Bill Text: CT SB00204 | 2014 | General Assembly | Comm Sub
Bill Title: An Act Concerning Campers' Education.
Spectrum: Bipartisan Bill
Status: (Introduced - Dead) 2014-03-26 - Referred by Senate to Committee on Public Health [SB00204 Detail]
Download: Connecticut-2014-SB00204-Comm_Sub.html
General Assembly |
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February Session, 2014 |
*_____SB00204KID___030414____* |
AN ACT CONCERNING CAMPERS' EDUCATION.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in General Assembly convened:
Section 1. (NEW) (Effective from passage) (a) Not later than January 1, 2015, and annually thereafter, the Commissioner of Public Health, in consultation with groups that have been actively involved in community prevention, education and awareness of Lyme disease and other tick-borne diseases, including, but not limited to, BLAST Lyme Disease Prevention Program and various health districts in the state, shall (1) identify or develop best practices for the prevention, identification, diagnosis and treatment of Lyme disease and other tick-borne diseases, including, but not limited to, bartonellosis, babesiosis, anaplasmosis and ehrlichiosis; and (2) disseminate information on Lyme disease and other tick-borne diseases through the Department of Public Health's Internet web site and printed materials published by the department to notify members of the public of such best practices and to increase coordination among the state, local government agencies and health care providers in the state.
(b) Not later than July 1, 2015, and annually thereafter, the commissioner shall report, in accordance with the provisions of section 11-4a of the general statutes, to the joint standing committees of the General Assembly having cognizance of matters relating to public health and children on the status of the commissioner's initiatives pursuant to subsection (a) of this section.
Sec. 2. (NEW) (Effective October 1, 2014) (a) Not later than July 1, 2015, and annually thereafter, each youth camp licensed pursuant to chapter 368r of the general statutes shall develop or approve a Lyme disease education program utilizing the information disseminated by the Department of Public Health pursuant to subsection (a) of section 1 of this act. Such program shall consist of written and oral components, including, but not limited to, information regarding: (1) Identification of ticks and other parasitic or potentially harmful insects; (2) identification of early warning signs associated with Lyme disease and other tick-borne diseases, including, but not limited to, bartonellosis, babesiosis, anaplasmosis and ehrlichiosis; (3) proper procedures for campers to notify youth camp staff members of a suspected tick bite; (4) proper methods of conducting tick checks; (5) proper methods for removing ticks and other parasitic or potentially harmful insects, including whether to dispose of or reserve the specimen for further examination; and (6) current best practices for avoiding exposure to ticks and other parasitic or potentially harmful insects.
(b) Prior to each new youth camp session, the director or assistant director of the youth camp shall distribute the written components of the education program developed or approved pursuant to subsection (a) of this section to (1) each staff member who is a paid employee or volunteer providing ongoing services at the youth camp, and (2) a parent or legal guardian of each camper enrolled in the youth camp.
(c) Not later than the first day of each new youth camp session, the director or assistant director of each youth camp shall present the oral components of the education program developed or approved pursuant to subsection (a) of this section to (1) each staff member who is a paid employee or volunteer providing ongoing services at the youth camp, and (2) each camper enrolled in the youth camp.
(d) Not later than twenty-four hours after a camper reports a suspected tick bite to a youth camp staff member, the director or assistant director of the youth camp shall notify the camper's parent or legal guardian or the emergency contact on file with the youth camp of the report.
Sec. 3. (NEW) (Effective October 1, 2014) (a) Not later than January 1, 2015, and annually thereafter, each youth camp licensed pursuant to chapter 368r of the general statutes shall develop or approve a camper injury and abuse education program. Such program shall consist of written and oral components, including, but not limited to, information regarding: (1) Physical injury, sexual abuse and emotional abuse; (2) identification of the early warning signs associated with such injury or abuse; (3) proper procedures for notifying the director, assistant director, injury or abuse resource counselor or other staff member at the youth camp of the suspected or actual injury or abuse of a camper; and (4) current best practices for preventing and treating injury or abuse in the youth camp setting.
(b) Prior to each new youth camp session, the director or assistant director of the youth camp shall distribute the written components of the education program developed or approved pursuant to subsection (a) of this section to (1) each staff member who is a paid employee or volunteer providing ongoing services at the youth camp, and (2) a parent or legal guardian of each camper enrolled in the youth camp.
(c) Not later than the first day of each new youth camp session, the director or assistant director of each youth camp shall present the oral components of the education program developed or approved pursuant to subsection (a) of this section to (1) each staff member who is a paid employee or volunteer providing ongoing services at the youth camp, and (2) each camper enrolled in the youth camp.
(d) Each youth camp shall provide the option for any camper who is attending the youth camp and who (1) is the victim of injury or abuse, or (2) has witnessed a camper suffering injury or abuse or suspects that a camper is the victim of injury or abuse, to report or disclose such injury or abuse to such youth camp anonymously, provided maintaining the confidentiality of such camper does not result in a violation of state or federal law.
(e) Prior to each new youth camp session, the director or assistant director of the youth camp shall designate a staff member at the youth camp as an injury or abuse resource counselor. Not later than the first day of each new youth camp session, the director or assistant director of each youth camp shall identify the injury or abuse resource counselor to all campers and describe to each camper the procedure for contacting the counselor if any camper suffers injury or abuse or suspects that a camper has suffered injury or abuse.
(f) Not later than twenty-four hours after a camper reports an incident of injury or abuse, the director or assistant director of the youth camp shall notify the camper's parent or legal guardian or the camper's emergency contact on file with the youth camp of the report.
(g) No youth camp shall prohibit a camper from contacting his or her parent or legal guardian or his or her emergency contact on file with the youth camp within twelve hours of requesting to do so.
Sec. 4. (NEW) (Effective October 1, 2014) (a) (1) Except as provided in subsection (c) of this section, each youth camp licensed pursuant to chapter 368r of the general statutes shall require each director or assistant director who is (A) a paid employee, or (B) a volunteer providing ongoing services at the youth camp to submit to state and national criminal history records checks conducted in accordance with section 29-17a of the general statutes prior to such director or assistant director performing his or her duties at the youth camp.
(2) If such director or assistant director is performing his or her duties at the youth camp on the effective date of this section, the youth camp shall require such director or assistant director to submit to such state and national criminal history records checks prior to the renewal of the youth camp's license pursuant to chapter 368r of the general statutes.
(3) The criminal history records checks required under this subsection shall not be required for any director or assistant director who (A) has successfully completed a state and national criminal history records check for immigration purposes in accordance with federal law not more than six months prior to the date such director or assistant director (i) begins employment at the camp, or (ii) begins volunteering at the camp, or (B) has previously submitted to state and national criminal history records checks pursuant to subdivision (1) or (2) of this subsection.
(b) (1) Each youth camp licensed pursuant to chapter 368r of the general statutes shall require each director or assistant director who is (A) a paid employee, or (B) a volunteer providing ongoing services at the youth camp to certify to such youth camp that he or she is not listed on the state child abuse or neglect registry established pursuant to section 17a-101k of the general statutes prior to such director or assistant director performing his or her duties at the youth camp.
(2) If such director or assistant director is performing his or her duties at the youth camp on the effective date of this section, the youth camp shall require such director or assistant director to certify to such youth camp that he or she is not listed on the state child abuse or neglect registry prior to the renewal of the youth camp's license pursuant to chapter 368r of the general statutes.
(c) Pursuant to section 29-17a of the general statutes, the Commissioner of Emergency Services and Public Protection may charge a youth camp fees for conducting the state and national criminal history records checks required under the provisions of subsection (a) of this section.
(d) In the course of inspecting the facilities of a youth camp pursuant to section 19a-426 of the general statutes, the Department of Public Health shall verify that each director or assistant director of the youth camp has (1) submitted to state and national criminal history records checks pursuant to subsection (a) of this section, and (2) certified to such youth camp that he or she is not listed on the state child abuse or neglect registry pursuant to subsection (b) of this section.
This act shall take effect as follows and shall amend the following sections: | ||
Section 1 |
from passage |
New section |
Sec. 2 |
October 1, 2014 |
New section |
Sec. 3 |
October 1, 2014 |
New section |
Sec. 4 |
October 1, 2014 |
New section |
Statement of Legislative Commissioners:
In Sec. 3(d), after "witnessed", "a camper suffering injury or abuse" was added for clarity, and in Sec. 4(a)(3), "subdivision (1) or (2) of this subsection" was inserted in lieu of "subsection (a) of this section" for clarity.
KID |
Joint Favorable Subst. |