Month: July 2017
Senator Duff E-News: Removing Barriers to Employment
Senator Looney and Senator Fasano Applaud Governor’s Signing of Legislation Enhancing Pharmaceutical Transparency and Consumer Protection
Senator Looney and Senator Fasano Applaud Governor’s Signing of Legislation Enhancing Pharmaceutical Transparency and Consumer Protection
HARTFORD, Conn.—Today Senate President Pro Tempore Martin M. Looney (D-New Haven) and Senate Republican President Pro Tempore Len Fasano (R-North Haven) applauded Governor Malloy’s signing of important patient-friendly bipartisan legislation.
Public Act 17-241 An Act Concerning Contracts Between a Pharmacy and a Pharmacy Benefits Manager, the Bidirectional Exchange of Electric Health Records and the Charging of Facility Fees by a Hospital or Health System will help increase transparency regarding pharmaceutical costs, prevent consumers from paying more for prescription drugs than the drug actually costs and ensure fair competition to benefit consumers.
This legislation was crafted in partnership between Sen. Looney and Sen. Fasano and is an extension of their efforts over several years to implement significant health care reforms in the state of Connecticut.
“This new law is a continuation of our bipartisan effort and commitment to pass legislation that protects patients in the healthcare system,” said Sen. Looney and Sen. Fasano. “It will protect patients from price gouging by pharmacy benefits managers and ban gag clauses that prevent pharmacists from informing patients when lower cost equivalent alternatives are available and when the patient’s copay is higher than the price of the medication. It will ensure that drug and medical device manufacturers who violate antitrust laws, by price fixing for example, can be held accountable. And finally, it will require more transparency when it comes to facility fees to ensure that patients are not surprised by fees when they receive medical services.
“We thank all stakeholders who participated in the process to craft this bill, provide feedback and help us create strong, sound policies for our state. That includes retail pharmacists, pharmaceutical manufacturers, the AARP, the Universal Health Care Foundation of Connecticut, as well as the PBM industry, representatives of the health plans and representatives of the administration. In passing this bill the General Assembly sent a strong message that we believe it’s good policy to prohibit secret claw backs that cause consumers to pay more than the actual cost of the drug as well as other anticompetitive behavior. We also believe such policies should have real teeth to them so they can be enforced and consumers who have been harmed can be made whole. This is a major accomplishment for our state and reaffirms Connecticut’s role as a leader in establishing smart, compassionate consumer-focused policies in the health care industry.”
Senator Fonfara in the News: After ATV Death, Officials Bolster Efforts To Remove Off-Road Vehicles From Hartford Streets
Sen. Winfield Statement on Governor’s Signing of Isolated Confinement Bill
Sen. Winfield Statement on Governor’s Signing of Isolated Confinement Bill
Senator Gary Winfield inside a replica solitary confinement cell at the State Capitol February 21, 2017.
State Senator Gary Winfield (D-New Haven) released the following statement today after Governor Malloy signed a bill on July 11 that prohibits the Department of Correction (DOC) from holding anyone under 18 in isolated confinement, along with making other significant reforms to isolated confinement practices in Connecticut.
“Although we have a long way to go in the fight for criminal justice reform in Connecticut, this bill moves the state toward more humane treatment of our incarcerated citizens. The negative consequences of solitary confinement on children and other vulnerable inmates are well documented and can lead to a range of psychological damages. This bill begins the work of Connecticut dealing with the issues of populations like incarcerated children and inmates with disabilities or with serious mental illness in solitary confinement. It also increases the transparency of isolated confinement practices and provides critical training initiatives for correctional staff.
“I want to thank everyone who came forward to support this bill, including New Haven resident Keishar Tucker who testified in front of the Judiciary Committee about his experience being repeatedly kept in solitary confinement while in Connecticut correctional facilities. He suffered from anxiety, depression and hallucinations due to the chronic isolation. Keishar, like many others who testified, raised his voice in an effort to make sure no one else goes through the psychological torture endured in solitary confinement.”
HB 7302 (PA 17-239) requires the DOC commissioner, by January 1, 2019, to study and submit a report to the Judiciary Committee regarding the use and oversight of all forms and phases of housing for inmates on restrictive housing status.
The bill additionally requires DOC to:
1. Submit specified information on isolated confinement, at least annually, to the Office of Policy and Management’s Justice Policy & Planning Division;
2. Publish the formula for calculating an inmate’s mental health score and a description of any housing used at its correctional facilities for inmates on restrictive housing status on its website, and;
3. Provide training and promote wellness measures for DOC employees who interact with inmates, within available appropriations.
The law will become effective January 1, 2018. It does not apply to inmates on high security status because they were convicted of a capital felony or murder with special circumstances.
Earlier this year, Sen. Winfield, vice chairman of the Judiciary Committee, was instrumental in bringing the “Inside the Box” exhibit, a replica solitary confinement cell, to the South Lobby of the State Capitol during the 2017 legislative session. To further to raise awareness about the issue, Sen. Winfield locked himself “inside the box” for a total of 2 hours and 23 minutes.
Sen. Winfield urged his colleagues in the General Assembly to support solitary confinement reform and to visit the replica cell while it was on display in Hartford.
Sen. Moore E-news: Stuff-A-Truck to Help Hungry Families
Senator Flexer in the News: Connecticut Democrats Push To Maintain State Funding For Campaign Finance Program
Connecticut Democrats Push To Maintain State Funding For Campaign Finance Program
Democratic state lawmakers vowed Tuesday to oppose Republican efforts to strike the Citizens’ Election Program from the state budget, warning that dismantling a program that offers public money to campaigns would move the state backward in ethics in politics.
“This system is a model for the nation, and it was put in place after a terrible corruption scandal that put Connecticut on the map for all the wrong reasons,” said Democratic state Sen. Mae Flexer, of Killingly, who co-chairs the government administration and elections committee.
Read the full article at the Hartford Courant.
North Haven First Selectman to Continue Leading Legislative Taskforce on Humane Treatment of Animals
North Haven First Selectman to Continue Leading Legislative Taskforce on Humane Treatment of Animals
HARTFORD, Conn. – Senate President Pro Tempore Martin M. Looney (D-New Haven), Senate Republican President Pro Tempore Len Fasano (R-North Haven) and State Representative David Yaccarino (R-North Haven), are pleased to announce that North Haven First Selectman Michael Freda will continue to lead the legislative task force that is studying the humane treatment of animals in municipal and regional animal shelters.
First Selectman Freda has served as chairman since the task force was established in 2014 pursuant to Public act 14-205 and he will be appointing the members of the task force in accordance with the membership criteria in the public act. The task force has played an important role in facilitating discussions between advocates for animals, municipalities and members of the legislature. Under Freda’s direction, members of the task force will continue to engage in discussions on how to improve care of animals at our municipal shelters and provided for the humane treatment of all animals in our communities. Members will focus on the following topics and report their findings and recommendations to the legislature:
(1) Recommendations for the establishment of standards for the humane treatment of animals in such shelters;
(2) existing education and training standards for animal control officers on current license laws;
(3) rules and regulations regarding and penalties for abuse;
(4) the development of a system to track persons who have been convicted of animal abuse in order to prevent such persons from acquiring animals from shelters in other municipalities or states;
(5) the establishment of standards for such shelters to use when evaluating potential adopters for such animals;
(6) the establishment of rules and responsibilities for volunteer groups that work with such shelters and animal control officers; and
(7) the creation of a framework to coordinate the efforts of local humane organizations with volunteer groups, foster groups and municipal and regional animal shelters.
Meetings will be held in the legislative office building beginning in August 2017.
Sen. Gerratana E-news: National Disability Voter Registration Week; Combatting the Opioid Epidemic
Malloy Signs Bill Declaring May 29th “Bob Hope Day”; Third Week in October Male Breast Cancer Awareness Week
Malloy Signs Bill Declaring May 29th “Bob Hope Day”; Third Week in October Male Breast Cancer Awareness Week
Governor Dannel P. Malloy recently signed into law a bill that designates May 29th as “Bob Hope Day” in Connecticut. The law also designates the third week in October as Male Breast Cancer Awareness Week.
The legislation was sponsored by State Senator Cathy Osten (D-Sprague), after both items were brought to her attention by constituents.
Originally proposed as two separate bills establishing “Bob Hope Day” and Male Breast Cancer Awareness Week, the items were folded into Senate Bill 1002 and passed with bipartisan support in both the Senate and House chambers.
“As many people know, Bob Hope entertained thousands of US military troops through the USO and other venues, keeping the spirits of servicemen and women up during extremely difficult times, and it is fitting to honor his gift by designating his birthday, May 29, as ‘Bob Hope Day’ in Connecticut,” said Sen. Osten. “Additionally, the establishment of Male Breast Cancer Awareness Week is a way to heighten public awareness of the disease. Breast cancer affects everyone equally, regardless of sex, and it’s critical that people are aware of it so that they can get checked and seek treatment.”
Sen. Osten noted that several of her male constituents have struggled with the disease and requested that more attention to be brought to it, saying “get checked, it may save your life.”