Connecticut HB 5556: AN ACT AUTHORIZING BONDS OF THE STATE FOR CAPITAL IMPROVEMENTS TO FONTAINE FIELD IN THE CITY OF NORWICH.

Bill Text

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General Assembly Substitute Bill No. 5556
February Session, 2026

AN ACT CONCERNING COMPLEX CARE SERVICE DELIVERY FOR
YOUNG PERSONS WITH CO-OCCURRING MENTAL HEALTH AND
INTELLECTUAL DISABILITY OR AUTISM DIAGNOSES.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in General
Assembly convened:

Section 1. (NEW) (Effective July 1, 2026) (a) The Commissioners of 1
Children and Families, Developmental Services, Education, Social 2
Services and Mental Health and Addiction Services shall design and 3
implement a system to close service gaps for young persons ages 4
seventeen to twenty-two, inclusive, with intellectual or developmental 5
disabilities, including, but not limited to, autism spectrum disorder, 6
who (1) have co-occurring behavioral health needs, (2) are in urgent 7
need of community placement or state agency services, and (3) may 8
qualify for support from more than one state agency. 9
(b) The system designed pursuant to subsection (a) of this section 10
shall include, but need not be limited to: 11
(1) Memoranda of understanding signed by each commissioner 12
concerning identification of such young persons who may be eligible for 13
services administered by each state agency; 14
(2) Calculation of any additional resources needed by each state 15
agency to provide services for such young persons; 16
(3) An inventory of residential behavioral health options for such 17

Substitute Bill No. 5556

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young persons who receive special education services but are not in the 18
custody of the Commissioner of Children and Families; and 19
(4) Psychiatric residential treatment options, including, but not 20
limited to, (A) a request for proposals by the Commissioner of Social 21
Services for a facility of not more than ten beds that may be eligible for 22
federal Medicaid reimbursement, and (B) an inventory of available state 23
property that may be suitable for such a facility. 24
(c) Not later than October 1, 2026, the commissioners shall file a joint 25
report, in accordance with the provisions of section 11-4a of the general 26
statutes, with the joint standing committees of the General Assembly 27
having cognizance of matters relating to appropriations and the budgets 28
of state agencies, children, education, human services and public health 29
and the Transforming Children's Behavioral Health Policy and Planning 30
Committee established pursuant to section 2-137 of the general statutes. 31
The report shall include, but need not be limited to, (1) any state 32
appropriations needed to implement the provisions of this section, (2) 33
an update on progress made by each state agency to close service gaps 34
for such young persons, and (3) recommendations for ways to close such 35
gaps in the future. 36
This act shall take effect as follows and shall amend the following
sections:

Section 1 July 1, 2026 New section

Statement of Legislative Commissioners:
"(NEW)" was inserted, references to "young adults" were changed to
"young persons" and "agency" was changed to "state agency"
throughout for accuracy and consistency.

HS Joint Favorable Subst. -LCO