Bill Summary – FastDemocracy

General Assembly                     Raised Bill No. 5447
       February Session, 2020              LCO No. 2293
     Referred to Committee on HUMAN SERVICES
     Introduced by:
       (HS)
 AN ACT CONCERNING TECHNICAL AND CLARIFYING REVISIONS
 TO THE HUMAN SERVICES STATUTES.
 Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in General
 Assembly convened:
       Section 1. Subsection (d) of section 19a-132 of the 2020 supplement to
    the general statutes is repealed and the following is substituted in lieu
    thereof (Effective July 1, 2020):
      (d) [Members shall serve at the will of the speaker of the House of
   Representatives and the president pro tempore of the Senate, who may
   each appoint additional members and set term limits for each member.]
   Appointments to the network shall be made not later than sixty days
   after the effective date of this section. Members shall choose
   chairpersons [. Any vacancy shall be filled by the speaker of the House
   of Representatives, acting in consultation with the president pro
   tempore of the Senate] from among the network's members.
      Sec. 2. Subsection (a) of section 17a-217a of the 2020 supplement to
   the general statutes is repealed and the following is substituted in lieu
   thereof (Effective July 1, 2020):
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    (a) There shall be a Camp Harkness Advisory Committee to advise
 the Commissioner of Developmental Services with respect to issues
 concerning the health and safety of persons who attend and utilize the
 facilities at Camp Harkness. The advisory committee shall be composed
 of twelve members as follows: (1) Six members appointed by the
 Governor, one of whom shall be the director of Camp Harkness, who
 shall serve ex officio, one of whom shall represent the Southeastern
 Connecticut Association for Developmental Disabilities, one of whom
 shall represent the Southbury Training School, one of whom shall
 represent the Arc of New London County, one of whom shall be a
 person who uses the camp on a residential basis and one of whom shall
 be a relative or guardian of a person who uses the camp; and (2) six
 members appointed by the General Assembly, one of whom shall be a
 relative or guardian of a person who uses the camp, who shall be
 appointed by the president pro tempore of the Senate; one of whom
 shall be a member of the Family Support Council, established pursuant
 to section 17a-219c, and represent persons who use the camp on a day
 basis, who shall be appointed by the speaker of the House of
 Representatives; one of whom shall represent the board of selectmen of
 the town of Waterford, who shall be appointed by the majority leader of
 the House of Representatives; one of whom shall represent a private
 nonprofit corporation that is: (A) Tax exempt under Section 501(c)(3) of
 the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, or any subsequent internal revenue
 code of the United States, as amended from time to time, and (B)
 established to promote and support Camp Harkness and its camping
 programs, who shall be appointed by the majority leader of the Senate;
 one of whom shall represent the Connecticut Institute for the Blind and
 the Oak Hill School, who shall be appointed by the minority leader of
 the House of Representatives; and one of whom shall represent the
 United Cerebral Palsy Association, who shall be appointed by the
 minority leader of the Senate.
    Sec. 3. Subsection (c) of section 17a-314 of the 2020 supplement to the
 general statutes is repealed and the following is substituted in lieu
 thereof (Effective July 1, 2020):
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    (c) The program shall provide: (1) Toll-free telephone access for
 consumers to obtain advice and information on Medicare benefits,
 including prescription drug benefits available through the Medicare
 Part D program, the Medicare appeals process, health insurance matters
 applicable to Medicare beneficiaries and long-term care options
 available in the state at least five days per week during normal business
 hours; (2) information, advice and representation, where appropriate,
 concerning the Medicare appeals process, by a qualified attorney or
 paralegal at least five days per week during normal business hours; (3)
 information through appropriate means and format, including written
 materials, to Medicare beneficiaries, their families, senior citizens and
 organizations regarding Medicare benefits, including prescription drug
 benefits available through Medicare Part D and other pharmaceutical
 drug company programs and long-term care options available in the
 state; (4) information concerning Medicare plans and services, private
 insurance policies and federal and state-funded programs that are
 available to beneficiaries to supplement Medicare coverage; (5)
 information permitting Medicare beneficiaries to compare and evaluate
 their options for delivery of Medicare and supplemental insurance
 services; (6) information concerning the procedure to appeal a denial of
 care and the procedure to request an expedited appeal of a denial of
 care; and (7) any other information the program or the Commissioner of
 [Rehabilitation] Aging and Disability Services deems relevant to
 Medicare beneficiaries.
     Sec. 4. Section 17a-422 of the 2020 supplement to the general statutes
 is repealed and the following is substituted in lieu thereof (Effective July
 1, 2020):
    (a) The Office of the Long-Term Care Ombudsman shall develop and
 implement a pilot program, within available appropriations, to provide
 assistance and education to residents of managed residential
 communities, as defined in section 19a-693, who receive assisted living
 services from an assisted living services agency licensed by the
 Department of Public Health in accordance with chapter 368v. The
 assistance and education provided under such pilot program shall
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 include, but not be limited to: (1) Assistance and education for residents
 who are temporarily admitted to a hospital or long-term care facility and
 return to a managed residential community; (2) assistance and
 education for residents with issues relating to a residency agreement for
 a managed residential community; and (3) assistance and education for
 residents to assure adequate and appropriate services are being
 provided including, but not limited to, adequate and appropriate
 services for individuals with cognitive impairments.
    (b) The Office of the Long-Term Care Ombudsman shall develop and
 implement the pilot program in cooperation with managed residential
 communities and assisted living services agencies. Priority of assistance
 and education shall be given to residents of managed residential
 communities who participate in subsidized assisted living programs
 authorized under sections 8-206e, 17b-347e, 17b-365, 17b-366 and 19a-
 6c. To the extent allowed by available appropriations, the Long-Term
 Care Ombudsman shall also provide assistance and education under the
 pilot program to residents in managed residential communities who do
 not participate in said subsidized assisted living programs.
    [(c) Not later than June 30, 2005, the Long-Term Care Ombudsman
 shall submit a report on the pilot program to the Commissioners of
 Aging and Disability Services and Public Health, to the joint standing
 committees of the General Assembly having cognizance of matters
 relating to human services, public health and appropriations, and to the
 select committee of the General Assembly having cognizance of matters
 relating to aging. The report shall be submitted in accordance with
 section 11-4a.]
    Sec. 5. Subsection (d) of section 17b-112l of the 2020 supplement to
 the general statutes is repealed and the following is substituted in lieu
 thereof (Effective July 1, 2020):
    (d) A Two-Generational Advisory Board shall be established as part
 of the initiative to advise the state, the legislature and the Secretary of
 the Office of Policy and Management on how to foster family economic
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 self-sufficiency in low income households through a comprehensive
 two-generational service delivery approach for early child care,
 education and workforce readiness. The board shall work in partnership
 with philanthropic organizations, as available, to provide support,
 technical assistance, guidance and best practices to the participating
 communities in the initiative designated pursuant to subsection (c) of
 this section. The board shall consist of (1) one member of the General
 Assembly appointed by the speaker of the House of Representatives,
 who shall serve as a cochairperson; (2) one member of the Senate
 appointed by the president pro tempore of the Senate, who shall serve
 as a cochairperson; (3) one member representing the interests of
 business or trade organizations appointed by the majority leader of the
 Senate; (4) one member with expertise on issues concerning physical
 and mental health appointed by the majority leader of the House of
 Representatives; (5) one member with expertise on issues concerning
 children and families appointed by the minority leader of the Senate; (6)
 one member of the General Assembly appointed by the minority leader
 of the House of Representatives; (7) one member appointed by the
 Governor; (8) [representatives] the following members appointed by the
 executive director of the Commission on Women, Children, Seniors,
 Equity and Opportunity: (A) Representatives of nonprofit and
 philanthropic organizations and scholars who are experts in two-
 generational programs and policies, including, but not limited to, at
 least one such representative and scholar with experience in developing
 strategies to achieve racial equity and social justice; [(9)] and (B) parent
 or family leaders representing low-income households [selected by the
 Commission on Women, Children, Seniors, Equity and Opportunity,]
 who shall constitute at least one-fourth of the board; and [(10)] (9) other
 business and academic professionals as needed to achieve goals for two-
 generational systems planning, evaluations and outcomes selected by
 the cochairpersons. The Chief Court Administrator, or the Chief Court
 Administrator's designee, shall serve as an ex-officio [members]
 member of the advisory board. The staff of the Commission on Women,
 Children, Seniors, Equity and Opportunity shall serve as the organizing
 and administrative staff of the advisory board.
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     Sec. 6. Section 17b-236 of the 2020 supplement to the general statutes
 is repealed and the following is substituted in lieu thereof (Effective July
 1, 2020):
    When there is found in any town in this state any child of sound mind
 who is physically disabled or who is afflicted with poliomyelitis or
 rheumatic fever, or any [uncontagious] noncontagious disabling
 disease, and who is unable to pay and whose relatives who are legally
 liable for his support are unable to pay the full cost of treating such
 disease, if such child and one of such relatives reside in this state, the
 selectmen of such town, or the guardian or any relative of such child, or
 any public health agency, physician or advanced practice registered
 nurse in this state, may make application to The Children's Center,
 located at Hamden, for the admission of such child to said center. Said
 center shall admit such child if such child is pronounced by a physician
 or advanced practice registered nurse on the staff of said center, after
 examination, to be fit for admission, and said center shall keep and
 support such child for such length of time as it deems proper. Said
 center shall not be required to admit any such child unless it can
 conveniently receive and care for him at the time such application is
 made, and said center may return to the town in which such child
 resides any child so taken who is pronounced by a physician or
 advanced practice registered nurse on the staff of said center, after
 examination, to be unfit for retention, or who, by reason of improvement
 in his condition or completion of his treatment or training, ought not to
 be further retained. The center may refuse to admit any child who is
 pronounced by a physician or advanced practice registered nurse on the
 staff of said center, after examination, to be unfit for admission, and may
 refuse to admit any such child when the facilities at the center will not,
 in the judgment of said physician or advanced practice registered nurse,
 permit the center to care for such child adequately and properly.
    Sec. 7. Subsection (d) of section 17b-245e of the 2020 supplement to
 the general statutes is repealed and the following is substituted in lieu
 thereof (Effective July 1, 2020):
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    (d) Not later than August 1, 2020, the commissioner shall submit a
 report, in accordance with the provisions of section 11-4a, to the joint
 standing committees of the General Assembly having cognizance of
 matters relating to human services and public health on (1) the
 categories of health care services in which the department is utilizing
 telehealth services, (2) [in what] the cities or regions of the state such
 services are being offered, and (3) any cost savings realized by the state
 by providing telehealth services.
    Sec. 8. Subsection (c) of section 17b-260a of the 2020 supplement to
 the general statutes is repealed and the following is substituted in lieu
 thereof (Effective July 1, 2020):
    (c) There is established an advisory committee for the waiver
 program established pursuant to subsection (b) of this section consisting
 of the chairpersons and ranking members of the joint standing
 committees of the General Assembly having cognizance of matters
 relating to human services, public health and appropriations and the
 budgets of state agencies, or their designees, provided such designees
 shall include consumers and providers of services under said waiver
 program. The Commissioners of Social Services and Mental Health and
 Addiction Services, or their designees, shall also serve on the advisory
 committee. The chairpersons of the advisory committee shall be: (1) A
 chairperson of said joint standing committees, or such chairperson's
 designee, chosen by the chairpersons of said joint standing committees;
 (2) a ranking member of said joint standing committees, or such ranking
 member's designee, chosen by the ranking members of said joint
 standing committees; and (3) the Commissioner of Social Services or the
 Commissioner of Mental Health and Addiction Services, or [such] a
 [commissioner's] designee, jointly chosen by [such] said commissioners.
 The advisory committee shall meet once annually and shall submit an
 initial report, in accordance with the provisions of section 11-4a, not
 later than February 1, 2015, to the joint standing committees of the
 General Assembly having cognizance of matters relating to human
 services, public health and appropriations and the budgets of state
 agencies on the impact of the individual cost cap for the waiver program
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 established pursuant to subsection (b) of this section and any other
 matters the advisory committee deems appropriate. For purposes of this
 subsection, "individual cost cap" means the percentage of the cost of
 institutional care for an individual that may be spent on any one waiver
 program participant.
    Sec. 9. Subsection (c) of section 17b-352 of the 2020 supplement to the
 general statutes is repealed and the following is substituted in lieu
 thereof (Effective July 1, 2020):
    (c) A facility may submit a petition for closure to the Department of
 Social Services. The Department of Social Services may authorize the
 closure of a facility if the facility's management demonstrates to the
 satisfaction of the Commissioner of Social Services in the petition for
 closure that the facility (1) is not viable based on actual and projected
 operating losses; (2) has an occupancy rate of less than seventy per cent
 of the facility's licensed bed capacity; (3) closure is consistent with the
 strategic rebalancing plan developed in accordance with section 17b-
 369, including bed need by geographical region; (4) is in compliance
 with the requirements of Sections 11