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General Assembly Substitute Bill No. 6913
January Session, 2023
AN ACT CONCERNING OPIOIDS.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in General
Assembly convened:
Section 1. (NEW) (Effective from passage) A substance abuse treatment 1
facility licensed as an institution pursuant to section 19a-490 of the 2
general statutes shall (1) retain records regarding each person who 3
receives treatment from the facility, including, but not limited to, the 4
person's address, telephone number and any additional contact 5
information the person agrees to provide, for a period of time after the 6
person last receives treatment from the facility that is in accordance with 7
standard record-keeping practices for substance abuse treatment 8
facilities; (2) contact or attempt to contact the person for a status update 9
on the person's physical and mental health not less than once every four 10
months, for a period of not less than one year, after the person last 11
received treatment from such facility; and (3) offer to or refer such 12
person to additional substance use disorder treatment services if the 13
person expresses a need or desire for such services. 14
Sec. 2. Section 10a-55t of the general statutes is repealed and the 15
following is substituted in lieu thereof (Effective from passage): 16
(a) Not later than January 1, 2020, the president of each institution of 17
higher education in the state shall (1) develop and implement a policy 18 Substitute Bill No. 6913
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consistent with subsection (b) of this section concerning the availability 19
and use of opioid antagonists, as defined in section 17a-714, by students 20
and employees of the institution, (2) submit such policy to the 21
Department of Consumer Protection for approval, and (3) upon 22
approval of the department, post such policy on the institution's Internet 23
web site. 24
(b) The policy of each institution of higher education concerning the 25
availability and use of opioid antagonists shall (1) designate a medical 26
professional or public safety professional to oversee the purchase, 27
storage and distribution of opioid antagonists on each of its campuses, 28
(2) identify the location or locations on each of its campuses where the 29
opioid antagonists are stored, which location or locations shall be made 30
known and accessible to students and employees of such institution, (3) 31
require maintenance of the supply of opioid antagonists in accordance 32
with the manufacturer's guidelines, and (4) require a representative of 33
the institution to call 911 or notify a local emergency medical services 34
provider prior to, during or as soon as practicable after each use of an 35
opioid antagonist on the institution's campus that is reported to the 36
institution or observed by a medical professional or public safety 37
professional, unless the person to whom the opioid antagonist was 38
administered has already received medical treatment for his or her 39
opioid-related drug overdose. 40
(c) Not later than January 1, 2024, the president of each institution of 41
higher education shall report, in accordance with the provisions of 42
section 11-4a, to the joint standing committees of the General Assembly 43
having cognizance of matters relating to public health and higher 44
education and employment advancement regarding the 45
implementation of the policy concerning the availability and use of 46
opioid antagonists on each campus. 47
Sec. 3. (NEW) (Effective from passage) (a) As used in this section: 48
(1) "Prescription digital therapeutic" means a software-based medical 49
device that (A) has been cleared or approved by the federal Food and 50 Substitute Bill No. 6913
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Drug Administration, (B) is intended to prevent, manage or treat a 51
substance use disorder, (C) a licensed health care provider prescribes for 52
a patient, and (D) a patient may access through an application on a 53
mobile device; 54
(2) "Licensed health care provider" means a licensed health care 55
provider with experience treating patients with a substance use disorder 56
who is authorized to prescribe a prescription digital therapeutic within 57
the scope of such provider's practice; 58
(3) "Opioid use disorder" means a medical condition characterized by 59
a problematic pattern of opioid use and misuse leading to clinically 60
significant impairment or distress; and 61
(4) "Substance use disorder" means a pattern of use of alcohol or other 62
substances that meets the applicable diagnostic criteria delineated in the 63
most recent edition of the American Psychiatric Association's 64
Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders. 65
(b) Not later than January 1, 2024, the Department of Mental Health 66
and Addiction Services, in collaboration with the Department of Public 67
Health, shall establish a pilot program pursuant to which licensed 68
health care providers may prescribe prescription digital therapeutics to 69
patients with opioid use disorder or another substance use disorder for 70
the management or treatment of such disorder. The Commissioners of 71
Mental Health and Addiction Services and Public Health shall jointly 72
develop eligibility criteria and guidelines for the pilot program. Such 73
guidelines shall include, but need not be limited to, authorizing the 74
provision of a prescription digital therapeutic for not less than a three-75
month period for up to one thousand such patients. 76
(c) Not later than January 1, 2025, the Commissioner of Mental Health 77
and Addiction Services shall report, in accordance with the provisions 78
of section 11-4a of the general statutes, to the joint standing committee 79
of the General Assembly having cognizance of matters relating to public 80
health on the implementation of the pilot program and any 81 Substitute Bill No. 6913
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recommendations for continuing or expanding the pilot program. 82
Sec. 4. Section 21a-317 of the general statutes is repealed and the 83
following is substituted in lieu thereof (Effective October 1, 2023): 84
Every practitioner who distributes, administers or dispenses any 85
controlled substance or who proposes to engage in distributing, 86
prescribing, administering or dispensing any controlled substance 87
within this state shall (1) obtain a certificate of registration issued by the 88
Commissioner of Consumer Protection in accordance with the 89
provisions of this chapter, (2) if the practitioner is engaged in 90
prescribing a controlled substance, register for access to the electronic 91
prescription drug monitoring program established pursuant to 92
subsection (j) of section 21a-254 in a manner prescribed by the 93
commissioner, and (3) if the practitioner is engaged in transporting a 94
controlled substance for the purpose of treating a patient in a location 95
that is different than the address that the practitioner provided to the 96
Department of Consumer Protection as a registrant, as defined in section 97
21a-240, notify the department, in a manner prescribed by the 98
commissioner, of the intent to transport such controlled substance and, 99
after dispensing such controlled substance, return any remaining 100
amount of such controlled substance to a secure location at the address 101
provided to the department. If the practitioner cannot return any 102
remaining amount of such controlled substance to such address, the 103
commissioner may approve an alternate location, provided such 104
location is also approved by the federal Drug Enforcement Agency, or 105
any successor agency. The practitioner shall report any dispensation by 106
the practitioner of a controlled substance that occurs at a location other 107
than the address provided to the department to the prescription drug 108
monitoring program pursuant to subsection (j) of section 21a-254 upon 109
returning to such address. No practitioner shall transport a controlled 110
substance under subdivision (3) of this section to a location that is within 111
five hundred feet of an elementary or secondary school ground, child 112
care center, playground or public park, except a location that is a private 113
residence where the dispensation of the controlled substance occurs 114 Substitute Bill No. 6913
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inside such residence. 115
Sec. 5. (Effective from passage) (a) The Departments of Mental Health 116
and Addiction Services, Social Services and Children and Families shall, 117
in consultation with direct service providers and individuals with lived 118
experience, evaluate existing programs for persons with substance use 119
disorder who are caregivers of children and the barriers to treatment of 120
such persons and develop a plan for the establishment and 121
implementation of programs for the treatment of such persons and their 122
children. Such programs shall include, but need not be limited to, the 123
following: 124
(1) Same-day access, in all geographical areas, to family-centered 125
medication-assisted treatment that includes prenatal and perinatal care 126
and access to supports that provide a bridge to such treatment; 127
(2) Intensive in-home treatment supports; 128
(3) Gender-specific programming; 129
(4) Expanded access to residential programs for pregnant and 130
parenting persons, including residential programs for parents who have 131
more than one child or who have children over the age of seven; and 132
(5) Access to recovery support specialists and peer support to provide 133
care coordination. 134
(b) Not later than January 1, 2024, the Commissioners of Mental 135
Health and Addiction Services, Social Services and Children and 136
Families shall jointly report, in accordance with the provisions of section 137
11-4a of the general statutes, to the joint standing committees of the 138
General Assembly having cognizance of matters relating to public 139
health, human services and children regarding such plan and 140
recommendations for legislative changes necessary to implement the 141
programs described in subsection (a) of this section. 142
Sec. 6. (Effective from passage) The Departments of Mental Health and 143 Substitute Bill No. 6913
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Addiction Services and Social Services shall, in collaboration with the 144
Office of Early Childhood, establish a plan to permit parents who are in 145
treatment for substance use disorder to be eligible for child care 146
supports and subsidies. Not later than January 1, 2024, the 147
Commissioners of Mental Health and Addiction Services and Social 148
Services shall jointly report, in accordance with the provisions of section 149
11-4a of the general statutes, to the joint standing committees of the 150
General Assembly having cognizance of matters relating to public 151
health and human services regarding such plan. 152
Sec. 7. (Effective from passage) The Departments of Mental Health and 153
Addiction Services, Social Services and Housing shall develop a plan to 154
ensure that pregnant and parenting persons with substance use disorder 155
who are in treatment for substance use disorder have access to 156
supportive housing. Not later than January 1, 2024, the Commissioners 157
of Mental Health and Addiction Services, Social Services and Housing 158
shall jointly report, in accordance with the provisions of section 11-4a of 159
the general statutes, to the joint standing committees of the General 160
Assembly having cognizance of matters relating to public health, 161
human services and housing regarding such plan. 162
Sec. 8. (Effective from passage) The Departments of Mental Health and 163
Addiction Services, Social Services and Children and Families shall 164
develop a plan to ensure that parents with substance use disorder whose 165
children are receiving services from the Department of Children and 166
Families have access to appropriate treatment for substance use 167
disorder both to prevent removal of children from their parents where 168
possible and to support reunification when removal is necessary, 169
including, but not limited to, consideration of in-home parenting and 170
child care services to assist with safety planning during initial stages of 171
treatment and recovery. Not later than January 1, 2024, the 172
Commissioners of Mental Health and Addiction Services, Social 173
Services and Children and Families shall jointly report, in accordance 174
with the provisions of section 11-4a of the general statutes, to the joint 175
standing committees of the General Assembly having cognizance of 176 Substitute Bill No. 6913
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matters relating to public health, human services and children regarding 177
such plan. 178
Sec. 9. (Effective from passage) The Departments of Mental Health and 179
Addiction Services, Children and Families and Social Services shall 180
evaluate existing substance use disorder treatment services for pregnant 181
and parenting persons, utilization of such services and areas where 182
additional substance use disorder treatment services for such persons 183
are necessary. The Commissioners of Mental Health and Addiction 184
Services, Children and Families and Social Services shall jointly report, 185
not later than January 1, 2024, and semiannually thereafter until January 186
1, 2025, in accordance with the provisions of section 11-4a of the general 187
statutes, to the joint standing committees of the General Assembly 188
having cognizance of matters relating to public health regarding such 189
evaluation. 190
Sec. 10. (Effective from passage) The Department of Children and 191
Families shall evaluate the quality of practice, safety planning and 192
service delivery to families who are receiving services from the 193
department, including, but not limited to, the timely availability and 194
utilization of services necessary to mitigate child safety concerns in the 195
home when the child's caregiver has a substance use disorder and 196
tracking of outcomes for treatment for persons with a substance use 197
disorder who are caregivers of a child. Not later than January 1, 2024, 198
the Commissioner of Children and Families shall report, in accordance 199
with the provisions of section 11-4a of the general statutes, to the joint 200
standing committees of the General Assembly having cognizance of 201
matters relating to public health and children regarding such plan. 202
Sec. 11. Subsection (b) of section 17a-674d of the general statutes is 203
repealed and the following is substituted in lieu thereof (Effective July 1, 204
2023): 205
(b) The committee shall consist of the following members: 206
(1) The Secretary of the Office of Policy and Management, or the 207 Substitute Bill No. 6913
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secretary's designee; 208
(2) The Attorney General, or the Attorney General's designee; 209
(3) The Commissioners of Children and Families, Mental Health and 210
Addiction Services and Public Health, or said commissioners' designees, 211
who shall serve as ex-officio members; 212
(4) The president pro tempore of the Senate, the speaker of the House 213
of Representatives, the majority leaders of the Senate and House of 214
Representatives, the minority leaders of the Senate and House of 215
Representatives, the Senate and House chairpersons of the joint 216
standing committee of the General Assembly having cognizance of 217
matters relating to appropriations and the budgets of state agencies, or 218
their designees, provided such persons have experience living with a 219
substance or disorder or are the family member of a person who has 220
experience living with a substance use disorder; 221
(5) Seventeen individuals representing municipalities, who shall be 222
appointed by the Governor; 223
(6) The executive director of the Commission on Racial Equity in 224
Public Health, or a representative of the commission designated by the 225
executive director; and 226
(7) [Six] Eight individuals appointed by the commissioner as follows: 227
(A) A provider of community-based substance use treatment services 228
for adults, who shall be a nonvoting member; (B) a provider of 229
community-based substance use treatment services for adolescents, 230
who shall be a nonvoting member; (C) an addiction medicine licensed 231
health care professional with prescribing ability, who shall be a 232
nonvoting member; [and] (D) three individuals with experience living 233
with a substance use disorder or family members of an individual with 234
experience living with a substance use disorder; and (E) two individuals 235
with experience supporting infants and children affected by the opioid 236
crisis. 237 Substitute Bill No. 6913
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This act shall take effect as follows and shall amend the following
sections:
Section 1 from passage New section
Sec. 2 from passage 10a-55t
Sec. 3 from passage New section
Sec. 4 October 1, 2023 21a-317
Sec. 5 from passage New section
Sec. 6 from passage New section
Sec. 7 from passage New section
Sec. 8 from passage New section
Sec. 9 from passage New section
Sec. 10 from passage New section
Sec. 11 July 1, 2023 17a-674d(b)
Statement of Legislative Commissioners:
Section 1(1) was rewritten for clarity and in Section 10, "whose cases
are open with" was changed to "who are receiving services from" and
"when the child's caregiver has a substance use disorder" was inserted
after "home" for clarity.
PH Joint Favorable Subst.