Researcher: JO Page 1 3/19/25
OLR Bill Analysis
sHB 6978
AN ACT CONCERNING THE DEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC HEALTH'S
RECOMMENDATIONS REGARDING VARIOUS REVISIONS TO THE
PUBLIC HEALTH STATUTES.
TABLE OF CONTENTS:
SUMMARY
§ 1 — RARE DISEASE ADVISORY COUNCIL
Allows the Rare Disease Advisory Council to apply for and accept grants and other funds from
various sources to carry out its responsibilities
§§ 2-4 — MATERNAL MORT ALITY REVIEW PROGRAM AND
REVIEW COMMITTEES
Allows 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
§ 5 — INSPECTIONS AND LICENSE RENEWALS
Allows DPH to renew licenses for additional types of facilities without performing an inspection
if the facility is federally certified under Medicare or Medicaid (which requires its own
inspection)
§ 6 — DPH DISBURSEMENT OF FUNDS
Specifically allows DPH to enter into contracts or agreements as needed to distribute or use
funds received from gifts, grants, or contracts
§ 7 — BOARD OF EXAMINERS FOR NURSING
Allows the Board of Examiners for Nursing to hold contested case hearings before hearing
officers as well as board members
§ 8 — DISCIPLINARY ACTION AGAINST HEALTH CARE
INSTITUTIONS
Expands the grounds upon which DPH may take disciplinary action against health care
institutions to include substantial failure to comply with the public health statutes generally
§ 9 — TECHNICAL CHANGE
Corrects an inaccurate statutory reference
SUMMARY
This bill makes various changes in Department of Public Health 2025HB-06978-R000149-BA.DOCX
Researcher: JO Page 2 3/19/25
(DPH)-related statutes and programs, as described in the section-by-
section analysis below.
EFFECTIVE DATE: Various, see below.
§ 1 — RARE DISEASE ADVISORY COUNCIL
Allows the Rare Disease Advisory Council to apply for and accept grants and other funds
from various sources to carry out its responsibilities
The bill allows the Rare Disease Advisory Council to apply for and
accept grants, gifts, bequests (i.e. distributions through a will),
sponsorships, and in-kind donations of funds from various sources to
carry out its responsibilities. These sources include federal and
interstate agencies, private firms, individuals, and foundations.
By law, the council must advise and make recommendations to DPH
and other state agencies on the needs of residents living with rare
diseases and their caregivers. The council is within DPH for
administrative purposes only.
EFFECTIVE DATE: Upon passage
§§ 2-4 — MATERNAL MORT ALITY REVIEW PROGRAM AND
REVIEW COMMITTEES
Allows 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
Under existing law, all information DPH obtains for the Maternal
Mortality Review Program, including personal information from
medical records, must be kept confidential and used solely for specified
purposes (e.g., medical or scientific research). The same is true for
findings of DPH’s Maternal Mortality Review Committee.
The bill allows 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. In
practice, this allows DPH to share this information and findings with its
Vital Records Office’s Surveillance Analysis and Reporting Unit, which
tracks data on causes of death. 2025HB-06978-R000149-BA.DOCX
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By law, DPH’s Maternal Mortality Review Program identifies
maternal deaths in Connecticut and reviews related medical records and
other relevant data. The department’s Maternal Mortality Review
Committee conducts comprehensive, multidisciplinary reviews of
maternal deaths to identify associated factors and make
recommendations to reduce these deaths.
EFFECTIVE DATE: July 1, 2025
§ 5 — INSPECTIONS AND LICENSE RENEWALS
Allows DPH to renew licenses for additional types of facilities without performing an
inspection if the facility is federally certified under Medicare or Medicaid (which requires
its own inspection)
Current law allows DPH to waive the required inspection for a
hospital or home health care or home health aide agency applying for
license renewal if the entity has been federally certified under Medicare
or Medicaid within the prior year. (The federal recertification process
requires an inspection, which in practice is done by DPH.) The bill
instead requires these entities to be federally certified when they apply
for license renewal in order to receive the waiver.
The bill also generally expands this provision by allowing DPH to
waive the required inspection for other DPH-licensed institutions (such
as hospice facilities and outpatient surgical facilities), except for nursing
homes, that are federally certified when they apply for license renewal.
By law, most DPH-licensed health care institutions must renew their
licenses every two years.
EFFECTIVE DATE: October 1, 2025
§ 6 — DPH DISBURSEME NT OF FUNDS
Specifically allows DPH to enter into contracts or agreements as needed to distribute or
use funds received from gifts, grants, or contracts
The bill specifically allows the DPH commissioner, under any
established procedures, to enter into contracts or agreements as may be
needed to distribute or use money, services, or property in line with any
required conditions of a gift, grant, or contract. 2025HB-06978-R000149-BA.DOCX
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EFFECTIVE DATE: Upon passage
§ 7 — BOARD OF EXAMINERS FOR NURSING
Allows the Board of Examiners for Nursing to hold contested case hearings before hearing
officers as well as board members
The bill specifically allows the state Board of Examiners for Nursing
to hold contested case hearings before hearing officers, not just board
members.
By law, the board has jurisdiction to hear charges that a nurse failed
to conform to the profession’s accepted standards. The board may take
disciplinary action against a nurse after a hearing under the Uniform
Administrative Procedure Act (UAPA) and DPH regulations.
EFFECTIVE DATE: Upon passage
§ 8 — DISCIPLINARY ACTION AGAINST HEALTH CARE
INSTITUTIONS
Expands the grounds upon which DPH may take disciplinary action against health care
institutions to include substantial failure to comply with the public health statutes
generally
Under existing law, the DPH commissioner, after a hearing held
under the UAPA, may impose a range of disciplinary actions against a
licensed health care institution that substantially fails to comply with
statutory requirements in the health care institutions chapter, the Public
Health Code, or licensing regulations. The bill additionally allows the
commissioner to take these actions if an institution substantially fails to
comply with applicable requirements throughout the public health
statutes generally (Title 19a of the Connecticut General Statutes). Title
19a includes requirements for health care institutions, or a subset of
them, on various topics, such as reporting on opioid overdoses (by
hospitals) or transferring an electronic copy of medical records within
certain timeframes after a patient’s request (by most institutions).
As under existing law, these disciplinary actions may include, among
other things; (1) revoking or suspending a license; (2) placing a licensee
on probationary status; (3) imposing a correction plan; or (4) assessing a
civil penalty of up to $25,000. 2025HB-06978-R000149-BA.DOCX
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EFFECTIVE DATE: Upon passage
§ 9 — TECHNICAL CHANGE
Corrects an inaccurate statutory reference
The bill makes a technical change by correcting an inaccurate
statutory reference.
EFFECTIVE DATE: Upon passage
COMMITTEE ACTION
Public Health Committee
Joint Favorable
Yea 24 Nay 8 (03/05/2025)