Connecticut 2021 Regular Session

Connecticut House Bill HB05597 Compare Versions

Version 1 (Old)

Version 2 (New)

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4		-	House Bill No. 5597
	7	+	General Assembly Raised Bill No. 5597
	8	+	January Session, 2021
	9	+	LCO No. 1367
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6		-	Public Act No. 21-113
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	12	+	Referred to Committee on PUBLIC HEALTH
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	14	+
	15	+	Introduced by:
	16	+	(PH)
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9	20		AN ACT CONCERNING OP IOIDS.
10	21		Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in General
11	22		Assembly convened:
12	23
13		-	Section 1. (NEW) (Effective July 1, 2021) (a) As used in this section:
14		-	(1) "Commissioner" means the Commissioner of Mental Health and
15		-	Addiction Services;
16		-	(2) "Department" means the "Department of Mental Health and
17		-	Addiction Services;
18		-	(3) "Opioid use disorder" means a medical condition characterized by
19		-	a problematic pattern of opioid use and misuse leading to clinically
20		-	significant impairment or distress; and
21		-	(4) "Peer navigator" means a person who (A) has experience working
22		-	with persons with substance use disorder, as defined in section 20-74 of
23		-	the general statutes, (B) provides nonmedical mental health care and
24		-	substance use services to such persons, and (C) has a collaborative
25		-	relationship with a health care professional authorized to prescribe
26		-	medications to treat opioid use disorder.
27		-	(b) On or before January 1, 2022, the department shall establish,
28		-	within available appropriations, a pilot program in urban, suburban House Bill No. 5597
	24	+	Section 1. (Effective from passage) (a) There is established a task force 1
	25	+	to study protocols used by first responders, emergency medical services 2
	26	+	personnel, police officers, hospital personnel and medical examiners 3
	27	+	following an opioid overdose death. 4
	28	+	(b) The task force shall consist of the following members: 5
	29	+	(1) Two appointed by the speaker of the House of Representatives; 6
	30	+	(2) Two appointed by the president pro tempore of the Senate; 7
	31	+	(3) One appointed by the majority leader of the House of 8
	32	+	Representatives; 9
	33	+	(4) One appointed by the majority leader of the Senate; 10
	34	+	(5) One appointed by the minority leader of the House of 11
	35	+	Representatives; 12 Raised Bill No. 5597
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30		-	Public Act No. 21-113 2 of 3
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32		-	and rural communities to serve persons with opioid use disorder in such
33		-	communities. The department shall establish the pilot program in up to
34		-	five such communities in accordance with such terms and conditions as
35		-	the commissioner may prescribe.
36		-	(c) Each community in which the pilot program is established under
37		-	subsection (b) of this section shall form a team of at least two peer
38		-	navigators. The team shall work in the community to (1) increase
39		-	engagement between providers of treatment services, health care and
40		-	social services and persons with opioid use disorder, (2) improve the
41		-	retention of such persons in treatment for opioid use disorder by
42		-	addressing social determinants of health of such persons and emerging
43		-	local conditions that affect such social determinants of health, and (3)
44		-	increase the capacity of the community to support such persons by
45		-	identifying and addressing systemic barriers to treatment services,
46		-	health care, social services and social support of such persons. The team
47		-	shall (A) travel throughout the community to address, in person, the
48		-	health care and social needs of persons with opioid use disorder, and
49		-	(B) be accessible to such persons through (i) a telephone number that
50		-	has texting capabilities, and (ii) social media. Each peer navigator that
51		-	participates in the pilot program shall receive regularly updated
52		-	training, as determined by the commissioner, on noncoercive and
53		-	nonstigmatizing methods for engaging those with opioid use disorder.
54		-	(d) On or before January 1, 2023, the commissioner shall report, in
55		-	accordance with the provisions of section 11-4a of the general statutes,
56		-	to the joint standing committee of the General Assembly having
57		-	cognizance of matters relating to public health regarding the success of
58		-	the pilot program in serving persons with opioid use disorder and any
59		-	recommendations for continuing the pilot program or expanding the
60		-	pilot program into other communities in the state.
61		-	Sec. 2. (NEW) (Effective July 1, 2021) On or before January 1, 2022, the
62		-	Commissioner of Public Health shall (1) establish guidelines for the use House Bill No. 5597
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64		-	Public Act No. 21-113 3 of 3
	42	+	(6) One appointed by the minority leader of the Senate; 13
	43	+	(7) The Commissioner of Public Health, or the commissioner's 14
	44	+	designee; and 15
	45	+	(8) The Commissioner of Emergency Services and Public Protection, 16
	46	+	or the commissioner's designee. 17
	47	+	(c) Any member of the task force appointed under subdivision (1), 18
	48	+	(2), (3), (4), (5) or (6) of subsection (b) of this section may be a member 19
	49	+	of the General Assembly. 20
	50	+	(d) All initial appointments to the task force shall be made not later 21
	51	+	than thirty days after the effective date of this section. Any vacancy shall 22
	52	+	be filled by the appointing authority. 23
	53	+	(e) The speaker of the House of Representatives and the president pro 24
	54	+	tempore of the Senate shall select the chairpersons of the task force from 25
	55	+	among the members of the task force. Such chairpersons shall schedule 26
	56	+	the first meeting of the task force, which shall be held not later than sixty 27
	57	+	days after the effective date of this section. 28
	58	+	(f) The administrative staff of the joint standing committee of the 29
	59	+	General Assembly having cognizance of matters relating to public 30
	60	+	health shall serve as administrative staff of the task force. 31
	61	+	(g) Not later than January 1, 2022, the task force shall submit a report 32
	62	+	on its findings and recommendations to the joint standing committees 33
	63	+	of the General Assembly having cognizance of matters relating to public 34
	64	+	health and public safety, in accordance with the provisions of section 11-35
	65	+	4a of the general statutes. The task force shall terminate on the date that 36
	66	+	it submits such report or January 1, 2022, whichever is later. 37
	67	+	Sec. 2. (NEW) (Effective July 1, 2021) On or before January 1, 2022, the 38
	68	+	Commissioner of Public Health shall (1) establish guidelines for the use 39
	69	+	of evidence-based, nonpharmaceutical therapies to treat chronic pain, 40
	70	+	including, but not limited to, chiropractic treatment and physical 41 Raised Bill No. 5597
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66		-	of evidence-based, nonpharmaceutical therapies to treat chronic pain,
67		-	including, but not limited to, chiropractic treatment and physical
68		-	therapy, and (2) conduct educational and outreach activities to raise
69		-	awareness of such guidelines.
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	77	+	therapy, and (2) conduct educational and outreach activities to raise 42
	78	+	awareness of such guidelines. 43
	79	+	This act shall take effect as follows and shall amend the following
	80	+	sections:
	81	+
	82	+	Section 1 from passage New section
	83	+	Sec. 2 July 1, 2021 New section
	84	+
	85	+	PH Joint Favorable
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