Connecticut HB 5168: AN ACT CONCERNING THE SECURE TRANSMISSION OF SAFETY PLANS OF MINOR PATIENTS TO SCHOOLS BY HEALTH CARE PROVIDERS.

Bill Text

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General Assembly  
Substitute Bill No. 5168  
February Session, 2026 
 
 
 
 
 
AN ACT CONCERNING THE SECURE TRANSMISSION OF SAFETY 
PLANS OF MINOR PATIENTS TO SCHOOLS BY HEALTH CARE 
PROVIDERS.  
Be  it  enacted  by the  Senate  and  House  of  Representatives  in  General 
Assembly convened: 
 
Section 1. (NEW) (Effective from passage) (a) As used in this section: 1 
(1) "Designated employee" means a school nurse or nurse practitioner 2 
appointed  pursuant  to  section  10-212  of  the  general  statutes,  school 3 
nurse  supervisor,  school  counselor,  school  social  worker  or  school 4 
psychologist   who   a   local   or   regional   school   board   of   education 5 
designates to access safety plans of minor patients transmitted by health 6 
care providers to a school district or school's secure messaging system 7 
account pursuant to the provisions of this section; 8 
(2)  "Health  care  provider"  means  any  person,  corporation,  limited 9 
liability company, facility or institution operated, owned or licensed by 10 
this state to provide health care or professional medical services; 11 
(3)  "Legally  authorized  representative"  means  a  minor  patient's 12 
parent,   guardian   appointed   by   the   Probate   Court   or   a   personal 13 
representative, as described in 45 CFR 164.502(g); 14 
(4)  "Safety  plan"  means  a  written  document  created  collaboratively 15 
between a health care provider and a patient outlining coping strategies, 16 

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activities  and  support  networks  the  patient  can  access  to  prevent  or 17 
manage a potential mental health crisis; 18 
(5)   "School   nurse   supervisor"   means   a   school   nurse   or   nurse 19 
practitioner appointed pursuant to section 10-212 of the general statutes 20 
designated by the local or regional board of education as the supervisor, 21 
or,   if   no   designation   has   been   made   by   the   board,   the   lead   or 22 
coordinating school nurse or nurse practitioner; and 23 
(6) "Secure messaging system" means a platform capable of sending 24 
and   receiving   secure   messages   and   may   include   a   platform   that 25 
complies with the Direct Project specifications published by the federal 26 
Office of the National Coordinator for Health Information Technology. 27 
(b) On and after April 1, 2027, each health care provider that prepares 28 
a  safety  plan  for  a  minor  patient  who  received  inpatient  behavioral 29 
health care treatment for a period not less than twelve consecutive days 30 
shall (1) review such safety plan with the minor patient if the health care 31 
provider  believes  such  a  review  is  medically  appropriate,  and  (2) 32 
inquire  as  to  whether  the  minor  patient  or  minor  patient's  parent  or 33 
legally  authorized  representative  consents  to  sharing  such  safety  plan 34 
with the minor patient's school. If the minor patient or minor patient's 35 
parent  or  legally  authorized  representative  consents  to  sharing  such 36 
safety  plan  with  the  minor  patient's  school,  the  health  care  provider 37 
shall  obtain  written  consent  from  (A)  the  minor  patient's  parent  or 38 
legally  authorized representative, or  (B)  if  the  minor  patient  is  sixteen 39 
years of age or older, such minor patient, and transmit such safety plan 40 
to  the  minor  patient's  school  district  or  school  (i)  using  a  secure 41 
messaging system, or (ii) in a form and manner that complies with the 42 
Health  Insurance  Portability  and  Accountability  Act  of  1996,  P.L.  104-43 
191,  as  amended  from  time  to  time,  and  45  CFR  160.101  to  45  CFR 44 
164.534, inclusive, as amended from time to time. 45 
(c) Nothing in this section shall be construed to (1) create a standard 46 
of  medical  care  with  respect  to  any  minor  patient,  (2)  require  a  health 47 
care provider to create a safety plan, (3) require a health care provider 48 

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to release information to a parent or legally authorized representative if, 49 
pursuant  to  state  or  federal  law,  a  minor  patient  may  withhold  such 50 
information  from  such  minor  patient's  parent  or  legally  authorized 51 
representative,  including,  but  not  limited  to,  information  regarding 52 
pregnancy, abortion, contraceptives, human immunodeficiency virus or 53 
other  sexually  transmitted  disease  testing  or  treatment,  mental  health 54 
treatment  or  any  other  area  of  care  that  a  health  care  provider  has 55 
promised  a  minor  patient  that  the  health  care  provider  will  keep 56 
confidential,  or  (4)  require  a  health  care  provider  to  transmit  a  safety 57 
plan or provide any other information to any person in violation of the 58 
provisions of the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 59 
1996, P.L. 104-191, as a