Substitute House Bill No. 5373, Public Act No. 24-134, is a legislative act that revises human services statutes, particularly focusing on services for persons with disabilities and rate setting for certain care facilities. The bill repeals Section 17b-606 of the general statutes, which previously established the Department of Social Services as the lead agency for services to persons with disabilities, and replaces it with new provisions that maintain the requirement for the Department to provide information on services for persons with disabilities on its website. It also amends section 17b-340 of the 2024 supplement to the general statutes, which deals with operating cost components and rate adjustments for intermediate care facilities for individuals with intellectual disabilities, setting a cap on the daily rate for such facilities and outlining specific fiscal year adjustments and conditions for rate increases.

The bill includes changes to the computation of inflation for rate increases, shifting the reference date from "April thirtieth" to "March thirty-first" and setting minimum per diem rates for fiscal years 2024 and 2025, with no increase based on inflationary factors for those years. It also addresses the coordination of services for individuals with disabilities by establishing new staff positions within the Office of Policy and Management, forming an interagency coalition, and requiring the Commissioner of Developmental Services to reduce waiting lists for Medicaid waiver programs and report annually on the status of these programs. Furthermore, the bill mandates the expansion of the Medicaid waiver program for persons with autism spectrum disorder and requires an annual report with detailed statistics and recommendations related to the program. The bill includes several insertions and deletions to current law, such as changing "calendar year" to "fiscal year," removing language requiring consultation with certain General Assembly committees, and adding detailed requirements for the annual report's content. Sections 17a-215e, 17b-608, and 17b-609 of the general statutes are repealed, with the act taking effect upon passage.

Statutes affected:
Raised Bill:
HS Joint Favorable Substitute:
File No. 285:
Public Act No. 24-134: