Public Health Committee
JOINT FAVORABLE REPORT
Bill No.: HB-5500
AN ACT CONCERNING THE DEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC HEALTH'S
RECOMMENDATIONS REGARDING VARIOUS REVISIONS TO THE PUBLIC
Title: HEALTH STATUTES.
Vote Date: 3/30/2022
Vote Action: Joint Favorable Substitute
PH Date: 3/28/2022
File No.:
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 contains changes to the public health statutes, some of which are minor technical
edits for the purpose of conformance and consistency. Other changes include:
Requiring that the Department of Public Health (DPH) to maintain staffing levels for
social workers in nursing homes proportionate to the number of residents.
Allowing DPH to waive certain regulatory requirements for clinical laboratories
regarding plasmapheresis.
Requiring DPH to study whether the state should adopt Safe Harbor legislation. Safe
Harbor legislation would allow unlicensed alternative care practitioners to provide
certain alternative healthcare services.
It should be noted that this bill is a work-in-progress and may include further changes.
RESPONSE FROM ADMINISTRATION/AGENCY:
Manisha Juthani, Commissioner, Department of Public Health, (DPH):
DPH supports this legislation and the various language revisions that more appropriately
reflect various changes occurring in the realm of public health. The Commissioner thanked
the committee for raising this bill for DPH and offered comments explaining each section.
Many revisions in the bill are technical in nature. However, the commissioner noted sections
which make more substantive changes:
Sec. 1 which revises the statute pertaining to definitions of healthcare facilities by
removing the term alcohol or drug treatment facility and adding definitions of
chronic disease hospital and clinical laboratory.
 Sec. 9 which clarifies that the exemption of Department of Children and Families
(DCF)-licensed child caring institutions from DPH-licensure does not apply to the
Albert J. Solnit Childrens Centers Psychiatric Residential Treatment Facility.
Sec. 10 which requires health care institutions to provide DPH with staffing plans for
a minimum of three days of staffing at least five days prior to a strike commencing at
the facility.
Sec. 11 which adds infection control measures to the continuing education
requirements for nursing home administrators.
Sec. 18 which would expressly allow an optometrist to complete ten of their twenty
continuing education hours remotely.
Section 40 which establishes a Doula Advisory Committee to develop
recommendations regarding training and continuing education for the purpose of
creating a doula certification program.
Victoria Veltri, Executive Director, Office of Health Strategy, (OHS):
OHS supports this bill, particularly Sec. 37 & 38 as they relate to OHS administrative
authority over the State-wide Health Information Exchange (HIE). The bill will allow OHS,
through the administrative authority of its executive director, to adopt regulations regarding
the HIE. This will allow the HIE to adhere to the existing statutes in a way that will
demonstrate a high level of transparency in its governance, decision-making, and operations.
Representative Charles Ferraro:
Rep. Ferraro is in support of adding the Safe Harbor language that was addressed in the
substitute language for this bill. Many non-conventional health care professionals are
concerned that their practices could be considered in violation of health occupation laws for
practicing without a license even though they are not engaged in a conventional health care
profession. Definitions within the medical practice acts are often very broad and can include
almost all the healing disciplines.
NATURE AND SOURCES OF SUPPORT:
Josephine Colacci, Government Affairs Director, HSPA:
Technical changes in this bill reflect that our organization changed our name from the
International Association of Healthcare Central Service Material Management to Healthcare
Sterile Processing Association. Additional technical changes reflect that health care facilities
may be reprocessing surgical instruments outside health care facilities; therefore, the change
of in to for and in to by respectively. HSPA supports these technical revisions that
reflect the changes in the current marketplace.
Connecticut Womens Education and Legal Fund:
Doulas are an essential part of the birthing process for many families. A doula is a trained,
nonmedical professional who provides physical, emotional, and informational support before,
during, and after birth. Doulas assist in providing a safe and empowering experience for the
pregnant person and the baby. Connecticut needs to support parents and families welcoming
new babies into their lives. This bill will help do just that.
Page 2 of 4 HB-5500
Liz Gustafson, State Director Pro-Choice, Connecticut:
Pro-Choice supports establishing a Doula Advisory Committee within DPH to develop
recommendations regarding various requirements including certification, certification
renewals, training, experience, continuing education requirements, and curricula standards
for a doula training program that satisfies the requirements for doula certification. Increasing
equitable access to doula care services, especially in under-served communities, has been
shown to improve outcomes for both mothers and newborns.
Ben Shaiken, Director of Government Relations, CT Community Nonprofit Alliance:
While the Alliance supports Sec. 12-13, which make crucial changes to the Medication
Administration Certification process, they are opposed to Sec. 10 and request its removal.
This section requires that healthcare institutions provide additional information in their strike
contingency plans if they have received notice of the intention to strike by the union
representing their employees. This is an onerous requirement and does nothing to ensure the
health and safety of the people who will require services during a strike.
Christina Price, Assistant Professor of Medicine, Yale School of Medicine:
Currently, there is not enough collection of plasma in our state.The COVID19 pandemic
highlighted this deficit. The state could help by allowing collection centers. Updating the
regulations would allow companies to set up the muchneeded collection centers to serve the
immune deficient patients who require this important treatment. This legislation provides an
opportunity to revise state laws regulating the operations of plasma donor centers in the state
to conform with federal standards. Doing so will make it easier to hire and staff donor centers
with qualified professionals.
Additional Testimony in Support
Melinda Johnson, Community Engagement & Advocacy Director, YWCA Hartford
Gretchen Raffa, Vice President, Planned Parenthood of Southern New England
Bill Zabel, President-NA Bioscience Sales & Commercial Operations, Grifols
Samantha Lew, MSW, Health Equity Solutions
Ryan Seidel, Head of MEBD, Takeda Pharmaceutical Company Ltd.
Jamie N. Sexton, Director of State Policy, Immune Deficiency Foundation
Toby Simon, Senior Medical Director, CSL Plasma
Bill Speir, Lead for U.S. Regulatory Policy, Plasma Protein Therapeutics Association
Beau Tompkins, Senior Executive Director, Connecticut Blood Center
Alison Tyliszczak, Director-Maternal Infant Health Initiatives, March of Dimes
CT AHEC Urban Service Track Womens Health Interest Group
Marijane Carey, MCH Consultant, Carey Consulting
T.J. Clarke, Majority Leader, Hartford Court of Common Council
SciHonor Devotion, Founding Director, Earths Natural Touch: Birth Care & Beyond
19 others testified in support
Page 3 of 4 HB-5500
NATURE AND SOURCES OF OPPOSITION:
Connecticut Hospital Association, (CHA):
CHA opposes Sec. 37 and 38 of this legislation because they seek to circumvent
administrative procedure. There is no obligation for OHS to adopt regulations and it is not
evident that OHS even has the power to adopt regulations for these sections of the HIE. The
current regulatory rulemaking process in place allows affected parties to have input. This
approach would allow for policies to be implemented without that input. While CHA
understands that there may be times, like the public health emergency, when normal
processes may be modified to allow for an urgent response, there is no such urgency or
reason in this case.
Brian Anderson, Legislative Director, Council 4 AFSCME:
Section 39 of this bill abolishes language that mandates protections for the public at blood
plasma donation or plasmapheresis centers. This section wipes out the public protection
language and replaces it with the commissioners discretion. This protective language was
created to make sure that public protection at plasma sites is strong. Language protecting
donors should remain.
Ed Hawthorne President Connecticut AFL-CIO:
Section 39 removes necessary plasma related protections. Instead, it gives the commissioner
the discretion to require these protections. These protections are necessary and must remain
in place. Donors can have adverse reactions, sometimes as major as arrhythmias. It is vital to
have a registered or licensed clinical nurse present. These skilled professionals feel strongly
that language mandating public health safety standards is vital to protect the public.
Additional Testimony in Opposition
Mary Krusiewicz, Vice President, AFSCME Local 3145
Reported by: Dallas Emerle Date: 4/8/2022
Page 4 of 4 HB-5500


Statutes affected:
Raised Bill: 20-90, 7-74
PH Joint Favorable Substitute: 20-90, 7-74
File No. 528: 20-90, 7-74
Public Act No. 22-58: 20-90, 7-74