AN ACT CONCERNING THE LEGISLATIVE COMMISSIONERS' RECOMMENDATIONS FOR TECHNICAL CORRECTIONS TO THE PUBLIC HEALTH STATUTES.

Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in General Assembly convened:

Section 1. Subdivision (10) of subsection (b) of section 17a-22j of the 2016 supplement to the general statutes is repealed and the following is substituted in lieu thereof (Effective from passage):

(10) Ten nonvoting ex-officio members, one each appointed by the Commissioner of Social Services, the Commissioner of Children and Families, the Commissioner of Mental Health and Addiction Services, the Commissioner of Developmental Services, the Commissioner of Education and the Commissioner of Public Health to represent his or her department, one appointed by the Chief Court Administrator of the Judicial Branch to represent the Court Support Services Division and one each appointed by the State Comptroller, the Secretary of the Office of Policy and Management, and the Healthcare Advocate to represent his or her [offices] office; and

Sec. 2. Subsection (b) of section 17a-667 of the 2016 supplement to the general statutes is repealed and the following is substituted in lieu thereof (Effective from passage):

(b) The council shall consist of the following members: (1) The Secretary of the Office of Policy and Management, or the secretary's designee; (2) the Commissioners of Children and Families, Consumer Protection, Correction, Education, Mental Health and Addiction Services, Public Health, Emergency Services and Public Protection and Social Services, the Commissioner on Aging, and the Insurance Commissioner, or their designees; (3) the Chief Court Administrator, or the Chief Court Administrator's designee; (4) the chairperson of the Board of Regents for Higher Education, or the chairperson's designee; (5) the president of The University of Connecticut, or the president's designee; (6) the Chief State's Attorney, or the Chief State's Attorney's designee; (7) the Chief Public Defender, or the Chief Public Defender's designee; and (8) the cochairpersons and ranking members of the joint standing committees of the General Assembly having cognizance of matters relating to public health, criminal justice and appropriations, or their designees. The Commissioner of Mental Health and Addiction Services and the Commissioner of Children and Families shall be cochairpersons of the council and may jointly appoint up to seven individuals to the council as follows: (A) Two individuals in recovery from a substance use disorder or representing an advocacy group for individuals with a substance use disorder; (B) a provider of community-based substance abuse services for adults; (C) a provider of community-based substance abuse services for adolescents; (D) an addiction medicine physician; (E) a family member of an individual in recovery from a substance use disorder; and (F) an emergency medicine physician currently practicing in a Connecticut hospital.

Sec. 3. Subsections (g) and (h) of section 19a-12e of the 2016 supplement to the general statutes are repealed and the following is substituted in lieu thereof (Effective from passage):

(g) The department shall investigate each petition filed pursuant to this section, in accordance with the provisions of subdivisions (10) and (11) of subsection (a) of section 19a-14, to determine if probable cause exists to issue a statement of charges and to institute proceedings against the health care professional under subsection (j) of this section. Such investigation shall be concluded not later than eighteen months after the date the petition is filed with the department and, unless otherwise specified by this subsection, the record of such investigation shall be deemed a public record, in accordance with section 1-210, at the conclusion of such eighteen-month period. Any such investigation shall be confidential prior to the conclusion of such eighteen-month period and no person shall disclose his or her knowledge of such investigation to a third party unless the health care professional requests that such investigation and disclosure be open, except the department shall provide information to the person who filed the petition as provided in subdivision (12) of subsection (a) of section 19a-14. If the department determines that probable cause exists to issue a statement of charges, the entire record of such proceeding shall be public unless the department determines that the health care professional is an appropriate candidate for participation in the assistance program. If at any time subsequent to the filing of a petition and during the eighteen-month period following the filing of the petition, the department makes a finding of no probable cause, the petition and the entire record of such investigation shall remain confidential, except as provided in subdivision (12) of subsection (a) of section 19a-14, unless the health care professional requests that such petition and record be open.

(h) As part of an investigation of a petition filed pursuant to this section, the department may order the health care professional to submit to a physical or mental examination to be performed by a physician chosen from a list approved by the department. The department may seek the advice of established medical organizations or licensed health care professionals in determining the nature and scope of any diagnostic examinations to be used as part of any such physical or mental examination. The chosen physician shall make a written statement of his or her findings.

Sec. 4. Subdivision (10) of section 19a-177 of the 2016 supplement to the general statutes is repealed and the following is substituted in lieu thereof (Effective from passage):

(10) Research, develop, track and report on appropriate quantifiable outcome measures for the state's emergency medical service system and submit to the joint standing committee of the General Assembly having cognizance of matters relating to public health, in accordance with the provisions of section 11-4a, on or before July 1, 2002, and annually thereafter, a report on the progress toward the development of such outcome measures and, after such outcome measures are developed, an analysis of emergency medical [services] service system outcomes;

Sec. 5. Subsection (a) of section 19a-181 of the 2016 supplement to the general statutes is repealed and the following is substituted in lieu thereof (Effective from passage):

(a) In addition to the inspection required under subsection (b) of this section, each ambulance and invalid coach used by an emergency medical service organization shall be inspected to verify such ambulance or invalid coach has met the minimum standards prescribed by the Commissioner of Public Health. Such inspection shall be conducted (1) in accordance with 49 CFR 396.17, as amended from time to time, and (2) by a person (A) qualified to perform such inspection in accordance with 49 CFR 396.19 and 49 CFR 396.25, as amended from time to time, and (B) employed by the state or a municipality of the state or licensed in accordance with section 14-52. A record of each inspection shall be made in accordance with section 49 CFR 396.21, as amended from time to time. Each inspector, upon determining that such ambulance or invalid coach meets the standards of safety and equipment prescribed by the Commissioner of Public Health, shall provide notification to the emergency medical [services] service organization in such manner and form as said commissioner designates. The Commissioner of Public Health shall affix a safety certificate sticker in the rear compartment of such ambulance or invalid coach in a location readily visible to any person.

Sec. 6. Subsection (a) of section 19a-486d of the 2016 supplement to the general statutes is repealed and the following is substituted in lieu thereof (Effective from passage):

(a) The commissioner shall deny an application filed pursuant to [subsection (d) of] section 19a-486a unless the commissioner finds that: (1) In a situation where the asset or operation to be transferred provides or has provided health care services to the uninsured or underinsured, the purchaser has made a commitment to provide health care to the uninsured and the underinsured; (2) in a situation where health care providers or insurers will be offered the opportunity to invest or own an interest in the purchaser or an entity related to the purchaser safeguard procedures are in place to avoid a conflict of interest in patient referral; and (3) certificate of need authorization is justified in accordance with chapter 368z. The commissioner may contract with any person, including, but not limited to, financial or actuarial experts or consultants, or legal experts with the approval of the Attorney General, to assist in reviewing the completed application. The commissioner shall submit any bills for such contracts to the purchaser. Such bills shall not exceed one hundred fifty thousand dollars. The purchaser shall pay such bills no later than thirty days after the date of receipt of such bills.

Sec. 7. Subdivision (6) of subsection (a) of section 19a-904d of the 2016 supplement to the general statutes is repealed and the following is substituted in lieu thereof (Effective from passage):

(6) "Health information blocking" means (A) knowingly interfering with or knowingly engaging in business practices or other conduct that is reasonably likely to interfere with the ability of patients, health care providers or other authorized persons to access, exchange or use electronic health records, or (B) knowingly using an electronic health record system to both (i) steer patient referrals to affiliated providers, and (ii) prevent or unreasonably interfere with patient referrals to health care providers who are not affiliated providers but shall not include legitimate referrals between providers participating in an accountable care [organizations] organization or similar value-based collaborative care [models] model;

Sec. 8. Subsection (b) of section 20-10b of the 2016 supplement to the general statutes is repealed and the following is substituted in lieu thereof (Effective from passage):

(b) Except as otherwise provided in subsections (d), (e) and (f) of this section, a licensee applying for license renewal shall earn a minimum of fifty contact hours of continuing medical education within the preceding twenty-four-month period. Such continuing medical education shall (1) be in an area of the physician's practice; (2) reflect the professional needs of the licensee in order to meet the health care needs of the public; and (3) during the first renewal period in which continuing medical education is required and not less than once every six years thereafter, include at least one contact hour of training or education in each of the following topics: (A) Infectious diseases, including, but not limited to, acquired immune deficiency syndrome and human immunodeficiency virus, (B) risk management, including, but not limited to, for registration periods beginning on or after October 1, 2015, prescribing controlled substances and pain management, (C) sexual assault, (D) domestic violence, (E) cultural competency, and (F) behavioral health, provided further that on and after January 1, 2016, such behavioral health continuing medical education may include, but not be limited to, at least two contact hours of training or education during the first renewal period in which continuing education is required and not less than once every six years thereafter, on the topic of mental health conditions common to veterans and family members of veterans, including (i) determining whether a patient is a veteran or family member of a veteran, (ii) screening for conditions such as post-traumatic stress disorder, risk of suicide, depression and grief, and (iii) suicide prevention training. For purposes of this section, qualifying continuing medical education activities include, but are not limited to, courses offered or approved by the American Medical Association, American Osteopathic Medical Association, Connecticut Hospital Association, Connecticut State Medical Society, county medical societies or equivalent organizations in another jurisdiction, educational offerings sponsored by a hospital or other health care institution or courses offered by a regionally accredited academic institution or a state or local health department. The commissioner, or the commissioner's designee, may grant a waiver for not more than ten contact hours of continuing medical education for a physician who: [(i)] (I) Engages in activities related to the physician's service as a member of the Connecticut Medical Examining Board, established pursuant to section 20-8a; [(ii)] (II) engages in activities related to the physician's service as a member of a medical hearing panel, pursuant to section 20-8a; or [(iii)] (III) assists the department with its duties to boards and commissions as described in section 19a-14.

Sec. 9. Section 20-101 of the 2016 supplement to the general statutes is repealed and the following is substituted in lieu thereof (Effective from passage):

No provision of this chapter shall confer any authority to practice medicine or surgery nor shall this chapter prohibit any person from the domestic administration of family remedies or the furnishing of assistance in the case of an emergency; nor shall it be construed as prohibiting persons employed in state hospitals and state sanatoriums and subsidiary workers in general hospitals from assisting in the nursing care of patients if adequate medical and nursing supervision is provided; nor shall it be construed to prohibit the administration of medications by dialysis patient care technicians in accordance with section 19a-269a; nor shall it be construed to prohibit a personal care assistant employed by a homemaker-companion agency registered pursuant to section 20-671 from administering medications to a competent adult who directs his or her own care and makes his or her own decisions pertaining to assessment, planning and evaluation; nor shall it be construed as prohibiting students who are enrolled in schools of nursing approved pursuant to section 20-90, and students who are enrolled in schools for licensed practical nurses approved pursuant to section 20-90, from performing such work as is incidental to their respective courses of study; nor shall it prohibit a registered nurse who holds a master's degree in nursing or in a related field recognized for certification as either a nurse practitioner, a clinical nurse specialist, or a nurse anesthetist by one of the certifying bodies identified in section 20-94a from practicing for a period not to exceed one hundred twenty days after the date of graduation, provided such graduate advanced practice registered nurse is working in a hospital or other organization under the supervision of a licensed physician or a licensed advanced practice registered nurse, such hospital or other organization has verified that the graduate advanced practice registered nurse has applied to sit for the national certification examination and the graduate advanced practice registered nurse is not authorized to prescribe or dispense drugs; nor shall it prohibit graduates of schools of nursing or schools for licensed practical nurses approved pursuant to section 20-90, from nursing the sick for a period not to exceed ninety calendar days after the date of graduation, provided such graduate nurses are working in hospitals or organizations where adequate supervision is provided, and such hospital or other organization has verified that the graduate nurse has successfully completed a nursing program. Upon notification that the graduate nurse has failed the licensure examination or that the graduate advanced practice registered nurse has failed the certification examination, all privileges under this section shall automatically cease. No provision of this chapter shall prohibit (1) any registered nurse who has been issued a temporary permit by the department, pursuant to subsection (b) of section 20-94, from caring for the sick pending the issuance of a license without examination; (2) any licensed practical nurse who has been issued a temporary permit by the department, pursuant to subsection (b) of section 20-97, from caring for the sick pending the issuance of a license without examination; (3) any qualified registered nurse or any qualified licensed practical nurse [of] from another state from caring for a patient temporarily in this state for not longer than seventy-two hours, provided such nurse shall not represent or hold himself or herself out as a nurse licensed to practice in this state; (4) any qualified registered nurse or any qualified licensed practical nurse [of] from another state from caring for a patient longer than seventy-two hours, provided such nurse (A) has been issued a temporary permit by the department, and (B) shall not represent or hold himself or herself out as a nurse licensed to practice in this state; (5) registered nurses or licensed practical nurses from other states from doing such nursing as is incident to their course of study when taking postgraduate courses in this state; or (6) nursing or care of the sick, with or without compensation or personal profit, in connection with the practice of the religious tenets of any church by adherents thereof, provided such persons shall not otherwise engage in the practice of nursing within the meaning of this chapter. This chapter shall not prohibit the care of persons in their homes by domestic servants, housekeepers, nursemaids, companions, attendants or household aides of any type, whether employed regularly or because of an emergency of illness, if such persons are not initially employed in a nursing capacity. This chapter shall not prohibit unlicensed assistive personnel from administering jejunostomy and gastrojejunal tube feedings to persons who (A) attend day programs or respite centers under the jurisdiction of the Department of Developmental Services, (B) reside in residential facilities under the jurisdiction of the Department of Developmental Services, or (C) receive support under the jurisdiction of the Department of Developmental Services, when such feedings are performed by trained, unlicensed assistive personnel pursuant to the written order of a physician licensed under chapter 370, an advanced practice registered nurse licensed to prescribe in accordance with section 20-94a or a physician assistant licensed to prescribe in accordance with section 20-12d.

Sec. 10. Subdivision (4) of subsection (e) of section 20-206bb of the 2016 supplement to the general statutes is repealed and the following is substituted in lieu thereof (Effective from passage):

(4) A licensee whose license has become void pursuant to section 19a-88 and who applies to the department for reinstatement of such license [,] shall submit evidence documenting valid acupuncture certification by the National Certification Commission for Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine or successful completion of fifteen contact hours of continuing education within the one-year period immediately preceding application for reinstatement.