Connecticut HB 5562: AN ACT CONCERNING VARIOUS REVISIONS TO HUMAN SERVICES STATUTES.

Bill Text

Substitute House Bill No. 5562 
 
Public Act No. 26-72 
 
 
AN    ACT    CONCERNING    VARIOUS    REVISIONS    TO    HUMAN 
SERVICES STATUTES. 
Be  it  enacted  by  the  Senate  and  House  of  Representatives  in  General 
Assembly convened: 
 
Section 1. Subsection (b) of section 19a-697 of the general statutes is 
repealed and the following is substituted in lieu thereof (Effective July 1, 
2026): 
(b) A managed residential community shall post in a prominent place 
in  the  managed  residential  community  the  resident's  bill  of  rights, 
including  those  rights  set  forth  in  subsection  (a)  of  this  section.  The 
posting of the resident's bill of rights shall include contact information 
for (1) the Department of Public Health and the Office of the State Long-
Term Care Ombudsman, including the names, addresses and telephone 
numbers   of   persons   within   such   agencies   who   handle   questions, 
comments  or  complaints  concerning  managed  residential  community, 
and (2) the Department of Social Services to report the suspected abuse, 
neglect,  exploitation  or  abandonment  of  an  elderly  person,  or  that  an 
elderly person may be in need of protective services. 
Sec.  2.  Subsection  (d)  of  section  17b-105a  of  the  general  statutes  is 
repealed  and  the  following  is  substituted  in  lieu  thereof  (Effective  from 
passage): 

Substitute House Bill No. 5562 
 
Public Act No. 26-72 2 of 21 
 
(d) Not  later  than  December  31,  2024,  the  Commissioner  of  Social 
Services shall enter into a contract with an outside vendor to update the 
system utilized by the Department of Social Services to administer the 
supplemental nutrition assistance program for the purpose of enabling 
the  department  to  stagger the  distribution of  program  benefits  so  that 
benefits  are  distributed,  in  accordance  with  federal  law,  to  cohorts  of 
program  beneficiaries  designated  by  the  commissioner  at  multiple 
intervals   during   each   month.   Not   later   than   March   1,   2026,   the 
commissioner  shall  commence  staggering  the  distribution  of  such 
benefits to such cohorts of beneficiaries each month, in accordance with 
federal law. Not later than April 1, 2026, [and annually thereafter,] the 
commissioner shall report, in accordance with the provisions of section 
11-4a, to the joint standing committee of the General Assembly having 
cognizance   of   matters   relating   to   human   services   regarding   the 
staggering of distribution benefits pursuant to this subsection. 
Sec.  3.  Subsection  (c)  of  section  17a-247b of  the  2026  supplement  to 
the general statutes is repealed and the following is substituted in lieu 
thereof (Effective from passage): 
(c) The department shall make information in the registry available 
only  to:  (1)  Authorized  agencies,  for  the  purpose  of  protective  service 
determinations;  (2)  employers  who  employ  employees  to  provide 
services  to  an  individual  who  receives  services  or  funding from  the 
department or  the  Medicaid  waiver  program  for  autism  spectrum 
disorder   administered   by   the Department   of   Social   Services,   as 
described  in  section  17a-215c;  (3)  the  Departments  of  Children  and 
Families,  Mental  Health  and  Addiction  Services,  Social Services  and 
Administrative  Services  and  the  Office  of  Labor  Relations,  for  the 
purpose of determining whether an applicant for employment with the 
Departments of Children and Families, Developmental Services, Mental 
Health  and  Addiction  Services  and  Social  Services  appears  on  the 
registry;  (4)  the  Office  of  the  Probate  Court  Administrator,  for  the 

Substitute House Bill No. 5562 
 
Public Act No. 26-72 3 of 21 
 
purpose of determining whether a person proposed for appointment as 
a guardian pursuant to part V of chapter 802h appears on the registry; 
or   (5)   charitable   organizations   that   recruit   volunteers   to   support 
programs  for  persons  with  intellectual  disability or  autism  spectrum 
disorder,  upon  application  to  and  approval  by  the  commissioner,  for 
purposes of conducting background checks on such volunteers. 
Sec.  4.  Section  46a-175  of  the  general  statutes  is  repealed  and  the 
following is substituted in lieu thereof (Effective July 1, 2026): 
(a)  There  is  established  a  Lesbian,  Gay,  Bisexual,  Transgender  and 
Queer Justice and Opportunity Network to make recommendations to 
the  state  legislative,  executive  and  judicial  branches  of  government 
concerning  the  delivery  of access  and  opportunity services  to  lesbian, 
gay, bisexual, transgender and queer persons in the state. 
(b) The network shall work to build a more just, safer and healthier 
environment for gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgender and queer persons 
by (1) conducting a needs analysis, within available appropriations, (2) 
collecting additional d