Connecticut 2025 Regular Session

Connecticut Senate Bill SB01469 Compare Versions

Version 1 (Old)

Version 2 (New)

Old	New		Differences
1	1
2	2
3		-	LCO 1 of 2
	3	+	LCO No. 5936 1 of 2
4	4
5		-	General Assembly ~~Substitute~~ Bill No. 1469
	5	+	General Assembly Raised Bill No. 1469
6	6		January Session, 2025
	7	+	LCO No. 5936
	8	+
	9	+
	10	+	Referred to Committee on HUMAN SERVICES
	11	+
	12	+
	13	+	Introduced by:
	14	+	(HS)
	15	+
7	16
8	17
9	18
10	19		AN ACT CONCERNING MEDICAL DEBT.
11	20		Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in General
12	21		Assembly convened:
13	22
14	23		Section 1. Section 46b-37 of the general statutes is repealed and the 1
15	24		following is substituted in lieu thereof (Effective July 1, 2025): 2
16	25		(a) Any purchase made by either a husband or wife in his or her own 3
17	26		name shall be presumed, in the absence of notice to the contrary, to be 4
18	27		made by him or her as an individual and he or she shall be liable for the 5
19	28		purchase. 6
20	29		(b) Notwithstanding the provisions of subsection (a) of this section, it 7
21	30		shall be the joint duty of each spouse to support his or her family, and 8
22	31		both shall be liable for: (1) The reasonable and necessary services of a 9
23	32		physician or dentist; (2) hospital expenses rendered the husband or wife 10
24	33		or minor child while residing in the family of his or her parents; (3) the 11
25	34		rental of any dwelling unit actually occupied by the husband and wife 12
26	35		as a residence and reasonably necessary to them for that purpose; and 13
27	36		(4) any article purchased by either which has in fact gone to the support 14
28	37		of the family, or for the joint benefit of both. 15
	38	+	Raised Bill No. 1469
	39	+
	40	+
	41	+
	42	+	LCO No. 5936 2 of 2
	43	+
29	44		(c) Notwithstanding the provisions of subsection (a) of this section, a 16
30	45		spouse who abandons his or her spouse without cause shall be liable for 17
31		-	the reasonable support of such other spouse while abandoned. 18 Substitute Bill No. 1469
32		-
33		-
34		-	LCO 2 of 2
35		-
	46	+	the reasonable support of such other spouse while abandoned. 18
36	47		(d) Notwithstanding the provisions of subsection (b) of this section, 19
37	48		no spouse surviving after the death of a spouse shall be responsible for 20
38		-	the medical debt of the deceased spouse related to the (1) reasonable and 21
39		-	necessary services of a physician or dentist that were rendered to a 22
40		-	deceased spouse, or (2) hospital expenses that were rendered to a 23
41		-	deceased spouse. 24
42		-	[(d)] (e) No action may be maintained against either spouse under the 25
43		-	provisions of this section, either during or after any period of separation 26
44		-	from the other spouse, for any liability incurred by the other spouse 27
45		-	during the separation, if, during the separation the spouse who is liable 28
46		-	for support of the other spouse has provided the other spouse with 29
47		-	reasonable support. 30
48		-	[(e)] (f) Abandonment without cause by a spouse shall be a defense 31
49		-	to any liability pursuant to the provisions of subdivisions (1) to (4), 32
50		-	inclusive, of subsection (b) of this section for expenses incurred by and 33
51		-	for the benefit of such spouse. Nothing in this subsection shall affect the 34
52		-	duty of a parent to support his or her minor child. 35
	49	+	medical debt related to the (1) reasonable and necessary services of a 21
	50	+	physician or dentist, or (2) hospital expenses rendered to a deceased 22
	51	+	spouse. 23
	52	+	[(d)] (e) No action may be maintained against either spouse under the 24
	53	+	provisions of this section, either during or after any period of separation 25
	54	+	from the other spouse, for any liability incurred by the other spouse 26
	55	+	during the separation, if, during the separation the spouse who is liable 27
	56	+	for support of the other spouse has provided the other spouse with 28
	57	+	reasonable support. 29
	58	+	[(e)] (f) Abandonment without cause by a spouse shall be a defense 30
	59	+	to any liability pursuant to the provisions of subdivisions (1) to (4), 31
	60	+	inclusive, of subsection (b) of this section for expenses incurred by and 32
	61	+	for the benefit of such spouse. Nothing in this subsection shall affect the 33
	62	+	duty of a parent to support his or her minor child. 34
53	63		This act shall take effect as follows and shall amend the following
54	64		sections:
55	65
56	66		Section 1 July 1, 2025 46b-37
57	67
58		-	Statement of ~~Legislative Commissioners~~:
59		-	~~Subsec~~. ~~(d) was redrafted for clarity.~~
	68	+	Statement of Purpose:
	69	+	To protect spouses from inheriting medical debt from their partners.
60	70
61		-	HS Joint Favorable Subst. -LCO
	71	+	[Proposed deletions are enclosed in brackets. Proposed additions are indicated by underline, except
	72	+	that when the entire text of a bill or resolution or a section of a bill or resolution is new, it is not
	73	+	underlined.]
62	74