Connecticut SB 365: AN ACT CONCERNING ONLINE APPLICATIONS FOR ABSENTEE BALLOTS.

Bill Text

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General Assembly Substitute Bill No. 365
February Session, 2026

AN ACT ESTABLISHING A BRIDGE PROGRAM FOR EMERGENCY
TREATMENT AND RECOVERY NAVIGATION FOR PERSONS WITH
AN OPIOID USE DISORDER.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in General
Assembly convened:

Section 1. (NEW) (Effective October 1, 2026) (a) As used in this section: 1
(1) "Bridging prescription" means a temporary, short-term 2
prescription issued to ensure continuity of medication while a patient 3
awaits specialized care; 4
(2) "Buprenorphine" means a synthetic opiate with partial agonist 5
actions used in the treatment of opioid use disorder; 6
(3) "Community provider" means a health care provider that is 7
licensed and equipped to administer buprenorphine or methadone; 8
(4) "Last-dose letter" means a formal, sealed document provided by a 9
hospital to a patient that confirms the exact date, time and amount of 10
the last dose of methadone administered to the patient; 11
(5) "Methadone" means a controlled, long-acting full opioid agonist 12
medication used in the treatment of opioid use disorder; 13
(6) "Opioid antagonist" means naloxone hydrochloride or any other 14

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similarly acting and equally safe drug approved by the federal Food and 15
Drug Administration for the treatment of a drug overdose; 16
(7) "Opioid use disorder" means a medical condition characterized by 17
a problematic pattern of opioid use and misuse leading to clinically 18
significant impairment or distress; and 19
(8) "Treatment program" means a program operated by the 20
Department of Mental Health and Addiction Services or approved by 21
the Commissioner of Mental Health and Addiction Services for 22
treatment of the physical and psychological effects of drug dependency 23
or for the detoxification of a drug-dependent person, as defined in 24
section 17a-680 of the general statutes. 25
(b) On and after January 1, 2027, each hospital licensed pursuant to 26
chapter 368v of the general statutes shall (1) administer buprenorphine 27
or methadone to each patient presenting to the hospital's emergency 28
department with symptoms of opioid use disorder without requiring 29
the admission of the patient to the hospital for the sole purpose of such 30
administration, provided (A) the administration of buprenorphine or 31
methadone is clinically indicated, and (B) the patient consents to such 32
administration, (2) offer the patient a prescription for or a supply of an 33
opioid antagonist at the time of such patient's discharge from the 34
emergency department and, if the patient accepts the offer, provide the 35
patient with such prescription or dispense an opioid antagonist to the 36
patient, and (3) refer the patient to one or more local treatment programs 37
or community providers, provided the hospital shall refer a patient to 38
whom the hospital administered methadone to a treatment program or 39
community provider that administers methadone. If a hospital 40
administers buprenorphine to a patient under this subsection, the 41
hospital shall provide the patient with a bridging prescription for 42
buprenorphine for the time period during which the patient will be 43
awaiting treatment from the local treatment program or community 44
provider to which the hospital refers the patient. If a hospital 45
administers methadone to a patient under this subsection, the hospital 46
shall provide the patient with a last-dose letter to provide to the local 47

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treatment program or community provider to which the hospital refers 48
the patient. 49
(c) Nothing in this section shall be construed to (1) require the 50
provision of any medication when clinically contraindicated, (2) limit 51
the exercise of professional judgment by a treating clinician, or (3) 52
preclude the use of any medication other than buprenorphine or 53
methadone for opioid use disorder when such medication is clinically 54
indicated and the patient consents to the administration of such 55
medication. 56
This act shall take effect as follows and shall amend the following
sections:

Section 1 October 1, 2026 New section

PH Joint Favorable Subst.