Connecticut 2021 Regular Session

Connecticut Senate Bill SB01085 Compare Versions

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Version 2 (New)

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7		-	General Assembly Substitute Bill No. 1085
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	6	+	General Assembly Raised Bill No. 1085
8	7		January Session, 2021
	8	+	LCO No. 5743
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	11	+	Referred to Committee on PUBLIC HEALTH
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	13	+
	14	+	Introduced by:
	15	+	(PH)
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14	20		AN ACT CONCERNING SU ICIDE PREVENTION.
15	21		Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in General
16	22		Assembly convened:
17	23
18	24		Section 1. Section 17a-52 of the general statutes is repealed and the 1
19	25		following is substituted in lieu thereof (Effective July 1, 2021): 2
20	26		(a) There is established [a Youth] an Interagency Suicide Advisory 3
21		-	Board, within the Department of Children and Families, which shall be 4
22		-	a state-wide, interagency coordinating source for youth and adult 5
23		-	suicide prevention. The board shall consist of [twenty] twenty-two 6
24		-	members, which shall include one psychiatrist licensed to practice 7
25		-	medicine in this state, one psychologist licensed in this state, one 8
26		-	representative of a local or regional board of education, one high school 9
27		-	teacher, one high school student, one college or university faculty 10
28		-	member, one college or university student and one parent, all appointed 11
29		-	by the Commissioner of Children and Families, one representative of 12
30		-	the Department of Public Health appointed by the Commissioner of 13
31		-	Public Health, one representative of the state Department of Education 14
32		-	appointed by the Commissioner of Education, [and] one representative 15
33		-	of the Board of Regents for Higher Education appointed by the 16
34		-	president of the Connecticut State Colleges and Universities, the 17
35		-	executive director of the Court Support Services Division of the Judicial 18
36		-	Branch, or the executive director's designee, and the executive director 19 Substitute Bill No. 1085
	27	+	Board, within the Department of [Children and Families] Mental Health 4
	28	+	and Addiction Services, which shall be a state-wide, interagency 5
	29	+	coordinating source for [youth] suicide prevention. The board shall 6
	30	+	consist of [twenty] the following members: [, which shall include one 7
	31	+	psychiatrist licensed to practice medicine in this state, one psychologist 8
	32	+	licensed in this state, one representative of a local or regional board of 9
	33	+	education, one high school teacher, one high school student, one college 10
	34	+	or university faculty member, one college or university student and one 11
	35	+	parent, all appointed by the Commissioner of Children and Families, 12
	36	+	one representative of the Department of Public Health appointed by the 13
	37	+	Commissioner of Public Health, one representative of the state 14
	38	+	Department of Education appointed by the Commissioner of Education 15
	39	+	and one representative of the Board of Regents for Higher Education 16 Raised Bill No. 1085
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43		-	of the Commission on Women, Children, Seniors, Equity and 20
44		-	Opportunity, or the executive director's designee. The balance of the 21
45		-	board shall be comprised of persons with expertise in the mental health 22
46		-	of children and adults or mental health issues with a focus on suicide 23
47		-	prevention, and shall be appointed by the Commissioner of Children 24
48		-	and Families. Members of the board shall serve for two-year terms, 25
49		-	without compensation. Any member who fails to attend three 26
50		-	consecutive meetings or fifty per cent of all meetings held during any 27
51		-	calendar year shall be deemed to have resigned from the board. [The 28
52		-	Commissioner of Children and Families shall be a nonvoting, ex-officio 29
53		-	member of the board.] The board shall elect a [chairman,] chairperson 30
54		-	and a [vice-chairman] vice-chairperson to act in the [chairman's] 31
55		-	chairperson's absence. 32
56		-	(b) The board shall: (1) Increase public awareness of the existence of 33
57		-	youth and adult suicide and means of suicide prevention across a 34
58		-	person's lifespan; (2) make recommendations [to the commissioner] for 35
59		-	the development of state-wide training in the prevention of youth and 36
60		-	adult suicide; (3) develop a strategic state-wide, interagency youth and 37
61		-	adult suicide prevention plan; (4) recommend interagency policies and 38
62		-	procedures for the coordination of services for youths and families in 39
63		-	the area of suicide prevention; (5) make research-based and data-driven 40
64		-	recommendations for the establishment and implementation of suicide 41
65		-	prevention procedures in schools and communities; (6) establish a 42
66		-	coordinated system for the utilization of data for the prevention of 43
67		-	youth and adult suicide; (7) make recommendations concerning the 44
68		-	integration of suicide prevention and intervention strategies into [other] 45
69		-	youth-focused prevention and intervention programs; and (8) 46
70		-	periodically offer, within available appropriations, youth and adult 47
71		-	suicide prevention training for health care providers, school employees 48
72		-	and other persons who provide services to children, young adults, [and] 49
73		-	families and the aging population of the state. 50
74		-	(c) On or before November 1, 2021, and annually thereafter, the 51
75		-	chairperson of the board shall report, in accordance with the provisions 52 Substitute Bill No. 1085
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	45	+	appointed by the president of the Connecticut State Colleges and 17
	46	+	Universities] (1) The Commissioner of Mental Health and Addiction 18
	47	+	Services, or the commissioner's designee, (2) the Commissioner of 19
	48	+	Children and Families, or the commissioner's designee, (3) the 20
	49	+	Commissioner of Public Health, or the commissioner's designee, (4) the 21
	50	+	Commissioner of Education, or the commissioner's designee, (5) the 22
	51	+	Commissioner of Social Services, or the commissioner's designee, (6) the 23
	52	+	Commissioner of Aging and Disability Services, or the commissioner's 24
	53	+	designee, (7) the Commissioner of Veterans Affairs, or the 25
	54	+	commissioner's designee, (8) the Commissioner of Developmental 26
	55	+	Services, or the commissioner's designee, (9) the president of the 27
	56	+	Connecticut State Colleges and Universities, or the president's designee, 28
	57	+	(10) the president of The University of Connecticut, or the president's 29
	58	+	designee, (11) the executive director of the Court Support Services 30
	59	+	Division of the Judicial Branch, or the executive director's designee, and 31
	60	+	(12) the executive director of the Commission on Women, Children, 32
	61	+	Seniors, Equity and Opportunity, or the executive director's designee. 33
	62	+	The balance of the board shall be comprised of persons with expertise 34
	63	+	in [the] mental health [of children or mental health issues] with a focus 35
	64	+	on suicide prevention, [and shall be appointed by the Commissioner of 36
	65	+	Children and Families] including, but not limited to, one psychiatrist 37
	66	+	licensed pursuant to chapter 370 who shall be appointed by the 38
	67	+	Commissioner of Mental Health and Addiction Services, one 39
	68	+	psychologist licensed pursuant to chapter 383 who specializes in the 40
	69	+	treatment of children and families, who shall be appointed by the 41
	70	+	Commissioner of Children and Families, one representative of a local or 42
	71	+	regional board of education, who shall be appointed by the 43
	72	+	Commissioner of Education, one high school teacher, who shall be 44
	73	+	appointed by the Commissioner of Education, one college or university 45
	74	+	faculty member, who shall be appointed by the president of The 46
	75	+	University of Connecticut, one college or university student, who shall 47
	76	+	be appointed by the president of the Connecticut State Colleges and 48
	77	+	Universities, and one parent of a child who has been diagnosed with a 49
	78	+	mental health disorder, who shall be appointed by the Commissioner of 50
	79	+	Children and Families. Members of the board shall serve for two-year 51 Raised Bill No. 1085
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82		-	of section 11-4a, to the joint standing committee of the General 53
83		-	Assembly having cognizance of matters relating to public health 54
84		-	regarding the operations of the board and any recommendations for 55
85		-	legislation concerning suicide prevention. 56
86		-	Sec. 2. Subsection (b) of section 20-10b of the general statutes is 57
87		-	repealed and the following is substituted in lieu thereof (Effective July 1, 58
88		-	2021): 59
89		-	(b) Except as otherwise provided in subsections (d), (e) and (f) of this 60
90		-	section, a licensee applying for license renewal shall earn a minimum of 61
91		-	fifty contact hours of continuing medical education within the 62
92		-	preceding twenty-four-month period. Such continuing medical 63
93		-	education shall (1) be in an area of the physician's practice; (2) reflect the 64
94		-	professional needs of the licensee in order to meet the health care needs 65
95		-	of the public; and (3) during the first renewal period in which continuing 66
96		-	medical education is required and not less than once every six years 67
97		-	thereafter, include at least one contact hour of training or education in 68
98		-	each of the following topics: (A) Infectious diseases, including, but not 69
99		-	limited to, acquired immune deficiency syndrome and human 70
100		-	immunodeficiency virus, (B) risk management, including, but not 71
101		-	limited to, prescribing controlled substances and pain management, 72
102		-	and, for registration periods beginning on or after October 1, 2019, such 73
103		-	risk management continuing medical education may also include 74
104		-	screening for inflammatory breast cancer and gastrointestinal cancers, 75
105		-	including colon, gastric, pancreatic and neuroendocrine cancers and 76
106		-	other rare gastrointestinal tumors, (C) sexual assault, (D) domestic 77
107		-	violence, (E) cultural competency, and (F) behavioral health, provided 78
108		-	further that on and after January 1, 2016, such behavioral health 79
109		-	continuing medical education may include, but not be limited to, at least 80
110		-	two contact hours of training or education during the first renewal 81
111		-	period in which continuing education is required and not less than once 82
112		-	every six years thereafter, on (i) suicide prevention, or (ii) diagnosing 83
113		-	and treating [(i)] (I) cognitive conditions, including, but not limited to, 84
114		-	Alzheimer's disease, dementia, delirium, related cognitive impairments 85 Substitute Bill No. 1085
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	85	+	terms, without compensation. Any member who fails to attend three 52
	86	+	consecutive meetings or fifty per cent of all meetings held during any 53
	87	+	calendar year shall be deemed to have resigned from the board. [The 54
	88	+	Commissioner of Children and Families shall be a nonvoting, ex-officio 55
	89	+	member of the board.] The board shall elect a [chairman,] chairperson 56
	90	+	and a [vice-chairman] vice-chairperson to act in the [chairman's] 57
	91	+	chairperson's absence. 58
	92	+	(b) The board shall: (1) Increase public awareness of the existence of 59
	93	+	[youth] suicide and means of suicide prevention across a person's 60
	94	+	lifespan; (2) make recommendations [to the commissioner] for the 61
	95	+	development of state-wide training in the prevention of [youth] suicide; 62
	96	+	(3) develop a strategic [youth] state-wide, interagency suicide 63
	97	+	prevention plan; (4) recommend interagency policies and procedures 64
	98	+	for the coordination of services [for youths and families] in the area of 65
	99	+	suicide prevention; (5) make research-based and data-driven 66
	100	+	recommendations for the establishment and implementation of suicide 67
	101	+	prevention procedures in schools and communities; (6) establish a 68
	102	+	coordinated system for the utilization of data for the prevention of 69
	103	+	[youth] suicide; (7) make recommendations concerning the integration 70
	104	+	of suicide prevention and intervention strategies into [other] youth-71
	105	+	focused prevention and intervention programs; and (8) periodically 72
	106	+	offer, within available appropriations, [youth] suicide prevention 73
	107	+	training for health care providers, school employees and other persons 74
	108	+	who provide services to children, [young] adults, [and] families and the 75
	109	+	aging population of the state. 76
	110	+	(c) On or before November 1, 2021, and annually thereafter, the 77
	111	+	chairperson of the board shall report, in accordance with the provisions 78
	112	+	of section 11-4a, to the joint standing committee of the General 79
	113	+	Assembly having cognizance of matters relating to public health 80
	114	+	regarding the operations of the board and any recommendations for 81
	115	+	legislation concerning suicide prevention. 82
	116	+	Sec. 2. Subsection (b) of section 20-10b of the general statutes is 83
	117	+	repealed and the following is substituted in lieu thereof (Effective July 1, 84 Raised Bill No. 1085
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121		-	and geriatric depression, or [(ii)] (II) mental health conditions, 86
122		-	including, but not limited to, mental health conditions common to 87
123		-	veterans and family members of veterans. Training for mental health 88
124		-	conditions common to veterans and family members of veterans shall 89
125		-	include best practices for [(I)] determining whether a patient is a veteran 90
126		-	or family member of a veteran, [(II)] screening for conditions such as 91
127		-	post-traumatic stress disorder, risk of suicide, depression and grief, and 92
128		-	[(III)] veteran suicide prevention training. For purposes of this section, 93
129		-	qualifying continuing medical education activities include, but are not 94
130		-	limited to, courses offered or approved by the American Medical 95
131		-	Association, American Osteopathic Association, Connecticut Hospital 96
132		-	Association, Connecticut State Medical Society, Connecticut 97
133		-	Osteopathic Medical Society, county medical societies or equivalent 98
134		-	organizations in another jurisdiction, educational offerings sponsored 99
135		-	by a hospital or other health care institution or courses offered by a 100
136		-	regionally accredited academic institution or a state or local health 101
137		-	department. The commissioner, or the commissioner's designee, may 102
138		-	grant a waiver for not more than ten contact hours of continuing medical 103
139		-	education for a physician who [: (I) Engages] engages in activities 104
140		-	related to the physician's service as a member of the Connecticut 105
141		-	Medical Examining Board, established pursuant to section 20-8a, [; (II)] 106
142		-	engages in activities related to the physician's service as a member of a 107
143		-	medical hearing panel, pursuant to section 20-8a [; or (III)] or assists the 108
144		-	department with its duties to boards and commissions as described in 109
145		-	section 19a-14. 110
146		-	Sec. 3. Subdivision (6) of subsection (b) of section 10-222q of the 111
147		-	general statutes is repealed and the following is substituted in lieu 112
148		-	thereof (Effective July 1, 2021): 113
149		-	(6) Three appointed by the minority leader of the Senate, one of 114
150		-	whom is a representative of the Connecticut Education Association; one 115
151		-	of whom is a representative of the National Alliance on Mental Illness, 116
152		-	Connecticut; and one of whom is a representative of the [Youth] 117
153		-	Interagency Suicide Advisory Board established pursuant to section 118 Substitute Bill No. 1085
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	123	+	2021): 85
	124	+	(b) Except as otherwise provided in subsections (d), (e) and (f) of this 86
	125	+	section, a licensee applying for license renewal shall earn a minimum of 87
	126	+	fifty contact hours of continuing medical education within the 88
	127	+	preceding twenty-four-month period. Such continuing medical 89
	128	+	education shall (1) be in an area of the physician's practice; (2) reflect the 90
	129	+	professional needs of the licensee in order to meet the health care needs 91
	130	+	of the public; and (3) during the first renewal period in which continuing 92
	131	+	medical education is required and not less than once every six years 93
	132	+	thereafter, include at least one contact hour of training or education in 94
	133	+	each of the following topics: (A) Infectious diseases, including, but not 95
	134	+	limited to, acquired immune deficiency syndrome and human 96
	135	+	immunodeficiency virus, (B) risk management, including, but not 97
	136	+	limited to, prescribing controlled substances and pain management, 98
	137	+	and, for registration periods beginning on or after October 1, 2019, such 99
	138	+	risk management continuing medical education may also include 100
	139	+	screening for inflammatory breast cancer and gastrointestinal cancers, 101
	140	+	including colon, gastric, pancreatic and neuroendocrine cancers and 102
	141	+	other rare gastrointestinal tumors, (C) sexual assault, (D) domestic 103
	142	+	violence, (E) cultural competency, and (F) behavioral health, provided 104
	143	+	further that on and after January 1, 2016, such behavioral health 105
	144	+	continuing medical education may include, but not be limited to, at least 106
	145	+	two contact hours of training or education during the first renewal 107
	146	+	period in which continuing education is required and not less than once 108
	147	+	every six years thereafter, on (i) suicide prevention, or (ii) diagnosing 109
	148	+	and treating [(i)] (I) cognitive conditions, including, but not limited to, 110
	149	+	Alzheimer's disease, dementia, delirium, related cognitive impairments 111
	150	+	and geriatric depression, or [(ii)] (II) mental health conditions, 112
	151	+	including, but not limited to, mental health conditions common to 113
	152	+	veterans and family members of veterans. Training for mental health 114
	153	+	conditions common to veterans and family members of veterans shall 115
	154	+	include best practices for [(I)] determining whether a patient is a veteran 116
	155	+	or family member of a veteran, [(II)] screening for conditions such as 117
	156	+	post-traumatic stress disorder, risk of suicide, depression and grief, and 118 Raised Bill No. 1085
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160		-	17a-52, as amended by this act; 119
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	161	+
	162	+	[(III)] veteran suicide prevention training. For purposes of this section, 119
	163	+	qualifying continuing medical education activities include, but are not 120
	164	+	limited to, courses offered or approved by the American Medical 121
	165	+	Association, American Osteopathic Association, Connecticut Hospital 122
	166	+	Association, Connecticut State Medical Society, Connecticut 123
	167	+	Osteopathic Medical Society, county medical societies or equivalent 124
	168	+	organizations in another jurisdiction, educational offerings sponsored 125
	169	+	by a hospital or other health care institution or courses offered by a 126
	170	+	regionally accredited academic institution or a state or local health 127
	171	+	department. The commissioner, or the commissioner's designee, may 128
	172	+	grant a waiver for not more than ten contact hours of continuing medical 129
	173	+	education for a physician who [: (I) Engages] engages in activities 130
	174	+	related to the physician's service as a member of the Connecticut 131
	175	+	Medical Examining Board, established pursuant to section 20-8a, [; (II)] 132
	176	+	engages in activities related to the physician's service as a member of a 133
	177	+	medical hearing panel, pursuant to section 20-8a [; or (III)] or assists the 134
	178	+	department with its duties to boards and commissions as described in 135
	179	+	section 19a-14. 136
161	180		This act shall take effect as follows and shall amend the following
162	181		sections:
163	182
164	183		Section 1 July 1, 2021 17a-52
165	184		Sec. 2 July 1, 2021 20-10b(b)
166		-	Sec. 3 July 1, 2021 10-222q(b)(6)
167	185
168		-	Statement of ~~Legislative Commissioners~~:
169		-	In ~~Section 1(b)(1), "~~and ~~adult" was inserted after "youth" for consistency~~
170		-	~~and Section 3 was added to make conforming changes to section 10-222q~~
171		-	~~of the general statutes~~.
172		-
173		-	~~PH Joint Favorable Subst.~~
	186	+	Statement of Purpose:
	187	+	To establish the Connecticut Suicide Advisory Board in statute and
	188	+	require continuing medical education regarding suicide prevention.
	189	+	[Proposed deletions are enclosed in brackets. Proposed additions are indicated by underline, except
	190	+	that when the entire text of a bill or resolution or a section of a bill or resolution is new, it is not
	191	+	underlined.]
174	192