Connecticut HB 5511: AN ACT CONCERNING THE DEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC HEALTH'S RECOMMENDATIONS REGARDING CONSENT ORDERS.

Bill Text

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General Assembly Substitute Bill No. 5511
February Session, 2026

AN ACT CONCERNING THE DEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC HEALTH'S
RECOMMENDATIONS REGARDING CONSENT ORDERS.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in General
Assembly convened:

Section 1. Section 19a-2a of the 2026 supplement to the general 1
statutes is repealed and the following is substituted in lieu thereof 2
(Effective October 1, 2026): 3
The Commissioner of Public Health shall employ the most efficient 4
and practical means for the prevention and suppression of disease and 5
shall administer all laws under the jurisdiction of the Department of 6
Public Health and the Public Health Code. The commissioner shall have 7
responsibility for the overall operation and administration of the 8
Department of Public Health. The commissioner shall have the power 9
and duty to: (1) Administer, coordinate and direct the operation of the 10
department; (2) adopt and enforce regulations, in accordance with 11
chapter 54, as are necessary to carry out the purposes of the department 12
as established by statute; (3) establish rules for the internal operation 13
and administration of the department; (4) establish and develop 14
programs and administer services to achieve the purposes of the 15
department as established by statute; (5) enter into a contract, including, 16
but not limited to, a contract with another state, for facilities, services 17
and programs to implement the purposes of the department as 18
established by statute; (6) designate a deputy commissioner or other 19

Substitute Bill No. 5511

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employee of the department to sign any license, certificate or permit 20
issued by said department; (7) conduct a hearing, issue subpoenas, 21
administer oaths, compel testimony and render a final decision in any 22
case when a hearing is required or authorized under the provisions of 23
any statute dealing with the Department of Public Health; (8) with the 24
health authorities of this and other states, secure information and data 25
concerning the prevention and control of epidemics and conditions 26
affecting or endangering the public health, and compile such 27
information and statistics and shall disseminate among health 28
authorities and the people of the state such information as may be of 29
value to them; (9) annually issue a list of reportable diseases, emergency 30
illnesses and health conditions and a list of reportable laboratory 31
findings and amend such lists as the commissioner deems necessary and 32
distribute such lists as well as any necessary forms to each licensed 33
physician, licensed physician assistant, licensed advanced practice 34
registered nurse and clinical laboratory in this state. The commissioner 35
shall prepare printed forms for reports and returns, with such 36
instructions as may be necessary, for the use of directors of health, 37
boards of health and registrars of vital statistics; and (10) specify 38
uniform methods of keeping statistical information by public and 39
private agencies, organizations and individuals, including a client 40
identifier system, and collect and make available relevant statistical 41
information, including the number of persons treated, frequency of 42
admission and readmission, and frequency and duration of treatment. 43
In the administration or enforcement of any applicable statute, 44
regulation, permit or order, the department may resolve any dispute 45
regarding compliance by agreed settlement or consent order. The client 46
identifier system shall be subject to the confidentiality requirements set 47
forth in section 17a-688 and regulations adopted thereunder. The 48
commissioner may designate any person to perform any of the duties 49
listed in subdivision (7) of this section. The commissioner shall have 50
authority over directors of health and may, for cause, remove any such 51
director; but any person claiming to be aggrieved by such removal may 52
appeal to the Superior Court which may affirm or reverse the action of 53
the commissioner as the public interest requires. The commissioner shall 54

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assist and advise local directors of health and district directors of health 55
in the performance of their duties, and may require the enforcement of 56
any law, regulation or ordinance relating to public health. In the event 57
the commissioner reasonably suspects impropriety on the part of a local 58
director of health or district director of health, or employee of such 59
director, in the performance of his or her duties, the commissioner shall 60
provide notification and any evidence of such impropriety to the 61
appropriate governing authority of the municipal health authority, 62
established pursuant to section 19a-200, or the district department of 63
health, established pursuant to section 19a-244, for purposes of 64
reviewing and assessing a director's or an employee's compliance with 65
such duties. Such gov