Researcher: MK Page 1 5/21/21
OLR Bill Analysis
sHB 6510 (as amended by House "A")*
AN ACT REQUIRING THE PROVISION OF INFORMATION
CONCERNING CHILDREN'S MENTAL HEALTH SERVICES IN
HOSPITAL EMERGENCY ROOMS.
SUMMARY
This bill requires the Department of Children and Families (DCF),
by December 1, 2021, to develop a document for each mental health
region describing the behavioral and mental health evaluation and
treatment resources available to children. DCF must do so in
consultation with the Behavioral Health Partnership Oversight Council
(BHPOC), the Mental Health and Addiction Services and Public Health
departments, and DCF’s Youth Suicide Advisory Board.
Under the bill, BHPOC must (1) distribute the documents
electronically to each licensed hospital that has an emergency
department and to each local and regional board of education and (2)
make them available on the council’s website.
Starting by December 1, 2022, the bill requires DCF to annually
review and update the documents as necessary. DCF must provide any
updated documents to BHPOC, and the council must distribute and
make them available in the manner described above.
The bill also requires hospital emergency departments, starting on
January 1, 2022, to provide a copy of the applicable documents to the
parents or guardians of each child upon the child’s discharge from the
emergency department.
It also requires each local and regional board of education to (1)
distribute the applicable document to parents and guardians and
certain students starting January 1, 2022, and (2) make the document
available on its website by that date. 2021HB-06510-R01-BA.DOCX
Researcher: MK Page 2 5/21/21
*House Amendment “A” (1) makes DCF, rather than BHPOC, the
lead agency in the development, review, and update of the resource
document; (2) makes BHPOC’s role consultative in the development of
the document but maintains the underlying bill’s requirement for the
council to distribute the document; (3) broadens the population of
children covered by the hospital distribution provision by no longer
limiting it to those showing certain behavioral health symptoms; (4)
adds the provisions on board of education distribution of the
document; and (5) makes other minor changes.
EFFECTIVE DATE: Upon passage, except the provisions on board
of education distribution is effective July 1, 2021.
DOCUMENT DESCRIBING AVAI LABLE RESOURCES
Under the bill, each document must provide information on mental
health evaluation and treatment resources available to children in their
respective mental health region.
The documents must contain contact information for the National
Suicide Prevention Lifeline and a list of evaluation and treatment
providers, including mobile crisis intervention services providers. The
list must include the providers’ physical locations, if applicable; types
of services offered; and contact information.
EMERGENCY DEPARTMENT S’ DISTRIBUTION
Under the bill, hospital emergency departments must provide the
parent or guardian with the DCF documents that pertain to the mental
health region where the (1) department is located and (2) child lives, if
different, so long as the child lives in the state.
The emergency departments must provide copies of the documents:
1. in printed form or through the child’s patient chart in the
hospital’s electronic health record system, so long as the chart
was created before the date of the child’s discharge, and
2. by email to the parent or guardian’s electronic mail address, if
the parent or guardian chooses this. 2021HB-06510-R01-BA.DOCX
Researcher: MK Page 3 5/21/21
SCHOOL BOARDS’ DISTRIBUTION
The bill requires each local and regional board of education to:
1. make the DCF document described above pertaining to its
region available on its website by January 1, 2022, and
2. starting January 1, 2022, distribute it (a) to any student taking a
course in health and safety and (b) at least semiannually, in
September and May, to the parents and guardians of each
student in the school district.
COMMITTEE ACTION
Committee on Children
Joint Favorable Substitute
Yea 13 Nay 0 (03/11/2021)
Public Health Committee
Joint Favorable
Yea 30 Nay 0 (05/06/2021)