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General Assembly Committee Bill No. 2
January Session, 2021
LCO No. 4232
Referred to Committee on COMMITTEE ON CHILDREN
Introduced by:
(KID)
AN ACT CONCERNING SO CIAL EQUITY AND THE HEALTH, SAFETY
AND EDUCATION OF CHILDREN.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in General
Assembly convened:
Section 1. (NEW) (Effective July 1, 2021) (a) As used in this section, 1
"Question, Persuade and Refer (QPR) Institute Gatekeeper Training" 2
means an educational program designed to teach lay and professional 3
persons who work with youth the warning signs of a suicide crisis and 4
how to respond. The Youth Suicide Advisory Board, established 5
pursuant to section 17a-52 of the general statutes, and the Office of the 6
Child Advocate, shall jointly administer an evidence-based youth 7
suicide prevention training program in each district department of 8
health formed pursuant to section 19a-241 of the general statutes. The 9
training program shall provide certification in QPR Institute Gatekeeper 10
Training, utilizing a training model that will enable participants to 11
provide QPR Institute Gatekeeper Training to other individuals upon 12
completion of the training program. Such training program shall be 13
offered not later than July 1, 2022, and at least once every three years 14
thereafter. 15
(b) The director of health for each district department of health shall 16
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determine the eligibility criteria for participation in the youth suicide 17
prevention training program. Participants shall be members of the 18
following groups within such district: (1) Employees of such health 19
department, (2) employees of youth service bureaus, (3) school 20
employees, as defined in section 10-222d of the general statutes, (4) 21
employees and volunteers of youth-serving organizations, (5) 22
employees and volunteers of operators of youth athletic activities, as 23
defined in section 21a-432 of the general statutes, (6) employees of 24
municipal social service agencies, (7) members of paid municipal or 25
volunteer fire departments, and (8) members of local police 26
departments. With respect to school employees, such training program 27
may be included as part of an in-service training program provided 28
pursuant to section 10-220a of the general statutes, as amended by this 29
act. 30
(c) Any individual who has received certification in QPR Institute 31
Gatekeeper Training through the training program administered 32
pursuant to subsection (a) of this section may, during the period in 33
which such certification is valid, provide QPR Institute Gatekeeper 34
Training to any member of a group described in subdivisions (1) to (8), 35
inclusive, of subsection (b) of this section and members of the public. 36
(d) The Youth Suicide Advisory Board and the Office of the Child 37
Advocate may contract with a nongovernmental entity that provides 38
evidence-based suicide prevention training to carry out the provisions 39
of this section. 40
Sec. 2. Subsection (a) of section 20-12b of the general statutes is 41
repealed and the following is substituted in lieu thereof (Effective July 1, 42
2021): 43
(a) The department may, upon receipt of a fee of one hundred ninety 44
dollars, issue a physician assistant license to an applicant who: (1) Holds 45
a baccalaureate or higher degree in any field from a regionally 46
accredited institution of higher education; (2) has graduated from an 47
accredited physician assistant program; (3) has passed the certification 48
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examination of the national commission; (4) has satisfied the mandatory 49
continuing medical education requirements of the national commission 50
for current certification by such commission, [and] which, on and after 51
January 1, 2022, shall include not less than two hours of training or 52
education, approved by the Commissioner of Public Health, on (A) 53
screening for conditions such as post-traumatic stress disorder, risk of 54
suicide, depression and grief, and (B) suicide prevention training, 55
during the first renewal period in which continuing education is 56
required and not less than once every six years thereafter, (5) has passed 57
any examination or continued competency assessment the passage of 58
which may be required by the national commission for maintenance of 59
current certification by such commission; and [(5)] (6) has completed not 60
less than sixty hours of didactic instruction in pharmacology for 61
physician assistant practice approved by the department. 62
Sec. 3. Subsection (a) of section 20-73b of the general statutes is 63
repealed and the following is substituted in lieu thereof (Effective July 1, 64
2021): 65
(a) Except as otherwise provided in this section, each physical 66
therapist licensed pursuant to this chapter shall complete a minimum of 67
twenty hours of continuing education during each registration period. 68
For purposes of this section, registration period means the twelve-69
month period for which a license has been renewed in accordance with 70
section 19a-88 and is current and valid. The continuing education shall 71
be in areas related to the individual's practice, except, on and after 72
January 1, 2022, shall include not less than two hours of training or 73
education on (1) screening for conditions such as post-traumatic stress 74
disorder, risk of suicide, depression and grief, and (2) suicide prevention 75
training, during the first registration period in which continuing 76
education is required and not less than once every six years thereafter. 77
Qualifying continuing education activities include, but are not limited 78
to, courses offered or approved by the American Physical Therapy 79
Association or the Commissioner of Public Health or any component of 80
the American Physical Therapy Association, a hospital or other licensed 81
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health care institution or a regionally accredited institution of higher 82
education. 83
Sec. 4. Section 20-74h of the general statutes is repealed and the 84
following is substituted in lieu thereof (Effective July 1, 2021): 85
Licenses for occupational therapists and occupational therapy 86
assistants issued under this chapter shall be subject to renewal once 87
every two years and shall expire unless renewed in the manner 88
prescribed by regulation upon the payment of two times the 89
professional services fee payable to the State Treasurer for class B as 90
defined in section 33-182l, plus five dollars. The department shall notify 91
any person or entity that fails to comply with the provisions of this 92
section that the person's or entity's license shall become void ninety days 93
after the time for its renewal unless it is so renewed. Any such license 94
shall become void upon the expiration of such ninety-day period. The 95
commissioner shall establish additional requirements for licensure 96
renewal which provide evidence of continued competency, which, on 97
and after January 1, 2022, shall include not less than two hours of 98
training or education, approved by the Commissioner of Public Health, 99
on (1) screening for conditions such as post-traumatic stress disorder, 100
risk of suicide, depression and grief, and (2) suicide prevention training 101
during the first renewal period and not less than once every six years 102
thereafter. The holder of an expired license may apply for and obtain a 103
valid license only upon compliance with all relevant requirements for 104
issuance of a new license. A suspended license is subject to expiration 105
and may be renewed as provided in this section, but such renewal shall 106
not entitle the licensee, while the license remains suspended and until it 107
is reinstated, to engage in the licensed activity, or in any other conduct 108
or activity in violation of the order or judgment by which the license was 109
suspended. If a license revoked on disciplinary grounds is reinstated, 110
the licensee, as a condition of reinstatement, shall pay the renewal fee. 111
Sec. 5. (NEW) (Effective July 1, 2021) (a) As used in this section: 112
(1) "Contact hour" means a minimum of fifty minutes of continuing 113
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education and activities; and 114
(2) "Registration period" means the one-year period for which a 115
license has been renewed in accordance with section 19a-88 of the 116
general statutes and is current and valid. 117
(b) For registration periods beginning on and after January 1, 2022, a 118
registered nurse licensed pursuant to section 20-93 of the general 119
statutes and a licensed practical nurse licensed pursuant to section 20-120
96 of the general statutes applying for license renewal shall, during the 121
first renewal period and not less than once every six years thereafter, 122
earn not less than two contact hours of training or education on (1) 123
screening for conditions such as post-traumatic stress disorder, risk of 124
suicide, depression and grief, and (2) suicide prevention training. For 125
purposes of this section, qualifying continuing education activities 126
include, but are not limited to, courses, including on-line courses, 127
offered or approved by the American Nurses Association, Connecticut 128
Hospital Association, Connecticut Nurses Association, Connecticut 129
League for Nursing, a specialty nursing society or an equivalent 130
organization in another jurisdiction, an educational offering sponsored 131
by a hospital or other health care institution or a course offered by a 132
regionally accredited academic institution or a state or local health 133
department. The Commissioner of Public Health may grant a waiver of 134
not more than ten contact hours of continuing education for a registered 135
nurse or licensed practical nurse who: (A) Engages in activities related 136
to such nurse's service as a member of the Connecticut State Board of 137
Examiners for Nursing, established pursuant to section 20-88 of the 138
general statutes; or (B) assists the Department of Health with its duties 139
to boards and commissions as described in section 19a-14 of the general 140
statutes. 141
(c) Each registered nurse and licensed practical nurse applying for 142
license renewal pursuant to section 19a-88 of the general statutes shall 143
sign a statement attesting that he or she has satisfied the continuing 144
education requirements of subsection (b) of this section on a form 145
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prescribed by the Department of Health. Each licensee shall retain 146
records of attendance or certificates of completion that demonstrate 147
compliance with the continuing education requirements of subsection 148
(b) of this section for a minimum of three years following the year in 149
which the continuing education was completed and shall submit such 150
records or certificates to the department for inspection not later than 151
forty-five days after a request by the department for such records or 152
certificates. 153
Sec. 6. Subsection (a) of section 20-102ee of the general statutes is 154
repealed and the following is substituted in lieu thereof (Effective July 1, 155
2021): 156
(a) The Commissioner of Public Health shall adopt regulations, in 157
accordance with the provisions of chapter 54, concerning the regulation 158
of nurse's aides. Such regulations shall require a training program for 159
nurse's aides of not less than one hundred hours. Not less than seventy-160
five of such hours shall include, but not be limited to, basic nursing 161
skills, personal care skills, care of cognitively impaired residents, 162
recognition of mental health and social service needs, basic restorative 163
services and residents' rights. Not less than twenty-five of such hours 164
shall include, but not be limited to, specialized training in 165
understanding and responding to challenging behaviors related to 166
physical, psychiatric, psychosocial and cognitive disorders. On and after 167
January 1, 2022, not less than two of such hours shall include screening 168
for conditions such as (1) post-traumatic stress disorder, risk of suicide, 169
depression and grief, and (2) suicide prevention training from training 170
or education providers approved by the commissioner. 171
Sec. 7. Subsection (b) of section 20-185k of the general statutes is 172
repealed and the following is substituted in lieu thereof (Effective July 1, 173
2021): 174
(b) A license issued under this section may be renewed annually. The 175
license shall be renewed in accordance with the provisions of section 176
19a-88, for a fee of one hundred seventy-five dollars. Each behavior 177
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analyst applying for license renewal shall furnish evidence satisfactory 178
to the commissioner of (1) having current certification with the Behavior 179
Analyst Certification Board, and (2) on and after January 1, 2022, 180
completing not less than two hours of training or education, approved 181
by the Commissioner of Public Health, on (A) screening for conditions 182
such as post-traumatic stress disorder, risk of suicide, depression and 183
grief, and (B) suicide prevention training during the first renewal period 184
and not less than once every six years thereafter. 185
Sec. 8. Subsection (f) of section 20-195ttt of the general statutes is 186
repealed and the following is substituted in lieu thereof (Effective July 1, 187
2021): 188
(f) A certification issued under this section may be renewed every 189
three years. The license shall be renewed in accordance with the 190
provisions of section 19a-88 for a fee of one hundred dollars. Each 191
certified community health worker applying for license renewal shall 192
furnish evidence satisfactory to the commissioner of having completed 193
a minimum of thirty hours of continuing education requirements, 194
including two hours focused on cultural competency, systemic racism 195
or systemic oppression, [and] two hours focused on social determinants 196
of health and on and after January 1, 2022, two hours of training on (1) 197
screening for conditions such as post-traumatic stress disorder, risk of 198
suicide, depression and grief, and (2) suicide prevention training, 199
provided by training or education providers approved by the 200
Commissioner of Public Health. 201
Sec. 9. Subsections (d) and (e) of section 20-206mm of the general 202
statutes are repealed and the following is substituted in lieu thereof 203
(Effective July 1, 2021): 204
(d) On or after January 1, 2020, each person seeking certification as an 205
emergency medical responder, emergency medical technician or 206
advanced emergency medical technician shall apply to the department 207
on forms prescribed by the commissioner. Applicants for certification 208
shall comply with the following requirements: (1) For initial 209
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certification, an applicant shall present evidence satisfactory to the 210
commissioner that the applicant (A) has completed an initial training 211
program consistent with the National Emergency Medical Services 212
Education Standards, as promulgated by the National Highway Traffic 213
Safety Administration for the emergency medical responder, emergency 214
medical technician or advanced emergency medical technician 215
curriculum, (B) has passed the examination administered by the 216
national organization for emergency medical certification for an 217
emergency medical responder, emergency medical technician or 218
advanced emergency medical technician as necessary for the type of 219
certification sought by the applicant or an examination approved by the 220
department, and (C) has no pending disciplinary action or unresolved 221
complaints against such applicant, (2) a certificate issued under this 222
subsection shall be renewed once every two years in accordance with 223
the provisions of section 19a-88 upon presentation of evidence 224
satisfactory to the commissioner that the applicant (A) has successfully 225
completed continuing education for an emergency medical responder, 226
emergency medical technician or advanced emergency medical 227
technician as required by the national organization for emergency 228
medical certification or as approved by the department, which, on and 229
after January 1, 2022, shall include not less than two hours of training or 230
education, approved by the Commissioner of Public Health, on (i) 231
screening for conditions such as post-traumatic stress disorder, risk of 232
suicide, depression and grief, and (ii) suicide prevention training during 233
the first renewal period and not less than once every six years thereafter, 234
or (B) presents a current certification as an emergency medical 235
responder, emergency medical technician or advanced emergency 236
medical technician from the national organization for emergency 237
medical certification, or (3) for certification by endorsement from 238
another state, an applicant shall present evidence satisfactory to the 239
commissioner that the applicant (A) is currently certified as an 240
emergency medical responder, emergency medical technician or 241
advanced emergency medical technician in good standing by a state that 242
maintains certification or licensing requirements that the commissioner 243
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determines are equal to or greater than those in this state, or (B) holds a 244
current certification as an emergency medical responder, emergency 245
medical technician or advanced emergency medical technician from the 246
national organization for emergency medical certification. 247
(e) On or after January 1, 2020, each person seeking certification as an 248
emergency medical services instructor shall apply to the department on 249
forms prescribed by the commissioner. Applicants for certification shall 250
comply with the following requirements: (1) For initial certification, an 251
applicant shall present evidence satisfactory to the commissioner that 252
the applicant (A) is currently certified by the department as an 253
emergency medical technician or advanced emergency medical 254
technician or licensed by the department as a paramedic, (B) has 255
completed a program of training as an emergency medical instructor 256
based on current national education standards within the prior two 257
years, (C) has completed twenty-five hours of teaching activity under 258
the supervision of a currently certified emergency medical services 259
instructor, (D) has completed written and practical examinations as 260
prescribed by the commissioner, (E) has no pending disciplinary action 261
or unresolved complaints against the applicant, and (F) effective on a 262
date prescribed by the commissioner, presents documentation 263
satisfactory to the commissioner that the applicant is currently certified 264
as an emergency medical technician, advanced emergency medical 265
technician or paramedic by the national organization for emergency 266
medical certification, or (2) for renewal certification, an applicant shall 267
present evidence satisfactory to the commissioner that the applicant (A) 268
has successfully completed continuing education and teaching activity 269
as required by the department, which, on and after January 1, 2022, shall 270
include not less than two hours of training or education, approved by 271
the Commissioner of Public Health, on (i) screening for conditions such 272
as post-traumatic stress disorder, risk of suicide, depression and grief, 273
and (ii) suicide prevention training, during the first renewal period and 274
not less than once every six years thereafter, (B) maintains current 275
certification by the department as an emergency medical technician, 276
advanced emergency medical technician or licensure by the department 277
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as a paramedic, and (C) effective on a date as prescribed by the 278
commissioner, presents documentation satisfactory to the 279
commissioner that the applicant is currently certified as an emergency 280
medical technician, advanced emergency medical technician or 281
paramedic by the national organization for emergency medical 282
certification. 283
Sec. 10. Section 19a-14c of the general statutes is repealed and the 284
following is substituted in lieu thereof (Effective July 1, 2021): 285
(a) For the purposes of this section, "outpatient mental health 286
treatment" means the treatment of mental disorders, emotional 287
problems or maladjustments with the object of (1) removing, modifying 288
or retarding existing symptoms; (2) improving disturbed patterns of 289
behavior; and (3) promoting positive personality growth and 290
development. Treatment shall not include prescribing or otherwise 291
dispensing any medication which is a legend drug as defined in section 292
20-571. 293
(b) A psychiatrist licensed pursuant to chapter 370, a psychologist 294
licensed pursuant to chapter 383, an independent social worker certified 295
pursuant to chapter 383b or a marital and family therapist licensed 296
pursuant to chapter 383a may provide outpatient mental health 297
treatment to a minor without the consent or notification of a parent or 298
guardian at the request of the minor if (1) requiring the consent or 299
notification of a parent or guardian would cause the minor to reject such 300
treatment; (2) the provision of such treatment is clinically indicated; (3) 301
the failure to provide such treatment would be seriously detrimental to 302
the minor's well-being; (4) the minor has knowingly and voluntarily 303
sought such treatment; and (5) in the opinion of the provider of 304
treatment, the minor is mature enough to participate in treatment 305
productively. The provider of such treatment shall document the 306
reasons for any determination made to treat a minor without the consent 307
or notification of a parent or guardian and shall include such 308
documentation in the minor's clinical record, along with a written 309
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statement signed by the minor stating that (A) [he] the minor is 310
voluntarily seeking such treatment; (B) [he] the minor has discussed 311
with the provider the possibility of involving his or her parent or 312
guardian in the decision to pursue such treatment; (C) [he] the minor 313
has determined it is not in his or her best interest to involve his or her 314
parent or guardian in such decision; and (D) [he] the minor has been 315
given adequate opportunity to ask the provider questions about the 316
course of his or her treatment. 317
(c) [After the sixth session of outpatient mental health treatment 318
provided to a minor pursuant to this section, the provider of such 319
treatment shall notify the minor that the consent, notification or 320
involvement of a parent or guardian is required to continue treatment, 321
unless such a requirement would be seriously detrimental to the minor's 322
well-being. If the provider determines such a requirement would be 323
seriously detrimental to the minor's well-being, he shall document such 324
determination in the minor's clinical record, review such determination 325
every sixth session thereafter and document each such review. If the 326
provider determines such a requirement would no longer be seriously 327
detrimental to the minor's well-being, he shall require the consent, 328
notification or involvement of a parent or guardian as a condition of 329
continuing treatment.] (1) Except as otherwise provided in subdivision 330
(2) of this subsection, a minor may request and receive as many 331
outpatient mental health treatment sessions as necessary without the 332
consent or notification of a parent or guardian. No provider shall notify 333
a parent or guardian of treatment provided pursuant to this section or 334
disclose any information concerning such treatment to a parent or 335
guardian without the consent of the minor. 336
(2) A provider may notify a parent or guardian of treatment provided 337
pursuant to this section or disclose certain information concerning such 338
treatment without the consent of the minor who receives such treatment 339
provided (A) such provider determines such notification or disclosure 340
is necessary for the minor's well-being, (B) the treatment provided to the 341
minor is solely for mental health and not for a substance use disorder, 342
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and (C) the minor is provided an opportunity to express any objection 343
to such notification or disclosure. The provider shall document his or 344
her determination concerning such notification or disclosure and any 345
objections expressed by the minor in the minor's clinical record. A 346
provider may disclose to a minor's parent or guardian the following 347
information concerning such minor's outpatient mental health 348
treatment: (i) Diagnosis; (ii) treatment plan and progress in treatment; 349
(iii) recommended medications, including risks, benefits, side effects, 350
typical efficacy, dose and schedule; (iv) psychoeducation about the 351
minor's mental health; (v) referrals to community resources; (vi) 352
coaching on parenting or behavioral management strategies; and (vii) 353
crisis prevention planning and safety planning. A provider shall release 354
a minor's entire clinical record to another provider upon the request of 355
the minor or such minor's parent or guardian. 356
(d) A parent or guardian who is not informed of the provision of 357
outpatient mental health treatment for his or her minor child pursuant 358
to this section shall not be liable for the costs of the treatment provided. 359
Sec. 11. Subsection (a) of section 10-148a of the general statutes is 360
repealed and the following is substituted in lieu thereof (Effective July 1, 361
2021): 362
(a) For the school year commencing July 1, [2019] 2021, and each 363
school year thereafter, each certified employee shall participate in a 364
program of professional development. Each local and regional board of 365
education shall make available, annually, at no cost to its certified 366
employees, a program of professional development that is not fewer 367
than eighteen hours in length, of which a preponderance is in a small 368
group or individual instructional setting. Such program of professional 369
development shall (1) be a comprehensive, sustained and intensive 370
approach to improving teacher and administrator effectiveness in 371
increasing student knowledge achievement, (2) focus on refining and 372
improving various effective teaching methods that are shared between 373
and among educators, (3) foster collective responsibility for improved 374
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student performance, (4) be comprised of professional learning that (A) 375
is aligned with rigorous state student academic achievement standards, 376
(B) is conducted among educators at the school and facilitated by 377
principals, coaches, mentors, distinguished educators, as described in 378
section 10-145s, or other appropriate teachers, (C) occurs frequently on 379
an individual basis or among groups of teachers in a job-embedded 380
process of continuous improvement, and (D) includes a repository of 381
best practices for teaching methods developed by educators within each 382
school that is continuously available to such educators for comment and 383
updating, and (5) include training in culturally responsive pedagogy 384
and practice. Each program of professional development shall include 385
professional development activities in accordance with the provisions 386
of subsection (b) of this section. The principles and practices of social-387
emotional learning shall be integrated throughout the components of 388
such program of professional development described in subdivisions (1) 389
to (5), inclusive, of this subsection. 390
Sec. 12. Subsection (b) of section 10-220a of the general statutes is 391
repealed and the following is substituted in lieu thereof (Effective July 1, 392
2021): 393
(b) Not later than a date prescribed by the commissioner, each local 394
and regional board of education shall establish a professional 395
development and evaluation committee. Such professional 396
development and evaluation committee shall consist of (1) at least one 397
teacher, as defined in subsection (a) of section 10-144d, selected by the 398
exclusive bargaining representative for certified employees chosen 399
pursuant to section 10-153b, (2) at least one administrator, as defined in 400
subsection (a) of section 10-144e, selected by the exclusive bargaining 401
representative for certified employees chosen pursuant to section 10-402
153b, and (3) such other school personnel as the board deems 403
appropriate. The duties of such committees shall include, but not be 404
limited to, participation in the development or adoption of a teacher 405
evaluation and support program for the district, pursuant to section 10-406
151b, and the development, evaluation and annual updating of a 407
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comprehensive local professional development plan for certified 408
employees of the district. Such plan shall: (A) Be directly related to the 409
educational goals prepared by the local or regional board of education 410
pursuant to subsection (b) of section 10-220, as amended by this act, (B) 411
on and after July 1, [2011] 2021, be developed with full consideration of 412
the priorities and needs related to student social-emotional learning, in 413
accordance with the provisions of section 10-148a, as amended by this 414
act, and student academic outcomes as determined by the State Board 415
of Education, [and] (C) provide for the ongoing and systematic 416
assessment and improvement of both teacher evaluation and 417
professional development of the professional staff members of each 418
such board, including personnel management and evaluation training 419
or experience for administrators, [shall] and (D) be related to regular 420
and special student needs and may include provisions concerning 421
career incentives and parent involvement. The State Board of Education 422
shall develop guidelines to assist local and regional boards of education 423
in determining the objectives of the plans and in coordinating staff 424
development activities with student needs and school programs. 425
Sec. 13. Subsection (b) of section 10-220 of the general statutes is 426
repealed and the following is substituted in lieu thereof (Effective July 1, 427
2021): 428
(b) The board of education of each local or regional school district 429
shall, with the participation of parents, students, school administrators, 430
teachers, citizens, local elected officials and any other individuals or 431
groups such board shall deem appropriate, prepare a statement of 432
educational goals for such local or regional school district. The 433
statement of goals shall be consistent with state-wide goals pursuant to 434
subsection (c) of section 10-4 and include goals for the integration of 435
principles and practices of social-emotional learning in the program of 436
professional development for the school district, in accordance with the 437
provisions of section 10-148a, as amended by this act, and career 438
placement for students who do not pursue an advanced degree 439
immediately after graduation. Each local or regional board of education 440
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shall annually establish student objectives for the school year which 441
relate directly to the statement of educational goals prepared pursuant 442
to this subsection and which identify specific expectations for students 443
in terms of skills, knowledge and competence. 444
Sec. 14. Subsection (f) of section 10-221 of the general statutes is 445
repealed and the following is substituted in lieu thereof (Effective July 1, 446
2021): 447
(f) (1) Not later than September 1, 1998, each local and regional board 448
of education shall develop, adopt and implement written policies and 449
procedures to encourage parent-teacher communication. These policies 450
and procedures may include monthly newsletters, required regular 451
contact with all parents, flexible parent-teacher conferences, drop-in 452
hours for parents, home visits and the use of technology such as 453
homework hot lines to allow parents to check on their children's 454
assignments and students to get assistance if needed. For the school year 455
commencing July 1, 2010, and each school year thereafter, such policies 456
and procedures shall require the district to conduct two flexible parent-457
teacher conferences for each school year. 458
(2) For the school year commencing July 1, 2021, and each school year 459
thereafter, the policies and procedures described in subdivision (1) of 460
this subsection shall require the district to (A) offer parents the option 461
of attending any parent-teacher conference by telephone, video 462
conference or on a virtual platform, (B) conduct one parent-teacher 463
conference, in addition to those required pursuant to subdivision (1) of 464
this subsection, during periods when such district conducts school 465
sessions on a virtual platform or as part of a remote learning model for 466
more than three consecutive weeks, and one additional parent-teacher 467
conference every six months thereafter if such sessions continue to be 468
conducted on such platform or as part of such model, and (C) obtain 469
from each student's parent the name and contact information of an 470
emergency contact person who may be contacted if the student's parent 471
cannot be reached to schedule a parent-teacher conference required 472
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pursuant to subparagraph (B) of this subdivision. 473
(3) On and after January 1, 2022, such policies and procedures shall 474
require (A) a teacher conducting a parent-teacher conference pursuant 475
to subparagraph (B) of subdivision (2) of this subsection to make an 476
effort to assess the student's safety in the student's home and inquire 477
into any hardships the student's family may be experiencing, and if such 478
teacher determines that such family may benefit from being provided 479
the information contained in the document developed pursuant to 480
section 15 of this act, provide a copy of such document to such parent, 481
and (B) if a teacher is unable to make contact with a student's parent in 482
order to schedule a parent-teacher conference required pursuant to 483
subparagraph (B) of subdivision (2) of this subsection after making three 484
attempts, such teacher shall report such inability to the school principal, 485
school counselor or other school administrator designated by the local 486
or regional board of education. Such principal, counselor or 487
administrator shall contact the emergency contact person designated by 488
the student's parent pursuant to subparagraph (C) of subdivision (2) of 489
this subsection to ascertain such student and family's health and safety. 490
Sec. 15. (NEW) (Effective from passage) Not later than December 1, 491
2021, the Department of Education shall develop, and annually update, 492
a document for use by local and regional boards of education that 493
provides information concerning safety, mental health and food 494
insecurity resources and programs available for students and their 495
families. Such document shall contain, but need not be limited to, (1) 496
providers of such resources and programs, including, but not limited to, 497
the Department of Children and Families, the Department of Mental 498
Health and Addiction Services, the United Way of Connecticut and local 499
food banks, (2) descriptions of the relevant resources and programs 500
offered by each provider, including, but not limited to, the "Talk it Out" 501
program administered by the Department of Children and Families, (3) 502
contact information for each provider, resource and program, and (4) 503
relevant Internet web sites. The Department of Education shall annually 504
distribute such document electronically to each local and regional board 505
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of education. 506
Sec. 16. (NEW) (Effective from passage) For the school year 507
commencing July 1, 2021, and each school year thereafter, a local or 508
regional board of education may authorize instruction to students in 509
grades nine to twelve, inclusive, to be provided on a virtual platform or 510
as part of a remote learning model, provided such board (1) receives 511
permission for such instruction from the Commissioner of Education, 512
and (2) specifies the requirements for what constitutes student 513
attendance during such instruction. 514
Sec. 17. Section 10-16 of the general statutes is repealed and the 515
following is substituted in lieu thereof (Effective July 1, 2021): 516
Each school district shall provide in each school year no less than one 517
hundred and eighty days of actual school sessions for grades 518
kindergarten to twelve, inclusive, nine hundred hours of actual school 519
work for full-day kindergarten and grades one to twelve, inclusive, and 520
four hundred and fifty hours of half-day kindergarten, provided school 521
districts shall not count more than seven hours of actual school work in 522
any school day towards the total required for the school year. 523
Instruction that is conducted on a virtual platform or as part of a remote 524
learning model shall be considered an actual school session for purposes 525
of this section, provided the Commissioner of Education has granted 526
permission for such instruction. If weather conditions result in an early 527
dismissal or a delayed opening of school, a school district which 528
maintains separate morning and afternoon half-day kindergarten 529
sessions may provide either a morning or afternoon half -day 530
kindergarten session on such day. 531
Sec. 18. Section 10-198b of the general statutes is repealed and the 532
following is substituted in lieu thereof (Effective from passage): 533
On or before July 1, 2012, the State Board of Education shall define 534
"excused absence" and "unexcused absence". [, and on] On or before 535
January 1, 2016, the State Board of Education shall define "disciplinary 536
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absence" for use by local and regional boards of education for the 537
purposes of carrying out the provisions of section 10-198a, reporting 538
truancy, pursuant to subsection (c) of section 10-220, as amended by this 539
act, and calculating the district chronic absenteeism rate and the school 540
chronic absenteeism rate pursuant to section 10-198c. On or before July 541
1, 2021, the State Board of Education shall amend the definitions of 542
"excused absence" and "unexcused absence" to exclude (1) school 543
lessons that are conducted on a virtual platform or as part of a remote 544
learning model pursuant to section 10-16, as amended by this act, and 545
(2) a student's absence resulting from such student's taking a mental 546
health wellness day permitted pursuant to section 21 of this act. 547
Sec. 19. (NEW) (Effective July 1, 2021) For the school year commencing 548
July 1, 2021, and each school year thereafter, a local or regional board of 549
education shall permit any student enrolled in grades kindergarten to 550
twelve, inclusive, to take up to four mental health wellness days during 551
the school year, during which day such student shall not be required to 552
attend school. 553
Sec. 20. Section 10-10a of the general statutes is repealed and the 554
following is substituted in lieu thereof (Effective July 1, 2021): 555
(a) As used in this section: 556
(1) "Adverse childhood experience" means a potentially traumatic 557
event occurring in childhood, including, but not limited to, (A) 558
experiencing or witnessing violence, abuse, neglect, substance misuse, a 559
suicide attempt or death by suicide, or (B) experiencing instability due 560
to parental separation or incarceration. 561
[(1)] (2) "Teacher" means any certified professional employee below 562
the rank of superintendent employed by a board of education for at least 563
ninety days in a position requiring a certificate issued by the State Board 564
of Education; and 565
[(2)] (3) "Teacher preparation program" means a program designed 566
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to qualify an individual for professional certification as an educator 567
provided by institutions of higher education or other providers 568
approved by the Department of Education, including, but not limited 569
to, an alternate route to certification program. 570
(b) The Department of Education shall develop and implement a 571
state-wide public school information system. The system shall be 572
designed for the purpose of establishing a standardized electronic data 573
collection and reporting protocol that will facilitate compliance with 574
state and federal reporting requirements, improve school-to-school and 575
district-to-district information exchanges, and maintain the 576
confidentiality of individual student and staff data. The initial design 577
shall focus on student information, provided the system shall be created 578
to allow for future compatibility with financial, facility and staff data. 579
The system shall provide for the tracking of the performance of 580
individual students on each of the state-wide mastery examinations 581
under section 10-14n in order to allow the department to compare the 582
progress of the same cohort of students who take each examination and 583
to better analyze school performance. The department shall assign a 584
unique student identifier to each student prior to tracking the 585
performance of a student in the public school information system. 586
(c) The state-wide public school information system shall: 587
(1) Track and report data relating to student, teacher and school and 588
district performance growth and make such information available to 589
local and regional boards of education for use in evaluating educational 590
performance and growth of teachers and students enrolled in public 591
schools in the state. Such information shall be collected or calculated 592
based on information received from local and regional boards of 593
education and other relevant sources. Such information shall include, 594
but not be limited to: 595
(A) In addition to performance on state-wide mastery examinations 596
pursuant to subsection (b) of this section, data relating to students shall 597
include, but not be limited to, (i) the primary language spoken at the 598
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home of a student, (ii) student transcripts, (iii) student attendance and 599
student mobility, (iv) reliable, valid assessments of a student's readiness 600
to enter public school at the kindergarten level, [and] (v) data collected, 601
if any, from the preschool experience survey, described in section 10-602
515, and (vi) data collected concerning adverse childhood experiences 603
suffered by students; 604
(B) Data relating to teachers shall include, but not be limited to, (i) 605
teacher credentials, such as master's degrees, teacher preparation 606
programs completed and certification levels and endorsement areas, (ii) 607
teacher assessments, such as whether a teacher is deemed highly 608
qualified pursuant to the No Child Left Behind Act, P.L. 107-110, or 609
deemed to meet such other designations as may be established by 610
federal law or regulations for the purposes of tracking the equitable 611
distribution of instructional staff, (iii) the presence of substitute teachers 612
in a teacher's classroom, (iv) class size, (v) numbers relating to 613
absenteeism in a teacher's classroom, and (vi) the presence of a teacher's 614
aide. The department shall assign a unique teacher identifier to each 615
teacher prior to collecting such data in the public school information 616
system; 617
(C) Data relating to schools and districts shall include, but not be 618
limited to, (i) school population, (ii) annual student graduation rates, 619
(iii) annual teacher retention rates, (iv) school disciplinary records, such 620
as data relating to suspensions, expulsions and other disciplinary 621
actions, (v) the percentage of students whose primary language is not 622
English, (vi) the number of and professional credentials of support 623
personnel, (vii) information relating to instructional technology, such as 624
access to computers, and (viii) disaggregated measures of school-based 625
arrests pursuant to section 10-233n. 626
(2) Collect data relating to student enrollment in and graduation from 627
institutions of higher education for any student who had been assigned 628
a unique student identifier pursuant to subsection (b) of this section, 629
provided such data is available. 630
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(3) Develop means for access to and data sharing with the data 631
systems of public institutions of higher education in the state. 632
(d) On or before July 1, 2011, and each year thereafter until July 1, 633
2013, the Commissioner of Education shall report, in accordance with 634
the provisions of section 11-4a, to the joint standing committee of the 635
General Assembly having cognizance of matters relating to education 636
on the progress of the department's efforts to expand the state-wide 637
public school information system pursuant to subsection (c) of this 638
section. The report shall include a full statement of those data elements 639
that are currently included in the system and those data elements that 640
will be added on or before July 1, 2013. 641
(e) The system database of student information shall not be 642
considered a public record for the purposes of section 1-210. Nothing in 643
this section shall be construed to limit the ability of a full-time 644
permanent employee of a nonprofit organization that is exempt from 645
taxation under Section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, 646
or any subsequent corresponding internal revenue code of the United 647
States, as from time to time amended, and that is organized and 648
operated for educational purposes, to obtain information in accordance 649
with the provisions of subsection (h) of this section. 650
(f) All school districts shall participate in the system, and report all 651
necessary information required by this section, provided the 652
department provides for technical assistance and training of school staff 653
in the use of the system. 654
(g) Local and regional boards of education and preschool programs 655
which receive state or federal funding shall participate, in a manner 656
prescribed by the Commissioner of Education, in the state-wide public 657
school information system described in subsection (b) of this section. 658
Participation for purposes of this subsection shall include, but not be 659
limited to, reporting on (1) student experiences in preschool by program 660
type and by numbers of months in each such program, and (2) the 661
readiness of students entering kindergarten and student progress in 662
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kindergarten. Such reporting shall be done by October 1, 2007, and 663
annually thereafter. 664
(h) On and after August 1, 2009, upon receipt of a written request to 665
access data maintained under this section by a full-time permanent 666
employee of a nonprofit organization that is exempt from taxation 667
under Section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, or any 668
subsequent corresponding internal revenue code of the United States, 669
as from time to time amended, and that is organized and operated for 670
educational purposes, the Department of Education shall provide such 671
data to such requesting party not later than sixty days after such request, 672
provided such requesting party shall be responsible for the reasonable 673
cost of such request. The Department of Administrative Services shall 674
monitor the calculation of such fees charged for access to or copies of 675
such records to ensure that such fees are reasonable and consistent with 676
those charged by other state agencies. The Department of Education 677
shall respond to written requests under this section in the order in which 678
they are received. 679
(i) The superintendent of schools of a school district, or his or her 680
designee, may access information in the state-wide public school 681
information system regarding the state-wide mastery examination 682
under section 10-14n. Such access shall be for the limited purpose of 683
determining examination dates, examination scores and levels of 684
student achievement on such examinations for students enrolled in or 685
transferring to the school district of such superintendent. 686
Sec. 21. Subsection (c) of section 10-220 of the general statutes is 687
repealed and the following is substituted in lieu thereof (Effective July 1, 688
2021): 689
(c) Annually, each local and regional board of education shall submit 690
to the Commissioner of Education a strategic school profile report for 691
each school and school or program of alternative education, as defined 692
in section 10-74j, under its jurisdiction and for the school district as a 693
whole. The superintendent of each local and regional school district 694
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shall present the profile report at the next regularly scheduled public 695
meeting of the board of education after each November first. The profile 696
report shall provide information on measures of (1) student needs, (2) 697
school resources, including technological resources and utilization of 698
such resources and infrastructure, (3) student and school performance, 699
including in-school suspensions, out-of-school suspensions and 700
expulsions, the number of truants, as defined in section 10-198a, and 701
chronically absent children, as defined in section 10-198c, (4) the number 702
of students enrolled in an adult high school credit diploma program, 703
pursuant to section 10-69, operated by a local or regional board of 704
education or a regional educational service center, (5) equitable 705
allocation of resources among its schools, (6) reduction of racial, ethnic 706
and economic isolation, (7) special education, [and] (8) school-based 707
arrests, as defined in section 10-233n, and (9) adverse childhood 708
experiences, as defined in section 10-10a, as amended by this act, 709
suffered by students. For purposes of this subsection, measures of 710
special education include (A) special education identification rates by 711
disability, (B) rates at which special education students are exempted 712
from mastery testing pursuant to section 10-14q, (C) expenditures for 713
special education, including such expenditures as a percentage of total 714
expenditures, (D) achievement data for special education students, (E) 715
rates at which students identified as requiring special education are no 716
longer identified as requiring special education, (F) the availability of 717
supplemental educational services for students lacking basic 718
educational skills, (G) the amount of special education student 719
instructional time with nondisabled peers, (H) the number of students 720
placed out-of-district, and (I) the actions taken by the school district to 721
improve special education programs, as indicated by analyses of the 722
local data provided in subparagraphs (A) to (H), inclusive, of this 723
subdivision. The superintendent shall include in the narrative portion 724
of the report information about parental involvement and any measures 725
the district has taken to improve parental involvement, including, but 726
not limited to, employment of methods to engage parents in the 727
planning and improvement of school programs and methods to increase 728
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support to parents working at home with their children on learning 729
activities. For purposes of this subsection, measures of truancy include 730
the type of data that is required to be collected by the Department of 731
Education regarding attendance and unexcused absences in order for 732
the department to comply with federal reporting requirements and the 733
actions taken by the local or regional board of education to reduce 734
truancy in the school district. Such truancy data shall be considered a 735
public record, as defined in section 1-200. 736
Sec. 22. Section 17a-10a of the general statutes is repealed and the 737
following is substituted in lieu thereof (Effective July 1, 2021): 738
(a) The Commissioner of Children and Families shall ensure that a 739
child placed in the care and custody of the commissioner pursuant to an 740
order of temporary custody or an order of commitment is provided 741
visitation with such child's parents and siblings, unless otherwise 742
ordered by the court. In the event of a pandemic or outbreak of a 743
communicable disease and (1) the Governor has made a declaration of 744
a public health emergency pursuant to section 19a-131a, due to such 745
pandemic or outbreak, or (2) the commissioner determines that such 746
pandemic or outbreak has rendered visitation a risk to the health of such 747
child or such child's parents or siblings, such child shall be provided 748
opportunities to communicate with such child's parents and siblings by 749
video conference or on a virtual platform in lieu of visitation, for the 750
duration of the Governor's declaration, or, if no declaration was made 751
or such declaration has been terminated, until such time as the 752
commissioner determines such risk has abated. 753
(b) The commissioner shall ensure that such child's visits with his or 754
her parents, or opportunities to communicate with such child's parents 755
and siblings by video conference or on a virtual platform, shall occur as 756
frequently as reasonably possible, based upon consideration of the best 757
interests of the child, including the age and developmental level of the 758
child, and shall be sufficient in number and duration to ensure 759
continuation of the relationship. 760
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(c) If such child has an existing relationship with a sibling and is 761
separated from such sibling as a result of intervention by the 762
commissioner including, but not limited to, placement in a foster home 763
or in the home of a relative, the commissioner shall, based upon 764
consideration of the best interests of the child, ensure that such child has 765
access to and visitation rights with such sibling throughout the duration 766
of such placement. In determining the number, frequency and duration 767
of sibling visits, the commissioner shall consider the best interests of 768
each sibling, given each child's age and developmental level and the 769
continuation of the sibling relationship. If the child and his or her sibling 770
both reside within the state and within fifty miles of each other, the 771
commissioner shall, within available appropriations, ensure that such 772
child's visits with his or her sibling occur, on average, not less than once 773
per week, unless the commissioner finds that the frequency of such 774
visitation is not in the best interests of each sibling. 775
(d) Not later than January 1, 2022, the commissioner shall develop a 776
policy that requires the temporary cessation of in-person visitation 777
provided pursuant to this section, on a case-by-case basis, in the event 778
that a child or such child's parent or sibling is seriously ill due to a 779
communicable disease, and visitation could result in the contraction of 780
such disease by one or more participants in the visitation. Such policy 781
shall require that such child shall be provided an opportunity to 782
communicate with such child's parents and siblings by video conference 783
or on a virtual platform in lieu of such visitation. The commissioner shall 784
define "seriously ill" and "communicable disease" for the purposes of 785
carrying out this subsection. 786
[(d)] (e) The commissioner shall include in each child's case record 787
information relating to the factors considered in making visitation 788
determinations pursuant to this section. If the commissioner determines 789
that such visits are not in the best interests of the child, that the 790
occurrence of, on average, not less than one visit per week with his or 791
her sibling is not in the best interests of each sibling, or that the number, 792
frequency or duration of the visits requested by the child's attorney or 793
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guardian ad litem is not in the best interests of the child, the 794
commissioner shall include the reasons for such determination in the 795
child's case record. 796
[(e)] (f) On or before October first of each year, the commissioner shall 797
report, in accordance with the provisions of section 11-4a, to the joint 798
standing committee of the General Assembly having cognizance of 799
matters relating to children, data sufficient to demonstrate compliance 800
with subsections (a), (c) and [(d)] (e) of this section. Such data shall 801
include the total annual number of children in out-of-home placements 802
who have siblings, the total number of child cases with documented 803
sibling visitation and the number of individual siblings involved in each 804
case. 805
Sec. 23. Section 17a-103a of the general statutes is repealed and the 806
following is substituted in lieu thereof (Effective July 1, 2021): 807
(a) The Commissioner of Children and Families shall establish and 808
operate the telephone Careline for child abuse and neglect that shall be 809
dedicated to receive reports of child abuse or neglect and to provide 810
information concerning child abuse or neglect. The Careline shall accept 811
all reports of child abuse or neglect regardless of the relationship of the 812
alleged perpetrator to the child who is the alleged victim and regardless 813
of the alleged perpetrator's affiliation with any organization or other 814
entity in any capacity. The commissioner shall classify and evaluate all 815
reports pursuant to the provisions of section 17a-101g. 816
(b) Not later than July 1, 2022, the Commissioner of Children and 817
Families shall expand the operation of the telephone Careline to 818
accommodate the receipt and provision of information concerning child 819
abuse or neglect by text message. 820
Sec. 24. (NEW) (Effective July 1, 2021) Except where the Commissioner 821
of Children and Families, or the commissioner's designee, has 822
authorized the immediate removal of a child from such child's home 823
pursuant to subsection (e) of section 17a-101g of the general statutes, the 824
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commissioner shall provide written notice to the parent or guardian of 825
any child whom the commissioner is considering removing from such 826
child's home. Such notice shall be in the parent or guardian's primary 827
language, and contain (1) the date, time and location of any removal 828
meeting the commissioner has scheduled, (2) a plain language 829
explanation of the removal process, steps the commissioner intends to 830
take and legal rights of the parent or guardian, (3) a list of local 831
organizations that provide free or reduced-cost legal services and how 832
to access such services, and (4) a check box for such parent or guardian 833
to request the services of an interpreter at any such meeting. The 834
commissioner shall obtain the signature of such parent or guardian 835
acknowledging receipt of such notice and provide the services of an 836
interpreter at any such meeting for which an interpreter has been 837
requested by such parent or guardian. 838
Sec. 25. (NEW) (Effective July 1, 2021) Not later than July 1, 2022, the 839
Commissioner of Early Childhood shall develop and implement a plan 840
to expand the birth-to-three program, established pursuant to section 841
17a-248b of the general statutes, as amended by this act, to provide early 842
intervention services to children five years of age and under. The 843
commissioner may adopt regulations in accordance with chapter 54 of 844
the general statutes to implement the provisions of this section. 845
Sec. 26. Section 17a-248 of the general statutes is repealed and the 846
following is substituted in lieu thereof (Effective July 1, 2022): 847
As used in this section and sections 17a-248b to 17a-248g, inclusive, 848
as amended by this act, 38a-490a, as amended by this act, and 38a-516a, 849
as amended by this act, unless the context otherwise requires: 850
(1) "Commissioner" means the Commissioner of Early Childhood. 851
(2) "Council" means the State Interagency [Birth-to-Three] Birth-to-852
Five Coordinating Council established pursuant to section 17a-248b, as 853
amended by this act. 854
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(3) "Early intervention services" means early intervention services, as 855
defined in 34 CFR Part 303.13, as from time to time amended, and 856
similar services that are appropriate for children who are four and five 857
years of age. 858
(4) "Eligible children" means children from birth to [thirty-six 859
months] five years of age, who are not eligible for special education and 860
related services pursuant to sections 10-76a to 10-76h, inclusive, and 861
who need early intervention services because such children are: 862
(A) Experiencing a significant developmental delay as measured by 863
standardized diagnostic instruments and procedures, including 864
informed clinical opinion, in one or more of the following areas: (i) 865
Cognitive development; (ii) physical development, including vision or 866
hearing; (iii) communication development; (iv) social or emotional 867
development; or (v) adaptive skills; or 868
(B) Diagnosed as having a physical or mental condition that has a 869
high probability of resulting in developmental delay. 870
(5) "Evaluation" means a multidisciplinary professional, objective 871
assessment conducted by appropriately qualified personnel in order to 872
determine a child's eligibility for early intervention services. 873
(6) "Individualized family service plan" means a written plan for 874
providing early intervention services to an eligible child and the child's 875
family. 876
(7) "Lead agency" means the Office of Early Childhood, the public 877
agency responsible for the administration of the [birth-to-three] birth-878
to-five system in collaboration with the participating agencies. 879
(8) "Parent" means (A) a biological, adoptive or foster parent of a 880
child; (B) a guardian, except for the Commissioner of Children and 881
Families; (C) an individual acting in the place of a biological or adoptive 882
parent, including, but not limited to, a grandparent, stepparent, or other 883
relative with whom the child lives; (D) an individual who is legally 884
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responsible for the child's welfare; or (E) an individual appointed to be 885
a surrogate parent. 886
(9) "Participating agencies" includes, but is not limited to, the 887
Departments of Education, Social Services, Public Health, Children and 888
Families and Developmental Services, the Office of Early Childhood, the 889
Insurance Department and the Department of Aging and Disability 890
Services. 891
(10) "Qualified personnel" means persons who meet the standards 892
specified in 34 CFR Part 303.31, as from time to time amended, and who 893
are licensed physicians or psychologists or persons holding a state-894
approved or recognized license, certificate or registration in one or more 895
of the following fields: (A) Special education, including teaching of the 896
blind and the deaf; (B) speech and language pathology and audiology; 897
(C) occupational therapy; (D) physical therapy; (E) social work; (F) 898
nursing; (G) dietary or nutritional counseling; and (H) other fields 899
designated by the commissioner that meet requirements that apply to 900
the area in which the person is providing early intervention services, 901
provided there is no conflict with existing professional licensing, 902
certification and registration requirements. 903
(11) "Service coordinator" means a person carrying out service 904
coordination services, as defined in 34 CFR Part 303.34, as from time to 905
time amended. 906
(12) "Primary care provider" means physicians and advanced practice 907
registered nurses, licensed by the Department of Public Health, who are 908
responsible for performing or directly supervising the primary care 909
services for children enrolled in the [birth-to-three] birth-to-five 910
program. 911
Sec. 27. Section 17a-248a of the general statutes is repealed and the 912
following is substituted in lieu thereof (Effective July 1, 2022): 913
The [birth-to-three] birth-to-five program established pursuant to 914
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section 25 of this act and 17a-248b, as amended by this act, shall not be 915
considered a humane institution, as defined in section 17b-222. 916
Sec. 28. Section 17a-248b of the general statutes is repealed and the 917
following is substituted in lieu thereof (Effective July 1, 2022): 918
(a) The lead agency shall establish a State Interagency [Birth-to-919
Three] Birth-to-Five Coordinating Council and shall provide staff 920
assistance and other resources to the council. The council shall consist 921
of the following members, appointed by the Governor: (1) Parents, 922
including minority parents, of children with disabilities twelve years of 923
age or younger, with knowledge of, or experience with, programs for 924
children with disabilities from birth to [thirty-six months] five years of 925
age, the total number of whom shall equal not less than twenty per cent 926
of the total membership of the council, and at least one of whom shall 927
be a parent of a child six years of age or younger, with a disability; (2) 928
two members of the General Assembly at the time of their appointment, 929
one of whom shall be designated by the speaker of the House of 930
Representatives and one of whom shall be designated by the president 931
pro tempore of the Senate; (3) one person involved in the training of 932
personnel who provide early intervention services; (4) one person who 933
is a member of the American Academy of Pediatrics; (5) the state 934
coordinator of education for homeless children and youth, the state 935
coordinator for early childhood special education and one person from 936
each of the participating agencies, except the Department of Education, 937
who shall be designated by the commissioner or executive director of 938
the participating agency and who have authority to engage in policy 939
planning and implementation on behalf of the participating agency; (6) 940
public or private providers of early intervention services, the total 941
number of whom shall equal not less than twenty per cent of the total 942
membership of the council; and (7) a representative of a Head Start 943
program or agency. The Governor shall designate the chairperson of the 944
council who shall not be the designee of the lead agency. 945
(b) The Governor shall appoint all members of the council for terms 946
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of three years. No appointed member of the council may serve more 947
than two consecutive terms, except a member may continue to serve 948
until a successor is appointed. 949
(c) The council shall meet at least quarterly and shall provide public 950
notice of its meetings, which shall be open and accessible to the general 951
public. Special meetings may be called by the chairperson and shall be 952
called at the request of the commissioner. 953
(d) Council members who are parents of children with disabilities 954
shall be reimbursed for reasonable and necessary expenses incurred in 955
the performance of their duties under this section. 956
(e) The council shall: (1) Assist the lead agency in the effective 957
performance of the lead agency's responsibilities under section 17a-248, 958
as amended by this act, this section and sections 17a-248c to 17a-248g, 959
inclusive, as amended by this act, 38a-490a, as amended by this act, and 960
38a-516a, as amended by this act, including identifying the sources of 961
fiscal support for early intervention services and programs, assignment 962
of financial responsibility to the appropriate agency, promotion of 963
interagency agreements and preparing applications and amendments 964
required pursuant to federal law; (2) advise and assist the commissioner 965
and other participating agencies in the development of standards and 966
procedures pursuant to said sections; (3) advise and assist the 967
commissioner and the Commissioner of Education regarding the 968
transition of children with disabilities to services provided under 969
sections 10-76a to 10-76h, inclusive; (4) advise and assist the 970
commissioner in identifying barriers that impede timely and effective 971
service delivery, including advice and assistance with regard to 972
interagency disputes; and (5) prepare and submit an annual report in 973
accordance with section 11-4a to the Governor and the General 974
Assembly on the status of the [birth-to-three] birth-to-five system. At 975
least thirty days prior to the commissioner's final approval of rules and 976
regulations pursuant to section 17a-248, as amended by this act, this 977
section, sections 17a-248c to 17a-248g, inclusive, as amended by this act, 978
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38a-490a, as amended by this act, and 38a-516a, as amended by this act, 979
other than emergency rules and regulations, the commissioner shall 980
submit proposed rules and regulations to the council for its review. The 981
council shall review all proposed rules and regulations and report its 982
recommendations thereon to the commissioner within thirty days. The 983
commissioner shall not act in a manner inconsistent with the 984
recommendations of the council without first providing the reasons for 985
such action. The council, upon a majority vote of its members, may 986
require that an alternative approach to the proposed rules and 987
regulations be published with a notice of the proposed rules and 988
regulations pursuant to chapter 54. When an alternative approach is 989
published pursuant to this section, the commissioner shall state the 990
reasons for not selecting such alternative approach. 991
Sec. 29. Subsection (a) of section 17a-248c of the general statutes is 992
repealed and the following is substituted in lieu thereof (Effective July 1, 993
2022): 994
(a) The commissioner may establish one local interagency 995
coordinating council in each region of the state. Each council shall 996
consist of five or more individuals interested in the welfare of children 997
ages birth to [three] five years with disabilities or developmental delays. 998
Sec. 30. Section 17a-248d of the general statutes is repealed and the 999
following is substituted in lieu thereof (Effective July 1, 2022): 1000
(a) The lead agency, in coordination with the participating agencies 1001
and in consultation with the council, shall establish and maintain a state-1002
wide birth-to-three system of early intervention services pursuant to 1003
Part C of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act, 20 USC 1431 1004
et seq., for eligible children and families of such children, and, on and 1005
after July 1, 2022, expand the provision of such services to children who 1006
are four and five years of age in accordance with section 25 of this act. 1007
(b) The state-wide system shall include a system for compiling data 1008
on the number of eligible children in the state in need of appropriate 1009
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early intervention services, the number of such eligible children and 1010
their families served, the types of services provided and other 1011
information as deemed necessary by the lead agency. 1012
(c) The state-wide system shall include a comprehensive child-find 1013
system and public awareness program to ensure that eligible children 1014
are identified, located, referred to the system and evaluated. The 1015
following persons and entities, as soon as possible but not later than 1016
seven calendar days after identifying a child from birth to [three] five 1017
years of age suspected of having a developmental delay or of being at 1018
risk of having a developmental delay, shall refer the parent of such child 1019
to the early intervention system unless the person knows the child has 1020
already been referred: (1) Hospitals; (2) child health care providers; (3) 1021
local school districts; (4) public health facilities; (5) early intervention 1022
service providers; (6) participating agencies; and (7) such other social 1023
service and health care agencies and providers as the commissioner 1024
specifies in regulation. 1025
(d) The commissioner, in coordination with the participating 1026
agencies and in consultation with the council, shall adopt regulations, 1027
pursuant to chapter 54, to carry out the provisions of section 17a-248, as 1028
amended by this act, and sections 17a-248b to 17a-248g, inclusive, as 1029
amended by this act, 38a-490a, as amended by this act, and 38a-516a, as 1030
amended by this act. 1031
(e) The state-wide system shall include a system for required 1032
notification to any local or regional school board of education no later 1033
than January first of each year of any child who resides in the local or 1034
regional school district, participates in the state-wide program and will 1035
attain the age of three during the next fiscal year. Such system of 1036
notification shall include provisions for preserving the confidentiality of 1037
such child and of the parent or guardian of such child. 1038
Sec. 31. Subsection (d) of section 17a-248e of the general statutes is 1039
repealed and the following is substituted in lieu thereof (Effective July 1, 1040
2022): 1041
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(d) The lead agency may provide early intervention services, arrange 1042
for the delivery of early intervention services by participating agencies 1043
or contract with providers to deliver early intervention services to 1044
eligible children and the families of such children. The lead agency in 1045
providing, arranging or contracting for early intervention services shall 1046
(1) monitor all [birth-to-three] birth-to-five service providers for quality 1047
and accountability in accordance with Section 616 of the Individuals 1048
with Disabilities Education Act, 20 USC 1416 and the plan developed 1049
pursuant to section 25 of this act, and (2) establish state-wide rates for 1050
such services. 1051
Sec. 32. Section 17a-248g of the general statutes is repealed and the 1052
following is substituted in lieu thereof (Effective July 1, 2022): 1053
(a) Subject to the provisions of this section, funds appropriated to the 1054
lead agency for purposes of section 17a-248, as amended by this act, 1055
sections 17a-248b to 17a-248f, inclusive, this section and sections 38a-1056
490a, as amended by this act, and 38a-516a, as amended by this act, shall 1057
not be used to satisfy a financial commitment for services that would 1058
have been paid from another public or private source but for the 1059
enactment of said sections, except for federal funds available pursuant 1060
to Part C of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act, 20 USC 1431 1061
et seq., except that whenever considered necessary to prevent the delay 1062
in the receipt of appropriate early intervention services by the eligible 1063
child or family in a timely fashion, funds provided under said sections 1064
may be used to pay the service provider pending reimbursement from 1065
the public or private source that has ultimate responsibility for the 1066
payment. 1067
(b) Nothing in section 17a-248, as amended by this act, sections 17a-1068
248b to 17a-248f, inclusive, as amended by this act, this section and 1069
sections 38a-490a, as amended by this act, and 38a-516a, as amended by 1070
this act, shall be construed to permit the Department of Social Services 1071
or any other state agency to reduce medical assistance pursuant to this 1072
chapter or other assistance or services available to eligible children. 1073
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Notwithstanding any provision of the general statutes, costs incurred 1074
for early intervention services that otherwise qualify as medical 1075
assistance that are furnished to an eligible child who is also eligible for 1076
benefits pursuant to this chapter shall be considered medical assistance 1077
for purposes of payments to providers and state reimbursement to the 1078
extent that federal financial participation is available for such services. 1079
(c) Providers of early intervention services shall, in the first instance 1080
and where applicable, seek payment from all third-party payers prior to 1081
claiming payment from the [birth-to-three] birth-to-five system for 1082
services rendered to eligible children, provided, for the purpose of 1083
seeking payment from the Medicaid program or from other third-party 1084
payers as agreed upon by the provider, the obligation to seek payment 1085
shall not apply to a payment from a third-party payer who is not 1086
prohibited from applying such payment, and who will apply such 1087
payment, to an annual or lifetime limit specified in the third-party 1088
payer's policy or contract. 1089
(d) The commissioner, in consultation with the Office of Policy and 1090
Management and the Insurance Commissioner, shall adopt regulations, 1091
pursuant to chapter 54, providing public reimbursement for deductibles 1092
and copayments imposed under an insurance policy or health benefit 1093
plan to the extent that such deductibles and copayments are applicable 1094
to early intervention services. 1095
(e) [The commissioner shall establish and periodically revise, in 1096
accordance with this section, a schedule of fees based on a sliding scale 1097
for early intervention services. The schedule of fees shall consider the 1098
cost of such services relative to the financial resources of the state and 1099
the parents or legal guardians of eligible children, provided that on and 1100
after October 6, 2009, the commissioner shall (1) charge fees to such 1101
parents or legal guardians that are sixty per cent greater than the 1102
amount of the fees charged on the date prior to October 6, 2009; and (2) 1103
charge fees for all services provided, including those services provided 1104
in the first two months following the enrollment of a child in the 1105
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program. Fees may be charged to any such parent or guardian, 1106
regardless of income, and shall be charged to any such parent or 1107
guardian with a gross annual family income of forty-five thousand 1108
dollars or more, except that no fee may be charged to the parent or 1109
guardian of a child who is eligible for Medicaid. Notwithstanding the 1110
provisions of subdivision (8) of section 17a-248, as used in this 1111
subsection, "parent" means the biological or adoptive parent or legal 1112
guardian of any child receiving early intervention services. The lead 1113
agency may assign its right to collect fees to a designee or provider 1114
participating in the early intervention program and providing services 1115
to a recipient in order to assist the provider in obtaining payment for 1116
such services. The commissioner may implement procedures for the 1117
collection of the schedule of fees while in the process of adopting or 1118
amending such criteria in regulation, provided the commissioner posts 1119
notice of intention to adopt or amend the regulations on the 1120
eRegulations System, established pursuant to section 4-173b, within 1121
twenty days of implementing the policy. Such collection procedures and 1122
schedule of fees shall be valid until the time the final regulations or 1123
amendments are effective] The commissioner shall not charge a fee for 1124
early intervention services to the parents or legal guardians of eligible 1125
children. 1126
(f) [The] With respect to early intervention services rendered prior to 1127
July 1, 2022, the commissioner shall develop and implement procedures 1128
to hold a recipient harmless for the impact of pursuit of payment for 1129
[early intervention] such services against lifetime insurance limits. 1130
(g) Notwithstanding any provision of title 38a relating to the 1131
permissible exclusion of payments for services under governmental 1132
programs, no such exclusion shall apply with respect to payments made 1133
pursuant to section 17a-248, as amended by this act, sections 17a-248b 1134
to 17a-248f, inclusive, this section and sections 38a-490a, as amended by 1135
this act, and 38a-516a, as amended by this act. Except as provided in this 1136
subsection, nothing in this section shall increase or enhance coverages 1137
provided for within an insurance contract subject to the provisions of 1138
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section 10-94f, subsection (a) of section 10-94g, subsection (a) of section 1139
17a-219b, subsection (a) of section 17a-219c, as amended by this act, 1140
sections 17a-248, as amended by this act, 17a-248b to 17a-248f, inclusive, 1141
as amended by this act, this section, and sections 38a-490a, as amended 1142
by this act, and 38a-516a, as amended by this act. 1143
Sec. 33. Section 17a-248h of the general statutes is repealed and the 1144
following is substituted in lieu thereof (Effective July 1, 2022): 1145
The [birth-to-three] birth-to-five program, established under section 1146
25 of this act and section 17a-248b, as amended by this act, and 1147
administered by the Office of Early Childhood, shall provide mental 1148
health services to any child eligible for early intervention services 1149
pursuant to Part C of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act, 20 1150
USC 1431 et seq., as amended from time to time and in accordance with 1151
the plan developed pursuant to section 25 of this act. Any child not 1152
eligible for services under said act shall be referred by the program to a 1153
licensed mental health care provider for evaluation and treatment, as 1154
needed. 1155
Sec. 34. Subsection (a) of section 17a-248i of the general statutes is 1156
repealed and the following is substituted in lieu thereof (Effective July 1, 1157
2022): 1158
(a) [Not later than October 1, 2015] On and after July 1, 2022, the 1159
Commissioner of Early Childhood shall require, as part of the [birth-to-1160
three] birth-to-five program established under section 25 of this act and 1161
17a-248b, as amended by this act, that the parent or guardian of a child 1162
who is (1) receiving services under the [birth-to-three] birth-to-five 1163
program, and (2) exhibiting delayed speech, language or hearing 1164
development, be notified of the availability of hearing testing for such 1165
child. Such notification may include, but need not be limited to, 1166
information regarding (A) the benefits of hearing testing for children, 1167
(B) the resources available to the parent or guardian for hearing testing 1168
and treatment, and (C) any financial assistance that may be available for 1169
such testing. 1170
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Sec. 35. Subsection (g) of section 10-145d of the general statutes is 1171
repealed and the following is substituted in lieu thereof (Effective July 1, 1172
2022): 1173
(g) For the purposes of issuance of certificates, permits and 1174
authorizations by the State Board of Education under the provisions of 1175
sections 10-144o to 10-149, inclusive, teaching experience in approved 1176
nonpublic schools shall include teaching experience in [birth-to-three] 1177
birth-to-five programs approved by the Department of Developmental 1178
Services. 1179
Sec. 36. Subdivision (26) of subsection (b) of section 10-500 of the 1180
general statutes is repealed and the following is substituted in lieu 1181
thereof (Effective July 1, 2022): 1182
(26) Promoting the delivery of services to infants, [and] toddlers and 1183
young children to ensure optimal health, safety and learning of children 1184
from birth to [three] five years of age. 1185
Sec. 37. Subdivision (5) of subsection (b) of section 17a-22gg of the 1186
general statutes is repealed and the following is substituted in lieu 1187
thereof (Effective July 1, 2022): 1188
(5) One representing the [birth-to-three] birth-to-five program 1189
established under section 17a-248b, as amended by this act; 1190
Sec. 38. Subdivision (29) of subsection (g) of section 17a-28 of the 1191
general statutes is repealed and the following is substituted in lieu 1192
thereof (Effective July 1, 2022): 1193
(29) The [birth-to-three] birth-to-five program's referral intake office 1194
for the purpose of (A) determining eligibility of, (B) facilitating 1195
enrollment for, and (C) providing services to (i) substantiated victims of 1196
child abuse and neglect with suspected developmental delays, and (ii) 1197
newborns impacted by withdrawal symptoms resulting from prenatal 1198
drug exposure; and 1199
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Sec. 39. Section 17a-106e of the general statutes is repealed and the 1200
following is substituted in lieu thereof (Effective July 1, 2022): 1201
(a) (1) On and after October 1, 2013, the Department of Children and 1202
Families shall, within available appropriations, ensure that each child 1203
thirty-six months of age or younger who has been substantiated as a 1204
victim of abuse or neglect is screened for both developmental and social-1205
emotional delays using validated assessment tools such as the Ages and 1206
Stages and the Ages and Stages-Social/Emotional Questionnaires, or 1207
their equivalents. The department shall ensure that such screenings are 1208
administered to any such child twice annually, unless such child has 1209
been found to be eligible for the [birth-to-three] birth-to-five program, 1210
established under section 17a-248b, as amended by this act. 1211
(2) On and after July 1, 2015, the department shall ensure that each 1212
child thirty-six months of age or younger who is being served through 1213
the department's family assessment response program, established 1214
under section 17a-101g, is screened for both developmental and social-1215
emotional delays using validated assessment tools such as the Ages and 1216
Stages and the Ages and Stages-Social/Emotional Questionnaires, or 1217
their equivalents, unless such child has been found to be eligible for the 1218
[birth-to-three] birth-to-five program. 1219
(b) The department shall refer any child exhibiting developmental or 1220
social-emotional delays pursuant to such screenings to the [birth-to-1221
three] birth-to-five program. The department shall refer any child who 1222
is not found eligible for services under the [birth-to-three] birth-to-five 1223
program to the Help Me Grow prevention program under the Office of 1224
Early Childhood, pursuant to section 17b-751d, or a similar program 1225
that the department deems appropriate. 1226
(c) Not later than July 1, 2014, and annually thereafter, the 1227
department shall submit, in accordance with the provisions of section 1228
11-4a, a report to the joint standing committee of the General Assembly 1229
having cognizance of matters relating to children for inclusion in the 1230
annual report card prepared pursuant to section 2-53m on the status of 1231
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the screening and referral program authorized pursuant to subsection 1232
(a) of this section. Such report shall include: (1) The number of children 1233
thirty-six months of age or younger within the state who have been 1234
substantiated as victims of abuse or neglect within the preceding twelve 1235
months; (2) the number of children thirty-six months of age or younger 1236
within the state who have been served through the department's family 1237
assessment response program within the preceding twelve months; (3) 1238
the number of children who were screened for developmental and 1239
social-emotional delays pursuant to subsection (a) of this section by the 1240
department or by a provider contracted by the department within the 1241
preceding twelve months; (4) the number of children in subdivisions (1) 1242
and (2) of this subsection referred for evaluation under the [birth-to-1243
three] birth-to-five program within the preceding twelve months, the 1244
number of such children actually evaluated under such program, the 1245
number of such children found eligible for services under such program 1246
and the services for which such children were found eligible under such 1247
program; and (5) the number of children described in subdivisions (1) 1248
and (2) of this subsection receiving evidence-based developmental 1249
support services through the [birth-to-three] birth-to-five program or 1250
through a provider contracted by the department within the preceding 1251
twelve months. 1252
Sec. 40. Subsection (a) of section 17a-219c of the general statutes is 1253
repealed and the following is substituted in lieu thereof (Effective July 1, 1254
2022): 1255
(a) There is established a Family Support Council to assist the 1256
Department of Developmental Services and other state agencies that 1257
administer or fund family support services to act in concert and, within 1258
available appropriations, to (1) establish a comprehensive, coordinated 1259
system of family support services, (2) use existing state and other 1260
resources efficiently and effectively as appropriate for such services, (3) 1261
identify and address services that are needed for families of children 1262
with disabilities, and (4) promote state-wide availability of such 1263
services. The council shall consist of twenty-six voting members 1264
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including the Commissioners of Public Health, Developmental Services, 1265
Children and Families, Education and Social Services, or their 1266
designees, the Child Advocate or the Child Advocate's designee, the 1267
chairperson of the State Interagency [Birth-to-Three] Birth-to-Five 1268
Coordinating Council, established pursuant to section 17a-248b, or the 1269
chairperson's designee, the executive director of the Commission on 1270
Women, Children, Seniors, Equity and Opportunity, or the executive 1271
director's designee, and family members of, or individuals who 1272
advocate for, children with disabilities. The family members or 1273
individuals who advocate for children with disabilities shall comprise 1274
two-thirds of the council and shall be appointed as follows: Six by the 1275
Governor, three by the president pro tempore of the Senate, two by the 1276
majority leader of the Senate, one by the minority leader of the Senate, 1277
three by the speaker of the House of Representatives, two by the 1278
majority leader of the House of Representatives and one by the minority 1279
leader of the House of Representatives. All appointed members serving 1280
on or after October 5, 2009, including members appointed prior to 1281
October 5, 2009, shall serve in accordance with the provisions of section 1282
4-1a. Members serving on or after October 5, 2009, including members 1283
appointed prior to October 5, 2009, shall serve no more than eight 1284
consecutive years on the council. The council shall meet at least 1285
quarterly and shall select its own chairperson. Council members shall 1286
serve without compensation but shall be reimbursed for necessary 1287
expenses incurred. The costs of administering the council shall be within 1288
available appropriations in accordance with this section and sections 1289
17a-219a and 17a-219b. 1290
Sec. 41. Subsection (d) of section 19a-110 of the general statutes is 1291
repealed and the following is substituted in lieu thereof (Effective July 1, 1292
2022): 1293
(d) The director of health of the town, city, borough or district shall 1294
provide or cause to be provided, to the parent or guardian of a child 1295
who is (1) known to have a confirmed venous blood lead level of five 1296
micrograms per deciliter of blood or more, or (2) the subject of a report 1297
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by an institution or clinical laboratory, pursuant to subsection (a) of this 1298
section, with information describing the dangers of lead poisoning, 1299
precautions to reduce the risk of lead poisoning, information about 1300
potential eligibility for services for children from birth to [three] five 1301
years of age pursuant to sections 17a-248 to 17a-248g, inclusive, as 1302
amended by this act, and laws and regulations concerning lead 1303
abatement. The director of health need only provide, or cause to be 1304
provided, such information to such parent or guardian on one occasion 1305
after receipt of an initial report of an abnormal blood lead level as 1306
described in subdivisions (1) and (2) of this subsection. Such 1307
information shall be developed by the Department of Public Health and 1308
provided to each local and district director of health. With respect to the 1309
child reported, the director shall conduct an on-site inspection to 1310
identify the source of the lead causing a confirmed venous blood lead 1311
level equal to or greater than fifteen micrograms per deciliter but less 1312
than twenty micrograms per deciliter in two tests taken at least three 1313
months apart and order remediation of such sources by the appropriate 1314
persons responsible for the conditions at such source. On and after 1315
January 1, 2012, if one per cent or more of children in this state under 1316
the age of six report blood lead levels equal to or greater than ten 1317
micrograms per deciliter, the director shall conduct such on-site 1318
inspection and order such remediation for any child having a confirmed 1319
venous blood lead level equal to or greater than ten micrograms per 1320
deciliter in two tests taken at least three months apart. 1321
Sec. 42. Subsection (a) of section 38a-490a of the general statutes is 1322
repealed and the following is substituted in lieu thereof (Effective July 1, 1323
2022): 1324
(a) Each individual health insurance policy providing coverage of the 1325
type specified in subdivisions (1), (2), (4), (11) and (12) of section 38a-469 1326
delivered, issued for delivery, renewed, amended or continued in this 1327
state shall provide coverage for medically necessary early intervention 1328
services provided as part of an individualized family service plan 1329
pursuant to section 17a-248e, as amended by this act. Such policy shall 1330
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provide coverage for such services provided by qualified personnel, as 1331
defined in section 17a-248, as amended by this act, for a child from birth 1332
until the child's [third] fifth birthday. 1333
Sec. 43. Subsection (a) of section 38a-516a of the general statutes is 1334
repealed and the following is substituted in lieu thereof (Effective July 1, 1335
2022): 1336
(a) Each group health insurance policy providing coverage of the type 1337
specified in subdivisions (1), (2), (4), (11) and (12) of section 38a-469 1338
delivered, issued for delivery, renewed, amended or continued in this 1339
state shall provide coverage for medically necessary early intervention 1340
services provided as part of an individualized family service plan 1341
pursuant to section 17a-248e, as amended by this act. Such policy shall 1342
provide coverage for such services provided by qualified personnel, as 1343
defined in section 17a-248, as amended by this act, for a child from birth 1344
until the child's [third] fifth birthday. 1345
Sec. 44. (NEW) (Effective July 1, 2021) (a) As used in this section: 1346
(1) "Broadband Internet access service" means a mass-market retail 1347
service by wire or radio that provides the capability to transmit data to 1348
and receive data from all or substantially all Internet endpoints, 1349
including any capabilities that are incidental to and enable the operation 1350
of the communications service, but excluding dial-up Internet access 1351
service; and 1352
(2) "Wi-Fi hotspot" means a wireless access point that provides the 1353
capability to transmit data to and receive data from all or substantially 1354
all Internet endpoints, including any capabilities that are incidental to 1355
and enable the operation of the communications service, but excluding 1356
dial-up Internet access service. 1357
(b) Not later than September 1, 2021, the Commissioner of Education 1358
shall establish an Internet access grant program. Such program shall 1359
award grants to local and regional boards of education to purchase 1360
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broadband Internet access service or Wi-Fi hotspots for the purpose of 1361
providing students, educators and staff with reliable Internet access 1362
during school sessions that are conducted on a virtual platform or as 1363
part of a remote learning model. The commissioner shall prioritize the 1364
awarding of grants under this section to a local or regional board of 1365
education for (1) a town designated as an alliance district pursuant to 1366
section 10-262u of the general statutes, (2) a school district in which a 1367
high percentage of students are eligible for free and reduced priced 1368
lunches, and (3) a school district in which a high percentage of students 1369
lack Internet access as shown by the last official United States census. 1370
(c) A local or regional board of education that is conducting school 1371
sessions on a virtual platform or as part of a remote learning model shall 1372
submit an application to the Commissioner of Education in the manner 1373
and form prescribed by the commissioner, which shall include, but not 1374
be limited to: (1) The amount of funds requested, (2) the plan and 1375
timeline for the purchase of broadband Internet access service or Wi-Fi 1376
hotspots, (3) the number of students who lack Internet access and how 1377
the board determined such number, and (4) any other information 1378
deemed necessary by the commissioner. 1379
(d) Not later than January 1, 2023, and annually thereafter, the 1380
Commissioner of Education shall submit a report, in accordance with 1381
the provisions of section 11-4a of the general statutes, to the joint 1382
standing committees of the General Assembly having cognizance of 1383
matters relating to education and children regarding the grants 1384
awarded pursuant to the Internet access grant program. 1385
Sec. 45. (Effective from passage) (a) There is established a task force to 1386
study the comprehensive needs of children in the state and the extent to 1387
which such needs are being met by educators, community members and 1388
local and state agencies. The task force shall (1) assess the needs of 1389
children using the following tenets of the whole child initiative 1390
developed by the Association for Supervision and Curriculum 1391
Development: (A) Each student enters school healthy and learns about 1392
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and practices a healthy lifestyle, (B) each student learns in an 1393
environment that is physically and emotionally safe for students and 1394
adults, (C) each student is actively engaged in learning and is connected 1395
to the school and broader community, (D) each student has access to 1396
personalized learning and is supported by qualified, caring adults, and 1397
(E) each student is challenged academically and prepared for success in 1398
college or further study and for employment and participation in a 1399
global environment, (2) recommend new programs or changes to 1400
existing programs operated by educators or local or state agencies to 1401
better address the needs of children in the state, and (3) recognize any 1402
exceptional efforts to meet the comprehensive needs of children by 1403
educators, community members or local or state agencies. As used in 1404
this section, "community member" means any individual or private 1405
organization that provides services or programs for children. 1406
(b) The task force shall consist of the following members: 1407
(1) Two appointed by the speaker of the House of Representatives, 1408
one of whom is an educator employed by a local or regional board of 1409
education and one of whom is a parent of a child who attends school in 1410
the state; 1411
(2) Two appointed by the president pro tempore of the Senate, one of 1412
whom has expertise in early childhood education and one of whom is a 1413
parent of a child who attends an early childhood education program in 1414
the state; 1415
(3) One appointed by the majority leader of the House of 1416
Representatives, who is a school administrator employed by a local or 1417
regional board of education; 1418
(4) One appointed by the majority leader of the Senate, who is a 1419
chairperson of a local or regional board of education; 1420
(5) One appointed by the minority leader of the House of 1421
Representatives, who is a director or employee of a private nonprofit 1422
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LCO No. 4232 46 of 49
organization in the state that provides recreational services or programs 1423
for children; 1424
(6) One appointed by the minority leader of the Senate, who is a 1425
director or employee of a private nonprofit organization in the state that 1426
provides health-related services programs for children; 1427
(7) The Commissioner of Education, or the commissioner's designee; 1428
and 1429
(8) The Commissioner of Early Childhood, or the commissioner's 1430
designee. 1431
(c) Any member of the task force appointed under subdivision (1), 1432
(2), (3), (4), (5) or (6) of subsection (b) of this section may be a member 1433
of the General Assembly. 1434
(d) All initial appointments to the task force shall be made not later 1435
than thirty days after the effective date of this section. Any vacancy shall 1436
be filled by the appointing authority not later than thirty days after the 1437
vacancy occurs. If a vacancy is not filled by the appointing authority, the 1438
chairpersons of the task force may fill such vacancy. 1439
(e) The speaker of the House of Representatives and the president pro 1440
tempore of the Senate shall select the chairpersons of the task force from 1441
among the members of the task force. Such chairpersons shall schedule 1442
the first meeting of the task force, which shall be held not later than sixty 1443
days after the effective date of this section. 1444
(f) The administrative staff of the joint standing committee of the 1445
General Assembly having cognizance of matters relating to children 1446
shall serve as administrative staff of the task force. 1447
(g) Not later than January 1, 2022, the task force shall submit a report 1448
on its findings and recommendations to the joint standing committee of 1449
the General Assembly having cognizance of matters relating to children, 1450
in accordance with the provisions of section 11-4a of the general statutes. 1451
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LCO No. 4232 47 of 49
The task force shall terminate on the date that it submits such report or 1452
January 1, 2022, whichever is later. 1453
This act shall take effect as follows and shall amend the following
sections:
Section 1 July 1, 2021 New section
Sec. 2 July 1, 2021 20-12b(a)
Sec. 3 July 1, 2021 20-73b(a)
Sec. 4 July 1, 2021 20-74h
Sec. 5 July 1, 2021 New section
Sec. 6 July 1, 2021 20-102ee(a)
Sec. 7 July 1, 2021 20-185k(b)
Sec. 8 July 1, 2021 20-195ttt(f)
Sec. 9 July 1, 2021 20-206mm(d) and (e)
Sec. 10 July 1, 2021 19a-14c
Sec. 11 July 1, 2021 10-148a(a)
Sec. 12 July 1, 2021 10-220a(b)
Sec. 13 July 1, 2021 10-220(b)
Sec. 14 July 1, 2021 10-221(f)
Sec. 15 from passage New section
Sec. 16 from passage New section
Sec. 17 July 1, 2021 10-16
Sec. 18 from passage 10-198b
Sec. 19 July 1, 2021 New section
Sec. 20 July 1, 2021 10-10a
Sec. 21 July 1, 2021 10-220(c)
Sec. 22 July 1, 2021 17a-10a
Sec. 23 July 1, 2021 17a-103a
Sec. 24 July 1, 2021 New section
Sec. 25 July 1, 2021 New section
Sec. 26 July 1, 2022 17a-248
Sec. 27 July 1, 2022 17a-248a
Sec. 28 July 1, 2022 17a-248b
Sec. 29 July 1, 2022 17a-248c(a)
Sec. 30 July 1, 2022 17a-248d
Sec. 31 July 1, 2022 17a-248e(d)
Sec. 32 July 1, 2022 17a-248g
Sec. 33 July 1, 2022 17a-248h
Sec. 34 July 1, 2022 17a-248i(a)
Committee Bill No. 2
LCO No. 4232 48 of 49
Sec. 35 July 1, 2022 10-145d(g)
Sec. 36 July 1, 2022 10-500(b)(26)
Sec. 37 July 1, 2022 17a-22gg(b)(5)
Sec. 38 July 1, 2022 17a-28(g)(29)
Sec. 39 July 1, 2022 17a-106e
Sec. 40 July 1, 2022 17a-219c(a)
Sec. 41 July 1, 2022 19a-110(d)
Sec. 42 July 1, 2022 38a-490a(a)
Sec. 43 July 1, 2022 38a-516a(a)
Sec. 44 July 1, 2021 New section
Sec. 45 from passage New section
Statement of Purpose:
To (1) establish a youth suicide prevention training program, (2) require
certain licensed health care professionals to complete mental health and
suicide screening and prevention training, (3) permit minors to receive
more than six outpatient mental health treatment sessions without the
consent of a parent or guardian, (4) require local and regional boards of
education to integrate the principles and practices of social-emotional
learning into programs of professional development and statements of
educational goals, (5) permit parents to attend parent-teacher
conferences remotely, (6) require additional parent-teacher conferences
during periods when a school district conducts school sessions
remotely, (7) require the provision of information by teachers
concerning safety, mental health and food insecurity during such
conferences, (8) permit local and regional boards of education to
provide instruction to high school students remotely and prohibit such
boards from deeming absent a student who attends school remotely, (9)
require local and regional boards of education to permit students to take
up to four mental health wellness days per school year, (10) require the
collection of adverse childhood experiences data by local and regional
boards of education and the Department of Education, (11) require the
Commissioner of Children and Families to provide children in the care
and custody of the commissioner remote visitation opportunities in lieu
of in-person visitation, in the event of a pandemic or outbreak of
communicable disease, (12) require the Commissioner of Children and
Families to develop a policy requiring the cessation of in-person
visitation on a case-by-case basis in the event that such visitation could
result in the contraction of a communicable disease by one or more
participants, (13) expand the operation of the Department of Children
and Families telephone Careline to accommodate the receipt and
Committee Bill No. 2
LCO No. 4232 49 of 49
provision of information concerning child abuse and neglect by text
message, (14) require the Commissioner of Children and Families to
provide certain notice to parents and guardians in the event that the
commissioner is considering removal of a child from the home, and the
services of a translator, if necessary, during any meeting to discuss such
removal, (15) require the Commissioner of Early Childhood to develop
and implement a plan to expand the birth-to-three program to provide
early intervention services to children five years of age and under and
eliminate parent fees for such services, (16) require the Commissioner of
Education to establish an Internet access grant program for local and
regional boards of education to provide students, educators and staff
with Internet access during school sessions that are conducted remotely,
and (17) establish a task force to study the comprehensive needs of
children in the state.
[Proposed deletions are enclosed in brackets. Proposed additions are indicated by underline, except
that when the entire text of a bill or resolution or a section of a bill or resolution is new, it is not
underlined.]
Co-Sponsors: SEN. LOONEY, 11th Dist.; SEN. DUFF, 25th Dist.
SEN. MCCRORY, 2nd Dist.; SEN. ANWAR, 3rd Dist.
SEN. CASSANO, 4th Dist.; SEN. SLAP, 5th Dist.
SEN. LESSER, 9th Dist.; SEN. WINFIELD, 10th Dist.
SEN. DAUGHERTY ABRAMS, 13th Dist.; SEN. CABRERA, 17th
Dist.
SEN. MOORE, 22nd Dist.; SEN. KUSHNER, 24th Dist.
SEN. HASKELL, 26th Dist.; SEN. FLEXER, 29th Dist.
SEN. KASSER, 36th Dist.; SEN. BRADLEY, 23rd Dist.
REP. CONLEY, 40th Dist.; REP. SIMMS, 140th Dist.
SEN. OSTEN, 19th Dist.; REP. TURCO, 27th Dist.
REP. MORRIN BELLO, 28th Dist.
S.B. 2