeding $1.5m; (3) Alterations, renovations and improvements to parking garages in Hartford, not exceeding $5m; (4) Infrastructure renovations and improvements to the Front Street district in Hartford, not exceeding $3m

UConn 2000 Changes 

Sec. 440 - Clarifying language - Utility Infrastructure, Administrative & Support Facilities.

Amends Section 10a-109c to include language that UConn requested, by adding subdivision (34) as follows:

"Utility, infrastructure, administrative and support facilities" includes any project as defined in subdivision (16) of this section for such facilities at Storrs or the regional campuses or at the health center including any building or structure essential, necessary or useful for such facilities and includes, without limitation, new construction, expansion, extension, addition, renovation, restoration, replacement, repair and deferred maintenance of such facilities, and all appurtenances and facilities either on, above or under the ground that are used or usable in connection with any of such facilities and all other aspects of a project related to or in support of such facilities.

*Sec. 442 (Lines T1923, T2170- T2176) – Amends Named Line Projects for UConn 2000.

(Effective from passage): Includes language UConn requested. Amends the named line projects for UConn and UConn Health to reflect the clarifying language noted in the definition above (by repealing and replacing Subdivision (10) of subsection (a) of section 10a-109d of the general statutes).

 

Sec. 443 (Line 14992) – Extends UConn 2000 Program from 2024-2027 & Bonding Deferrals. 

 

Lines

T2240	2018	[295,500,000] 200,000,000
T2241	2019	[251,000,000] 200,000,000
T2242	2020	[269,000,000] 291,600,000
T2243	2021	[191,500,000] 186,200,000
T2244	2022	[144,000,000] 101,400,000
T2245	2023	[112,000,000] 98,000,000
T2246	2024	[73,500,000] 85,000,000
T2247	2025	70,100,000
T2248	2026	63,600,000
T2249	2027	40,600,000

 

Bond Cap

Sec. 712 sets a General Obligation bond cap of $1.9b (beginning July 1, 2018; thereafter, adjusted in accordance with a formula that uses CPI); CSCU 2020 and UConn 2000 General Obligation bonds do not appear to be included under the cap.

CT SB 944, PA 17-39

An Act Clarifying the Continuation of Nonconforming Uses, Buildings or Structures

This Act clarifies existing law's protections for nonconforming uses, buildings, and structures. It specifies that municipal zoning regulations cannot terminate or deem abandoned a nonconforming use, building, or structure unless the property owner voluntarily discontinues the nonconforming use, building, or structure with the intent not to reestablish it. The Act also specifies that demolishing or deconstructing a nonconforming use, building, or structure is not, by itself, evidence of an owner's intent to abandon the use, building, or structure. Effective July 1, 2017

 

CT SB 1502, PA 17-2 (June Special Session)

UConn Construction Assurance Office Director 

Sec. 133 (Effective upon passage) includes the language UConn requested (deleting “full-time”):

Not later than August 1, 2006, the Board of Trustees for The University of Connecticut shall establish the construction assurance office. Positions in the office shall be paid positions. The office shall be led by a [full-time] director who shall be responsible for reviews of construction performance of UConn 2000, as defined in subdivision (25) of section 10a-109c, and shall report at least quarterly to the construction management oversight committee in accordance with section 10a-109bb and to the president of The University of Connecticut.

Moratorium on Bonding for Art in State Construction Projects

Sec. 214. (Effective from passage) provides that “Notwithstanding the provisions of section 4b-53 of the general statutes, the State Bond Commission in allocating the proceeds of state bonds on and after January 1, 2018, until January 1, 2020, for purposes of construction, reconstruction or remodeling of any state building, shall not allocate any percentage of such proceeds for works of art, with respect to any such project commenced on or after January 1, 2018, until January 1, 2020.”

UConn 2000 Changes 

Sec. 440 - Clarifying language - Utility Infrastructure, Administrative & Support Facilities.

Amends Section 10a-109c to include language that UConn requested, by adding subdivision (34) as follows:

"Utility, infrastructure, administrative and support facilities" includes any project as defined in subdivision (16) of this section for such facilities at Storrs or the regional campuses or at the health center including any building or structure essential, necessary or useful for such facilities and includes, without limitation, new construction, expansion, extension, addition, renovation, restoration, replacement, repair and deferred maintenance of such facilities, and all appurtenances and facilities either on, above or under the ground that are used or usable in connection with any of such facilities and all other aspects of a project related to or in support of such facilities.

Sec. 442 (Lines T1923, T2170- T2176) – Amends Named Line Projects for UConn 2000.

(Effective from passage): Includes language UConn requested. Amends the named line projects for UConn and UConn Health to reflect the clarifying language noted in the definition above (by repealing and replacing Subdivision (10) of subsection (a) of section 10a-109d of the general statutes).

Sec. 443 (Line 14992) – Extends UConn 2000 Program from 2024-2027 & Bonding Deferrals. 

Lines

T2240	2018	[295,500,000] 200,000,000
T2241	2019	[251,000,000] 200,000,000
T2242	2020	[269,000,000] 291,600,000
T2243	2021	[191,500,000] 186,200,000
T2244	2022	[144,000,000] 101,400,000
T2245	2023	[112,000,000] 98,000,000
T2246	2024	[73,500,000] 85,000,000
T2247	2025	70,100,000
T2248	2026	63,600,000
T2249	2027	40,600,000

 

CT HB 7046, PA 17-176

An Act Concerning the Closure of Certain Building Permits

This Act automatically closes certain open building permits nine years after a municipality issues them if a certificate of occupancy has not been granted. The automatic closure applies to open building permits to construct or alter one- or two-family dwellings or structures located on a parcel with such a dwelling. Under the act, “structure” has the same meaning as it does in the permit-issuing municipality's zoning regulations. If not defined locally, the Act defines a “structure” as any combination of materials that is affixed to land, including a shed, garage, sign, fence, wall, pool, patio, tennis court, or deck. Under the Act, automatic closure serves as a bar to enforcement actions based on work started or completed pursuant to an open building permit. Municipalities and their officers and employees are not liable with respect to any claim related to the automatic closure of a building permit. Effective October 1, 2017

CT SB 635, PA 17-149

An Act Extending the Deadline for Approval of Public-Private Partnership Projects

This Act reestablishes, through January 1, 2020, the governor's authority to approve up to five public-private partnership (P3) project agreements. This authority previously expired on January 1, 2016. Effective from Passage

 

CT SB 948, PA 17-130

An Act Authorizing Guidelines for Programs to Reduce Student Costs and Exempting Constituent Unit Qualified, Revenue and Nonmonetary Contracts from Certain Statutory Requirements.

This Act limits the applicability of certain state contracting requirements to UConn and the Board of Regents for Higher Education (BOR). Generally, it allows UConn and BOR to enter into certain goods and services contracts identified in the Act without (1) obtaining specified certifications from bidders and contractors and (2) complying with competitive bidding or negotiation requirements. In the latter case, UConn and BOR must first adopt policies for entering into or amending the goods and services contracts covered by the Act.  Effective July 1, 2017

 

NOTE:  This bill was requested by the University and was commonly referred to as the “cutting the red tape” bill or the Higher Education Contracting bill. 

 

CT SB 991, PA 17-243

An Act Making Revisions to Statutes Concerning the Department of Administrative Services

This Act makes several changes with respect to statutes affecting the Department of Administrative Services (DAS). Among other things, it (1) requires DAS to consider offering surplus state property to abutting landowners before offering it for general sale; (2) expands the types of state-owned vehicles exempt from fuel-efficiency requirements to include all emergency vehicles; (3) for design-bid-build contracts, increases, from $25,000 to $100,000, the threshold at which the contractor must include a separate section for specific sub-classes of work; and (4) expands the circumstances under which DAS may grant an easement on state land. The Act additionally delays, from August 1 to August 30, the annual deadline by which state agencies and political subdivisions, other than municipalities, must notify DAS and other parties of their small contractor and minority business enterprise contracting set-aside goals for the current fiscal year (§ 5). (By law, municipalities are not subject to this reporting requirement.)  Effective dates vary.

 

CT HB 7055, PA 17-230

An Act Concerning Recommendations by the Department of Transportation Regarding the Notification of State Construction Contract Opportunities by the University of Connecticut and the Commissioner of Transportation, Parking Spaces, Wayside Horns, the Disposition of Excess State Property, Heavy Duty Trailers, Flashing Lights on Motor Vehicles, and Bridge Designations

Among other things, this Act: Eliminates the requirement for the University of Connecticut (UConn) and the Department of Transportation (DOT) to pay for construction project advertisements in a newspaper. This will result in advertising savings to UConn and DOT (Sections 1-3). Section 4 of the Act requires handicapped parking spaces be parallel to sidewalks on public highways which is not anticipated to result in a fiscal impact as under current law, these spaces must already be designated by signs with specific wording and symbols related to handicap parking. Effective October 1, 2017

CT SB 1502, PA 17-2 (June Special Session)

Inmate Medical Services RFI Progress Report

Sec. 248 (Effective from passage) On or before February 1, 2018, the Department of Correction and the Secretary of the Office of Policy and Management shall submit a progress report to the General Assembly, in accordance with the provisions of section 11-4a of the general statutes, on the request for information issued pursuant to section 20 of public act 15-1 of the December special session for developing options available to the state for the provision of inmate medical services

 

CT HB 7302, PA 17-239

An Act Concerning Isolated Confinement and Correctional Staff Training and Wellness

Among other this, this Act requires that the employee training DOC develops under the Act must cover the following subjects: 1. recognizing mental illness symptoms, 2. psychiatric medications' potential risks and side effects, 3. de-escalation techniques to safely manage individuals with mental illness, 4. de-escalation and communication techniques to divert inmates from situations that may lead to an inmate being placed on administrative segregation status, 5. consequences of untreated mental illness, and 6. short- and long-term psychological effects of isolated confinement. The Act also requires DOC, within available appropriations, to take measures to promote the wellness of employees who interact with inmates, including employee assistance and peer support programs and stress management training. Effective January 1, 2018

CT SB 959, SA 17-20

An Act Concerning an Inventory of the State's Bioscience Education Pipeline

This Act requires the Commerce Committee of the General Assembly to convene a working group to conduct an inventory of the educational resources available at public and private institutions of higher education in the state to prepare students for careers in the bioscience field and make legislative recommendations to improve and increase the availability of such resources. Appointments shall include but need not be limited to Department of Economic and Community Development, Connecticut Innovations, Incorporated, the Board of Regents for Higher Education, the regional community-technical college system, The University of Connecticut, a private institution of higher education, and a bioscience industry association. Effective from Passage

 

CT SB 962, SA 17-2

An Act Concerning the Development of Evaluative Metrics for Bioscience Investments in the State

This Act requires Connecticut Innovations, Incorporated to contract with a private vendor to develop metrics to evaluate the state's investments in bioscience. Effective from Passage

 

CT SB 966, PA 17-219

An Act Concerning Economic Development Programs Administered by the Department of Economic and Community Development, the Minority Business Initiative Advisory Board, the State Economic Strategic Plan and the Evaluation of Business Assistance and Incentive Programs

This Act requires legislative reviews of economic development programs based on information the Department of Economic and Community Development (DECD) must provide in its reports to the legislature. To enhance these reviews, the Act requires more information about the programs' economic impacts. The reviews are triggered when DECD submits the reports to the legislature as the law requires. Legislative reviews are also triggered by a new procedure the Act establishes. That procedure requires the Auditors of Public Accounts (i.e., the auditors) to audit the programs' performance each time they audit DECD and report their findings to the Appropriations; Commerce; and Finance, Revenue and Bonding committees (i.e., review committees), which must hold at least one separate or joint hearing on the auditors' findings. The auditors must base their audit on the information in DECD's most recent annual report, which is due February 1 of each year. Effective July 1, 2017

 

CT SB 1051, PA 17-244

An Act Concerning CTNext Planning Grants-In-Aid and Innovation Place Designation Applications and Invest CT Fund Tax Credit Transferability

This Act allows CTNext, a Connecticut Innovations (CI) subsidiary, to accept additional rounds of innovation place applications and planning grant applications (§ 1). It also allows insurance companies who hold Invest CT tax credits to sell or otherwise transfer these credits to any taxpayer, rather than just to their affiliates, and makes a conforming change. Effective July 1, 2017

 

CT SB 1056, SA 17-6

An Act Establishing a Working Group to Develop a Plan to Foster the Microbiome Sector in the State

The Act establishes a working group to study legislative and programmatic initiatives and develop a roadmap to foster the microbiome sector in the state. The group shall designate a state agency or quasi-public agency to establish and lead a program to attract and retain companies that are developing microbiome-based products and services. Not later than January 1, 2018 the working group shall report its plans for the initiatives outlined in the Act to the Finance, Commerce and Public Health committees. Not later than February 1, 2018 the group shall make a presentation to the General Assembly and the Governor of its report. The working group shall consist of (1) the Commissioners of Economic and Community Development, Public Health and Revenue Services, or their designees, (2) the chairperson of the CTNext board of directors or the chairperson's designee, (3) the president of The University of Connecticut or the president's designee, (4) the dean of The University of Connecticut School of Medicine or the dean's designee, (5) the president of the Board of Regents for Higher Education or the president's designee, and (6) the following, to be appointed by the Governor: (A) One representative of an independent institution of higher education in the state; (B) one representative of an independent medical school in the state; (C) one representative from Yale University or Yale University School of Medicine; (D) two representatives of bioscience companies located in the state and in business for five years or more; (E) two representatives of bioscience companies located in the state and in business for less than five years; (F) one representative of a venture capital firm located in the state; and (G) one individual who represents hospitals in the state. The working group may consult with industry stakeholders and representatives of microbiome companies, representatives of educational and research institutions that are focused on the microbiome sector, representatives of the medical field who have expertise in the medical applications of microbiome-based products and services and any other individuals or representatives of fields the working group deems necessary or appropriate to inform it on the microbiome sector. Effective from Passage

NOTE:  Language relating to this Working Group was later modified by Section 132 of the Budget bill, passed in the 2017 June Special Session.

 

CT SB 1058, PA 17-164

An Act Concerning the Identification of Emerging Economic Trends

This Act establishes a process to continuously analyze economic and business conditions and generate for legislators periodic reports that, among other things, recommend appropriate legislative and programmatic actions. These tasks must be performed by a private research organization selected by the board of CTNext, a subsidiary of Connecticut Innovations that fosters innovation and entrepreneurship. Effective from Passage

 

CT SB 1502, PA 17-2 (June Special Session)

389 (e) For Connecticut Innovations, Incorporated: For the purpose of recapitalizing the programs established in chapter 581 of the general statutes [CI’s innovation programs], not exceeding $20m; (f) For the Capital Region Development Authority: (1) For the purposes of encouraging development, as provided in  section 32-602 of the general statutes [CRDA general powers], not exceeding $40m

397 (for FY19): (e) For the Capital Region Development Authority: (1) Alterations, renovations and improvements at the Connecticut Convention Center and Rentschler Field, not exceeding $1.5m; (2) Alterations, renovations and improvements to parking garages  in Hartford, not exceeding $5m; (3) Infrastructure renovations and improvements to the Front Street district in Hartford, not exceeding $7m.

 408 (for FY19) (d) For Connecticut Innovations, Incorporated: For the purpose of recapitalizing the programs established in chapter 581 of the general statutes, not exceeding $20m; (e) for CRDA: For the purposes of encouraging development, as provided in section 32-602 of the general statutes, not exceeding $40m.

 

CT HB 5583, PA 17-110

An Act Expanding Investment Eligibility under the Angel Investor Tax Credit Program

This Act (1) opens the angel investor tax credit program to businesses in any industry, instead of just those in specified technology industries and (2) generally restricts the amount of credits that may be awarded for investments in businesses in those technology industries. Effective July 1, 2017

 

CT HB 5584, PA 17-158

An Act Concerning the Creation of a Small Business Hotline

This Act requires the Department of Economic and Community Development (DECD) commissioner to establish and operate a hotline that provides individualized information and guidance to entrepreneurs and small business owners across the state on how to start and develop a business, identify networking resources, and access technical and financial assistance from state and quasi-public agencies. Effective October 1, 2017

 

CT HB 6749, SA 17-18

An Act Concerning a Working Group on a Public-Private Marketing Partnership to Recruit Businesses to Connecticut

The Act establishes a working group to explore public-private marketing partnerships to recruit businesses to the state and issue a report on its findings and recommendations to the commerce committee by January 15, 2018. Effective from Passage

 

CT HB 6948, PA 17-209

An Act Concerning the Advisory Council on Large Entertainment Venues, the Regulation of Sports Wagering and the Number of Off-Track Betting Branch Facilities

Among other things, this Act establishes an Advisory Council on Large Entertainment Venues to coordinate large entertainment events at certain facilities and address other issues related to operating such facilities. The council includes representatives from large Connecticut entertainment facilities and, upon the authorization of a casino gaming facility, representatives from the tribes. The Act entitles certain amusement, entertainment, and recreation facilities with seating capacities of more than 5,000 people to be represented on the council (i.e., Rentschler Field in East Hartford, XL Center in Hartford, Webster Bank Arena in Bridgeport, Harbor Yard Ballpark in Bridgeport, Dunkin' Donuts Park in Hartford, New Britain Stadium, and venues for which admission charges would have been subject to the cabaret tax). Effective from Passage

 

CT HB 7316, PA 17-226

An Act Concerning Evaluation of Business Assistance and Incentive Programs

This Act expands legislative review of economic development programs, including certain programs administered by agencies other than the Department of Economic and Community Development (DECD). It does this by requiring DECD to include information about the economic development programs in its annual report and making it the basis for the review. DECD must submit the expanded report to the Auditors of Public Accounts (i.e., the auditors) and the Appropriations; Commerce; and Finance, Revenue and Bonding committees (i.e., review committees). The Act requires the auditors to assess the programs' performance, evaluate the annual report's accuracy, and submit a report on their findings to the review committees each time they audit DECD. Upon receiving this report, the committees must hold one or more separate or joint hearings on its findings. Effective from Passage

CT SB 910, PA 17-14

An Act Implementing the Recommendations of the Department Of Education

This Act makes several changes to the education statutes, including the following: 1. removes any in-school suspension of a half day or more from the calculations of student absences done by local and regional boards of education (§ 1); 2. removes certain requirements for cooperative regional special education facilities to be eligible for state school construction grants (§ 2); 3. allows teacher preparation program students to avoid taking the state competency examination if they have a qualified for a waiver based on criteria established by the State Board of Education (SBE) (§ 3); 4. removes obsolete language from the law allowing SBE to issue certificates of qualification and requiring temporary 90-day teaching certificate holders to attend a defunct teacher mentoring program (§§ 4 & 9); 5. changes the requirements that applicants must meet in order to qualify for the entry-level initial educator certificate (§ 8); 6. removes an annual April 15 reporting date requiring regional education service centers (RESCs) to submit Open Choice seat availability to SDE (§ 10); 7. continues an existing two-phase supplemental magnet transportation grant to the Capitol Region Education Council (CREC) RESC with some payment adjustments in comparison to previous fiscal years (§ 11); and 8. moves administration of the statewide science mastery exam from grade 10 to 11 beginning in the 2018-19 school year (§ 12). The Act also makes technical and conforming changes. Effective July 1, 2017

 

 

CT SB 911, PA 17-82

An Act Concerning Services for Gifted and Talented Students

This Act requires the education commissioner to designate a State Department of Education (SDE) employee, preferably one with experience working with gifted and talented students, to be responsible for giving local and regional boards of education, as well as parents and guardians of such students, information and assistance relating to awareness about, identification of, and services for, gifted and talented students. It also requires SDE to develop guidelines for providing services to these students in schools, which it must make available to local and regional boards of education by January 1, 2018. The guidelines must include best practices for (1) addressing the intellectual, social, and emotional needs of gifted and talented students in schools and (2) providing teacher training and professional development on gifted and talented students. Effective July 1, 2017

 

CT SB 912, PA 17-41

An Act Concerning Revisions to the Staff Qualifications Requirement for Early Childhood Educators

Existing law increases higher education requirements for school readiness staff in two phases. In the first phase, at least 50% of classroom staff in each state-funded school readiness program must hold either a (1) teaching certificate with an endorsement in early childhood education or early childhood special education or (2) bachelor's degree with an early childhood education concentration from an institution accredited by the state or regionally accredited with state approval. In the second phase, 100% of classroom staff in each school readiness program must have either a teaching certificate or a bachelor's degree. This Act delays the first phase by one year, from July 1, 2017 to July 1, 2018, and the second phase by one year, from July 1, 2020 to July 1, 2021. The Act also creates the following additional ways for school readiness staff to meet the higher education requirements: (1) by holding a bachelor's degree with a concentration in early childhood education from a regionally accredited institution (i.e., does not require approval in Connecticut), (2) by holding an associate degree with a concentration in early childhood from a regionally accredited institution and a program approved in Connecticut (this applies for the first phase only), (3) by submitting a degree for review by the state to determine if it satisfies the requirements, and (4) under the law that already grandfathers in existing early childcare workers. The Act also makes minor changes to the first phase requirements for those who do not either have a teaching certificate or a bachelor's degree. Effective July 1, 2017

 

CT SB 949, PA 17-67

An Act Creating an Advisory Council Relating to Digital Citizenship, Internet Safety and Media Literacy

This Act establishes a Digital Citizenship, Internet Safety, and Media Literacy Advisory Council within the State Department of Education. The education commissioner appoints the members, who must include teachers; librarians; representatives from parent-teacher organizations; and people with expertise in digital citizenship, internet safety, and media literacy. The Act does not specify the number of council members. The council must provide recommendations to the State Board of Education about (1) best practices for instruction in digital citizenship, internet safety, and media literacy and (2) methods of instructing students to safely, ethically, responsibly, and effectively use media and technology resources. The Act does not specify a deadline for the recommendations to be submitted. Effective July 1, 2017

 

CT SB 953, PA 17-37

An Act Implementing the Recommendations of the Task Force on Professional Development and In-Service Training Requirements for Educators

This Act makes changes to statutes on professional development and in-service training for educators.

For professional development, the Act: 1. requires school districts' professional development programs for certified employees to be consistent with the goals the district or employees identify; 2. eliminates the requirement that districts attest in writing to the State Department of Education (SDE) that they meet the state's professional development requirements (in practice, districts have SDE-approved educator evaluation and support plans that include this information); 3. eliminates the requirement that SDE (a) notify a district of its failure to meet the professional development requirements and (b) audit district programs; and 4. eliminates the State Board of Education's (SBE) authority to assess financial penalties against districts it finds out of compliance based on such SDE audits. For in-service training, the Act eliminates several topics districts are currently required to cover when providing such training to certified teachers, administrators, and other pupil personnel. (Some of these topics are covered by other statutory provisions and, in practice, may be covered by local education curricula.) Effective July 1, 2017

 

CT SB 1014, PA 17-68

An Act Concerning Various Revisions and Additions to the Education Statutes

This Act makes numerous changes to a variety of education statutes, among other things, it: makes certified teachers from another state, U.S. possession or territory, District of Columbia, or Puerto Rico eligible for a temporary teaching certificate (§ 2); extends the length of a resident teacher certificate from one to two years (§ 3); extends to private schools the applicant and employee background check requirements that apply to public schools (§§ 9 & 10). Effective from Passage

 

CT SB 1026, PA 17-42

An Act Concerning Revisions to the High School Graduation Requirements

This Act extends, for another two years, the current graduation requirements, which require that students earn at least 20 credits to graduate. Therefore, heightened graduation requirements that require students to earn at least 25 credits are postponed and would take effect with the freshman class beginning in the 2019-20 school year, instead of the 2017-18 school year. The Act also makes changes to the heightened requirements established in current law and allows graduation requirements to be met through successful demonstration of subject matter content mastery achieved through educational experiences and opportunities that provide flexible and multiple pathways to learning. The Act also does the following: 1. postpones by two years the beginning of required remedial services for grades seven through 12 (instead beginning with classes graduating high school in 2023), 2. specifies that high school courses must meet statewide subject matter standards to fulfill graduation requirements and allows mastery-based courses to satisfy these requirements; and 3. requires the State Board of Education to adopt statewide subject matter content standards that are reviewed and revised at least every 10 years. Effective July 1, 2017

 

CT HB 7159, PA 17-29

An Act Concerning Connecticut's Seal of Biliteracy

This Act requires the State Board of Education, by September 1, 2017, to establish criteria for awarding the Connecticut State Seal of Biliteracy. The Act allows local and regional boards of education to affix this seal on a high school student's diploma to recognize high proficiency in English and at least one other foreign language, beginning with the graduating class of 2018. Under the Act, “foreign language” refers to a world language other than English, including American Sign Language and any language spoken by a federally recognized Native American tribe. If such seal is awarded, the Act also requires boards to include a designation on recipient students' transcripts indicating that they received the seal, beginning with the graduating class of 2018. Effective July 1, 2017

 

CT HB 7205, PA 17-101

An Act Concerning Early Literacy

This Act requires the State Department of Education (SDE) to establish a reading readiness program, within available appropriations. The program must provide three tiers of support in early literacy to each school district designated as an alliance district and each school in the commissioner's network of schools. It requires SDE to (1) determine the reading readiness of each participating school and school district by considering a combination of factors stated in the Act and (2) provide literacy supports based on each school or district's reading readiness. The Act does not set a date for SDE to establish this program. The Act requires the alignment of tiered literacy supports with the improvement plan developed for the network school or alliance district under either of those programs (It is not clear how the literacy supports can align with existing plans, whether commissioner's network or alliance district, if the plans do not already include the same types of literacy supports.) The Act also specifically requires the results of literacy surveys, which must be taken by all teachers in positions requiring endorsements in (1) early childhood nursery through grade three or (2) elementary education, to be distributed to the teacher and the supervisor responsible for designing and facilitating the teacher's professional development. The Act specifies that the survey results be confidential, but it removes a provision of current law that the survey be conducted in a way that protects the teacher's anonymity. By law and unchanged by the Act, the survey results are not included in the teacher's annual evaluation and are exempt from disclosure under the Freedom of Information Act. A different statute already requires the survey results to be used to develop the teacher's professional development program. Effective July 1, 2017

 

CT HB 7207, PA 17-200

An Act Making Revisions to the Student Data Privacy Act of 2016

This Act delays the implementation of the requirements of the student data privacy act of 2016 until January 1, 2018.  Effective from Passage

 

CT HB 7251, PA 17-215

An Act Concerning Reform District Turnaround Plans

This Act allows the State Department of Education (SDE) to develop a model school district responsibilities agreement by January 1, 2018 and requires the department to make it available on its website for local and regional boards of education to use. Among other things, the agreement must contain guiding principles and specific duties for boards of education and district administrators. The Act allows local and regional boards of education and their administrators to enter into such an agreement beginning with the 2018-19 school year. Any board that chooses to use the model agreement must notify the education commissioner. The Act also requires alliance districts to include additional provisions in the performance plans they must submit to the education commissioner when applying for alliance district funding. Additionally, the Act specifies that if the State Board of Education (SBE) chooses to require training for boards of education in low-performing districts, the training must clarify the proper roles and functions of the board, the school, and district-level administrators. Effective July 1, 2017

CT HB 7254, PA 17-3

An Act Requiring Special Education Teachers to Complete a Program of Study in Evidence-Based Structured Literacy Interventions for Students with Dyslexia

Beginning July 1, 2018, this Act establishes additional requirements for applicants seeking a comprehensive special education or integrated early childhood and special education endorsement. It requires them to complete a reading and language diagnosis and remediation program that includes supervised practicum hours and instruction in the detection of, and evidence-based structured literacy interventions for, students with dyslexia. This requirement applies to those seeking the endorsements as certified teachers or as applicants for any of the three teacher certification levels (initial, provisional, or professional). Among other things, current (1) comprehensive special education endorsement applicants must achieve a satisfactory score on the State Board of Education (SBE)-approved reading instruction exam or a comparable reading instruction exam with standards equivalent to the SBE-approved exam, and (2) integrated early childhood and special education endorsement applicants must complete an approved teacher preparation program specifically in the area sought and be recommended for certification. Under the Act, dyslexia has the same meaning found in the State Department of Education's guidance manual for individualized education programs under special education law. The manual defines dyslexia as a type of learning disability that is neurobiological in origin; affects reading, specifically spelling, decoding words, and fluent word recognition; and results from significant deficit in phonological processing. Effective July 1, 2017

 

CT HB 7271, PA 17-237

An Act Concerning the Establishment of the Technical High School System as an Independent Agency

This Act transitions the Connecticut technical high school system into an independent executive branch agency in two phases over a three-year period. It also renames the system the “Technical Education and Career System” and renames the system's high schools “technical education and career schools.” Effective July 1, 2017

 

CT HB 7276, PA 17-220

An Act Concerning Education Mandate Relief

This Act alters or eliminates several state mandates placed upon local and regional boards of education (hereinafter “boards”). Among other things, the Act: 1. allows, rather than requires, boards to follow a unified regional school calendar (§ 1); 2. expands the type of alternative education for expelled students that boards must offer (§§ 2 & 3); 3. reduces the number of school employees who must receive training in student restraint and seclusion and makes other changes to the training requirements (§ 5); and 4. shortens the former employer lookback period that boards of education must consider when conducting background checks of prospective employees (§ 6). It also requires the State Department of Education (SDE) to conduct a survey of digital reporting software use by school districts (§ 4). It also makes a number of conforming and technical changes. Effective July 1, 2017

CT HB 7036, PA 17-144

An Act Promoting the Use of Fuel Cells for Electric Distribution System Benefits and Reliability and Amending Various Energy-Related Programs and Requirements

This Act makes several changes to various clean and renewable energy initiatives. The Act allows electric distribution companies (EDCs, i.e., Eversource and United Illuminating), under certain conditions, to:  1. build, own, and operate new fuel cell generation; 2. enter into power purchase agreements (PPAs) negotiated with people to build, own, and operate new fuel cell generation; and 3. provide financial incentives to install fuel cell-powered combined heat and power systems. (The total generating capacity of all of these fuel cell projects cannot exceed 30 megawatts in the aggregate.) The Act authorizes the Department of Energy and Environmental Protection (DEEP) commissioner to solicit proposals from fuel cell, offshore wind, or anaerobic digestion facilities and, if the proposals meet certain conditions, order the EDCs to enter into contracts with them to procure energy, capacity, and environmental attributes, or any combination of them for up to 20 years. It changes the Class II Renewable Portfolio Standard (RPS) to: 1. limit the types of facilities considered as Class II renewable energy sources to only trash-to-energy facilities, 2. increase the RPS requirement so that EDCs and retail electric suppliers must purchase 4%, rather than 3%, of their power from either Class I or Class II sources, and 3. lower the alternative compliance payment for EDCs and suppliers that fail to do so. The Act extends, by one year, a program that requires the EDCs to annually purchase $8 million in Renewable Energy Credits (RECs) under 15-year contracts with certain clean energy generation projects. The Act also requires the Office of Fiscal Analysis to prepare a ratepayer impact statement for any Act before the General Assembly that would have a financial impact on electric ratepayers if passed. Effective July 1, 2017

CT SB 1502, PA 17-2 (June Special Session)

CT Next – Higher Education Entrepreneurship Advisory Committee

Sec. 134  Regarding this recently established Advisory Committee, modifies provisions to make it clear that members of the committee are not deemed public officials for purposes of the Code of Ethics, but are deemed members of an advisory board for purposes of the Code. 

 

CT HB 7248, PA 17-235

An Act Concerning Appointments to the Citizen's Ethics Advisory Board and the Board's Authority in Ethics Enforcement Proceedings

This Act makes several changes affecting the Citizen's Ethics Advisory Board (CEAB) and the Office of State Ethics (OSE). Effective October 1, 2017

CT SB 901, PA 17-93

An Act Concerning the Department Of Public Health's Recommendation Regarding Adoption of a Model Food Code

This Act requires the Department of Public Health (DPH), by July 1, 2018, to adopt and administer the federal Food and Drug Administration's (FDA) Food Code, and any published supplements, as the state's food code for regulating food establishments. Under current law, DPH regulates these establishments under the Public Health Code. The Act authorizes the commissioner to adopt implementing regulations. As under current DPH regulations, starting July 1, 2018, the Act requires food establishments to obtain a permit or license to operate from a municipal or district health department. Generally, it establishes similar procedures and requirements as current DPH regulations in areas such as certification of food inspectors and food establishment inspections. Additionally, the Act: 1. modifies the definitions of the four classifications of food establishments; 2. lowers, from 45 degrees to 41 degrees Fahrenheit, the minimum temperature threshold for cold holding potentially hazardous foods; 3. lowers, from 140 degrees to 135 degrees Fahrenheit, the minimum temperature threshold for hot holding potentially hazardous foods; 4. increases, from 16 to 20 contact hours, the required number of training hours food inspectors must complete every three years to renew their certification; 5. starting July 1, 2018, requires Class 3 and Class 4 food establishments to employ a “certified food protection manager” instead of a “qualified food operator” and extends the requirement to Class 2 food establishments; 6. requires a local health director to investigate and take specified actions to control a suspected food borne illness or outbreak; 7. allows the DPH commissioner, under certain conditions, to publicly announce the identity of a food establishment that was the source of a food borne illness or outbreak; 8. allows a food establishment to request, until June 30, 2018, a variance from the Public Health Code to use the sous vide cooking technique and acidification of sushi rice; 9. allows a food establishment's owner or operator aggrieved by inspection-related and other orders to appeal to the local health director within 48 hours after the order was issued; and 10. subjects violators to a class C misdemeanor. The Act also exempts persons who donate food or nonprofit organizations that distribute donated food to senior centers or political subdivisions of the state from liability for civil damages or criminal penalties resulting from the food's nature, age, condition, or packaging. The immunity does not apply if it is established that the donor knew or had reasonable grounds to believe that the food was adulterated or not fit for human consumption Effective July 1, 2018

CT SB 1502, PA 17-2 (June Special Session)

Personal Income Tax Credit for Certain Individuals Getting STEM Degrees

Sec. 648 provides a $500 annual personal income tax credit for individuals who are employed in the state, received on/after 1/1/19 an undergraduate or graduate degree in a STEM field, and reside in the state or move to CT within 2 years after receiving such degree.

 

CT HB 7212, PA 17-206

An Act Concerning the Promotion of Loan Forgiveness Programs

This Act requires public service employers that have more than 10 full-time employees to provide (1) informational materials about certain federal student loan forgiveness programs to newly hired employees within two weeks of their start date and (2) certain loan forgiveness certification forms to current employees upon request. The Office of Higher Education (OHE) must create or copy federally-designed informational materials, make them available online, and distribute them to public service employers. The Act defines “public service employers” as organizations, agencies, or entities that are public service organizations, including local and regional boards of education. The Act does not apply to federal or tribal nation governmental organizations, agencies, or entities; or tribal nation institutions of higher education. The Act specifies that it (1) allows employees to report their employers to OHE for alleged violations and (2) does not affect the attorney general's authority to pursue an action to enforce the Act's provisions. Effective July 1, 2017

CT SB 983, PA 17-86

An Act Concerning Appeals under the Freedom of Information Act Involving Notice of Meetings

The Freedom of Information Act generally allows someone to file a complaint with the Freedom of Information Commission within 30 days after being denied the right to attend a meeting of a public agency. Under prior law, a person who alleged that a public agency held an unnoticed or secret meeting could file a complaint within 30 days after receiving “notice in fact” that a meeting was held. This act changes the deadline to 30 days after receiving “actual or constructive notice” of the meeting.

In a 2017 decision, the Connecticut Superior Court ruled that “notice in fact” means “actual notice to the person filing the appeal.” It rejected the commission's argument that “notice in fact” includes both actual notice and “implied notice” (Lowthert v. Freedom of Information Commission, No. HHB-CV15-6030425-S (Conn. Superior Court, January 17, 2017)). Effective October 1, 2017

 

CT HB 7221, PA 17-211

An Act Concerning Access to Water Planning Information

This Act revamps the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) exemption for certain water company records. Generally, it removes water company records from the coverage of an existing FOIA exemption that applies to all public agency records if reasonable grounds exist to believe that their release could pose a security risk. It instead identifies specific water company records filed with a public agency as confidential and not subject to disclosure under FOIA. In addition to these specified records, the Act also makes confidential any other water company record filed with a public agency if there are reasonable grounds to believe that disclosure may result in a safety risk. The Act requires water companies, when submitting a water supply plan (or revision to a plan) to the Department of Public Health, to also submit a copy of the plan that is redacted in accordance with the Act's provisions on confidential records. Effective July 1, 2017

CT SB 444, PA 15-151

An Act Authorizing the Health Care Cabinet to Recommend Methods to Study and Report on Total State-Wide Health Care Spending

This Act requires the state's Health Care Cabinet to advise the governor on total statewide health care spending, including methods to collect, analyze, and report health care spending data. Existing law already requires the cabinet to advise the governor on the: 1. design, implementation, actionable objectives, and evaluation of state and federal health care policies, priorities, and objectives related to Connecticut's efforts to improve health care access; 2. quality of such care; and 3. affordability and sustainability of the state's health care system. By law, the cabinet is within the Office of the Lieutenant Governor. Its purpose is to advise the governor on the development of an integrated health care system for Connecticut. Effective October 1, 2017

Note: Please note that Section 164 of the Budget bill, passed in the 2017 June Special Session, establishes the new Office of Health Strategy, which assumes responsibility over the Health Care Cabinet and other healthcare related responsibilities of the Office of the Lieutenant Governor.

 

CT SB 445, PA 17-241

An Act Concerning Contracts Between a Pharmacy and a Pharmacy Benefits Manager, the Bidirectional Exchange of Electronic Health Records and the Charging of Facility Fees by s Hospital or Health System

This Act includes numerous provisions affecting hospitals and health systems, health care providers, and health carriers (e.g., insurers and HMOs). Specifically, it: 1. prohibits certain pharmacy services contracts from containing a provision prohibiting or penalizing a pharmacist's disclosure of certain information (e.g., therapeutic alternatives or less expensive purchasing methods) to an individual purchasing prescription medication (§ 1); 2. allows indirect purchasers to recover against drug manufacturers for antitrust violations, and allows defendants to avoid duplicative liability if they can prove that the alleged overcharge was passed on by someone else (§ 2); 3. prohibits contracts between a health care provider and certain vendors or agents a health carrier (e.g., insurer or HMO) retains from prohibiting disclosure of (a) Acted or allowed amounts, reimbursement rates, or out-of-pocket costs or (b) data related to the all-payer claims database (§ 3); 4. makes changes to hospital electronic health record (EHR) requirements, such as specifically requiring hospitals to send or receive EHRs if requested by a patient or provider under certain conditions (§ 4); and 5. modifies patient notification requirements concerning facility fees charged by hospitals and health systems for outpatient services provided at hospital-based facilities (§ 5). Effective October 1, 2017

 

CT SB 904, PA 17-95

An Act Concerning the Department of Public Health's Recommendations Regarding Facilities Guidelines for Technical Review of Facility Construction and Renovation

This Act requires a health care institution planning a construction or building alteration project to provide the project plan to the Department of Public Health (DPH) for review. The project must comply with DPH-approved, nationally established facility guidelines for health construction in place at the time the institution submits the plan to the department. Under the Act, the commissioner must post a reference to the guidelines, including their effective date, on the department's website. Institutions are not required to include in the plan any matters outside the scope and applicability of the guidelines. By law, these projects must comply with state health care facility licensing laws and regulations; the state's public health, building, and fire codes; and National Fire Protection Association standards, among others. Under existing law, DPH charges a fee for technical assistance it provides for the design, review, and development of a health care institution's construction, renovation, sale, or ownership change. The fee amount depends on the project's cost. It is $565 for projects costing less than $1 million and one-quarter of 1% of the total construction cost for projects that cost more. Effective October 1, 2017

 

CT SB 1502, PA 17-2 (June Special Session)

$1m to CICATS at UConn Health

Sec. 31. (Effective from passage) Notwithstanding section 4-28f of the general statutes, the sum of $1,000,000 shall be transferred from the Tobacco and Health Trust Fund to The University of Connecticut Health Center, for Other Expenses, in each of the fiscal years ending June 30, 2018, and June 30, 2019, for the purpose of supporting the Connecticut Institute for Clinical and Translational Science.

More Frequent DPH Inspections/ Fees for Outpatient Clinics   

Sec. 39. Subsection (e) of section 19a-491 of the general statutes is repealed and the following is substituted in lieu thereof (Effective from passage):

(e) The commissioner shall charge one thousand dollars for the licensing and inspection every [four] three years of outpatient clinics that provide either medical or mental health services, urgent care services and well-child [clinics] clinical services, except those operated by municipal health departments, health districts or licensed nonprofit nursing or community health agencies.

Note: this same language/change is also included in Sec. 675 of the bill (but effective date is December 1, 2017).

UConn Health required to seek to establish public-private partnerships

Sec. 60. (Effective from passage) The University of Connecticut Health Center board of directors, established pursuant to subsection (c) of section 10a-104 of the general statutes, shall seek to establish public-private partnerships with hospitals or other private entities selected by the board. Not later than April 1, 2018, the board shall submit a report concerning the status of such partnerships and any recommended legislation to the joint standing committees of the General Assembly having cognizance of matters relating to higher education, public health and appropriations, in accordance with the provisions of section 11-4a of the general statutes.

Health IT – New Office of Health Strategy

Sec. 112-128 and Sec. 164 reorganize and bolster responsibilities of the state relating to health information technology. 

Section 164 establishes a new Office of Health Strategy (July 1, 2018), a successor agency to the CT Health Insurance Exchange and many the responsibilities of the Office of the Lieutenant Governor relating to health care.  The Health Information Technology Officer (HITO) will be part of the Office of Health Strategy, and will among other things have responsibility over the All-Payers Claims Database – which is beefed up in this legislation. 

The responsibilities of the Office of Health Strategy include: (1) Developing and implementing a comprehensive and cohesive health care vision for the state, including, but not limited to, a coordinated state health care cost containment strategy; (2) Directing and overseeing (A) the all-payers claims database program established pursuant to section 113 of this act, and (B) the State Innovation Model Initiative and related successor initiatives; (3) Coordinating the state's health information technology initiatives; (4) Directing and overseeing the Office of Health Care Access and all of its duties and responsibilities as set forth in chapter 368z of the general statutes; and (5) Convening forums and meetings with state government and external stakeholders, including, but not limited to, the Connecticut Health Insurance Exchange, to discuss health care issues designed to develop effective health care cost and quality strategies. 

The Act also requires the creation of a new consumer health information Internet web site (to enable patients to compare cost and quality of health care providers and services), and the establishment of The All-Payer Claims Database Advisory Group (under the State IT Advisory Council) to “develop a plan to implement a state-wide multipayer data initiative to enhance the state's use of heath care data from multiple sources to increase efficiency, enhance outcomes and improve the understanding of health care expenditures in the public and private sectors.”  

There are new requirements for hospitals in these sections of the bill that should be reviewed for compliance. 

Hospital Affiliations

Sec. 181 modifies the definition of “hospital” (definition includes John Dempsey Hospital) in the statute that requires hospitals and other entities to file notices regarding planned affiliations between one hospital or hospital system and another, and to file annual reports on affiliations.

Licensing of Urgent Care Centers

Sec. 674 requires Urgent Care Centers to be licensed as Outpatient Clinic on/after April 2018.  Authorizes the Commissioner of Social Services to establish rates of payment to providers practicing in urgent care centers.

CT HB 5140, 17-157

An Act Concerning Reimbursements to Health Care Providers for Substance Abuse Services

This Act requires certain health insurance policies to pay directly any out-of-network health care providers eligible for reimbursement for the diagnosis or treatment rendered in Connecticut for a substance use disorder. It does so by deeming that an insured receiving such diagnosis or treatment has assigned his or her reimbursement benefits and other rights under the health insurance policy to the provider. (The Act does not clarify what “other rights” entails.) Under the Act, providers may collect from the insured any copayment, deductible, and other out-of-pocket costs due under the policy but are prohibited from otherwise Acting; charging; collecting a deposit from; seeking compensation, remuneration, or reimbursement from; or having any recourse against the insured for the services. The Act applies to individual and group health insurance policies issued, delivered, renewed, amended, or continued in Connecticut that cover (1) basic hospital expenses, (2) basic medical-surgical expenses, (3) major medical expenses, or (4) hospital or medical services, including those provided through an HMO. (Due to the federal Employee Retirement Income Security Act, state insurance mandates do not apply to self-insured benefit plans.) By law, these health insurance policies must cover the diagnosis and treatment of mental or nervous conditions, including substance use disorders, provided by (1) a licensed physician, advanced practice registered nurse, psychologist, clinical social worker, marital and family therapist, or professional counselor, (2) certain certified marital and family therapists or independent social workers, or (3) licensed or certified alcohol and drug counselors. Effective January 1, 2018

 

CT HB 7121, PA 17-18

An Act Concerning Revisions to the State's Safe Haven Laws

This Act makes various changes to the safe haven law, which requires hospitals to designate a place in their emergency departments where a parent or a parent's legal agent can surrender an infant up to 30 days old without facing arrest for abandonment (CGS § 17a-57 et seq. ).   Among its changes, the Act:

1. requires the Department of Children and Families (DCF) to identify a prospective adoptive parent for a safe haven infant within one business day after receiving notice of the infant's surrender to the hospital, if such a parent is available; 2. specifies circumstances in which the DCF commissioner may require DNA tests to determine the infant's parentage and otherwise requires the department to ask a court to order such testing; 3. limits the circumstances in which DCF may remove a safe haven infant from a prospective adoptive parent's home if the infant has been in his or her care for at least 30 consecutive days and allows the prospective adoptive parent to request a hearing before the removal; 4. clarifies the information a hospital employee may disclose about a safe haven surrender if the employee believes the infant was abused or neglected; and 5. prohibits DCF from disclosing information about the parents of a safe haven infant to a prospective adoptive parent or foster parent without a court order, unless otherwise required by law. Under the act, a “prospective adoptive parent” is a foster parent awaiting the placement of, or who has, a child or children placed in his or her home under the safe haven law for adoption purposes. A “foster parent” is a person licensed by DCF or approved by a DCF-licensed child-placing agency to care for one or more children in a private home Effective October 1, 2017

CT HB 7222, PA 17-146

An Act Concerning the Department of Public Health’s Various Revisions to the Public Health Statutes

• 1 — Health Care Facility Licensure Application Fees

The Act requires applicants for health care facility licensure to submit the required fee to DPH along with their licensure application. Under existing law, health care facilities licensed by DPH must pay fees for licensure and inspection. The fee amount and inspection frequency vary based on the type of institution. Effective October 1, 2017

• 2 — Outpatient Dialysis Units

Under existing law, outpatient dialysis units are licensed by DPH. The Act creates a statutory definition of this term, codifying the definition in existing regulations with technical changes (Conn. Agencies Regs., § 19-13-D55a). Thus, it defines an outpatient dialysis unit as: 1. an out-of-hospital out-patient dialysis unit licensed by DPH to provide (a) out-patient services to persons requiring dialysis on a short-term basis or for a chronic condition or (b) training for home dialysis, or 2. an in-hospital dialysis unit that is a special unit of a licensed hospital designed, equipped, and staffed to (a) offer dialysis therapy on an out-patient basis, (b) provide training for home dialysis, and (c) perform renal transplantations. Effective October 1, 2017

• 13 — DPH Birth Defect Surveillance Program

The Act modifies DPH's birth defect surveillance program. Under current law, specified licensed health care providers must report to DPH within 48 hours after learning that a child has a birth defect. The Act limits the population for which this information must be reported to children under age one born in Connecticut, instead of all children under age five. It also limits the reporting requirement to physicians, physician assistants (PA), advanced practice registered nurses (APRN), registered nurses (RN), and nurse midwives (hereafter referred to as “licensed health care professionals”). Current law also requires chiropractors, naturopaths, and podiatrists to report this information.

Birth Defect Screening

The Act requires each child born in Connecticut to have a birth defects screening by a licensed health care professional before being discharged from the hospital. The hospital's administrator must enter the screening results into DPH's birth defects registry in a manner the DPH commissioner prescribes. This registry is located in the department's newborn screening system for genetic and metabolic disorders.

Notification Requirements

As under current law, licensed health care professionals must report to DPH the nature of the child's birth defect and any other information the department reasonably requires. The Act also requires DPH to post the notification form on its website and, as under current law, to keep the notification for at least six years after receiving it. The Act removes the requirement that DPH provide a copy of the notification to the State Board of Education within 10 days.

Access to Hospital Records

The Act grants the DPH commissioner access, upon his request, to hospital discharge records for newborn infants born in Connecticut, including their identifying information. But the commissioner may only use the identifying information for the purposes of the birth defects surveillance program. Hospitals must also make available to DPH, upon request, the medical records of patients diagnosed with a birth defect or other adverse reproductive outcomes for purposes of research and data verification.

Confidentiality of Information

The Act specifies that all information collected from hospitals or licensed health care providers pertaining to the birth defect surveillance program, including personally identifiable information, is confidential and may only be used for the program's purposes. Access to the information is limited to DPH and people the commissioner determines have valid scientific interest and qualifications if they: 1. are engaged in demographic, epidemiologic, or other similar health-related studies and 2. agree in writing to maintain the confidentiality of the information.

Newborn Screening System Records

The Act requires the DPH commissioner to maintain an accurate record of people given access to information in its newborn screening system. The record must be publicly available during DPH's normal operating hours and include the (1) name, title, and organizational affiliation of people given access to the system; (2) dates of such access; and (3) specific purpose for which the information is used.

Routine Analysis and Statistics

The Act requires the DPH commissioner to use information collected under the birth defect surveillance program and information available from other sources to conduct routine analyses to determine if there were any preventable causes of the birth defects of which the DPH was notified.

The Act also allows the DPH commissioner to publish statistical compilations related to birth defects or other adverse reproductive outcomes that do not identify individual cases or individual information sources.

Proposed Research

The Act requires the DPH commissioner to review and approve all proposed research that will (1) use personally identifiable information in DPH's newborn screening system or (2) require contact with affected individuals.

Effective October 1, 2017

• 14 — Newborn Screening for Critical Congenital Heart Disease

By law, all health care institutions caring for newborn infants must test them for critical congenital heart disease, unless their parents object on religious grounds. Starting January 1, 2018, the Act requires the health care institution's administrator to enter the screening test results into DPH's newborn screening system for genetic and metabolic disorders. Effective October 1, 2017

• § 40 & 41 — CERTIFIED STROKE CENTERS AND STROKE-READY HOSPITALS

Certification Reporting Requirements

Starting by October 1, 2017, the Act requires certain stroke-certified hospitals to annually report to DPH, in a form and manner the commissioner prescribes, an attestation of the certification. The requirement applies to any hospital certified as a comprehensive stroke center, primary stroke center, or acute stroke-ready hospital by the (1) American Heart Association, (2) Joint Commission (an independent nonprofit organization that accredits and certifies hospitals and other health care organizations and programs), or (3) any other nationally recognized certifying organization. Effective from Passage

Certification List

Starting by October 15, 2017, DPH must annually post a list of these stroked-certified hospitals on its website. The department must also, starting by January 1, 2018, annually send the list to the medical director of each EMS provider in Connecticut. DPH must also maintain a copy of the list in its Office of Emergency Medical Services. Under the Act, DPH may remove a hospital from the list if (1) the hospital requests it; (2) DPH has been informed by the certifying organization that the hospital's certification is expired, suspended, or revoked; or (3) the hospital does not provide DPH with attestation of the certification by October 1.

Effective October 1, 2017, except the requirement to post the list on the DPH website is effective upon passage.

Reporting Complaints

The Act requires DPH to report to the national certifying organization any complaint it receives about a hospital's certification. If the complainant intends to pursue a complaint with that organization, DPH must also provide the complainant with the organization's name and contact information (presumably, upon the complainant's request). Effective from Passage

Stroke Triage Assessment Tool

The Act requires the Connecticut EMS Advisory Board, by January 1, 2018, to recommend to DPH for adoption, (1) a nationally recognized, standardized stroke triage assessment tool and (2) pre-hospital care protocols for assessing, treating, and transporting stroke patients. Within 30 days after receiving these recommendations, DPH must adopt the tool and post it and protocols on the department's website.

The Act permits the DPH commissioner to modify the assessment tool as he deems necessary. DPH must provide a copy of the tool and pre-hospital care protocols to each EMS provider, who must then develop plans to implement them. Effective October 1, 2017

CT SB 41, PA 17-23

An Act Concerning Phlebotomists

This Act specifically allows individuals practicing as phlebotomists in the state to obtain phlebotomist certification from the American Society of Phlebotomy Technicians, National Center for Competency Testing, National Phlebotomy Association, National Healthcareer Association, or American Medical Technologists. The Act defines “phlebotomist” as a person who draws blood for diagnostic testing, transfusions, research, or blood donations. (PA 17-234 amends this definition by requiring the person to act under an order of a physician, physician assistant, advanced practice registered nurse, or podiatrist.)  The state does not license or certify phlebotomists. In practice, entities that employ phlebotomists may require that they be nationally certified.  Effective October 1, 2017

 

CT SB 844, PA 17-6

An Act Concerning the Department Of Public Health's Recommendations Regarding Revisions to the Statutes Concerning the Human Immunodeficiency Virus

This Act makes various changes to HIV-related laws. The Act: 1. changes the time frames for testing pregnant women for syphilis and HIV, requiring the second test for each condition to occur at different intervals during the third trimester, rather than the same interval as under current law; 2. renames DPH's needle and syringe exchange programs as “syringe services programs” to conform to existing practice, and makes various changes to such programs; 3. narrows the topics that must be addressed in counseling that providers ordering HIV tests must offer to patients as needed; and 4. repeals a provision that allows patients to refuse to receive an HIV test result. Effective July 1, 2017

 

CT SB 938, PA 17-70

An Act Concerning the Department of Public Health's Recommendations for the State-Wide Adoption of the Medical Orders for Life-Sustaining Treatment Program

By law, the Department of Public Health (DPH) operates a “medical orders for life-sustaining treatment” (MOLST) pilot program, which is scheduled to end October 2, 2017. This Act requires DPH to establish a statewide MOLST program. As under the pilot program, patient participation must be voluntary. The Act requires the DPH commissioner to adopt regulations on various matters to implement the statewide program, such as ensuring that (1) MOLST orders are transferrable and recognized by various types of health care institutions and (2) authorized providers intending to write these orders receive training on specified matters. The Act also establishes, within available appropriations, a MOLST advisory council to make recommendations to the DPH commissioner. Under the Act, a MOLST is a medical order written by a physician, advanced practice registered nurse (APRN), or physician assistant (PA) to effectuate a patient's request for life-sustaining treatment when a physician or APRN has determined the patient is approaching the end stage of a serious, life-limiting illness or is in a condition of advanced, chronic progressive frailty. Effective October 1, 2017

 

CT HB 6012, PA 17-115

An Act Concerning Consumer Protection in Eye Care

This Act prohibits optometrists and ophthalmologists (providers) from: 1. using information obtained from a test using a “remote refractive device” (such as a smartphone app) as the sole basis for issuing or renewing an initial prescription for contact lenses and 2. issuing or renewing an initial prescription for contact lenses without having performed an in-person evaluation and eye examination of the patient. The Act applies to prescriptions for any contact lenses, whether used for corrective, therapeutic, or cosmetic purposes. Effective October 1, 2017

 

CT HB 7052, PA 17-131

An Act Preventing Prescription Opioid Diversion and Abuse

This Act makes various changes to prevent and treat opioid drug abuse. Principally, it: 1. allows the Department of Consumer Protection (DCP) commissioner to share certain prescription drug monitoring program information with other state agencies for certain drug abuse studies (§ 1); 2. generally requires prescriptions for controlled substances to be transmitted electronically to a pharmacy, which must have the technology to accept such prescriptions (§ 3); 3. limits access to controlled substances by (a) allowing certain registered nurses employed by home health care agencies to destroy or dispose of them, (b) creating a process for patients to request to not be prescribed opioids, and (c) generally reducing the amount of opioid drugs a minor may be prescribed (§§ 2, 4, & 5); 4. requires practitioners, when prescribing opioids, to discuss with all patients, rather than only minors, the risks associated with opioid drug use (§ 5); 5. requires the Alcohol and Drug Policy Council (ADPC) to take certain actions to address opioid drug abuse (§ 7); 6. requires certain individual and group health insurers to cover specified medically necessary, inpatient detoxification services for an insured or enrollee diagnosed with a substance use disorder (§§ 8 & 9); 7. requires alcohol or drug treatment facilities to use admissions criteria developed by the American Society of Addiction Medicine (§ 10); 8. extends the date by which municipalities must amend their local emergency medical services (EMS) plans to require at least one EMS provider likely to arrive first on the scene of a medical emergency to carry an opioid antagonist and complete a training on how to administer it (§ 11); and 9. allows a prescribing practitioner authorized to prescribe an opioid antagonist to issue a standing order (i.e., non-patient specific prescription) to a licensed pharmacist for an opioid antagonist under certain conditions (§ 12). Effective from Passage

 

CT HB 7090, PA 17-170

An Act Concerning The Department Of Mental Health And Addiction Services' Recommendations Regarding Transfer Of A Patient Under The Jurisdiction Of The Psychiatric Security Review Board For Treatment Or Recovery

This Act codifies existing practice by allowing the Department of Mental Health and Addiction Services (DMHAS) to transfer an “acquittee” (a person found not guilty of a crime by reason of mental disease or defect) from maximum security confinement to another facility (e. g., hospital or emergency department) for medical treatment. DMHAS may do this only if the acquittee requires medical treatment that either is unavailable in the maximum security setting or would pose a safety hazard due to the use of certain medical equipment or material. Under the Act, DMHAS must: 1. ensure that the acquittee's custody conditions at the facility are equivalent to those of maximum security confinement, 2. provide immediate written justification to the Psychiatric Security Review Board (PSRB) upon the transfer, and 3. transfer the acquittee back to the maximum security setting after the medical treatment is completed. By law, people found not guilty of a crime by reason of mental disease or defect are committed by the Superior Court to PSRB's jurisdiction. At the time of commitment, DMHAS takes custody of acquittees and orders their confinement to (1) a psychiatric hospital (i. e. Connecticut Valley Hospital) or (2) the Department of Developmental Services' custody (if they have an intellectual disability). An acquittee who the court or PSRB determines requires maximum security confinement cannot be transferred unless the psychiatric hospital or DDS commissioner has the trained and equipped staff, facilities, or security to accommodate him or her. Effective October 1, 2017

 

CT HB 7174, PA 17-234

An Act Allowing Certain Hospital Personnel to Administer a Saline Flush to an Intravenous Line

A bill passed earlier in the session, PA 17-23, specifically allows phlebotomists practicing in the state to obtain certification from specified national organizations. This Act amends the definition of “phlebotomist” in PA 17-23, by requiring that the person be acting under an order of a physician, physician assistant, advanced practice registered nurse, or podiatrist. Additionally, the Act allows a phlebotomist at a hospital to flush a peripherally inserted intravenous line (“peripheral IV”) with prepackaged normal saline in a single use pre-filled syringe. The phlebotomist must (1) maintain certification from the American Society of Phlebotomy Technicians, National Center for Competency Testing, National Phlebotomy Association, National Healthcareer Association, or American Medical Technologists and (2) be responsible for drawing blood and trained under a hospital-approved protocol. The protocol must indicate the level of training and supervision needed to perform the task and include education about aseptic technique and infection control. The hospital must document and maintain the protocol for at least two years after it is implemented. Effective October 1, 2017

 

CT HB 7222, PA 17-146

An Act Concerning the Department of Public Health’s Various Revisions to the Public Health Statutes

• 6 — Do Not Resuscitate Orders

The Act adds a statutory definition of “do not resuscitate” or “DNR” orders. It defines these terms as an order written by a licensed physician or advanced practice registered nurse for a particular patient to withhold (1) cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR), including chest compressions, defibrillation, or breathing, or (2) ventilation by any assistive or mechanical means, such as mouth-to-mouth, bag-valve mask, endotracheal tube, or ventilator. Existing law requires DPH to adopt regulations to provide for a system governing the recognition and transfer of DNR orders. Effective October 1, 2017

• 13 — DPH Birth Defect Surveillance Program

The Act modifies DPH's birth defect surveillance program. Under current law, specified licensed health care providers must report to DPH within 48 hours after learning that a child has a birth defect. The Act limits the population for which this information must be reported to children under age one born in Connecticut, instead of all children under age five. It also limits the reporting requirement to physicians, physician assistants (PA), advanced practice registered nurses (APRN), registered nurses (RN), and nurse midwives (hereafter referred to as “licensed health care professionals”). Current law also requires chiropractors, naturopaths, and podiatrists to report this information.

Birth Defect Screening

The Act requires each child born in Connecticut to have a birth defects screening by a licensed health care professional before being discharged from the hospital. The hospital's administrator must enter the screening results into DPH's birth defects registry in a manner the DPH commissioner prescribes. This registry is located in the department's newborn screening system for genetic and metabolic disorders.

Notification Requirements

As under current law, licensed health care professionals must report to DPH the nature of the child's birth defect and any other information the department reasonably requires. The Act also requires DPH to post the notification form on its website and, as under current law, to keep the notification for at least six years after receiving it. The Act removes the requirement that DPH provide a copy of the notification to the State Board of Education within 10 days.

Access to Hospital Records

The Act grants the DPH commissioner access, upon his request, to hospital discharge records for newborn infants born in Connecticut, including their identifying information. But the commissioner may only use the identifying information for the purposes of the birth defects surveillance program. Hospitals must also make available to DPH, upon request, the medical records of patients diagnosed with a birth defect or other adverse reproductive outcomes for purposes of research and data verification.

Confidentiality of Information

The Act specifies that all information collected from hospitals or licensed health care providers pertaining to the birth defect surveillance program, including personally identifiable information, is confidential and may only be used for the program's purposes. Access to the information is limited to DPH and people the commissioner determines have valid scientific interest and qualifications if they: 1. are engaged in demographic, epidemiologic, or other similar health-related studies and 2. agree in writing to maintain the confidentiality of the information.

Newborn Screening System Records

The Act requires the DPH commissioner to maintain an accurate record of people given access to information in its newborn screening system. The record must be publicly available during DPH's normal operating hours and include the (1) name, title, and organizational affiliation of people given access to the system; (2) dates of such access; and (3) specific purpose for which the information is used.

Routine Analysis and Statistics

The Act requires the DPH commissioner to use information collected under the birth defect surveillance program and information available from other sources to conduct routine analyses to determine if there were any preventable causes of the birth defects of which the DPH was notified.

The Act also allows the DPH commissioner to publish statistical compilations related to birth defects or other adverse reproductive outcomes that do not identify individual cases or individual information sources.

Proposed Research

The Act requires the DPH commissioner to review and approve all proposed research that will (1) use personally identifiable information in DPH's newborn screening system or (2) require contact with affected individuals.

Effective October 1, 2017

• 14 — Newborn Screening for Critical Congenital Heart Disease

By law, all health care institutions caring for newborn infants must test them for critical congenital heart disease, unless their parents object on religious grounds. Starting January 1, 2018, the Act requires the health care institution's administrator to enter the screening test results into DPH's newborn screening system for genetic and metabolic disorders. Effective October 1, 2017

CT SB 1502, PA 17-2 (June Special Session)

Limits for Nonemergency Dental Services Provided through DSS Dental Programs

Sec. 49. . . . (new language added to statute)…Payment for nonemergency dental services shall not exceed one thousand dollars per calendar year for an individual adult, provided services determined to be medically necessary, as defined in section 17b-259b, including dentures, shall not be subject to such payment cap.

 

CT HB 6979, PA 17-44

An Act Concerning the Accreditation of Dental Assistant Programs

This Act expands the list of qualifying education programs for dental assistants. It allows someone to qualify as a dental assistant if he or she completed a dental assistant education program accredited or recognized by any national or regional accrediting agency recognized by the U. S. Department of Education, rather than only programs accredited or recognized by the New England Association of Schools and Colleges. By law, an individual also qualifies as a dental assistant if he or she completes (1) on-the-job training under direct supervision or (2) a dental assistant education program accredited by the American Dental Association's Commission on Dental Accreditation. The state does not license or certify dental assistants. Existing law specifies certain procedures that a dentist may or may not delegate to a dental assistant. Effective from Passage

 

CT HB 7222, PA 17-146

An Act Concerning the Department of Public Health’s Various Revisions to the Public Health Statutes

This Act makes various substantive, minor, and technical changes to Department of Public Health (DPH)-related statutes and programs. Areas of note:

• § 3 & 4 — Dental Hygienist Continuing Education

The Act requires dental hygienists, every two years, to complete at least one contact hour of training or education in cultural competency as part of existing continuing education requirements. The requirement applies to registration periods beginning on and after October 1, 2017. Under current law, starting with their second license renewal, dental hygienists generally must complete 16 hours of continuing education every two years. The Act specifies that they must complete 16 “contact hours” and defines a contact hour as a minimum of 50 minutes of continuing education activity. Effective October 1, 2017

• 43 — Dental Assistants and Infection Control

The Act delays by six months, from January 1, 2018 to July 1, 2018, the start date for certain provisions enacted in PA 16-66 on dental assistants and infection control. Specifically, these provisions: 1. generally prohibit dentists from delegating any dental procedures to a dental assistant or expanded function dental assistant (EFDA) who has not provided the dentist a record documenting that he or she passed the Dental Assisting National Board's infection control examination (while allowing EFDAs to perform certain functions even if they do not receive this training); 1. allow a dental assistant to receive up to nine months of on-the-job training by a dentist to prepare the assistant for the examination; and 2. require dentists who delegate procedures to a dental assistant to keep the records documenting the assistant's exam passage for DPH's inspection upon request. Effective from Passage

CT SB 41, PA 17-23

An Act Concerning Phlebotomists

This act specifically allows individuals practicing as phlebotomists in the state to obtain phlebotomist certification from the American Society of Phlebotomy Technicians, National Center for Competency Testing, National Phlebotomy Association, National Healthcareer Association, or American Medical Technologists. The act defines “phlebotomist” as a person who draws blood for diagnostic testing, transfusions, research, or blood donations. (PA 17-234 amends this definition by requiring the person to act under an order of a physician, physician assistant, advanced practice registered nurse, or podiatrist.)  The state does not license or certify phlebotomists. In practice, entities that employ phlebotomists may require that they be nationally certified.  Effective October 1, 2017

 

CT SB 126, PA 17-74

An Act Concerning Community Health Workers

This Act establishes a statutory definition for a “community health worker” and, based on that definition, requires the director of the State Innovation Model Initiative Program Management Office to study the feasibility of creating a community health worker certification program. The director must do this within available resources and in consultation with the Department of Public Health commissioner and the office's Community Health Worker Advisory Committee. The study must examine the fiscal impact of implementing the certification program and make recommendations on: 1. requirements for initial certification and renewal, including training, experience, and continuing education requirements; 2. methods for administering the certification program, including an application; a standardized assessment of experience, knowledge, and skills; and an electronic registry; and 3. requirements for recognizing training program curricula that are sufficient to satisfy certification requirements. The director must report on the study and recommendations to the Public Health and Human Services committees by October 1, 2018. Effective October 1, 2017

 

CT SB 842, PA 17-10

An Act Concerning the Department of Public Health's Recommendations Regarding Enforcement Actions Taken Against a Licensed Health Care Professional

This Act allows the Department of Public Health (DPH) and its licensing boards and commissions to issue a restricted license or permit that limits a practitioner's practice (e. g. , prohibiting the prescribing of certain controlled substances), without having to place the person on probationary status. Existing law already allows DPH and its boards and commissions to limit a practitioner's practice if the person is placed on probationary status. Under the Act, as under existing law, DPH or the board or commission may restrict a license or permit on a finding of good cause, based on conduct that occurred before or after the person was issued the license or permit. Effective October 1, 2017

 

CT SB 1502, PA 17-2 (June Special Session)

Behavior Analysts

Sec. 188-199 establish a new licensure category for Behavior Analysts.

 

CT HB 7091, PA 17-178

An Act Concerning the Department of Mental Health and Addiction Services' Recommendations Regarding Revisions to the Professional Assistance Program for Regulated Professionals

This Act eliminates the requirement that a health care professional notify the Department of Public Health if he or she is diagnosed with a mental illness or behavioral or emotional disorder. Under prior law, the professional had to provide this notice within 30 days of the diagnosis. He or she could satisfy the obligation by seeking intervention with the assistance program for health professionals (currently, the Health Assistance InterVention Education Network (HAVEN)). Effective October 1, 2017

 

CT HB 7169, PA-17-128

An Act Concerning Psychology Technicians

This Act makes various changes to the law that allows psychology technicians who meet specified qualifications to provide psychological testing services under a psychologist's supervision. The Act: 1. establishes certain requirements for the supervising psychologist, such as verifying the technician's credentials and remaining on-site while the technician is providing services; 2. specifically adds psychometrics to the qualifying fields for a technician's college degree; 3. modifies exemptions from this law, such as exempting psychology doctoral students under certain conditions; and 4. makes minor and technical changes, including clarifying the scope of a technician's allowable activities (§ 1(b)). Effective October 1, 2017

 

CT HB 7174, PA 17-234

An Act Allowing Certain Hospital Personnel to Administer a Saline Flush to an Intravenous Line

Another bill that passed this session, PA 17-23 specifically allows phlebotomists practicing in the state to obtain certification from specified national organizations. This Act amends the definition of “phlebotomist” in PA 17-23, by requiring that the person be acting under an order of a physician, physician assistant, advanced practice registered nurse, or podiatrist. Additionally, the Act allows a phlebotomist at a hospital to flush a peripherally inserted intravenous line (“peripheral IV”) with prepackaged normal saline in a single use pre-filled syringe. The phlebotomist must (1) maintain certification from the American Society of Phlebotomy Technicians, National Center for Competency Testing, National Phlebotomy Association, National Healthcareer Association, or American Medical Technologists and (2) be responsible for drawing blood and trained under a hospital-approved protocol. The protocol must indicate the level of training and supervision needed to perform the task and include education about aseptic technique and infection control. The hospital must document and maintain the protocol for at least two years after it is implemented. Effective October 1, 2017

 

CT HB 7222, PA 17-146

An Act Concerning the Department of Public Health’s Various Revisions to the Public Health Statutes

This Act makes various substantive, minor, and technical changes to Department of Public Health (DPH)-related statutes and programs. Areas of note:

• 7 — Summary Disciplinary Action

The Act allows DPH and its professional licensing boards and commissions to take summary disciplinary action against the license or permit of a practitioner who is subject to disciplinary action by the federal government. As with other cases of summary action under existing law, DPH or the board or commission must promptly notify the practitioner of the action and bring formal revocation proceedings within 90 days of that notification. Effective October 1, 2017

CT SB 968, PA 17-85

An Act Establishing a Health Data Collaborative Working Group

This Act makes permanent the Commission on Economic Competitiveness's (CEC) Connecticut Health Data Collaborative working group (CHDC), which was initially created under SA 16-20, and charges it with new tasks. Under the Act, the CHDC must examine and make recommendations on: 1. initiatives to support precision medicine and personalized health R&D; 2. economic growth initiatives for in-state businesses working in bioscience, biopharma, biotech, genomics, clinomics, epigenomics, pharmacogenomics, the microbiome field, and related fields; 3. health data access, privacy, and security initiatives; and 4. advancements in health data and population health to promote efficient and innovative platforms for collecting health data in order to understand the interplay between genetic, behavioral and environmental factors in the incidence of disease. Effective from Passage

 

CT HB 6981, PA 17-17

An Act Establishing a Task Force to Study Public Health Prevention Efforts

This Act establishes a task force to study public health prevention efforts. The task force shall examine and make recommendations for improvements to (1) public school curriculum that facilitate disease prevention, (2) insurance coverage for prescribed preventive measures, including, but not limited to, health assessments, treatments, health care services and any equipment required to administer such preventive measures, and (3) incentives for the implementation of proven environmental protection systems. Effective from Passage

 

CT HB 7222, PA 17-146

An Act Concerning the Department of Public Health’s Various Revisions to the Public Health Statutes

This Act makes various substantive, minor, and technical changes to Department of Public Health (DPH)-related statutes and programs. Areas of note:

• 23 — Rare Disease Task Force

PA 15-242 (§ 35) created a 16-member task force to study rare disease research, diagnoses, treatment, and education and make recommendations for establishing a permanent group of experts to advise DPH on rare diseases. The Act adds the Public Health Committee chairpersons, or their designees, to the task force. It also extends the task force reporting deadline from January 1, 2016 until January 1, 2018. Effective from Passage

• 44 — Medical Records Task Force

PA 16-66 created a task force to study the furnishing of medical records by health care providers and institutions. The Act extends by one year the task force reporting deadline, to January 1, 2018.

Effective from Passage

• 45 — Mobile Integrated Health Care Program Working Group

The Act requires DPH, within available appropriations and in consultation with the Insurance and Social Services departments, to convene a working group to implement a mobile integrated health care program. The program must allow a paramedic to provide community-based health care (i.e., using patient-centered, mobile resources outside the hospital) within his or her scope of practice and make recommendations regarding non-emergency transportation by emergency medical services (EMS) providers. Under the Act, the DPH commissioner must report the working group's findings and recommendations to the Human Services, Insurance, and Public Health committees by January 1, 2019.  Effective from Passage

• 46 — Psychiatry Workforce Task Force

This section of the Act establishes a 12–member task force to study the projected shortage in Connecticut's psychiatry workforce, including examining the causes of and potential solutions to avoid or reduce the projected shortage.  Members of the task force are appointed by legislative leaders and must include clinical professionals and individuals from academia, By July 1, 2018, the task force must report its findings and recommendations to the Public Health Committee.  The task force terminates on the date that it submits its report or July 1, 2018, whichever is later.  Effective from PassageEffective from Passage

• 48 — DPH INTERAGENCY AND PARTNERSHIP ADVISORY PANEL ON LUPUS AND PANDAS/PANS ADVISORY COUNCIL

The Act eliminates DPH's 13-member Interagency and Partnership Advisory Panel on Lupus. The panel has completed its charge to develop and implement a comprehensive lupus education and awareness plan after evaluating and analyzing existing educational materials and resources.  The Act also eliminates the department's 16-member Advisory Council on Pediatric Autoimmune Neuropsychiatric Disorder Associated with Streptococcal Infections and Pediatric Neuropsychiatric Syndrome (PANDAS/PANS). (It appears that the council is now defunct in practice.) The council advises the commissioner on research, diagnosis, treatment, and education relating to these conditions and must annually report to the Public Health Committee. Effective October 1, 2017

CT SB 546, PA 17-154

An Act Concerning Participating Provider Directories and Providers Accepting New Patients on an Outpatient Services Basis

This Act requires a health carrier's (e.g., insurer or HMO) provider directories to specify whether a health care provider is accepting new patients on an outpatient basis. The law already requires directories to indicate whether a provider is accepting new patients. By law, a health carrier must post on its website a current provider directory for each of its network plans. A carrier must provide a printed copy of a directory, or information from it, at the request of a covered individual or his or her authorized representative. The provider directories must include information specified by law. Effective January 1, 2018

 

CT HB 5140, 17-157

An Act Concerning Reimbursements to Health Care Providers for Substance Abuse Services

This Act requires certain health insurance policies to pay directly any out-of-network health care providers eligible for reimbursement for the diagnosis or treatment rendered in Connecticut for a substance use disorder. It does so by deeming that an insured receiving such diagnosis or treatment has assigned his or her reimbursement benefits and other rights under the health insurance policy to the provider. (The Act does not clarify what “other rights” entails.) Under the Act, providers may collect from the insured any copayment, deductible, and other out-of-pocket costs due under the policy but are prohibited from otherwise acting; charging; collecting a deposit from; seeking compensation, remuneration, or reimbursement from; or having any recourse against the insured for the services. The Act applies to individual and group health insurance policies issued, delivered, renewed, amended, or continued in Connecticut that cover (1) basic hospital expenses, (2) basic medical-surgical expenses, (3) major medical expenses, or (4) hospital or medical services, including those provided through an HMO. (Due to the federal Employee Retirement Income Security Act, state insurance mandates do not apply to self-insured benefit plans.) By law, these health insurance policies must cover the diagnosis and treatment of mental or nervous conditions, including substance use disorders, provided by (1) a licensed physician, advanced practice registered nurse, psychologist, clinical social worker, marital and family therapist, or professional counselor, (2) certain certified marital and family therapists or independent social workers, or (3) licensed or certified alcohol and drug counselors. Effective January 1, 2018

CT SB 870, PA 17-63

An Act Implementing the Recommendations of the Board of Regents for Higher Education 

Beginning in FY 18, this Act authorizes the UConn and Connecticut State University System (CSUS) foundations to invest state funds deposited in the Office of Higher Education's (OHE) Endowed Chair Investment Fund to benefit endowed chairs at their respective institutions (§ 7). Under current law, the state treasurer invests these funds. The Act also reassigns the following duties from the Board of Regents for Higher Education (BOR) to OHE: 1. administering various grant and loan forgiveness programs (§§ 2-4), 2. publishing information about academic programs offered at public technical high schools and higher education institutions related to green jobs (§ 5), and 3. gathering information about and developing new programs and methods for academic fields relating to public education (§ 1). It also relieves the boards of trustees for the regional community-technical colleges (now BOR) and UConn of an annual reporting requirement on a joint use plan for Naugatuck Valley Community College (§ 6). Additionally, the Act repeals a requirement that BOR, which is not a state agency, promulgate regulations for determining financial need for tuition waivers (§ 9) and transfers from BOR to the UConn board of trustees the requirement to establish an endowed chair in infectious diseases at the UConn Health Center (§ 8). Effective from Passage

 

CT SB 903, PA 17-94

An Act Concerning Educational and Professional Standards for Professional Counselors 

This Act establishes new qualifications for professional counselor licensure, starting in 2019. For example, it requires applicants to have graduated from (1) a program accredited by the Council for Accreditation of Counseling and Related Educational Programs (CACREP) or (2) a regionally accredited program and meet other requirements similar to existing CACREP standards (e.g., a practicum and clinical internship of specified hours). The Act also requires that (1) an applicant's postgraduate-degree experience occur over at least a two-year period, rather than one year as under current law, and (2) the supervisor of that experience be licensed in Connecticut. In some circumstances, the Act allows applicants who were enrolled in a graduate program on or before July 1, 2017 to apply for licensure under the current requirements when the new requirements take effect in 2019. The Act also requires professional counselors' continuing education to include three contact hours in professional ethics annually. Effective October 1, 2017

 

CT SB 948, PA 17-130

An Act Authorizing Guidelines for Programs to Reduce Student Costs and Exempting Constituent Unit Qualified, Revenue and Nonmonetary Contracts from Certain Statutory Requirements.

This Act limits the applicability of certain state contracting requirements to UConn and the Board of Regents for Higher Education (BOR). Generally, it allows UConn and BOR to enter into certain goods and services contracts without (1) obtaining specified certifications from bidders and contractors and (2) complying with competitive bidding or negotiation requirements. In the latter case, UConn and BOR must first adopt policies for entering into or amending the goods and services contracts covered by the Act.  Effective July 1, 2017

 

The Act also allows the Office of Higher Education, UConn, the Connecticut State University System, the regional community-technical college system, and Charter Oak State College to each establish guidelines encouraging the state's public higher education institutions to implement programs that reduce students' textbook and educational resource costs (§ 1). Effective January 1, 2018

NOTE:  This bill was requested by the University and was commonly referred to as the “cutting the red tape ” or the Higher Education Contracting bill. 

 

CT SB 963, PA 17-242

An Act Concerning Educational and Environmental Issues Relating to Manufacturing

Among other things, this Act makes changes in the development of the manufacturing workforce. Specifically, it (1) requires the Board of Regents (BOR) to develop a plan to increase mechatronics course offerings and (2) creates a working group to develop a program to train inmates for manufacturing careers. Effective October 1, 2017

 

CT SB 979, PA 17-163

An Act Concerning Notification to Schools and Institutions of Higher Education of Restraining Orders, Civil Protection Orders and Standing Criminal Protective Orders Affecting Students

This Act makes changes to laws that govern the court's notification to schools or institutions of higher education when it issues certain protection orders.  Under current law, a court, upon the request of a victim, must notify the victim's school or institution of higher education when it issues a civil restraining order, civil protection order, family violence protective order, or criminal protective order.  The Act, instead, requires the court to do so only if the applicant provides the court with the school's or institution's name and address.  For civil restraining orders, the Act additionally requires the court to provide such notice under the conditions described above, to the school or institution in which the victim's minor child protected by the order is enrolled.  The Act also expands the court's duty to provide court notification to schools or institutions of higher education by requiring the court to do so, under the conditions described above, when it issues standing criminal protection orders and orders prohibiting harassment of a witness in a criminal case. Such notices are not required in these cases under current law. Effective January 1, 2018

 

CT SB 1021, PA 17-50

An Act Revising the Uniform Fraudulent Transfer Act

The Uniform Fraudulent Transfer Act protects creditors by, among other things, providing ways to determine which transfers and obligations are fraudulent and allowing the court to void these transfers and obligations (CGS § 52-552a et. seq. ). Under this Act, transfers and obligations against a higher education institution are not voidable if the transfer was made or obligation was incurred by a minor or adult child's parent or guardian on the child's behalf for his or her undergraduate education. The Act thus limits the ability of a creditor of a parent or guardian to have tuition payments voided to fulfill a debt to the creditor. Effective October 1, 2017

 

CT SB 1502, PA 17-2 (June Special Session)

Personal Income Tax Credit for Certain Individuals Getting STEM Degrees

Sec. 648 provides a $500 annual personal income tax credit for individuals who are employed in the state, received on/after 1/1/19 an undergraduate or graduate degree in a STEM field, and reside in the state or move to CT within 2 years after receiving such degree

 

CT HB 5116, PA 17-156

An Act Concerning Public Access to Higher Education and Employment Data  

This Act requires the Higher Education Coordinating Council to use existing data networks when producing periodic reports with the Department of Labor (DOL) about Connecticut public higher education institutions. By law, these reports must address the employment status, job retention, and earnings of students enrolled in academic and noncredit vocational courses and programs, both prior to enrollment and after course and program completion, who leave UConn and the Connecticut State Colleges and Universities (CSCU) upon graduation or otherwise. The Act also requires these reports to be made accessible on a website in aggregate form with guidance from the Planning Commission for Higher Education. (Presumably, the “aggregate form” requirement concerns personally identifiable student information contained in the reports.) Effective October 1, 2017

 

CT HB 5590, PA 17-207

An Act Creating a Task Force to Improve the Workforce Development System in the State of Connecticut 

This Act: (1) creates a Workforce Training Authority and related Workforce Training Authority Fund, (2) creates two workforce programs in statute, and (3) makes a number of other changes to laws related to workforce development. It also requires the Department of Labor (DOL) to analyze information and submit various reports to the General Assembly. Effective from Passage

 

CT HB 7053, PA 17-229

An Act Concerning the Publication of Transfer and Articulation Programs in the State and the Membership and Duties of the Planning Commission for Higher Education

This Act requires (1) the Office of Higher Education (OHE) and public institutions of higher education to publish information regarding transfer and articulation agreements on their respective internet websites and (2) the Connecticut State University System (CSUS) to provide information on transfer and articulation agreements to all students admitted to any of the CSUS regional community-technical colleges. It also requires each institution of higher education that receives federal funds to provide a link to its most recent National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) profile on its website. It also reconstitutes and expands the membership of the Planning Commission for Higher Education and places it within OHE. Furthermore, it modifies certain commission duties and activities including creating a requirement that a subcommittee develop an annual affordability index for public higher education. It authorizes OHE to accept private or public donations or grants for the purpose of administering the commission. It also makes conforming and technical changes. Effective January 1, 2018

 

CT HB 7119, PA 17-191

An Act Concerning the Authority of the Executive Director of the Office of Higher Education Relating to Teach-Out Plans and On-Site Review of Academic Programs 

This Act expands the Office of Higher Education (OHE) executive director's oversight discretion regarding higher educational institutions that (1) are in danger of closing or (2) apply to OHE to offer programs in a field requiring a license to practice in Connecticut. Effective July 1, 2017

 

CT HB 7120, PA 17-139

An Act Concerning Postsecondary Career Schools 

This Act makes the following changes to laws governing private occupational schools: 1. changes the definition of “private occupational school” (§ 1), 2. extends the initial and annual financial reporting requirements for barbering and hairdressing schools enrolling less than 10 students to any type of non-accredited private occupational school with these enrollment numbers (§§ 2 & 4), 3. requires all private occupational schools to maintain duplicate files of academic transcripts for all alumni and currently enrolled students (§ 5), and 4. establishes a deadline by which students may apply to the Office of Higher Education (OHE) for a tuition refund after their private occupational school becomes insolvent or closes (§ 6). Effective July 1, 2017

 

CT HB 7128, PA 17-56

An Act Concerning the Legislative Commissioners' Recommendations for Technical Revisions to the Higher Education Statutes 

This Act replaces obsolete references to the president of the Board of Regents for Higher Education with the current correct title, “president of the Connecticut State Colleges and Universities.” It also makes various technical and grammatical changes. Effective from passage

 

CT HB 7202, PA 17-100

An Act Establishing a Division of Postsecondary Education Programs within the Technical High School System 

This Act creates a postsecondary educational division of the Connecticut Technical High School System (i.e., “system”) to administer any postsecondary educational program that (1) a technical high school offered during the 2016-17 school year or (2) the system board approves on or after July 1, 2017. The system currently operates postsecondary programs in aviation maintenance and licensed practical nursing. The Act requires that any student enrolled in these programs either (1) have a high school diploma or its equivalent or (2) be over age 21. Effective from passage

 CT SB 917, PA 17-127

An Act Concerning Discriminatory Practices Against Veterans, Leaves of Absence For National Guard Members, Application For Certain Medicaid Programs and Disclosure of Certain Records to Federal Military Law Enforcement

This Act prohibits discrimination on the basis of a veteran's status in employment, public accommodations, the sale or rental of housing, the granting of credit, and other laws over which the Commission on Human Rights and Opportunities (CHRO) has jurisdiction. It authorizes any veteran aggrieved by an alleged discriminatory practice to file discrimination complaints with CHRO, which enforces antidiscrimination laws in these areas. A veteran is anyone honorably discharged or released under honorable conditions from active service in the armed forces. The Act also: 1. requires employers of any employees who serve in the National Guard of another state to grant leave for purposes of such services (§ 14); 2. allows active duty members of the armed forces to register certain family members for Medicaid home-and community-based programs (§ 15); and 3. explicitly includes U.S. Department of Defense law enforcement authorities among the federal law enforcement officers to whom Department of Children and Families (DCF) records must be disclosed without consent of the person who is the subject of the record, under certain circumstances specified in law (§ 16). Effective October 1, 2017

 

CT SB 1502, PA 17-2 (June Special Session)

OPM/DAS Study to Reduce Workers’ Comp Costs

Sec. 179 requires this study.

Connecticut Pension Sustainability Commission

Sec. 180 established this commission to study the feasibility of placing state capital assets in a trust and maximizing those assets for the sole benefit of the state pension system.

SEBAC Savings Report

Sec. 215-216 requires the Comptroller to issue an annual report, beginning December 1, 2018, on the amount of labor-management savings realized for the prior fiscal year pursuant to the operation of the SEBAC agreement.  Legislative hearings will be held on the reports.

State Collective Bargaining Agreements

Sec. 218 limits collective bargaining agreements entered into after June 30, 2027 to a term of 4 years.

Collective Bargaining Agreements

Sec. 332 requires that all state collective bargaining agreements must be voted on by the General Assembly.

Paid Leave for State Employees for Organ or Bone Marrow Donations

Sec. 643 provides that in addition to medical leave rights under the state FMLA law, state employees are entitled to paid time off to recover after organ donation (up to 15 days) and bone marrow donation (up to 7 days). 

 

CT HB 6668, PA 17-118

An Act Concerning Pregnant Women in the Workplace

This Act expands the employment protections provided to pregnant women under the state's anti-discrimination law. It requires employers to provide a reasonable workplace accommodation for a pregnant employee or applicant, unless the employer demonstrates that the accommodation would be an undue hardship. The Act also prohibits employers from (1) limiting, segregating, or classifying an employee in a way that would deprive her of employment opportunities due to her pregnancy or (2) forcing a pregnant employee or applicant to accept a reasonable accommodation if she does not need one. It also eliminates certain employment protection provisions related to transfers to temporary positions for pregnant workers. It defines “pregnancy” as pregnancy, childbirth, or related conditions, including lactation. Under the Act and existing law, an employer includes the state, municipalities, and any private employer with three or more employees (CGS § 46a-51). The Act also requires (1) employers to notify employees of their rights under the Act and (2) the Commission on Human Rights and Opportunities (CHRO) to conduct ongoing public education efforts to inform employers and employees about their rights and responsibilities. Effective October 1, 2017

CT SCR 63

Resolution Convening the General Assembly in Special Session

This legislation was necessary because the General Assembly failed to pass an FY18 and FY19 biennial budget during the regular legislative session.  This Resolution allows the members of this General Assembly to convene in a special session not earlier than June 8, 2017, and limits the call of the session be solely for the purposes of considering and enacting: (1) The state budget for the biennium beginning July 1, 2017, and revenue to balance the state budget for said biennium;  (2) Bills and resolutions needed to implement the state budget for the biennium beginning July 1, 2017; and (3) Bills concerning (A) state bond authorizations and their underlying programs and projects, and (B) school construction.

CT SB 755, PA 17-33

An Act Concerning the Council on Medical Assistance Program Oversight

This Act eliminates the Council on Medical Assistance Program Oversight's (MAPOC) standing subcommittee on Medicaid cost savings. Effective October 1, 2017

 

CT SB 1502, PA 17-2 (June Special Session)

Limit on Medicaid Payment for Certain Rx

Sec. 200 provides that “The maximum allowable cost paid for [Factor VIII pharmaceuticals] antihemophilic Factor VII, VIII, IX and X products under the Medicaid program shall be the actual acquisition cost as reflected on the manufacturer's invoice plus eight per cent plus the professional dispensing fee established for covered outpatient drugs.”

Reimbursement for Rx under Medical Assistance Programs Administered by DSS

Sec. 570 makes changes to the amounts that the state reimburses for meds, professional fees, dispensing fees, etc. provided under DSS medical assistance programs, and adds to the statute the following language:

“Effective on and after April 1, 2017, the Commissioner of Social Services shall revise the reimbursement methodology and professional dispensing fees for covered outpatient drugs under the Medicaid program to meet the requirements of federal regulations implementing changes to Section 1927 of the Social Security Act. Any such revision to the reimbursement methodology and professional dispensing fees for covered outpatient drugs under the Medicaid program shall conform with procedures established by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services to reflect actual acquisition costs and shall not adversely impact access to such outpatient drugs.”

Sec. 571. Adds to the statutes:

(Effective from passage) (a) On and after the effective date of this section, the Commissioner of Social Services shall submit any proposed revision to the reimbursement methodology and dispensing fees for covered outpatient drugs under the Medicaid program, including, but not limited to, a proposed revision requested by or on behalf of the General Assembly, to the joint standing committees of the General Assembly having cognizance of matters relating to human services and appropriations and the budgets of state agencies prior to the implementation of any such proposed revision.

Once the reimbursement methodology and dispensing fees are developed, DSS must publish notice of the changes and invite public comments.

 

CT HB 7190, PA 17-135

An Act Concerning Medicaid Provider Audits and Electronic Visit Verification

This Act places limits on medical assistance (e.g., Medicaid) provider audits by (1) prohibiting the Department of Social Services (DSS) from applying agency policies or other criteria to audits of claims submitted before the policies or other criteria were distributed to providers and (2) temporarily prohibiting DSS from extrapolating overpayments related to electronic visit verification (EVV). The Act also requires the DSS commissioner to report to the Human Services Committee on the implementation of the state-required EVV system by July 1, 2018. The report must include (1) any problems with system implementation, (2) recommendations to resolve identified problems, and (3) cost savings identified due to the EVV system. Effective July 1, 2017

CT SB 445, PA 17-241

An Act Concerning Contracts Between a Pharmacy and a Pharmacy Benefits Manager, the Bidirectional Exchange of Electronic Health Records and the Charging of Facility Fees by s Hospital or Health System

This Act includes numerous provisions affecting hospitals and health systems, health care providers, and health carriers (e.g., insurers and HMOs). Specifically, it: 1. prohibits certain pharmacy services contracts from containing a provision prohibiting or penalizing a pharmacist's disclosure of certain information (e.g., therapeutic alternatives or less expensive purchasing methods) to an individual purchasing prescription medication (§ 1); 2. allows indirect purchasers to recover against drug manufacturers for antitrust violations, and allows defendants to avoid duplicative liability if they can prove that the alleged overcharge was passed on by someone else (§ 2); 3. prohibits contracts between a health care provider and certain vendors or agents a health carrier (e.g., insurer or HMO) retains from prohibiting disclosure of (a) acted or allowed amounts, reimbursement rates, or out-of-pocket costs or (b) data related to the all-payer claims database (§ 3); 4. makes changes to hospital electronic health record (EHR) requirements, such as specifically requiring hospitals to send or receive EHRs if requested by a patient or provider under certain conditions (§ 4); and 5. modifies patient notification requirements concerning facility fees charged by hospitals and health systems for outpatient services provided at hospital-based facilities (§ 5). Effective October 1, 2017

 

CT HB 5077, PA 17-109

An Act Concerning the Return of Prescription Drugs to Pharmacies

This Act requires the Department of Consumer Protection (DCP) commissioner, by July 1, 2018, and with the advice and assistance of the Commission of Pharmacy, to adopt regulations allowing licensed pharmacies to accept and dispose of unused prescription drugs. The Act restricts the number of retail pharmacy locations that may collect the drugs to 50 during the first year and an additional 50 in each subsequent year. It also requires the regulations to: 1. comply with federal law on accepting and disposing of unused prescription drugs at pharmacies (see, e.g., 21 CFR § 1300 et seq.); 2. establish a tracking and monitoring system and security requirements for the drugs; 3. specify permissible locations within pharmacies for accepting and storing the drugs; and 4. establish a process to ensure the drugs are securely removed and destroyed, including allowing for agreements with law enforcement. The Act requires the DCP commissioner to consult with the energy and environmental protection commissioner before establishing the removal and destruction process in regulations. Effective from Passage

 

CT HB 7052, PA 17-131

An Act Preventing Prescription Opioid Diversion and Abuse

This Act makes various changes to prevent and treat opioid drug abuse. Principally, it: 1. allows the Department of Consumer Protection (DCP) commissioner to share certain prescription drug monitoring program information with other state agencies for certain drug abuse studies (§ 1); 2. generally requires prescriptions for controlled substances to be transmitted electronically to a pharmacy, which must have the technology to accept such prescriptions (§ 3); 3. limits access to controlled substances by (a) allowing certain registered nurses employed by home health care agencies to destroy or dispose of them, (b) creating a process for patients to request to not be prescribed opioids, and (c) generally reducing the amount of opioid drugs a minor may be prescribed (§§ 2, 4, & 5); 4. requires practitioners, when prescribing opioids, to discuss with all patients, rather than only minors, the risks associated with opioid drug use (§ 5); 5. requires the Alcohol and Drug Policy Council (ADPC) to take certain actions to address opioid drug abuse (§ 7); 6. requires certain individual and group health insurers to cover specified medically necessary, inpatient detoxification services for an insured or enrollee diagnosed with a substance use disorder (§§ 8 & 9); 7. requires alcohol or drug treatment facilities to use admissions criteria developed by the American Society of Addiction Medicine (§ 10); 8. extends the date by which municipalities must amend their local emergency medical services (EMS) plans to require at least one EMS provider likely to arrive first on the scene of a medical emergency to carry an opioid antagonist and complete a training on how to administer it (§ 11); and 9. allows a prescribing practitioner authorized to prescribe an opioid antagonist to issue a standing order (i.e., non-patient specific prescription) to a licensed pharmacist for an opioid antagonist under certain conditions (§ 12). Effective from Passage

CT SB 888, PA 17-12

An Act Concerning Liability for Damage Caused by a Dog Assigned to a Law Enforcement Officer

The dog bite statute creates a rebuttable presumption that a member of a law enforcement officer's household where the officer keeps a dog assigned to him or her by the town, state, or federal government is not the dog's keeper. This Act specifies that the statute's rebuttable presumption applies to any officer, employee, or other person paid by or acting as an agent of the State Police, State Capitol Police, municipal police, or Department of Correction. Thus, in an action against a member of any of these law enforcement officer's households for damage done by a dog, the plaintiff has the burden of proving that the household member was the dog's keeper and had exclusive control of the dog when the damage was sustained. Effective October 1, 2017

 

CT SB 941, PA 17-84

An Act Concerning the Department of Public Health's Recommendations Regarding Revisions to Local Emergency Medical Services Plans

This Act requires municipalities to update their local emergency medical services (EMS) plans at least every five years, rather than when they determine necessary as under prior law. It specifies certain information that must be included in the plans' performance standards. Prior law required the Department of Public Health (DPH), at least every five years, to review local EMS plans and primary service area responders' services provided under them. The Act instead requires municipalities to conduct this review and submit the revised plans to the DPH commissioner, who must evaluate each plan on an ongoing basis. Unlike prior requirements for DPH review, the Act does not require a municipality's review to include evaluating the responder's compliance with applicable laws and regulations. The Act also makes changes to procedures for DPH's evaluation of the plans, such as (1) requiring prior notice to the municipality and (2) modifying the process for developing performance improvement plans for providers rated as failing. By law, a primary service area is a specific geographic area to which DPH assigns a designated EMS provider for each category of emergency medical response services. These providers are termed primary service area responders (CGS § 19a-175). October 1, 2017

 

CT SB 979, PA 17-163

An Act Concerning Notification to Schools and Institutions of Higher Education of Restraining Orders, Civil Protection Orders and Standing Criminal Protective Orders Affecting Students

This Act makes changes to laws that govern the court's notification to schools or institutions of higher education when it issues certain protection orders.  Under current law, a court, upon the request of a victim, must notify the victim's school or institution of higher education when it issues a civil restraining order, civil protection order, family violence protective order, or criminal protective order.  The Act, instead, requires the court to do so only if the applicant provides the court with the school's or institution's name and address.  For civil restraining orders, the Act additionally requires the court to provide such notice under the conditions described above, to the school or institution in which the victim's minor child protected by the order is enrolled.  The Act also expands the court's duty to provide court notification to schools or institutions of higher education by requiring the court to do so, under the conditions described above, when it issues standing criminal protection orders and orders prohibiting harassment of a witness in a criminal case. Such notices are not required in these cases under current law. Effective January 1, 2018

 

CT SB 991, PA 17-243

An Act Making Revisions to Statutes Concerning the Department of Administrative Services

This Act makes several changes with respect to statutes affecting the Department of Administrative Services (DAS). Among other things, it expands the types of state-owned vehicles exempt from fuel-efficiency requirements to include all emergency vehicles (section 3).  Effective from Passage

 

CT HB 7047, PA 17-175

An Act Concerning Municipal Fire Apparatus Safety and Testing

Existing law establishes state safety inspection requirements for fire apparatus (CGS § 14-11d). This Act requires municipal and volunteer fire departments to maintain their pump and aerial fire apparatus components in compliance with the National Fire Protection Association standard 1911. Standard 1911 sets minimum requirements for inspecting, maintaining, testing, and retiring fire apparatus. The Act also requires that such departments maintain their fire apparatus in compliance with specified federal regulations concerning safety, maintenance, and inspections. Existing state regulations already require compliance with the same federal regulations (Conn. Agencies Regs. § 14-11d-2; see also § 14-163c-1). (But, it is unclear if the Act conflicts with state regulations that may require compliance with additional Federal Motor Carrier Safety Regulations not included in the Act.) Under Department of Motor Vehicles regulations, a motor vehicle is regulated as “fire apparatus” if it is used as an emergency vehicle and weighs at least 18,001 pounds or is registered as fire apparatus and bears fire apparatus license plates (Conn. Agencies Regs. § 14-11d-1). Effective October 1, 2017

 

CT HB 7093, PA 17-180

An Act Concerning Notification to the Police Officer Standards and Training Council

This Act requires law enforcement units to inform the Police Officer Standards and Training Council (POST) if they know that a former police officer is applying for a police job after the officer was dismissed for malfeasance or serious misconduct calling into question his or her fitness to serve, or retired or resigned during an investigation of such. Law enforcement units are (1) already required by law to make such reports to another unit to which the officer is applying and (2) barred from hiring such officers. By law, POST, which certifies municipal police officers, is authorized to decertify officers who commit certain actions; decertified individuals cannot work as police officers in Connecticut. For purposes of the law and the Act, (1) “malfeasance” has its common meaning, and (2) “serious misconduct” means an officer's improper or illegal actions connected with official duties that could cause a miscarriage of justice or discrimination, such as a felony conviction, evidence fabrication, repeated use of excessive force, bribe acceptance, or fraud. The Act does not apply to an officer exonerated of all malfeasance or serious misconduct allegations. The Act, like existing law, applies to state, municipal, or other government entities whose primary functions include enforcing criminal or traffic laws; preserving public order; protecting life and property; or preventing, detecting, or investigating crime. It also applies to the two tribal police departments. Effective October 1, 2017

 

CT HB 7308, PA 17-225

An Act Concerning Camera and Recording Devices and Equipment Used by Police

This Act expands a grant program administered by the Office of Policy and Management (OPM) secretary that reimburses municipalities for, among other things, purchasing body cameras for use by sworn members of municipal police departments. Generally, it (1) expands the types of equipment and law enforcement personnel eligible for the program to include electronic defense weapon recording equipment and first time purchases of dashboard cameras and (2) extends the program by one year, to FY 19. Under the Act, however, the reimbursement is provided within available resources. The Act also establishes a 26-member task force to examine the use of body cameras by state and municipal police. It must report its findings and recommendations to the Judiciary and Public Safety committees by February 1, 2018. With respect to municipal police departments that use body cameras, current law requires their use when interacting with the public in a law enforcement capacity, with certain specified exceptions (e.g., encounters with undercover officers or informants). The Act additionally requires that they be used in accordance with the department's policy for using body cameras, if it is adopted in accordance with guidelines issued by the Department of Emergency Services and Public Protection (DESPP) commissioner and Police Officer Standards and Training Council (POST).

CT SB 959, SA 17-20

An Act Concerning an Inventory of the State's Bioscience Education Pipeline

This Act requires the Commerce Committee of the General Assembly to convene a working group to conduct an inventory of the educational resources available at public and private institutions of higher education in the state to prepare students for careers in the bioscience field and make legislative recommendations to improve and increase the availability of such resources. Appointments shall include but need not be limited to Department of Economic and Community Development, Connecticut Innovations, Incorporated, the Board of Regents for Higher Education, the regional community-technical college system, The University of Connecticut, a private institution of higher education, and a bioscience industry association. All appointments to the working group shall be made not later than thirty days after the effective date of this section. Effective from Passage

 

CT SB 962, SA 17-2

An Act Concerning the Development of Evaluative Metrics for Bioscience Investments in the State

This Act require Connecticut Innovations, Incorporated to contract with a private vendor to develop metrics to evaluate the state's investments in bioscience. Effective from Passage

 

CT SB 1056, SA 17-6

An Act Establishing a Working Group to Develop a Plan to Foster the Microbiome Sector in the State

The Act establishes a working group to study legislative and programmatic initiatives and develop a roadmap to foster the microbiome sector in the state. The group shall designate a state agency or quasi-public agency to establish and lead a program to attract and retain companies that are developing microbiome-based products and services. Not later than January 1, 2018 the working group shall report its plans for the initiatives outlined in the Act to the Finance, Commerce and Public Health committees. Not later than February 1, 2018 the group shall make a presentation to the General Assembly and the Governor of its report. The working group shall consist of (1) the Commissioners of Economic and Community Development, Public Health and Revenue Services, or their designees, (2) the chairperson of the CTNext board of directors or the chairperson's designee, (3) the president of The University of Connecticut or the president's designee, (4) the dean of The University of Connecticut School of Medicine or the dean's designee, (5) the president of the Board of Regents for Higher Education or the president's designee, and (6) the following, to be appointed by the Governor: (A) One representative of an independent institution of higher education in the state; (B) one representative of an independent medical school in the state; (C) one representative from Yale University or Yale University School of Medicine; (D) two representatives of bioscience companies located in the state and in business for five years or more; (E) two representatives of bioscience companies located in the state and in business for less than five years; (F) one representative of a venture capital firm located in the state; and (G) one individual who represents hospitals in the state. The working group may consult with industry stakeholders and representatives of microbiome companies, representatives of educational and research institutions that are focused on the microbiome sector, representatives of the medical field who have expertise in the medical applications of microbiome-based products and services and any other individuals or representatives of fields the working group deems necessary or appropriate to inform it on the microbiome sector. Effective from Passage

NOTE:  Language relating to this Working Group was later modified by Section 132 of the Budget bill, passed in the 2017 June Special Session.

 

CT SB 1502, PA 17-2 (June Special Session)

Microbiome Working Group

Sec. 132 (Effective from passage) includes the language that UConn requested around workforce development issues, the broader application of the microbiome and commercialization opportunities.  UConn’s President and the Dean of the Medical School (or their designees) are among the named members of the Working Group. 

The language of interest includes: (2) The relative importance of and interrelationship between pure microbiome research and commercialization activity, and best practices to stimulate both;

(3) Whether it would be in the best interest of the state to develop a specialization or specializations within the human, animal or environmental microbiome field or any subfield thereof;

(4) (A) The talent pool and skills necessary to establish the state as a leader in the microbiome industry, (B) the educational curricula and training levels required to fill such needs and the level at which public and independent institutions of higher education in the state are meeting such requirements, (C) the ability of the state to attract out-of-state individuals with such talent and skills, and (D) a determination of how to develop such talent and skills to the levels required to meet the goals and requirements of this subsection, in terms of the skills required, the needed number of skilled workers in the state and specific academic and practical training recommended to be strengthened at such institutions; and

(5) The strength and amount of academic expertise in the microbiome field at public and independent institutions of higher education in the state, including how aligned such expertise is with the working group's roadmap, considering such institutions' plans to grow and deepen such expertise and technology commercialization efforts by faculty at such institutions.

CT Bioscience Innovation Fund - $10m in Funding, $3m for Yale Precision Medicine Initiative

Sec. 450 adds that the Connecticut Bioscience Innovation Fund (CBIF) shall be used to, among other things “to provide financial assistance to eligible institutions as defined in section 32-41jj and pursuant to the requirements of sections 32-41jj to 32-41mm, inclusive.” Eligible institutions are defined as non-profit, tax exempt academic institutions of higher education, hospitals that conduct biomedical research or any entity that conducts biomedical research or regenerative medicine research.  There is a prohibition on human cloning and embryonic stem cell research is allowed within guidelines. 

Sec. 451 cuts funding to CBIF in FY18 and 19 from $25m per year to $15m per year, but adds a year to the program (to 2024) and includes $24m in 2024 for the Fund.  Also provides that, for FY18, FY19 and FY20, “not less than three million dollars of the amount for each such fiscal year authorized in accordance with subdivision (1) of this subsection shall be made available as a grant-in-aid to the Yale Connecticut Precision Medicine Initiative.”

Regenerative Medicine Research Fund

Sec. 452-453.  FY19 is the last year that this Fund is authorized in law to receive bond funding. 

Sec. 453 provides that Bond Commission is authorized to issue bonds for this Fund in the amount of $10m (down from $40m, at least $10m in each FY17, FY18 & FY19). 

CT SB 991, PA 17-243

An Act Making Revisions to Statutes Concerning the Department of Administrative Services

This Act makes several changes with respect to statutes affecting the Department of Administrative Services (DAS). Among other things, it (1) requires DAS to consider offering surplus state property to abutting landowners before offering it for general sale; (2) expands the types of state-owned vehicles exempt from fuel-efficiency requirements to include all emergency vehicles; (3) for design-bid-build contracts, increases, from $25,000 to $100,000, the threshold at which the contractor must include a separate section for specific sub-classes of work; and (4) expands the circumstances under which DAS may grant an easement on state land. The Act additionally delays, from August 1 to August 30, the annual deadline by which state agencies and political subdivisions, other than municipalities, must notify DAS and other parties of their small contractor and minority business enterprise contracting set-aside goals for the current fiscal year (§ 5). (By law, municipalities are not subject to this reporting requirement.)