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General Assembly Raised Bill No. 7103
January Session, 2025
LCO No. 5310
Referred to Committee on HUMAN SERVICES
Introduced by:
(HS)
AN ACT CONCERNING THE KATIE BECKETT WORKING GROUP
RECOMMENDATIONS.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in General
Assembly convened:
Section 1. Section 17b-283 of the general statutes is repealed and the 1
following is substituted in lieu thereof (Effective July 1, 2025): 2
The Commissioner of Social Services shall, within available 3
appropriations, administer a Medicaid waiver program pursuant to 4
Section 1915(c) of the Social Security Act to provide home and 5
community-based services for persons who are institutionalized or at 6
risk of institutionalization and who (1) are [twenty-one] eighteen years 7
of age or younger; (2) have a physical disability and may also have a co-8
occurring developmental disability; and (3) meet the financial eligibility 9
criteria established in the waiver. 10
Sec. 2. (NEW) (Effective from passage) For purposes of this section and 11
sections 3 and 4 of this act, the "Katie Beckett Waiver Program" means 12
the Medicaid waiver program established pursuant to section 17b-283 13
of the general statutes, as amended by this act. Not later than September 14
1, 2025, the Commissioner of Social Services shall establish a Katie 15
Beckett Waiver Program Internet web site that includes, but is not 16
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limited to: 17
(1) A portal that allows a person to (A) log in, (B) undergo an initial 18
screening process to determine eligibility for the waiver program and 19
receive information on whether the waiver program is the most 20
appropriate program to meet such person's needs, and (C) receive 21
periodic updates as to such person's rank on a waiting list for the waiver 22
program, estimated time for such person to receive services under the 23
waiver program and whether such person remains eligible for the 24
program; 25
(2) Information on eligibility criteria for the waiver program, 26
including any income or asset thresholds; 27
(3) A summary of services available under the program; 28
(4) A listing with contact information for family support groups and 29
advocacy groups for children and young adults with severe debilitating 30
diseases or conditions; 31
(5) Assistance available to determine private insurance coverage for 32
services for such children and young adults, including, but not limited 33
to, a link to the Internet web site of the Office of the Healthcare 34
Advocate; 35
(6) A listing of other Medicaid waiver programs or Medicaid state 36
plan services which offer services for such children and young adults, 37
including eligibility criteria for such programs; and 38
(7) A listing of private organizations and state programs that may 39
offer funding for home modification or adaptive equipment for persons 40
with disabilities, including a link to the Internet web site of the 41
Department of Aging and Disability Services for information on 42
adaptive equipment purchases pursuant to section 17a-788 of the 43
general statutes or assistive technology loans pursuant to section 17a-44
795 of the general statutes. 45
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Sec. 3. (NEW) (Effective from passage) (a) The Department of Social 46
Services shall create a brochure with information and eligibility criteria 47
for the Katie Beckett Waiver Program. Not later than September 1, 2025, 48
the department shall distribute the brochure to medical providers, 49
including, but not limited to, children's hospitals, geneticists, nurses and 50
social workers. 51
(b) The Department of Social Services, at least annually, shall provide 52
information on the Katie Beckett Waiver Program, including eligibility 53
criteria, in the department's bulletin to Medicaid-enrolled providers. 54
Sec. 4. (NEW) (Effective from passage) (a) The Commissioner of Social 55
Services shall develop a five-year plan to eliminate the waiting list for 56
the Katie Beckett Waiver Program and add home modification coverage 57
for waiver participants with disabilities through the program. 58
(b) Not later than October 1, 2025, the commissioner shall file a report, 59
in accordance with the provisions of section 11-4a of the general statutes, 60
on the plan with the joint standing committees of the General Assembly 61
having cognizance of matters relating to appropriations and the budgets 62
of state agencies and human services. The report shall include 63
recommendations concerning state appropriations needed to 64
implement the plan. 65
This act shall take effect as follows and shall amend the following
sections:
Section 1 July 1, 2025 17b-283
Sec. 2 from passage New section
Sec. 3 from passage New section
Sec. 4 from passage New section
Statement of Purpose:
To increase access to the Katie Beckett Medicaid waiver program for
children with complex, severe illnesses or conditions.
[Proposed deletions are enclosed in brackets. Proposed additions are indicated by underline, except
that when the entire text of a bill or resolution or a section of a bill or resolution is new, it is not
underlined.]
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