Bill Text: CT HB05372 | 2014 | General Assembly | Introduced

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Bill Title: An Act Implementing The Recommendations Of The Legislative Program Review And Investigations Committee Concerning The Alcohol And Drug Policy Council.

Spectrum: Bipartisan Bill

Status: (Introduced - Dead) 2014-03-13 - No Action [HB05372 Detail]

Download: Connecticut-2014-HB05372-Introduced.html

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General Assembly		Raised Bill No. 5372
February Session, 2014		LCO No. 1729
		*01729_______PRI*
Referred to Committee on PROGRAM REVIEW AND INVESTIGATIONS
Introduced by:
(PRI)

AN ACT IMPLEMENTING THE RECOMMENDATIONS OF THE LEGISLATIVE PROGRAM REVIEW AND INVESTIGATIONS COMMITTEE CONCERNING THE ALCOHOL AND DRUG POLICY COUNCIL.

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

Section 1. Section 17a-667 of the 2014 supplement to the general statutes is repealed and the following is substituted in lieu thereof (Effective October 1, 2014):

(a) There is established a Connecticut Alcohol and Drug Policy Council which shall be within the Office of Policy and Management for administrative purposes only.

(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, Higher Education, Mental Health and Addiction Services, Motor Vehicles, Public Health, Emergency Services and Public Protection, Social Services and Transportation 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 Pardons and Paroles, or the chairperson's designee; (5) the Chief State's Attorney, or the Chief State's Attorney's designee; (6) the Chief Public Defender, or the Chief Public Defender's designee; and (7) 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. The Office of Policy and Management shall, within available appropriations, provide staff for the council.

(c) The council shall: [review] (1) Review policies and practices of state agencies and the Judicial Department concerning substance abuse treatment programs, substance abuse prevention services, the referral of persons to such programs and services, and criminal justice sanctions and programs; [and shall] (2) develop and coordinate a state-wide, interagency, integrated plan for such programs and services and criminal sanctions; (3) develop and work to advance comprehensive strategies to improve access to substance abuse treatment for all persons living in the state; and (4) assess whether professional education programs for physicians, nurses and physician assistants in the state include (A) (i) sufficient training on behavioral health screening methods, and (ii) administering a brief intervention for substance abuse and referring patients for substance abuse treatment, and (B) encourage and provide assistance to those organizations offering such programs that do not provide such training so that they are able to do so.

(d) In addition to the duties described in subsection (c) of this section, the council shall assess the various substance abuse treatment referral service web sites that are maintained by state agencies and select one such referral service web site to be the state's primary source of information concerning substance abuse treatment options. The selected referral service web site shall contain information, updated on a daily basis by the agency maintaining the web site, concerning whether each treatment program is accepting new clients and shall indicate which insurance plans, if any, are accepted by each treatment program. The state agency maintaining the selected referral service web site shall make an effort, by working with professional health care provider associations, to include private behavioral health practices in the referral service web site.

This act shall take effect as follows and shall amend the following sections:
Section 1	October 1, 2014	17a-667

Statement of Purpose:

To implement the recommendations of the Legislative Program Review and Investigations Committee concerning the alcohol and drug policy council.

[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.]