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OLR Bill Analysis
sSB 1085
AN ACT CONCERNING SUICIDE PREVENTION.
SUMMARY
This bill renames the Department of Children and Families’ (DCF)
Youth Suicide Advisory Board the “Interagency Suicide Advisory
Board” and expands the board’s scope to include suicide prevention
initiatives for adults, in addition to children as under existing law. It
makes related minor and conforming changes to the board’s
responsibilities, including specifying its recommendations for suicide
prevention in schools and communities be research-based and data-
driven. It also specifies that the board is a statewide, interagency
network for these initiatives.
Additionally, the bill increases the board’s membership from 20 to
22. It also (1) adds the executive directors of the Commission on
Women, Children, Seniors, Equity, and Opportunity and Court
Support Services Division, or their designees, as members and (2)
removes the DCF commissioner as a non-voting ex-officio board
member. Under existing law and the bill, appointing authorities have a
specified number of appointments, with one exception. The DCF
commissioner appoints the balance of members, up to the board’s
required membership. Currently, the commissioner appoints 9
members; under the bill she appoints 10 members.
Starting by November 1, 2021, the bill requires the chairperson to
annually report to the Public Health Committee on the board’s
operations and legislative recommendations.
Lastly, the bill allows a physician to meet his or her continuing
medical education (CME) requirement in behavioral health by
completing training on suicide prevention and veteran suicide
prevention. By law, physicians must take at least two contact hours 2021SB-01085-R000537-BA.DOCX
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(i.e., 50 minutes) of CME in behavioral health during the first renewal
period for which CME is required (the second license renewal), and
once every six years after that.
EFFECTIVE DATE: July 1, 2021
COMMITTEE ACTION
Public Health Committee
Joint Favorable Substitute
Yea 29 Nay 3 (03/31/2021)