OFFICE OF FISCAL ANALYSIS
Legislative Office Building, Room 5200
Hartford, CT 06106 (860) 240-0200
http://www.cga.ct.gov/ofa
sHB-6978
AN ACT CONCERNING THE DEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC
HEALTH'S RECOMMENDATIONS REGARDING VARIOUS
REVISIONS TO THE PUBLIC HEALTH STATUTES.
Primary Analyst: NB 3/18/25
Contributing Analyst(s):
Reviewer: JS
OFA Fiscal Note
State Impact:
Agency Affected Fund-Effect FY 26 $ FY 27 $
Public Health, Dept. GF - Potential
Revenue Gain
Minimal Minimal
Note: GF=General Fund
Municipal Impact: None
Explanation
This bill makes various substantive, minor, and technical changes to
Department of Public Health (DPH)-related statutes and programs. A
few sections result in a potential revenue gain to DPH, as described
below.
Section 1 authorizes the Connecticut Rare Disease Advisory Council
to apply for and accept grants and other funds from various sources to
carry out its responsibilities, which may result in a minimal revenue
gain. The Council is within DPH for administrative purposes only.
Sections 2 - 4 allow DPH to use information it obtains for the
Maternal Mortality Review Program, and findings of the Maternal
Mortality Review Committee, to improve the accuracy of vital statistics
data. This technical change results in no fiscal impact.
Section 5 allows DPH to renew licenses for additional types of
facilities without performing an inspection if the facility is federally
certified. This results in no fiscal impact, as staff who would have 2025HB-06978-R000149-FN.DOCX Page 2 of 2
otherwise carried out these renewal inspections will instead address an
existing backlog of inspections and complaint investigations.
Section 6 makes clarifying changes related to the Public Health
Commissioner's ability to enter into contracts or agreements as needed
to distribute or use funds received from gifts, grants, or contracts. This
results in no fiscal impact.
Section 7 allows the Board of Examiners for Nursing to hold
contested case hearings before hearing officers as well as board
members. This procedural change results in no fiscal impact.
Section 8 expands DPH's authority to take disciplinary action against
non-compliant health care institutions, which may result in a revenue
gain to the General Fund from civil penalties of up to $25,000 per
violation. The extent of the revenue gain, if any, is dependent on the
number of violations and the department's discretion regarding civil
penalties.
Section 9 makes a technical change by correcting an inaccurate
statutory reference, resulting in no fiscal impact.
The Out Years
The annualized ongoing fiscal impact identified above would
continue into the future subject to the disciplinary actions taken
pursuant to Section 8.