Substitute House Bill No. 7049 aims to enhance the collaboration between the Department of Public Health (DPH) and the Office of the Child Advocate regarding the Infant Mortality Review Program. The bill allows the DPH commissioner to disclose confidential information and data obtained from the Infant Mortality Review Program to the Child Advocate when deemed necessary for the Advocate to fulfill their statutory duties. Additionally, the Child Advocate is authorized to share information about infant deaths with the DPH commissioner for the same purpose. The bill emphasizes that any disclosed information remains confidential and is not subject to further disclosure or admissible in court proceedings.

The bill also includes specific amendments to existing statutes. It repeals and replaces subsection (f) of section 19a-59j, which governs the confidentiality of information in the Infant Mortality Review Program, and subsection (a) of section 46a-13n, which outlines the confidentiality of information related to complaints made to the Child Advocate. The new language clarifies that any information shared between the two agencies must be used solely for medical or scientific research purposes and must adhere to confidentiality provisions. The effective date for these changes is set for October 1, 2025. Overall, the bill seeks to improve the effectiveness of the Infant Mortality Review Program by facilitating the exchange of critical data between the DPH and the Child Advocate.