Connecticut 2025 Regular Session

Connecticut House Bill HB07188 Compare Versions

Version 1 (Old)

Version 2 (New)

Old	New		Differences
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3		-	LCO 1 of 4
	3	+	LCO No. 5831 1 of 3
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5		-	General Assembly ~~Substitute~~ Bill No. 7188
	5	+	General Assembly Raised Bill No. 7188
6	6		January Session, 2025
	7	+	LCO No. 5831
7	8
	9	+
	10	+	Referred to Committee on HUMAN SERVICES
	11	+
	12	+
	13	+	Introduced by:
	14	+	(HS)
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12	19		AN ACT CONCERNING HOMELESSNESS AND THE CHESS
13	20		PROGRAM.
14	21		Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in General
15	22		Assembly convened:
16	23
17		-	Section 1. (NEW) (Effective from passage) (a) As used in this section, ~~(1)~~ 1
	24	+	Section 1. (NEW) (Effective from passage) (a) As used in this section, 1
18	25		"Connecticut Housing Engagement and Support Services" or "CHESS" 2
19		-	initiative means a home and community -based services initiative 3
20		-	established pursuant to a Medicaid state plan amendment under Section 4
21		-	1915(i) of the Social Security Act and a Medicaid waiver pursuant to 5
22		-	Section 1915(b)(4) of the Social Security Act to improve housing stability 6
23		-	and health outcomes for persons who have (A) complex health 7
24		-	conditions, (B) experienced homelessness, and (C) been determined to 8
25		-	be likely to benefit from targeted services to improve health and housing 9
26		-	stability; (2) "pretenancy supports" means assistance in locating and 10
27		-	securing stable housing; and (3) "tenancy-sustaining supports" means 11
28		-	assistance in maintaining a successful tenancy, including, but not 12
29		-	limited to, through assistance with health care coordination, skill 13
30		-	development and community integration. 14
31		-	(b) The Commissioner of Social Services, in consultation with the 15
32		-	Commissioner of Housing, shall amend the Medicaid state plan 16
33		-	amendment filed under Section 1915(i) of the Social Security Act to 17
34		-	make the following changes in the CHESS initiative: (1) Establish a 18
35		-	minimum per person per month rate for providers for each CHESS 19 Substitute Bill No. 7188
	26	+	means a home and community-based services program established 3
	27	+	pursuant to a Medicaid state plan amendment under Section 1915(i) of 4
	28	+	the Social Security Act and a Medicaid waiver pursuant to Section 5
	29	+	1915(b)(4) of the Social Security Act to improve housing stability and 6
	30	+	health outcomes for persons who have (1) complex health conditions, 7
	31	+	(2) experienced homelessness, and (3) been determined to be likely to 8
	32	+	benefit from targeted services to improve health and housing stability. 9
	33	+	(b) The Commissioner of Housing, in consultation with the 10
	34	+	Commissioner of Social Services, shall prioritize participants in the 11
	35	+	CHESS program for state-administered housing assistance, including, 12
	36	+	to the extent permissible under federal eligibility standards, Section 8 13
	37	+	Housing Choice vouchers. Not later than December 1, 2025, the 14
	38	+	Commissioner of Housing shall file a report, in accordance with the 15
	39	+	Raised Bill No. 7188
36	40
37	41
38		-	LCO 2 of 4
39	42
40		-	initiative participant they serve, (2) ensure that CHESS initiative 20
41		-	eligibility criteria and provider payment rates match eligibility criteria 21
42		-	and provider payment rates for the supportive housing program 22
43		-	administered by the Department of Mental Health and Addiction 23
44		-	Services, (3) set provider payment rates that are comparable to those 24
45		-	provided in other states for pretenancy supports and tenancy-sustaining 25
46		-	supports, and (4) give newly enrolled, unhoused participants in the 26
47		-	CHESS initiative priority for any available housing assistance vouchers. 27
48		-	(c) The Commissioner of Social Services, in consultation with the 28
49		-	Commissioners of Housing and Mental Health and Addiction Services, 29
50		-	shall ensure that a provider of services under the supportive housing 30
51		-	program administered by the Department of Mental Health and 31
52		-	Addiction Services shall not experience a decrease in reimbursement 32
53		-	rates if such provider participates in the CHESS initiative. The 33
54		-	Commissioner of Social Services shall require the administrative 34
55		-	services organization managing the CHESS initiative to ensure that 35
56		-	providers in the CHESS initiative receive the same rates of 36
57		-	reimbursement as providers in the supportive housing program 37
58		-	administered by the Department of Mental Health and Addiction 38
59		-	Services. 39
60		-	Sec. 2. (NEW) (Effective from passage) (a) There is established an 40
61		-	oversight committee for services for homeless persons in the state. The 41
62		-	committee shall consist of: 42
63		-	(1) The House and Senate chairpersons of the joint standing 43
64		-	committee of the General Assembly having cognizance of matters 44
65		-	relating to housing, or their designees; 45
66		-	(2) The House and Senate chairpersons of the joint standing 46
67		-	committee of the General Assembly having cognizance of matters 47
68		-	relating to human services, or their designees; 48
69		-	(3) The House and Senate chairpersons of the joint standing 49
70		-	committee of the General Assembly having cognizance of matters 50
71		-	relating to planning and development, or their designees; 51 Substitute Bill No. 7188
	43	+	LCO No. 5831 2 of 3
	44	+
	45	+	provisions of section 11-4a of the general statutes, with the joint 16
	46	+	standing committees of the General Assembly having cognizance of 17
	47	+	matters relating to housing and human services on the number of 18
	48	+	CHESS participants who have received state-administered housing 19
	49	+	assistance, including, but not limited to, Section 8 Housing Choice 20
	50	+	vouchers established pursuant to 42 USC §1437f(o), as amended from 21
	51	+	time to time. 22
	52	+	Sec. 2. (NEW) (Effective from passage) (a) There is established a 23
	53	+	legislative oversight committee for services for homeless persons in the 24
	54	+	state. The committee shall consist of: 25
	55	+	(1) The House and Senate chairpersons of the joint standing 26
	56	+	committee of the General Assembly having cognizance of matters 27
	57	+	relating to housing, or their designees; 28
	58	+	(2) The House and Senate chairpersons of the joint standing 29
	59	+	committee of the General Assembly having cognizance of matters 30
	60	+	relating to human services, or their designees; 31
	61	+	(3) The House and Senate chairpersons of the joint standing 32
	62	+	committee of the General Assembly having cognizance of matters 33
	63	+	relating to planning and development, or their designees; and 34
	64	+	(4) The House and Senate chairpersons of the joint standing 35
	65	+	committee of the General Assembly having cognizance of matters 36
	66	+	relating to public health, or their designees. 37
	67	+	(b) The oversight committee shall meet not later than sixty days after 38
	68	+	the effective date of this section. The chairpersons shall be the Senate 39
	69	+	chairperson of the joint standing committee of the General Assembly 40
	70	+	having cognizance of matters relating to housing, or the chairperson's 41
	71	+	designee, and the House chairperson of the joint standing committee of 42
	72	+	the General Assembly having cognizance of matters relating to human 43
	73	+	services, or the chairperson's designee. The oversight committee shall 44
	74	+	review services for homeless persons in the state, including, but not 45
	75	+	Raised Bill No. 7188
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73	77
74		-	LCO 3 of 4
75	78
76		-	(4) The House and Senate chairpersons of the joint standing 52
77		-	committee of the General Assembly having cognizance of matters 53
78		-	relating to public health, or their designees; 54
79		-	(5) The Commissioner of Housing, or the commissioner's designee; 55
80		-	(6) The Commissioner of Mental Health and Addiction Services, or 56
81		-	the commissioner's designee; 57
82		-	(7) The Commissioner of Social Services, or the commissioner's 58
83		-	designee; 59
84		-	(8) The chairperson of the interagency council on affordable housing 60
85		-	established pursuant to section 8-37nnn of the general statutes, or the 61
86		-	chairperson's designee; and 62
87		-	(9) Two representatives of private nonprofit organizations that focus 63
88		-	on serving the needs of homeless persons in the state, appointed by the 64
89		-	oversight committee's chairpersons. 65
90		-	(b) The oversight committee shall be appointed and meet not later 66
91		-	than sixty days after the effective date of this section. The chairpersons 67
92		-	shall be the House chairperson of the joint standing committee of the 68
93		-	General Assembly having cognizance of matters relating to housing, or 69
94		-	the chairperson's designee, and the Senate chairperson of the joint 70
95		-	standing committee of the General Assembly having cognizance of 71
96		-	matters relating to human services, or the chairperson's designee. The 72
97		-	oversight committee shall review services for homeless persons in the 73
98		-	state, including, but not limited to, the CHESS initiative, as defined in 74
99		-	section 1 of this act. 75
100		-	(c) The Commissioners of Housing, Mental Health and Addiction 76
101		-	Services and Social Services shall file quarterly reports with the 77
102		-	oversight committee on services for homeless persons in the state and 78
103		-	shall seek approval of the oversight committee for any changes to such 79
104		-	services, including, but not limited to, the CHESS initiative. The 80
105		-	committee shall schedule a vote on such changes not later than thirty 81 Substitute Bill No. 7188
	79	+	LCO No. 5831 3 of 3
106	80
107		-
108		-	LCO 4 of 4
109		-
110		-	days after receipt of notice from the commissioners of any such changes. 82
	81	+	limited to the CHESS program, as defined in section 1 of this act. 46
	82	+	(c) The Commissioners of Housing and Social Services shall file 47
	83	+	quarterly reports with the oversight committee on services for homeless 48
	84	+	persons in the state and shall seek approval of the oversight committee 49
	85	+	for any changes to such services, including, but not limited to, the 50
	86	+	CHESS program. 51
111	87		This act shall take effect as follows and shall amend the following
112	88		sections:
113	89
114	90		Section 1 from passage New section
115	91		Sec. 2 from passage New section
116	92
117		-	Statement of ~~Legislative Commissioners~~:
118		-	~~In Section 2(b), "be appointed and" was inserted~~ for ~~clarity~~.
	93	+	Statement of Purpose:
	94	+	To ensure adequate services for homeless persons.
119	95
120		-	HS Joint Favorable Subst.
	96	+	[Proposed deletions are enclosed in brackets. Proposed additions are indicated by underline, except
	97	+	that when the entire text of a bill or resolution or a section of a bill or resolution is new, it is not
	98	+	underlined.]
121	99