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General Assembly Substitute Bill No. 955
January Session, 2021
AN ACT CONCERNING RE VISIONS TO OBSOLETE PROVISIONS OF
THE GENERAL STATUTES AFFECTING THE DEPAR TMENT OF
SOCIAL SERVICES.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in General
Assembly convened:
Section 1. Subsection (a) of section 16a-41a of the general statutes is 1
repealed and the following is substituted in lieu thereof (Effective July 1, 2
2021): 3
(a) The Commissioner of Social Services shall submit to the joint 4
standing committees of the General Assembly having cognizance of 5
energy planning and activities, appropriations, and human services the 6
following on the implementation of the block grant program authorized 7
under the Low-Income Home Energy Assistance Act of 1981, as 8
amended: 9
(1) Not later than August first, annually, a Connecticut energy 10
assistance program annual plan which establishes guidelines for the use 11
of funds authorized under the Low-Income Home Energy Assistance 12
Act of 1981, as amended, and includes the following: 13
(A) Criteria for determining which households are to receive 14
emergency [and weatherization] assistance; 15 Substitute Bill No. 955
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(B) A description of systems used to ensure referrals to other energy 16
assistance programs and the taking of simultaneous applications, as 17
required under section 16a-41; 18
(C) A description of outreach efforts; 19
(D) Estimates of the total number of households eligible for assistance 20
under the program and the number of households in which one or more 21
elderly or physically disabled individuals eligible for assistance reside; 22
(E) Design of a basic grant for eligible households that does not 23
discriminate against such households based on the type of energy used 24
for heating; and 25
(F) A payment plan for fuel deliveries beginning November 1, 2018, 26
that ensures a vendor of deliverable fuel who completes deliveries 27
authorized by a community action agency that contracts with the 28
commissioner to administer a fuel assistance program is paid by the 29
community action agency not later than thirty business days after the 30
date the community action agency receives an authorized fuel slip or 31
invoice for payment from the vendor; 32
(2) Not later than January thirtieth, annually, a report covering the 33
preceding months of the program year, including: 34
(A) In each community action agency geographic area, [and 35
Department of Social Services region,] the number of fuel assistance 36
applications filed, approved and denied, and the number of emergency 37
assistance requests made, approved and denied; [and the number of 38
households provided weatherization assistance;] 39
(B) In each such area, [and district,] the total amount of fuel [,] and 40
emergency [and weatherization] assistance, itemized by such type of 41
assistance, and total expenditures to date; 42
(C) For each state-wide office of each state agency administering the 43
program [,] and each community action agency, [and each Department 44 Substitute Bill No. 955
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of Social Services region,] administrative expenses under the program, 45
by line item, and an estimate of outreach expenditures; and 46
(D) A list of community action agencies that failed to make timely 47
payments to vendors of deliverable fuel in the Connecticut energy 48
assistance program and the steps taken by the commissioner to ensure 49
future timely payments by such agencies; and 50
(3) Not later than November first, annually, a report covering the 51
preceding twelve calendar months, including: 52
(A) In each community action agency geographic area, [and 53
Department of Social Services region,] (i) seasonal totals for the 54
categories of data submitted under subdivision (1) of this subsection, (ii) 55
the number of households receiving fuel assistance in which elderly or 56
physically disabled individuals reside, and (iii) the average combined 57
benefit level of fuel, emergency and renter assistance; 58
[(B) Types of weatherization assistance provided; 59
(C) Percentage of weatherization assistance provided to tenants;] 60
[(D)] (B) The number of homeowners and tenants whose heat or total 61
energy costs are not included in their rent receiving fuel and emergency 62
assistance under the program by benefit level; 63
[(E)] (C) The number of homeowners and tenants whose heat is 64
included in their rent and who are receiving assistance, by benefit level; 65
and 66
[(F)] (D) The number of households receiving assistance, by energy 67
type and total expenditures for each energy type. 68
Sec. 2. Subsection (d) of section 17b-8 of the general statutes is 69
repealed and the following is substituted in lieu thereof (Effective July 1, 70
2021): 71
(d) The commissioner shall include with any waiver application or 72 Substitute Bill No. 955
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proposed amendment submitted to the federal government pursuant to 73
this section: (1) Any written comments received pursuant to subsection 74
(c) of this section; and (2) [a complete transcript of the joint standing 75
committee proceedings held pursuant to subsection (a) of this section, 76
including] any additional written comments submitted to the joint 77
standing committees at such proceedings. The joint standing 78
committees shall transmit any such materials to the commissioner for 79
inclusion with any such waiver application or proposed amendment. 80
Sec. 3. Subsection (b) of section 17b-59a of the general statutes is 81
repealed and the following is substituted in lieu thereof (Effective July 1, 82
2021): 83
(b) The Commissioner of Social Services, in consultation with the 84
executive director of the Office of Health Strategy, established under 85
section 19a-754a, shall (1) develop, throughout the Departments of 86
Developmental Services, Public Health, Correction, Children and 87
Families, Veterans Affairs and Mental Health and Addiction Services, 88
uniform management information, uniform statistical information, 89
uniform terminology for similar facilities, and uniform electronic health 90
information technology standards, [and uniform regulations for the 91
licensing of human services facilities,] (2) plan for increased 92
participation of the private sector in the delivery of human services, (3) 93
provide direction and coordination to federally funded programs in the 94
human services agencies and recommend uniform system 95
improvements and reallocation of physical resources and designation of 96
a single responsibility across human services agencies lines to facilitate 97
shared services and eliminate duplication. 98
Sec. 4. Section 17b-306a of the general statutes is repealed and the 99
following is substituted in lieu thereof (Effective July 1, 2021): 100
(a) The Commissioner of Social Services, in collaboration with the 101
Commissioners of Public Health and Children and Families, shall 102
establish a child health quality improvement program for the purpose 103
of promoting the implementation of evidence-based strategies by 104 Substitute Bill No. 955
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providers participating in the HUSKY Health program to improve the 105
delivery of and access to children's health services. Such strategies shall 106
focus on physical, dental and mental health services and shall include, 107
but need not be limited to: (1) Methods for early identification of 108
children with special health care needs; (2) integration of care 109
coordination and care planning into children's health services; (3) 110
implementation of standardized data collection to measure 111
performance improvement; and (4) implementation of family-centered 112
services in patient care, including, but not limited to, the development 113
of parent-provider partnerships. The Commissioner of Social Services 114
shall seek the participation of public and private entities that are 115
dedicated to improving the delivery of health services, including 116
medical, dental and mental health providers, academic professionals 117
with experience in health services research and performance 118
measurement and improvement, and any other entity deemed 119
appropriate by the Commissioner of Social Services, to promote such 120
strategies. The commissioner shall ensure that such strategies reflect 121
new developments and best practices in the field of children's health 122
services. As used in this section, "evidence-based strategies" means 123
policies, procedures and tools that are informed by research and 124
supported by empirical evidence, including, but not limited to, research 125
developed by organizations such as the American Academy of 126
Pediatrics, the American Academy of Family Physicians, the National 127
Association of Pediatric Nurse Practitioners and the Institute of 128
Medicine. 129
(b) Not later than July 1, 2008, and annually thereafter, the 130
Commissioner of Social Services shall report, in accordance with section 131
11-4a, to the joint standing committees of the General Assembly having 132
cognizance of matters relating to human services, public health and 133
appropriations, and to the Council on Medical Assistance Program 134
Oversight on (1) the implementation of any strategies developed 135
pursuant to subsection (a) of this section, and (2) the efficacy of such 136
strategies in improving the delivery of and access to health services for 137
children enrolled in the HUSKY Health program. 138 Substitute Bill No. 955
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[(c) The Commissioner of Social Services, in collaboration with the 139
Council on Medical Assistance Program Oversight, shall, subject to 140
available appropriations, prepare, annually, a report concerning health 141
care choices under HUSKY A. Such report shall include, but not be 142
limited to, a comparison of the performance of each managed care 143
organization, the primary care case management program and other 144
member service delivery choices. The commissioner shall provide a 145
copy of each report to all HUSKY A members.] 146
Sec. 5. Subsection (a) of section 17b-349 of the general statutes is 147
repealed and the following is substituted in lieu thereof (Effective July 1, 148
2021): 149
(a) The rates paid by the state to community health centers [and 150
freestanding medical clinics] participating in the Medicaid program 151
may be adjusted annually on the basis of the cost reports submitted to 152
the Commissioner of Social Services. [, except that rates effective July 1, 153
1989, shall remain in effect through June 30, 1990.] The Department of 154
Social Services may develop an alternative payment methodology to 155
replace the encounter-based reimbursement system. Such methodology 156
shall be approved by the joint standing committees of the General 157
Assembly having cognizance of matters relating to human services and 158
appropriations and the budgets of state agencies. Until such 159
methodology is implemented, the Department of Social Services shall 160
distribute supplemental funding, within available appropriations, to 161
federally qualified health centers based on cost, volume and quality 162
measures as determined by the Commissioner of Social Services. (1) 163
Beginning with the one-year rate period commencing on October 1, 164
2012, and annually thereafter, the Commissioner of Social Services may 165
add to a community health center's rates, if applicable, a capital cost rate 166
adjustment that is equivalent to the center's actual or projected year-to-167
year increase in total allowable depreciation and interest expenses 168
associated with major capital projects divided by the projected service 169
visit volume. For the purposes of this subsection, "capital costs" means 170
expenditures for land or building purchases, fixed assets, movable 171 Substitute Bill No. 955
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equipment, capitalized financing fees and capitalized construction 172
period interest and "major capital projects" means projects with costs 173
exceeding two million dollars. The commissioner may revise such 174
capital cost rate adjustment retroactively based on actual allowable 175
depreciation and interest expenses or actual service visit volume for the 176
rate period. (2) The commissioner shall establish separate capital cost 177
rate adjustments for each Medicaid service provided by a center. (3) The 178
commissioner shall not grant a capital cost rate adjustment to a 179
community health center for any depreciation or interest expenses 180
associated with capital costs that were disapproved by the federal 181
Department of Health and Human Services or another federal or state 182
government agency with capital expenditure approval authority related 183
to health care services. (4) The commissioner may allow actual debt 184
service in lieu of allowable depreciation and interest expenses 185
associated with capital items funded with a debt obligation, provided 186
debt service amounts are deemed reasonable in consideration of the 187
interest rate and other loan terms. (5) The commissioner shall 188
implement policies and procedures necessary to carry out the 189
provisions of this subsection while in the process of adopting such 190
policies and procedures in regulation form, provided notice of intent to 191
adopt such regulations is [published in the Connecticut Law Journal not 192
later than twenty days after implementation] posted on the 193
eRegulations System prior to adopting the policies and procedures. 194
Such policies and procedures shall be valid until the time final 195
regulations are effective. 196
Sec. 6. Subsection (n) of section 38a-479aa of the general statutes is 197
repealed and the following is substituted in lieu thereof (Effective July 1, 198
2021): 199
(n) The requirements of subsections (h) and (i) of this section shall not 200
apply to a consortium of federally qualified health centers funded by 201
the state, providing services only to recipients of programs 202
administered by the Department of Social Services. [The Commissioner 203
of Social Services shall adopt regulations, in accordance with chapter 54, 204 Substitute Bill No. 955
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to establish criteria to certify any such federally qualified health center, 205
including, but not limited to, minimum reserve fund requirements.] 206
Sec. 7. Section 17b-608 of the general statutes is repealed and the 207
following is substituted in lieu thereof (Effective July 1, 2021): 208
For the purposes of [sections 17b-609 and 17b-610] section 17b-609, 209
"persons with disabilities" means persons having disabilities which (1) 210
are attributable to a mental or physical impairment or a combination of 211
mental and physical impairments; (2) are likely to continue indefinitely; 212
(3) result in functional limitations in one or more of the following areas 213
of major life activity: Self care, receptive and expressive language, 214
learning, mobility, self-direction, capacity for independent living or 215
economic self-sufficiency; and (4) reflect the person's need for a 216
combination and sequence of special, interdisciplinary or generic care, 217
treatment or other services which are of lifelong or extended duration 218
and individually planned and coordinated. 219
Sec. 8. Sections 17b-184, 17b-274a and 17b-610 of the general statutes 220
are repealed. (Effective July 1, 2021) 221
This act shall take effect as follows and shall amend the following
sections:
Section 1 July 1, 2021 16a-41a(a)
Sec. 2 July 1, 2021 17b-8(d)
Sec. 3 July 1, 2021 17b-59a(b)
Sec. 4 July 1, 2021 17b-306a
Sec. 5 July 1, 2021 17b-349(a)
Sec. 6 July 1, 2021 38a-479aa(n)
Sec. 7 July 1, 2021 17b-608
Sec. 8 July 1, 2021 Repealer section
Statement of Legislative Commissioners:
The title of the bill was changed.
HS Joint Favorable Subst.