Senate Bill No. 394
Public Act No. 19-70
AN ACT ESTABLISHING A COUNCIL ON PROTECT ING WOMEN'S
HEALTH.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in General
Assembly convened:
Section 1. (NEW) (Effective July 1, 2019) (a) There is established a
Council on Protecting Women's Health that shall advise the joint
standing committees of the General Assembly having cognizance of
matters relating to public health and insurance on strategies and any
necessary legislative changes to ensure that the actions of the federal
government do not impede the provision of health care to women in
the state. The council shall monitor legislation at the federal level and
any litigation relating to women's health and wellness that has the
potential to negatively impact women's health in the state and
immediately report, in accordance with the provisions of section 11-4a
of the general statutes, to such joint standing committees on strategies,
including, but not limited to, the initiation of legislation to protect
women's health in the state.
(b) The Council on Protecting Women's Health shall be comprised
of (1) the following ex-officio voting members: (A) The Commissioner
of Public Health, or the commissioner's designee; (B) the
Commissioner of Mental Health and Addiction Services, or the
commissioner's designee; (C) the Insurance Commissioner, or the Senate Bill No. 394
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commissioner's designee; (D) the executive director of Office of Health
Strategy, or the executive director's designee; (E) the Healthcare
Advocate, or the Healthcare Advocate's designee; and (F) the Secretary
of the Office of Policy and Management, or the secretary's designee;
and (2) fourteen public members, three of whom shall be appointed by
the president pro tempore of the Senate, three of whom shall be
appointed by the speaker of the House of Representatives, two of
whom shall be appointed by the majority leader of the Senate, two of
whom shall be appointed by the majority leader of the House of
Representatives, two of whom shall be appointed by the minority
leader of the Senate and two of whom shall be appointed by the
minority leader of the House of Representatives, and all of whom shall
be knowledgeable on issues relative to women's health care in the
state. The membership of the council shall fairly and adequately
represent women who have had issues accessing quality health care in
the state.
(c) All appointments to the council shall be made not later than sixty
days after July 1, 2019. Any vacancy shall be filled by the appointing
authority. Members shall serve two-year terms and no public member
shall serve for more than two consecutive terms.
(d) The council shall elect two cochairpersons from among its
members. The council shall meet at least quarterly. Members of the
council shall serve without compensation, except for necessary
expenses incurred in the performance of their duties.
(e) The Joint Committee on Legislative Management shall provide
administrative support to the chairpersons of the council and
assistance in convening the council's meetings.
(f) Not later than January 1, 2020, and annually thereafter, the
council shall submit a status report on protecting women's health care
in the state, in accordance with the provisions of section 11-4a of the Senate Bill No. 394
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general statutes, to the joint standing committees of the General
Assembly having cognizance of matters relating to public health and
insurance.