Bill Text: CT HB05587 | 2016 | General Assembly | Chaptered
Bill Title: An Act Concerning Recommendations For Services Provided To Children And Young Adults With Developmental Disabilities.
Spectrum: Committee Bill
Status: (Passed) 2016-06-10 - Signed by the Governor [HB05587 Detail]
Download: Connecticut-2016-HB05587-Chaptered.html
Substitute House Bill No. 5587
AN ACT CONCERNING RECOMMENDATIONS FOR SERVICES PROVIDED TO CHILDREN AND YOUNG ADULTS WITH DEVELOPMENTAL DISABILITIES.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in General Assembly convened:
Section 1. Section 17b-28 of the 2016 supplement to the general statutes is amended by adding subsection (k) as follows (Effective July 1, 2016):
(NEW) (k) There is established, within the Council on Medical Assistance Program Oversight, a standing subcommittee to study and make recommendations to the council on children and adults who have complex health care needs. The subcommittee shall consist of council members appointed by the chairpersons of the council and other individuals who shall serve for terms prescribed by the cochairpersons to advise the council on specific needs of children and adults with complex health care needs. For the purposes of completing the reports required pursuant to subparagraphs (A) and (B) of this subsection, such individuals shall include, but need not be limited to: (1) The Child Advocate, or the Child Advocate's designee; (2) a family or child advocate; (3) the executive director of the Council on Developmental Disabilities, or the executive director's designee; (4) the executive director of the Connecticut Association of Public School Superintendents, or the executive director's designee; (5) an expert in the diagnosis, evaluation, education and treatment of children and young adults with developmental disabilities; and (6) the Healthcare Advocate, or the Healthcare Advocate's designee. The subcommittee shall submit the following reports, in accordance with section 11-4a to the council, the Governor and the joint standing committees of the General Assembly having cognizance of matters relating to children, human services and public health regarding the efficacy of support systems for children and young adults, not older than twenty-one years of age, with developmental disabilities and with or without co-occurring mental health conditions:
(A) Not later than July 1, 2017, recommendations including, but not limited to: (i) Metrics for evaluating the quality of state-funded services to such children and young adults that can be utilized by state agencies that fund such services; (ii) statutory changes needed to promote effective service delivery for such children and young adults and their families; and (iii) any other changes needed to address gaps in services identified by the subcommittee or council with respect to such children, young adults and their families; and
(B) Not later than January 1, 2018, an assessment of: (i) Early intervention services available to such children and young adults in this state; (ii) the system of community-based services for such children and young adults; (iii) the treatment provided by congregate care settings that are operated privately or by the state and provide residential supports and services to such children and young adults and how the quality of care is measured; and (iv) how the state Department of Education, local boards of education, the Department of Children and Families, the Department of Developmental Services and other appropriate agencies can work collaboratively to improve educational, developmental, medical and behavioral health outcomes for such children and young adults and reduce the number at risk of entering institutional care. As used in this subsection, "developmental disability" means a severe, chronic disability of an individual, as defined in 42 USC 15002, as amended from time to time.