Senator James Maroney Releases Statement Following House Passage of Bill Allowing Pharmacists To Administer Additional Vaccines
Today, state Senator James Maroney (D-Milford), Senate Chair of the General Law Committee released a statement following House passage of Senate Bill 1102, ‘An Act Concerning Pharmacies And Pharmacists.’ Senator Maroney is thrilled with today’s passage in the House of Representatives and the bill now heads to Governor Lamont’s desk.
Senate Bill 1102, passed the House of Representatives with a vote of 147-2. Senator Maroney lead State Senate passage of the bill earlier this month.
“I am proud this important bill passed the House today allowing pharmacists to practice more fully within the scope of their training,” said Sen. Maroney. “This will help us recruit and retain more pharmacists in Connecticut. During the coronavirus pandemic, pharmacists provided valuable health care support by administering vaccines and Covid tests and making this permanent will allow residents easier access to get the vaccines they need.”
Senate Bill 1102 will enact the following:
Establish a licensing process for institutional pharmacies located in health care facilities, such as hospitals, to compound sterile pharmaceuticals and sell them at retail; allow pharmacists to order and administer tests for COVID-19, HIV, and influenza; allow pharmacists to prescribe and dispense HIV-related preventative healthcare if a patient tests negative after a pharmacist administered HIV test; expands the vaccine types that pharmacists can administer; allow pharmacists to administer an epinephrine cartridge injector to someone experiencing anaphylaxis; allow pharmacies to operate mobile pharmacies in temporary locations with the Department of Consumer Protection’s (DCP) approval; require pharmacies to maintain a plan to manage unscheduled closings and specifies actions that can and must be taken during these closures; require the DCP to adopt regulations on prescription pickup lockers at pharmacies.
Senate Bill 1102 will also allow pharmacists to vaccinate individuals over the age of 12 and mandates insurance coverage for medication administration.
SENATOR FLEXER LEADS SENATE PASSAGE OF NO-EXCUSES VOTING RESOLUTION
SENATOR FLEXER LEADS SENATE PASSAGE OF NO-EXCUSES VOTING RESOLUTION
HARTFORD – State Senator Mae Flexer this evening led final passage in the state Senate of a resolution that will remove the Connecticut constitution’s current, multiple restrictions on absentee voting and allow for “no-excuses” absentee voting if Connecticut residents approve of that when the question is placed on the 2024 general election ballot.
The resolution passed the Senate this evening on a 26-8 vote. This same resolution was approved by Democrats in both the House and Senate in 2021, but with enough opposition from Republican legislators to require an additional vote in the General Assembly this year.
“Democracy in Connecticut is marching forward with this bill. Democracy in Connecticut is marching forward with our early voting bill, which the people of this state asked us last fall to pass into law. Bit by bit, Connecticut is pulling itself out of the dark ages of voting procedures and bringing us in line with a majority of other American states,” said Sen. Flexer, who is Senate Chair of the Government Administration and Elections Committee which helps write election law. “More voting equals better democracy, period. That’s what we’ve accomplished this evening.”
Under current Connecticut law, voters can only vote by absentee ballot if they’re going to be out of town on Election Day, sickness, if they’re on active military duty, because of a religious prohibition, or if they are poll workers who will be working all day in another town.
But 27 other U.S. states already allow for no-excuse absentee voting, including the deep Red Republican states of Arizona, Florida, Idaho, North Dakota, Oklahoma, South Dakota and Wyoming.
On a related matter, last fall, 60% of Connecticut residents voted to amend the state constitution to allow for early voting.
SENATOR ANWAR JOINS SENATE PASSAGE OF NO-EXCUSES VOTING RESOLUTION
SENATOR ANWAR JOINS SENATE PASSAGE OF NO-EXCUSES VOTING RESOLUTION
HARTFORD – State Senator Saud Anwar (D-South Windsor) this evening joined the Senate’s final passage of a bill removing the Connecticut constitution’s current, multiple restrictions on absentee voting and allowing for “no-excuses” absentee voting if Connecticut residents approve of that when the question is placed on the 2024 general election ballot.
This same resolution was approved by Democrats in both the House and Senate in 2021, but with enough opposition from Republican legislators to require an additional vote in the General Assembly this year.
“More than half of the country can do what this bill would allow upon its passage and final approval by voters next year. That’s indicative of the step forward this resolution means for the people of Connecticut – we are aligning our voting standards with much of the country,” said Sen. Anwar. “This bill directly supports our democracy and provides increased access to casting ballots how one chooses. I’m looking forward to its becoming law – state residents showed their support last year and I’m sure they’ll follow suit next year.”,
Under current Connecticut law, voters can only vote by absentee ballot if they’re going to be out of town on Election Day, sickness, if they’re on active military duty, because of a religious prohibition, or if they are poll workers who will be working all day in another town.
But 27 other U.S. states already allow for no-excuse absentee voting, including the deep Red Republican states of Arizona, Florida, Idaho, North Dakota, Oklahoma, South Dakota and Wyoming.
On a related matter, last fall, 60% of Connecticut residents voted to amend the state constitution to allow for early voting.
SENATOR NEEDLEMAN LEADS SENATE PASSAGE OF PRO-RATEPAYER LEGISLATION FIGHTING BACK AGAINST ELECTRIC UTILITIES
SENATOR NEEDLEMAN LEADS SENATE PASSAGE OF PRO-RATEPAYER LEGISLATION FIGHTING BACK AGAINST ELECTRIC UTILITIES
Today, State Senator Norm Needleman (D-Essex), Senate Chair of the Energy & Technology Committee, led the unanimous 35-0 passage of Senate Bill 7, a caucus priority bill this year that will provide relief for Connecticut utility ratepayers. Its provisions include preventing utility service companies from using ratepayer funds for lobbying expenses as well as board of directors and officers’ food, drink, transportation and entertainment; creating a fund that will allow ratepayers and ratepayer organizations legal representation to challenge utilities’ proposed rate increases; and creating a stronger regulatory environment for Connecticut’s utilities.
This bill aims to build on the regulative successes enacted in 2020 with the passage of the “Take Back Our Grid” Act, which was passed after Tropical Storm Isaias caused significant damage, and power outages as long as 10 days, across the state. That bill developed the framework of performance-based ratemaking for state utilities, tied executive compensation from ratepayers to company performance, developed minimum staffing levels for linemen and other needed personnel, and required utilities to provide bill credits and claims for food and medicine for outages lasting more than four full days and impacting less than 70% of the state.
“Connecticut ratepayers deserve better than what they’re getting, and it’s our responsibility as legislators to seek a better path forward. Senate Bill 7 works to relieve the pressure so many Connecticut residents feel today from utility costs,” said Sen. Needleman. “It ties regulations to the quality of service providers give their customers, keeping them honest. It closes loopholes that will prevent companies from charging ratepayers for lobbying. It provides consumers with new resources to make their voices heard during rate hearings. It’s a transformative, extensive piece of legislation that will improve quality of services in Connecticut.”
Senate Bill 7, “An Act Strengthening Protections For Connecticut’s Consumers of Energy,” seeks to create overhauls for Connecticut’s utilities industry. The overarching bill makes a significant number of changes to current standards, including but not limited to: ends the practice of allowing utilities to charge ratepayers for attorneys, expert witnesses, and other expenses at extravagant costs, which puts regulators, consumer advocates, and all other parties involved in arguing for just and reasonable rates at a severe disadvantage. This would require them to pay for these expenses from their own shareholders’ profits. According to testimony from the Energy and Policy Institute these costs are not insignificant – between 2016 and 2021 Connecticut electric utilities spent over $110 million on regulatory commission expenses.
Bars utilities from charging ratepayers for expenses related to building political influence including lobbying, advertising, marketing, sponsorships, and charitable contributions. They’d be required to submit itemized costs to the Public Utilities Regulatory Authority, or PURA, for those costs. Some Connecticut utility companies have not had expenditures like this scrutinized for nearly a decade.
PURA would gain increased authority to order rate decoupling for electricity or gas company rate cases. Decoupling is a regulatory mechanism designed to separate the interests of utilities and their shareholders from those of their customers and society by decoupling revenue from sales volume. In practice this will disincentivize a company from seeking to sell more energy to increase revenue and profits. It can then be better tied to key performance metrics aimed at achieving specific policy goals such as best interests of ratepayers, energy efficiency, renewable energy, and ratepayer satisfaction. Performance-based regulations are vital to ensure Connecticut ratepayers receive the quality of service they deserve.
It would create an Intervenor Compensation program, following 16 other states in passing similar policies. This would allow groups representing residential or small business interests to receive up to $100,000 in compensation for attorney’s fees and expert witnesses to participate in rate cases before PURA. Awards are capped at $300,000 per eligible proceeding and $1.2 million per year. This effectively allows consumers and consumer advocacy groups to contest and participate in rate case hearings. Award recipients will participate in PURA and Office of Consumer Counsel training programs and this program will be independently audited 2.5 years after its imposition.
Other changes made by this bill include: PURA would be required to consider economic conditions, company compliance with laws and regulations, rate impacts on all customers and other issues deemed relevant in determining rates of return in rate hearing proceedings; PURA would gain greater discretion to determine deadlines for electric distribution companies to refund funds exceeding authorized return on equity.
PURA would no longer be required to encourage using proposed settlements to resolve contested cases and proceedings; PURA could instead adopt proposed settlements when appropriate; in rate case hearings, guardrails would be used for the use of settlements, important because this will give regulators more opportunities to delve into utility information; sunsetting of Eversource Energy’s Electric System Improvements charge as of its next rate case; requiring reporting of major accidents by utilities no later than 12 hours after occurrence, and for minor accidents to be included in monthly reports. Fines for failure to report or comply will double from $500 to $1,000; PURA would be required to investigate and determine whether to expand low-income rates to water and gas company customers.
Senate Bill 7 comes as consumers around Connecticut continue to pay some of the highest utility costs in the nation while not receiving the quality of service they deserve. Its intent is to strengthen regulatory frameworks for state utilities with a specific focus on ensuring their performance for ratepayers drives their decision-making.
The legislation is inspired by other states’ approaches to legislation, including the 16 states that have adopted intervenor programs; it also spurred new legislation in other states. A new law in Colorado was passed with direct inspiration from SB7 that prevents utilities from using customer funds to support political activities.
Before its passage by the Senate, this bill passed the Energy & Technology Committee by a 16-4 vote in March. It now heads to the House for further consideration.
Sen. Hartley Leads Passage of Bill to Expand Career Training Opportunities
Sen. Hartley Leads Passage of Bill to Expand Career Training Opportunities
HARTFORD, CT – As Senate Chair of the Commerce Committee, State Senator Joan Hartley led unanimous passage of Senate Bill 869 which would require the Office of Workforce Strategy to plan an expansion of their Connecticut Career Accelerator Program.
“The Career Accelerator Program has been crucial in providing affordable and accessible training, but currently only supports one sector of our workforce.” said Sen. Hartley. “This program has much potential and I am eager to see the findings of the Office of Workforce Strategy. I look forward to working with OWS on policies to expand workforce training which can be completed within one year and will help to address critical workforce shortages.”
Under current law, the Connecticut Career Accelerator Program supports those pursuing a commercial drivers license by using income share agreements. Income share agreements offer applicants funding for training in exchange for a fixed, zero-interest repayment once they begin their career. These agreements do not require good credit, nor a co-signer.
Senate Bill 869 tasks the Office of Workforce Strategy to plan an expansion of this program through identifying additional career training opportunities, identify training providers and submit a report identifying their findings to the General Assembly by no later than July 1, 2025.
SENATOR SLAP WELCOMES $398,SENATOR DEREK SLAP LEADS PASSAGE OF LEGISLATION DOUBLING ACCESSIBILITY OF DEBT-FREE COMMUNITY COLLEGE FOR STUDENTS IN CONNECTICUT235 IN SUMMER ENRICHMENT GRANTS FOR LOCAL ORGANIZATIONS IN SUMMERS OF 2023, 2024 (2)
SENATOR DEREK SLAP LEADS PASSAGE OF LEGISLATION DOUBLING ACCESSIBILITY OF DEBT-FREE COMMUNITY COLLEGE FOR STUDENTS IN CONNECTICUT
Today, State Senator Derek Slap (D-West Hartford), Senate Chair of the Higher Education and Employment Advancement Committee, led passage of Senate Bill 8, a flagship priority bill during this year’s legislative session. The bill makes higher education more affordable by expanding the state’s debt-free community college program to include returning students. It is estimated that the debt-free program would increase from 12,000 to 24,000 eligible students when the bill becomes law.
“Improving affordability and accessibility for higher education is critical for our students and economy,” said Sen. Slap. “Today, we took a major step toward doubling the number of Connecticut residents who are eligible for debt-free community college. When this bill becomes law, thousands of people will gain access to a high-quality education. They’re the nurses, teachers and mental health clinicians of tomorrow and we’re investing in them today.”
Senate Bill 8, “An Act Concerning Higher Education Affordability and Graduate Retention,” seeks to make the following changes to higher education in Connecticut:
It would expand the Pledge to Advance CT, which provides debt-free community college to first-time students in the state, to include returning students as well.
Thousands of students have been able to access community college without accruing debt since PACT began providing aid in 2020. This would allow students returning to college with previous experience to take advantage of this program as well.
The bill also increases minimum awards for students who have all of their costs paid from $250 to $500 per semester for full-time students and from $150 to $250 for part-time students per semester.
Students who go on medical leave, personal leave or active duty military service will remain eligible for benefits if they meet given requirements.
The bill also makes changes to the Roberta Willis Scholarship Fund, enabling schools to notify high school seniors about their scholarships while they’re deciding which college to attend. Current practice often results in students not knowing about their scholarship until their sophomore year in college. The changes will encourage Connecticut high school students to stay in Connecticut after high school.
The bill passed the Senate today by a 35-1 tally; it previously passed the Higher Education and Employment Advancement Committee by a 21-1 tally in March. It now heads to the House for further consideration.
SEN. KUSHNER WELCOMES $100,000 GRANT FOR THE CENTER FOR EMPOWERMENT AND EDUCATION IN DANBURY
SEN. KUSHNER WELCOMES $100,000 GRANT FOR THE CENTER FOR EMPOWERMENT AND EDUCATION IN DANBURY
DANBURY – Impact Fairfield County (Impact FFC), the area’s premiere women’s collective giving organization, awarded two $100,000 Grants to Fairfield County nonprofits: Catholic Academy of Bridgeport and The Center for Empowerment and Education (Danbury). Each winner will also receive an additional $2,000 in unrestricted funding.
In addition, Impact FFC awarded three $20,000 unrestricted general operating grants to the finalists: Cardinal Shehan Center (Bridgeport), Mid-Fairfield Community Care Center (Norwalk), and Mill River Park Collaborative (Stamford). Unique to this year, all of the finalists’ applications requested support for their youth programming, across a wide array of program areas such as educational support and enrichment and health and wellness care.
“Every resource The Center for Empowerment and Education gets, they make the absolute most of it. I’ve seen that firsthand,” state Senator Julie Kushner (D-Danbury) said. “It’s absolutely essential to get into our high schools and break the cycle of interpersonal violence. Domestic violence at home can cause kids to act out against each other in school. This grant will help with intervention, giving kids living in abusive situations support and teaching them to stop the cycle, stop the behavior that leads to abuse.”
The winners of the $100,000 Grants were selected by a vote of Impact FFC’s 264-women membership at their Annual Meeting in Darien on May 3rd. The vote followed a rigorous application process which narrowed down an initial pool of 65 nonprofit applicants to five finalist organizations which presented at the Annual Meeting. After undertaking a comprehensive review of the applications and conducting thorough site visits, members selected the five finalists, and ultimately the two winners, based on criteria including the organization’s demonstrated impact, the population served, and the long-term sustainability of the project.
Impact FFC’s 2023 Grant winners:
The Center for Empowerment and Education, Inc. (CEE), serving Northern Fairfield County, seeks to break the cycle of interpersonal violence through empowerment, education and support services utilizing inclusive, trauma-informed, and client-centered practices. Their services are provided at no cost. With the Impact FFC grant, CEE will be able to expand their critically needed Prevention, Education, and Training programs across 100% of schools in Bethel, Brookfield, Danbury, New Fairfield, Newtown, Ridgefield, Redding, and Sherman as well as their local community. To date, CEE has provided 600 programs, impacting over 13,000 participants, to empower students and educate them on bullying, respect, boundaries, body safety and healthy relationships.
“At The Center for Empowerment and Education, we believe in reducing trauma by stopping violence from manifesting in the first place. We do this by increasing knowledge about all forms of violence and teaching skills that help reduce the risk of becoming vulnerable to violence. As a result of the Impact FFC grant, we can expand our programs further into the community and schools. It will have a rippling effect across the community by reducing and preventing domestic and sexual violence. Impact FFC will help make our vision of creating safer communities free from interpersonal violence a reality,” said Ashley Dunn, President and CEO, The Center for Empowerment and Education.
Impact FFC Co-President Jenny San Jose said, “Providing funding for education and prevention is at the core of Impact’s mission to serve the most vulnerable. In addition, The Center for Empowerment and Education’s focus on Danbury and Northern Fairfield County represents an opportunity to support an area that has been less served by Impact funding to date.”
The Catholic Academy of Bridgeport (CAB) provides an academically rigorous education to 900+ PreK-8th grade students, where 87% live at or below the poverty level, and 93% qualify for financial aid. CAB has seen great success from its students, with 100% graduating from high school and 99% going on to college or post-secondary education. CAB’s St. Raphael campus, located in one of the most violent neighborhoods in Bridgeport (“The Hollow”), educates 243 PreK-3rd graders, many of whom spend up to 10 hours per day at the school for safety reasons. With the Impact FFC grant, CAB will open “The Happy Hollow Outdoor Learning Center,” providing a safe, educational environment beyond the classroom to its youngest students. Students will benefit from sensory play areas, an outdoor classroom, age-appropriate playground equipment, and a sports court for teamwork, social problem-solving and gross motor skills. The Center will also run a summer camp to support year-round programming for this impoverished community.
“We have long been committed to creating a safe and engaging outdoor learning and play space for our students, but this incredibly generous gift from Impact Fairfield County turned our Happy Hollow project from “plan to” to “going to” build in a matter of moments. Our families and community members are ready to pitch in, providing their skill and expertise to build out the project, so this project will be a communal labor of love. The improvement to our program and educational space will not only elevate the experience of our current students, but of every child that attends St. Raphael into the future. Imagine the ripple effects of an excellent, well-rounded education upon thousands of children – it’s immeasurable. We are so very grateful!” said Angela Pohlen, Catholic Academy of Bridgeport Executive Director.
“This project is really exciting. To me it’s about the preservation of innocence, so by building this space we can ensure these children have a safe outdoor space to be free to be children. I am proud to be part of Impact FFC, where we can support projects such as these that are all about protecting the most vulnerable in our communities,” said Impact FFC Board Member Kerrith Mackay.
With Impact FFC’s membership representing 19 towns across Fairfield County, Impact FFC continues to push the boundaries of where and how Impact can make a difference, across the spectrum of age groups and supporting a variety of initiatives ranging from education and skill training, to healthcare, to basic needs.
In its eighth year of investing to transform the lives of Fairfield County’s neediest, Impact FFC has reached $1.8 million in total grant funding. “We are thrilled to support this year’s winners, who were selected from an incredible group of finalists. The strength and dedication of women in the room today, with the five female-led organizations and our female members, was truly inspirational, and we look forward to seeing the impact we are able to make with this year’s grants,” said Impact FFC Co-President Katharine Lumby.
About Impact FFC: Impact FFC is a collective giving organization whose mission is to empower women to engage in local philanthropy through deeper knowledge and active participation in grantmaking. It unites women by pooling membership funds to provide large, transformational grants to nonprofit organizations across Fairfield County.
Senator Gaston Applauds Passage Of Legislation Doubling Accessibility Of Debt-Free Community College For Students In Connecticut
Senator Gaston Applauds Passage Of Legislation Doubling Accessibility Of Debt-Free Community College For Students In Connecticut
Today, State Senator Herron Keyon Gaston (D-Bridgeport) voted to pass Senate Bill 8, a flagship priority bill of the Senate Democratic caucus, seeking to make higher education more affordable in Connecticut and ensure graduates of Connecticut colleges and universities remain in the state after completing their studies. Most prominently, the bill would expand the state’s debt-free community college program to include returning students and increase minimum program award amounts; in doing so, the bill will double the students currently eligible for debt-free community college programs from 12,000 to 24,000.
“I am proud to support legislation that will benefit students across Connecticut no matter what their background is,” said Sen. Gaston. “Many students dream of going to college but in some cases that dream may be unattainable because of financial reasons, but with this legislation we are making higher education more affordable awarding everyone an opportunity to continue their education.”
Senate Bill 8, “An Act Concerning Higher Education Affordability and Graduate Retention,” seeks to make the following changes to higher education in Connecticut: it would expand the Pledge to Advance CT, which provides debt-free community college to first-time students in the state, to include returning students as well; thousands of students have been able to access community college without accruing debt since PACT began providing aid in 2020. This would allow students returning to college with previous experience to take advantage of this program as well; students will no longer be required to graduate from a Connecticut high school; the bill also increases minimum awards for students who have all of their costs paid from $250 to $500 per semester for full-time students and from $150 to $250 for part-time students per semester; it requires American Rescue Plan Act funds for the Roberta B. Willis Scholarship program, which provides merit- and need-based financial aid to students attending in-state colleges and universities, to be reallocated from regional community-technical colleges to the Connecticut State Colleges and Universities to be expended as grants supporting students. ARPA funds will be used first to make sure these funds are expended before they expire; the bill also prevents the lapsing of Roberta Willis Scholarship funds, allowing for the program to operate without issue in perpetuity.
Colleges and universities will need to notify the Office of Higher Education when new educational programs are started or discontinued at least annually on or before the last day of each semester.
The bill previously passed the Higher Education and Employment Advancement Committee by a 21-1 tally in March. It now heads to the House for further consideration.
SENATOR JORGE CABRERA VOTES FOR PASSAGE OF LEGISLATION DOUBLING ACCESSIBILITY OF DEBT-FREE COMMUNITY COLLEGE FOR STUDENTS IN CONNECTICUT
SENATOR JORGE CABRERA VOTES FOR PASSAGE OF LEGISLATION DOUBLING ACCESSIBILITY OF DEBT-FREE COMMUNITY COLLEGE FOR STUDENTS IN CONNECTICUT
Today, state Senator Jorge Cabrera (D-Hamden) voted for the passage of Senate Bill 8, a flagship priority bill during this year’s legislative session. The bill makes higher education more affordable by expanding the state’s debt-free community college program to include returning students. It is estimated that the debt-free program would increase from 12,000 to 24,000 eligible students when the bill becomes law.
“Having a college education can be the difference in landing the job you want and falling just outside of an employer’s requirements, making this legislation crucial to the success of so many young people across our state,” said Sen. Cabrera. “I am pleased to support this bill’s passage as this bill creates endless possibilities for current and returning students’ future prospects in the job market.”
Senate Bill 8, “An Act Concerning Higher Education Affordability and Graduate Retention,” seeks to make the following changes to higher education in Connecticut:
It would expand the Pledge to Advance CT, which provides debt-free community college to first-time students in the state, to include returning students as well.
Thousands of students have been able to access community college without accruing debt since PACT began providing aid in 2020. This would allow students returning to college with previous experience to take advantage of this program as well.
The bill also increases minimum awards for students who have all of their costs paid from $250 to $500 per semester for full-time students and from $150 to $250 for part-time students per semester.
Students who go on medical leave, personal leave or active duty military service will remain eligible for benefits if they meet given requirements.
The bill also makes changes to the Roberta Willis Scholarship Fund, enabling schools to notify high school seniors about their scholarships while they’re deciding which college to attend. Current practice often results in students not knowing about their scholarship until their sophomore year in college. The changes will encourage Connecticut high school students to stay in Connecticut after high school.
The bill passed the Senate today by a 35-1 tally; it previously passed the Higher Education and Employment Advancement Committee by a 21-1 tally in March. It now heads to the House for further consideration.
STATE SENATOR MARTHA MARX PROUD TO JOIN SENATE VOTE TO EASE ACCESS TO HEALTH CARE, FIGHT THE OPIOID CRISIS
STATE SENATOR MARTHA MARX PROUD TO JOIN SENATE VOTE TO EASE ACCESS TO HEALTH CARE, FIGHT THE OPIOID CRISIS
Today, State Senator Martha Marx (D-New London), Senate Vice Chair of the Public Health Committee, proudly joined the Senate’s passage of Senate Bill 9, flagship legislation in the 2023 legislative session that aims to ease access to health care around the state and provide new ways for the state to fight against the ongoing opioid crisis. The bill passed with unanimous Senate support.
This bill, with more than 30 sections, aims to address a number of pressing matters in the state, including protecting reproductive health rights, developing new strategies to support the safety and potential treatment of individuals with substance use disorders and bolster hiring and workforce pipelines for health care professions in the state – among many other changes.
“We need to improve access to care across our state as service gaps and patient wait times only increase,” said Sen. Marx. “We also need to adopt new approaches to the opioid crisis to reduce its impacts on our communities and save lives. This bill will take significant steps forward to address significant issues in our state’s health care and benefit patients, professionals and individuals all around our state. I’m proud to vote in support and look forward to this bill becoming law once it’s passed by the House and signed by Governor Lamont.”
Senate Bill 9, “An Act Concerning Health and Wellness For Connecticut Residents,” would make changes to laws involving health care and medical treatment including, but not limited to:
Preventing any person from prohibiting or limiting others from accessing assisted reproductive technology or assisted reproduction, or from administering assisted reproductive technology – in other words, putting new protections on medical practices such as in-vitro fertilization and fertility treatments to pre-empt attacks on such services seen in other states; allow the Department of Mental Health and Addiction Services, with the Department of Public Health, to establish a pilot program through the establishment of harm reduction centers. These centers would be facilities where individuals with substance use disorder would be able to receive counseling, use test strips to test substances for substances like fentanyl, receive information about opioid antagonists like Narcan, receive referrals to mental health treatment and access basic services like bathrooms, showers and places to rest.
Nearly 200 harm reduction sites operate in 14 countries globally; Their development comes as the opioid crisis continues to roil the United States and Connecticut; in 2022, Connecticut tracked 1,467 fatal drug overdoses in the state, with 92% being tied to opioids and 85.3% tied to presence of fentanyl; Rhode Island and New York City operate harm reduction centers; Maine is considering similar concepts at this time. The National Institutes of Health are establishing a research network to examine the most effective strategies to support harm reduction; Establish an Opioid Antagonist Bulk Purchase Fund, which could be used by municipalities, boards of education, departments of health, municipal health departments or law enforcement agencies to purchase opioid antagonists like Narcan in bulk at a discounted price, expanding the drug’s availability while lowering the cost of acquisition for governmental bodies.
This would increase availability and decrease the cost of purchasing potentially lifesaving opioid antagonists. According to Pew, there is a direct connection between increasing the availability of opioid antagonists and a reduction in the rate of opioid overdose deaths. Colorado passed similar legislation allowing eligible entities to purchase naloxone or Narcan at low or no cost. Since 2016, opioid antagonists have reversed more than 2,000 overdoses statewide, according to the Connecticut Mirror. Each eligible entity shall make bulk-purchased opioid antagonists available at no charge to a family member, caregiver or friend of a person who has experienced an overdose or displays symptoms of opioid use disorder; when prescribing an opioid to an adult patient for the first time, the prescription would not be for more than seven days’ supply; a minor patient could not receive more than five days’ supply. If more than this amount is needed, it will be documented in a patient’s medical record. Any patient receiving an opioid prescription will receive counseling on the risks of addiction from a medical professional and will be recommended to obtain an opioid antagonist; the Office of Emergency Medical Services, Department of Mental Health and Addiction Services and Department of Consumer Protection would develop a program for the provision of opioid antagonists like Narcan and a fact sheet to inform the public about how to properly use them.
The Commissioner of Education would establish a Health Care Career Advisory Council comprised of medical professionals in fields across the health
care profession. That council would advise the development of a health care career program promoting health care professions to students in middle and high school, as well as job shadowing and internship experiences for high school students, to support a workforce pipeline connecting students with potential career opportunities; the Office of Workforce Strategy would create a working group to develop recommendations for expanding the state’s nursing workforce, examining quality of education programs in the state, clinical training programs and expansion of training facilities in the state among others. Federal estimates believe the country could see a shortage of registered nurses that could expand as high as 450,000 empty positions by 2025; beginning in 2024, higher education institutions would consider any licensed health care provider with more than 10 years of clinical health care experience applying for a position as an adjunct faculty member to be considered a qualified applicant. Licensed health care providers will also be eligible for a grant program offering grants of $20,000 if they accept a position as an adjunct professor and remain in that position for at least a full academic year, with that total doubling if they remain in position for at least another year; a new career pathway for personal care attendants would be created to improve employment retention and recruitment as well as improved care for those receiving services from such attendants; personal care attendants assist eligible adults who need assistance to remain at home and provide alternatives to care homes or institutions for seniors wanting to remain at home; non-compete clauses for physicians and nurses will have newly restricted uses. They will be deemed unenforceable if the physician does not agree with a proposed material change at time of extension or renewal of such a contract or agreement; or if a contract or agreement expires and is not renewed, or contractual relationship is terminated by an employer in all cases but termination for cause; workers with three or more years of experienced as an advanced practice registered nurse can apply for licensure for that role. These steps would ease restrictions potentially contributing to qualified nursing professionals being unable to fill certain employment roles; the Departments of Mental Health and Addiction Services and Public Health will develop a maternal mental health toolkit to support young families and better approach the subject of mood and anxiety disorders that can develop for pregnant and young mothers; training of such disorders will be provided to health care workers providing direct care to women who are pregnant or postpartum. According to the World Health Organization, about 10% of pregnant women and 13% who recently gave birth experience mental disorders. Left untreated, these conditions can compound and cause serious impacts including suicide; a task force to study childhood and adult psychosis would be developed, aiming to evaluate and create care pathways treating individuals experiencing early or first episode psychosis. Studies show that there can be a significant delay of psychotic symptoms and start of appropriate treatment; research shows that shorter durations of untreated psychosis correlate to better responses to treatment and increased odds of good recovery; the Departments of Mental Health and Addiction Services, Social Services and Children and Families will evaluate existing programs for those with substance use disorder who are caregivers of children and find new means of support for them in the future; he bill previously passed the Public Health Committee by a 27-10 vote in March; it now heads to the House for further consideration.