Substitute Senate Bill No. 1, known as Public Act No. 24-19, introduces several health and safety measures for Connecticut residents. It requires home health care and home health aide agencies to collect and provide employees with information about clients' history of violence, substance use, domestic abuse, psychiatric history, and relevant judicial or sex offender registry information. Agencies must also inform employees about safety hazards at the service location and review crime-related data annually. The bill mandates health and safety training for agency staff, consistent with CDC and OSHA guidelines, and requires agencies to report instances of abuse against staff. A home health worker safety grant program is established to provide safety escorts and check mechanisms for staff. Additionally, the bill requires healthcare facilities to adopt workplace violence prevention standards and establishes a working group to study staff safety issues in home health care and hospice organizations.

The bill also includes provisions for the establishment of various working groups to address health-related issues, such as studying nonalcoholic fatty liver disease and health issues experienced by nail salon workers. It mandates the development of educational material on gun safety practices for primary care providers to distribute to patients. The bill amends definitions related to board certification for physicians and prohibits hospitals and insurers from requiring board recertification as a condition for practice or reimbursement. It also addresses opioid drug deactivation and disposal, requiring pharmacists to provide information to patients and the Commissioner of Mental Health and Addiction Services to post information online. Lastly, the bill updates health insurance coverage requirements, including coverage for coronary calcium scans, and mandates annual cybersecurity audits for hospitals.

Statutes affected:
Public Act No. 24-19: