Public Health Committee
JOINT FAVORABLE REPORT
Bill No.: HB-5597
Title: AN ACT CONCERNING OPIOIDS.
Vote Date: 3/26/2021
Vote Action: Joint Favorable
PH Date: 3/24/2021
File No.: 410
Disclaimer: The following JOINT FAVORABLE Report is prepared for the benefit of the
members of the General Assembly, solely for purposes of information, summarization and
explanation and does not represent the intent of the General Assembly or either chamber
thereof for any purpose.
SPONSORS OF BILL:
The Public Health Committee
REASONS FOR BILL:
This bill establishes a 10-member task force to study protocols used by first responders, EMS
personnel, police officers, hospital personnel, and medical examiners following an opioid
overdose death. The task force must report its findings and recommendations to the Public
Health and Public Safety Committees by January 1, 2022.
The bill also requires the Department of Public Health commissioner to establish guidelines
for the use of evidence-based, non-pharmaceutical therapies to treat chronic pain and
conduct educational outreach activities to raise awareness of these guidelines by January 1,
2022.
RESPONSE FROM ADMINISTRATION/AGENCY:
Deidre S. Gifford, MD, MPH, Acting Commissioner, Department of Public Health (DPH):
Commissioner Gifford and the DPH support Section 1 of this bill to study current opioid
overdose deaths with the addition of clarifying language to make the study recommendations
useful and actionable to the agency due to the exhaustive measures already in place that
monitor and attempt to prevent opioid overdose deaths in the state. DPH would also like the
membership list of studied participants to include hospital emergency room personnel, mental
health and addiction services professionals, and a forensic pathology clinician. Additionally,
they want the study results linked to the statewide Alcohol and Drug Policy Council.
The DPH opposes Section 2 of this bill. They state that the Centers for Disease Control and
Prevention (CDC) addresses and promotes the use of evidence-based, non-pharmaceutical
therapies to all clinicians when considering pain management strategies. The DPH supports
the CDC efforts via federal grant dollars and any additional efforts would be redundant. They
also feel that these efforts are best developed and managed by the applicable professional
societies and national organizations rather than a state government agency.
Miriam Delphin-Rittmon, PhD, Commissioner, Department of Mental Health and
Addiction Services (DHMAS):
Commissioner Delphin-Rittmon and the DHMAS support Section 1 of this bill with the addition
of two additional task force members to include one representative from the DHMAS and a
second from the recovery community.
The DHMAS states they already have a robust and highly coordinated substance abuse
prevention, treatment, and recovery protocol utilizing state and federal funds. Their
experience with the recovery community as part of their routine protocols has been highly
successful and they feel that they are a critical component in addressing the substance
abuse problems facing the state.
NATURE AND SOURCES OF SUPPORT:
Representative Bill Buckbee:
Representative Buckbee supports this bill as part of a collection of bills he is championing this
session to address the opioid crisis in the state. He wants the current protocols used by both
the Department of Public Health and the Department of Mental Health and Addiction Services
strengthened via the results of this study to better support both the agencies that provide
support and the people struggling with addiction.
Nicole Arel, Government Relations Chair, American Massage Therapy Association-
Connecticut Chapter (AMTA):
Ms. Arel and the AMTA support this bill and would like an amendment to add massage
therapy as one of the allowable evidence-based, non-pharmaceutical therapies to treat
chronic pain along with chiropractic treatment and physical therapy as part of the state's
efforts to address the opioid crisis. They state that massage therapy is now recognized as an
effective pain management tool and massage therapists are licensed by the Department of
Public Health and meet several of the same training, certification, and insurance
requirements as chiropractors and physical therapists.
Mat DiMond, Legislative Committee Chair, Connecticut Chiropractic Association
(CTChiro):
Mr. DiMond and the CTChiro support this bill because they want more people to be aware of
the benefits of chiropractic treatment and how it can reduce pain without drugs.
Caroline Kate Keefe, Member of Government Affairs, Connecticut Occupational
Therapy Association (ConnOTA):
Ms. Keefe and the ConnOTA support this bill and would like language added in Section 2 to
include occupational therapy as one of the allowable evidence-based, non-pharmaceutical
therapies to treat chronic pain. Occupational therapy has been recognized at the federal level
as licensed healthcare providers able to address the opioid crisis.
Gloria Merritt, Behavioral Health Nurse, Elara Caring:
Ms. Merritt supports this bill due to her experience working in the substance abuse
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community for decades and would like the Committee to add behavioral health services
professionals to the list of task force members. This would include any number of people
active in the recovery community because they bring experience and insight that can help
prevent the tragedy of opioid abuse death.
NATURE AND SOURCES OF OPPOSITION:
Connecticut State Medical Society (CSMS):
The CSMS does not support this bill as written. They do not feel that another task force is
necessary as we already have the Connecticut Alcohol and Drug Policy Council (ADPC)
comprised of physicians with substance abuse disorder and representatives from all three
branches of state government. They suggest expanding the scope of the ADPC to include the
study of opioid overdose protocols.
Additionally, the CSMS has concerns with the list of required task force personnel as it does
not include physicians. The CSMS states that this bill is an attempt by the Committee to
practice and legislate medicine.
The CSMS does not support Section 2 of this bill as there are already well established
protocols for pain management in the medical community. Pain management is a complex
medical practice and chronic pain can be a marker for a serious disease or disorder. These
are tasks best left to medical professionals and not unqualified government officials.
Reported by: Kate Hamilton April 16, 2021
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