Substitute Senate Bill No. 295 aims to strengthen legal protections for healthcare providers and patients engaged in legally protected health care activities, particularly focusing on reproductive and gender-affirming health care services. The bill introduces new definitions for "reproductive health care services," "gender-affirming health care services," and "legally protected health care activity," which collectively encompass the provision and receipt of these services in compliance with state laws. Key provisions include allowing individuals with foreign judgments related to these services to recover damages from initiating parties, and establishing that Connecticut law will govern cases involving these activities, regardless of the individuals' physical locations. The bill also prohibits the use of evidence regarding involvement in these activities to imply wrongdoing if the service recipient was not physically present in the state and allows individuals subject to subpoenas to seek modifications.

Additionally, the bill amends existing laws concerning the disclosure of patient information, prohibiting covered entities from disclosing communications related to legally protected health care activities without explicit written consent from the patient or their representative. It replaces specific references to reproductive and gender-affirming health care services with the broader term "legally protected health care activity." The bill also expands the address confidentiality program to include individuals involved in these activities, allowing them to apply without assistance, and introduces provisions for prescription identifiers that permit the use of health care facility names instead of prescribers' names. Overall, sSB295 seeks to enhance protections for individuals involved in legally protected health care activities while limiting the influence of out-of-state legal actions and ensuring that Connecticut law governs related matters.

Statutes affected:
Raised Bill: 54-162, 54-240, 54-240a, 54-240b, 20-614, 20-617
JUD Joint Favorable Substitute: 54-162, 54-240, 54-240a, 54-240b, 20-614, 20-617
File No. 560: 54-162, 54-240, 54-240a, 54-240b, 20-614, 20-617