Connecticut SB 288: AN ACT EXPANDING CERTAIN VETERANS' ACCESS TO PUBLIC ASSISTANCE PROGRAMS.

Bill Text

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General Assembly Substitute Bill No. 288
February Session, 2026

AN ACT CONCERNING THE DEPARTMENT OF SOCIAL SERVICES'
RECOMMENDATIONS REGARDING EXCEPTIONS TO THE NURSING
HOME BED MORATORIUM, NURSING HOME RESIDENT DATA AND
NURSING HOME REIMBURSEMENT RATE CAPS FOR RELATED
PARTY EMPLOYEES.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in General
Assembly convened:

Section 1. Subsection (a) of section 17b-354 of the 2026 supplement to 1
the general statutes is repealed and the following is substituted in lieu 2
thereof (Effective from passage): 3
(a) The Department of Social Services shall not accept or approve any 4
requests for additional nursing home beds, except (1) beds restricted to 5
use by patients with acquired immune deficiency syndrome or by 6
patients requiring neurological rehabilitation; (2) beds associated with a 7
continuing care facility, as described in section 17b-520, provided such 8
beds are not used in the Medicaid program; [. For the purpose of this 9
subsection, beds associated with a continuing care facility are not subject 10
to the certificate of need provisions pursuant to sections 17b-352 and 11
17b-353;] (3) Medicaid certified beds either to be relocated from one 12
licensed nursing facility to another licensed nursing facility to meet a 13
priority need identified in the strategic plan developed pursuant to 14
subsection (c) of section 17b-369 or new beds added to an existing 15
facility or a new facility with preference given to a nontraditional, small-16
house-style nursing home facility that incorporates the goals for nursing 17

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facilities referenced in the department's strategic plan for long-term 18
care, as described in section 17b-355, as amended by this act, to address 19
priority needs reflected by area census trends; (4) licensed Medicaid 20
nursing facility beds to be relocated from one or more existing nursing 21
facilities to a new nursing facility, including a replacement facility, 22
provided (A) no new Medicaid certified beds are added, (B) at least one 23
currently licensed facility is closed in the transaction as a result of the 24
relocation, (C) the relocation is done within available appropriations, 25
(D) the facility participates in the Money Follows the Person 26
demonstration project pursuant to section 17b-369, (E) the availability of 27
beds in the area of need will not be adversely affected, (F) the certificate 28
of need approval for such new facility or facility relocation and the 29
associated capital expenditures are obtained pursuant to sections 17b-30
352 and 17b-353, and (G) the facilities included in the bed relocation and 31
closure shall be in accordance with the strategic plan developed 32
pursuant to subsection (c) of section 17b-369; and (5) proposals to build 33
a nontraditional, small-house style nursing home designed to enhance 34
the quality of life for nursing facility residents, provided that the 35
nursing facility agrees to reduce its total number of licensed beds by a 36
percentage determined by the Commissioner of Social Services in 37
accordance with the department's strategic plan for long-term care. For 38
the purposes of this subsection, beds associated with a continuing care 39
facility are not subject to the certificate of need provisions pursuant to 40
sections 17b-352 and 17b-353. 41
Sec. 2. Section 17b-355 of the general statutes is repealed and the 42
following is substituted in lieu thereof (Effective from passage): 43
(a) In determining whether a request submitted pursuant to sections 44
17b-352 to 17b-354, inclusive, as amended by this act, will be granted, 45
modified or denied, the Commissioner of Social Services shall consider 46
the following: (1) The financial feasibility of the request and its impact 47
on the applicant's rates and financial condition, (2) the contribution of 48
the request to the quality, accessibility and cost-effectiveness of the 49
delivery of long-term care in the region, including consideration of the 50
nursing home's star rating on the five-star quality rating system for 51

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nursing homes published by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid 52
Services, (3) whether there is clear public need for the request, (4) the 53
relationship of any proposed change to the applicant's current 54
utilization statistics and the effect of the proposal on the utilization 55
statistics of other facilities in the applicant's service area, (5) the business 56
interests of all owners, partners, associates, incorporators, directors, 57
sponsors, stockholders and operators and the personal background of 58
such persons, and (6) any other factor which the Department of Social 59
Services deems relevant. In considering whether there is clear public 60
need for any request for the relocation of beds to a replacement facility, 61
or for new beds added to an existing facility or a new facility, the 62
commissioner s