Connecticut HB 5040: AN ACT ESTABLISHING AN EXCISE TAX ON AMMUNITION.

Bill Text

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General Assembly Substitute Bill No. 5040
February Session, 2026

AN ACT IMPLEMENTING THE GOVERNOR'S BUDGET
RECOMMENDATIONS FOR HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in General
Assembly convened:

Section 1. Subsection (b) of section 17b-191 of the 2026 supplement to 1
the general statutes is repealed and the following is substituted in lieu 2
thereof (Effective July 1, 2026): 3
(b) The state-administered general assistance program shall provide 4
cash assistance of [(1)] two hundred sixty-nine dollars per month [for an 5
unemployable person upon determination of such person's 6
unemployability; (2) two hundred dollars per month for a transitional 7
person who is required to pay for shelter; and (3) fifty dollars per month 8
for a transitional person who is not required to pay for shelter] to 9
persons eligible for the program. The standard of assistance paid for 10
individuals residing in rated boarding facilities shall remain at the level 11
in effect on August 31, 2003. No person shall be eligible for cash 12
assistance under the program if eligible for cash assistance under any 13
other state or federal cash assistance program. The standards of 14
assistance set forth in this subsection shall be subject to annual increases, 15
as described in subsection (b) of section 17b-104. 16
Sec. 2. Subsection (f) of section 17b-274d of the general statutes is 17
repealed and the following is substituted in lieu thereof (Effective July 1, 18

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2026): 19
(f) Nonpreferred drugs in the classes of drugs included on the 20
preferred drug lists shall be subject to prior authorization. Prior 21
authorization is not required for any mental-health-related drug that 22
has been filled or refilled, in any dosage, at least one time in the one-23
year period prior to the date the individual presents a prescription for 24
the drug at a pharmacy. If prior authorization is granted for a drug not 25
included on a preferred drug list, the authorization shall be valid for one 26
year from the date the prescription is first filled. [Antiretroviral classes 27
of drugs shall not be included on the preferred drug lists.] 28
Sec. 3. (NEW) (Effective July 1, 2026) (a) The Commissioner of Social 29
Services may periodically review available data on the clinical 30
effectiveness of outpatient prescription drugs covered under the 31
Medicaid program that are projected to exceed (1) a net cost per 32
consumer, after factoring in rebates, of twenty-five thousand dollars per 33
year, or (2) an annual aggregate cost, after factoring in rebates to the 34
medical assistance program, of ten million dollars. The commissioner 35
may, within available appropriations, contract with a third party to 36
conduct a comparative effectiveness review of any such outpatient 37
prescription drug. For purposes of this section, "rebate" means an 38
amount sent to the state by a prescription drug manufacturer to offset 39
the cost of outpatient prescription drugs covered by the Medicaid 40
program. 41
(b) Any such comparative effectiveness review shall include, but 42
need not be limited to: (1) Clinical efficacy and outcomes; (2) 43
information relating to the pricing of the outpatient prescription drug, 44
including, but not limited to, information relating to prices paid by other 45
states or developed nations; (3) such drug's net price to the Medicaid 46
program as compared to its therapeutic benefits, including, but not 47
limited to, the seriousness and prevalence of the disease or condition 48
that is treated by the drug; (4) the extent of utilization of such drug; (5) 49
the likelihood that the use of such drug will reduce the need for other 50

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medical care; (6) the number of manufacturers that produce such drug; 51
and (7) whether there are pharmaceutical equivalents of such drug. 52
(c) The Commissioner of Social Service may make public and share 53
the results of any comparative effectiveness review with any entity, 54
including any multistate prescription drug purchasing collaborative in 55
which the state is a participating member, in order to negotiate 56
additional supplemental rebate agreements beyond any rebates 57
required under federal law. 58
This act shall take effect as follows and shall amend the following
sections:

Section 1 July 1, 2026 17b-191(b)
Sec. 2 July 1, 2026 17b-274d(f)
Sec. 3 July 1, 2026 New section

Statement of Legislative Commissioners:
In Section 3(a)(2) and 3(b), references to "prescription drugs" were
changed to "outpatient prescription drugs" or "such drug" for
consistency, and the provisions of Section 3(c) were rewritten for clarity.

HS Joint Favorable Subst.