Text of CT SB 1509 (2025)

LCO No. 6207 1 of 2 General Assembly Raised Bill No. 1509 January Session, 2025 LCO No. 6207 Referred to Committee on PUBLIC HEALTH Introduced by: (PH) AN ACT CONCERNING PATIENT PROTECTIONS AND STANDARDS OF CARE AT CONNECTICUT VALLEY HOSPITAL. Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in General Assembly convened: Section 1. Section 17a-471a of the general statutes is repealed and the 1 following is substituted in lieu thereof (Effective October 1, 2025): 2 (a) The Commissioner of Mental Health and Addiction Services, in 3 consultation and coordination with the advisory council established 4 under subsection (b) of this section, shall develop policies and set 5 standards [related] relating to clients residing on the Connecticut Valley 6 Hospital campus and to the discharge of such clients from the hospital 7 into the adjacent community, and persons undergoing psychiatric 8 evaluation at Connecticut Valley Hospital. Any such policies and 9 standards shall (1) ensure that no discharge of any client admitted to 10 Whiting Forensic Hospital under commitment by the Superior Court or 11 transfer from the Department of Correction shall take place without full 12 compliance with sections 17a-511 to 17a-524, inclusive, 17a-566 to 17a- 13 575, inclusive, 17a-580 to 17a-603, inclusive, and 54-56d, and (2) require 14 persons undergoing psychiatric evaluation at Connecticut Valley 15 Raised Bill No. 1509 LCO No. 6207 2 of 2 Hospital to be separated according to their biological sex at all times. 16 (b) There is established a Connecticut Valley Hospital Advisory 17 Council that shall advise the Commissioner of Mental Health and 18 Addiction Services on policies concerning, but not limited to, building 19 use, security, clients residing on the campus and the discharge of clients 20 from the campus into the adjacent community. In addition, the advisory 21 council shall periodically review the implementation of the policies and 22 standards established by the commissioner in consultation with the 23 advisory council. The council shall be composed of six members 24 appointed by the mayor of Middletown, eight members appointed by 25 the Commissioner of Mental Health and Addiction Services and one 26 member who shall serve as chairperson appointed by the Governor. On 27 and after January 1, 2024, at least two members appointed by the 28 Commissioner of Mental Health and Addiction Services shall have lived 29 experience with a behavioral health disorder. 30 This act shall take effect as follows and shall amend the following sections: Section 1 October 1, 2025 17a-471a Statement of Purpose: To require the Commissioner of Mental Health and Addiction Services to keep persons undergoing psychiatric evaluation at Connecticut Valley Hospital separated according to biological sex at all times. [Proposed deletions are enclosed in brackets. Proposed additions are indicated by underline, except that when the entire text of a bill or resolution or a section of a bill or resolution is new, it is not underlined.]