Substitute House Bill No. 6729
Public Act No. 23-121
AN ACT CONCERNING THE DEPARTMENT OF MENTAL HEALTH
AND ADDICTION SERVICES' RECOMMENDATIONS REGARDING
THE MEMBERSHIP OF VARIOUS ADVISORY BOARDS AND
COUNCILS.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in General
Assembly convened:
Section 1. Section 17a-470 of the general statutes is repealed and the
following is substituted in lieu thereof (Effective October 1, 2023):
Each [state hospital,] state-operated facility [or the Whiting Forensic
Hospital] for the treatment of persons with psychiatric disabilities or
persons with substance use disorders, or both, [except the Connecticut
Mental Health Center, may] shall have an advisory board appointed by
the superintendent or director of the facility for terms to be decided by
such superintendent or director. The superintendent or director shall
appoint at least two persons with lived experience with a behavioral
health disorder to the advisory board. In any case where the present
number of members of an advisory board is less than the number of
members designated by the superintendent or director of the facility,
[he] the superintendent or director shall appoint additional members to
such board in accordance with this section in such manner that the terms
of an approximately equal number of members shall expire in each odd-
numbered year. The superintendent or director shall fill any vacancy Substitute House Bill No. 6729
Public Act No. 23-121 2 of 4
that may occur for the unexpired portion of any term. No member [may]
shall serve more than two successive terms plus the balance of any
unexpired term to which [he] the member had been appointed. The
superintendent or director of the facility shall be an ex-officio member
of the advisory board. Each member of an advisory board of a state-
operated facility within the Department of Mental Health and Addiction
Services assigned a geographical territory shall be a resident of the
assigned geographical territory. Members of said advisory boards shall
receive no compensation for their services but shall be reimbursed for
necessary expenses involved in the performance of their duties. At least
one-third of such members shall be from regional behavioral health
action organizations, established pursuant to section 17a-484f, and at
least one-third shall be members of the catchment area councils, as
provided in section 17a-483, for the catchment areas served by such
facility, except that members serving as of October 1, 1977, shall serve
out their terms.
Sec. 2. Section 17a-471a of the general statutes is repealed and the
following is substituted in lieu thereof (Effective from passage):
(a) The Commissioner of Mental Health and Addiction Services, in
consultation and coordination with the advisory council established
under subsection (b) of this section, shall develop policies and set
standards related to clients residing on the Connecticut Valley Hospital
campus and to the discharge of such clients from the hospital into the
adjacent community. Any such policies and standards shall [assure]
ensure that no discharge of any client admitted to Whiting Forensic
Hospital under commitment by the Superior Court or transfer from the
Department of Correction shall take place without full compliance with
sections 17a-511 to 17a-524, inclusive, 17a-566 to 17a-575, inclusive, 17a-
580 to 17a-603, inclusive, and 54-56d.
(b) There is established a Connecticut Valley Hospital Advisory
Council that shall advise the Commissioner of Mental Health and Substitute House Bill No. 6729
Public Act No. 23-121 3 of 4
Addiction Services on policies concerning, but not limited to, building
use, security, clients residing on the campus and the discharge of clients
from the campus into the adjacent community. In addition, the advisory
council shall periodically review the implementation of the policies and
standards established by the commissioner in consultation with the
advisory council. The council shall be composed of six members
appointed by the mayor of Middletown, [six] eight members appointed
by the Commissioner of Mental Health and Addiction Services and one
member who shall serve as chairperson appointed by the Governor. On
and after January 1, 2024, at least two members appointed by the
Commissioner of Mental Health and Addiction Services shall have lived
experience with a behavioral health disorder.
Sec. 3. Subsection (a) of section 17a-450a of the general statutes is
repealed and the following is substituted in lieu thereof (Effective from
passage):
(a) The Department of Mental Health and Addiction Services shall
constitute a successor department to the Department of Mental Health.
Whenever the words "Commissioner of Mental Health" are used or
referred to in the following general statutes, the words "Commissioner
of Mental Health and Addiction Services" shall be substituted in lieu
thereof and whenever the words "Department of Mental Health" are
used or referred to in the following general statutes, the words
"Department of Mental Health and Addiction Services" shall be
substituted in lieu thereof: 4-5, 4-38c, 4-77a, 4a-12, 4a-16, 5-142, 8-206d,
10-19, 10-71, 10-76d, 17a-14, 17a-26, 17a-31, 17a-33, 17a-218, 17a-246, 17a-
450, 17a-451, 17a-453, 17a-454, 17a-455, 17a-456, 17a-457, 17a-458, 17a-
459, [17a-460,] 17a-464, 17a-465, 17a-466, 17a-467, 17a-468, 17a-470, as
amended by this act, 17a-471, 17a-472, 17a-473, 17a-474, 17a-476, 17a-
478, 17a-479, 17a-480, 17a-481, 17a-482, 17a-483, 17a-498, 17a-499, 17a-
502, 17a-506, 17a-510, 17a-511, 17a-512, 17a-513, 17a-519, 17a-528, 17a-
560, 17a-561, 17a-562, 17a-565, 17a-581, 17a-582, 17a-675, 17-836a, 17b- Substitute House Bill No. 6729
Public Act No. 23-121 4 of 4
28, 17b-59a, 17b-222, 17b-223, 17b-225, 17b-359, 17b-694, 19a-82, 19a-495,
19a-498, 19a-507a, 19a-576, 19a-583, 20-14i, 20-14j, 21a-240, 21a-301, 27-
122a, 31-222, 38a-514, 51-51o, 52-146h and 54-56d.
Sec. 4. Section 17a-460 of the general statutes is repealed. (Effective
from passage)