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General Assembly Substitute Bill No. 1469
January Session, 2025
AN ACT CONCERNING MEDICAL DEBT.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in General
Assembly convened:
Section 1. Section 46b-37 of the general statutes is repealed and the 1
following is substituted in lieu thereof (Effective July 1, 2025): 2
(a) Any purchase made by either a husband or wife in his or her own 3
name shall be presumed, in the absence of notice to the contrary, to be 4
made by him or her as an individual and he or she shall be liable for the 5
purchase. 6
(b) Notwithstanding the provisions of subsection (a) of this section, it 7
shall be the joint duty of each spouse to support his or her family, and 8
both shall be liable for: (1) The reasonable and necessary services of a 9
physician or dentist; (2) hospital expenses rendered the husband or wife 10
or minor child while residing in the family of his or her parents; (3) the 11
rental of any dwelling unit actually occupied by the husband and wife 12
as a residence and reasonably necessary to them for that purpose; and 13
(4) any article purchased by either which has in fact gone to the support 14
of the family, or for the joint benefit of both. 15
(c) Notwithstanding the provisions of subsection (a) of this section, a 16
spouse who abandons his or her spouse without cause shall be liable for 17
the reasonable support of such other spouse while abandoned. 18 Substitute Bill No. 1469
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(d) Notwithstanding the provisions of subsection (b) of this section, 19
no spouse surviving after the death of a spouse shall be responsible for 20
the medical debt of the deceased spouse related to the (1) reasonable and 21
necessary services of a physician or dentist that were rendered to a 22
deceased spouse, or (2) hospital expenses that were rendered to a 23
deceased spouse. 24
[(d)] (e) No action may be maintained against either spouse under the 25
provisions of this section, either during or after any period of separation 26
from the other spouse, for any liability incurred by the other spouse 27
during the separation, if, during the separation the spouse who is liable 28
for support of the other spouse has provided the other spouse with 29
reasonable support. 30
[(e)] (f) Abandonment without cause by a spouse shall be a defense 31
to any liability pursuant to the provisions of subdivisions (1) to (4), 32
inclusive, of subsection (b) of this section for expenses incurred by and 33
for the benefit of such spouse. Nothing in this subsection shall affect the 34
duty of a parent to support his or her minor child. 35
This act shall take effect as follows and shall amend the following
sections:
Section 1 July 1, 2025 46b-37
Statement of Legislative Commissioners:
Subsec. (d) was redrafted for clarity.
HS Joint Favorable Subst. -LCO