Bill Text: CT SB00839 | 2017 | General Assembly | Chaptered
Bill Title: An Act Concerning The Department Of Developmental Services' Recommendations Regarding Revisions To Its Statutes And References To Intellectual Disability.
Spectrum: Committee Bill
Status: (Passed) 2017-05-31 - Signed by the Governor [SB00839 Detail]
Download: Connecticut-2017-SB00839-Chaptered.html
Substitute Senate Bill No. 839
AN ACT CONCERNING THE DEPARTMENT OF DEVELOPMENTAL SERVICES' RECOMMENDATIONS REGARDING REVISIONS TO ITS STATUTES AND REFERENCES TO INTELLECTUAL DISABILITY.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in General Assembly convened:
Section 1. Subsection (a) of section 17a-270 of the general statutes is repealed and the following is substituted in lieu thereof (Effective October 1, 2017):
(a) There is established a Council on Developmental Services which shall consist of fifteen members appointed as follows: Eight shall be appointed by the Governor, for two-year terms, one of whom shall be a doctor of medicine, one of whom shall be a person with intellectual disability who is receiving services from the Department of Developmental Services and at least two of whom shall be a relative or a guardian of a person with intellectual disability; six shall be appointed by members of the General Assembly for two-year terms, one of whom shall be a relative or guardian of a person with intellectual disability, appointed by the speaker of the House, one of whom shall be appointed by the minority leader of the House, one of whom shall be appointed by the president pro tempore of the Senate, one of whom shall be a [person with autism spectrum disorder who is receiving, or has received, services from the department's Division of Autism Spectrum Disorder Services] relative or guardian of a person with intellectual disability appointed by the majority leader of the House, one of whom shall be appointed by the majority leader of the Senate, and one of whom shall be a relative or guardian of a person with intellectual disability, appointed by the minority leader of the Senate; and one of whom shall be a member of the board of trustees of the Southbury Training School, appointed by said board for a term of one year. No member of the council may serve more than three consecutive terms, except that a member may continue to serve until a successor is appointed. The members of the council shall serve without compensation except for necessary expenses incurred in performing their duties. The Commissioner of Developmental Services or the commissioner's designee shall be an ex-officio member of the Council on Developmental Services without vote and shall attend its meetings. No employee of any state agency engaged in the care or training of persons with intellectual disability shall be eligible for appointment to the council. The council shall appoint annually, from among its members, a chairperson, vice chairperson and secretary. The council may make rules for the conduct of its affairs. The council shall meet at least six times per year and at other times upon the call of the chair or the written request of any two members.
Sec. 2. Subsection (l) of section 17b-99a of the general statutes is repealed and the following is substituted in lieu thereof (Effective October 1, 2017):
(l) The commissioner shall adopt regulations, in accordance with the provisions of chapter 54, to carry out the provisions of this section and to ensure the fairness of the audit process, including, but not limited to, the sampling methodologies associated with the process. The commissioner shall provide free training to facilities on the preparation of cost reports to avoid clerical errors and shall post information on the department's Internet web site concerning the auditing process and methods to avoid clerical errors. Not later than April 1, 2015, the commissioner shall establish audit protocols to assist facilities subject to audit pursuant to this section in developing programs to improve compliance with Medicaid requirements under state and federal laws and regulations, provided audit protocols may not be relied upon to create a substantive or procedural right or benefit enforceable at law or in equity by any person, including a corporation. The commissioner shall establish and publish on the department's Internet web site audit protocols for: (1) Licensed chronic and convalescent nursing homes, (2) chronic disease hospitals associated with chronic and convalescent nursing homes, (3) rest homes with nursing supervision, (4) licensed residential care homes, as defined in section 19a-490, and (5) residential facilities for persons with intellectual [disabilities] disability that are licensed pursuant to section 17a-227 and certified to participate in the Medicaid program as intermediate care facilities for individuals with intellectual disabilities. The commissioner shall ensure that the Department of Social Services, or any entity with which the commissioner contracts to conduct an audit pursuant to this section, has on staff or consults with, as needed, licensed health professionals with experience in treatment, billing and coding procedures used by the facilities being audited pursuant to this section.
Sec. 3. Subsection (a) of section 38a-488a of the general statutes is repealed and the following is substituted in lieu thereof (Effective October 1, 2017):
(a) For the purposes of this section: (1) "Mental or nervous conditions" means mental disorders, as defined in the most recent edition of the American Psychiatric Association's "Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders". "Mental or nervous conditions" does not include (A) intellectual [disabilities] disability, (B) specific learning disorders, (C) motor disorders, (D) communication disorders, (E) caffeine-related disorders, (F) relational problems, and (G) other conditions that may be a focus of clinical attention, that are not otherwise defined as mental disorders in the most recent edition of the American Psychiatric Association's "Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders"; (2) "benefits payable" means the usual, customary and reasonable charges for treatment deemed necessary under generally accepted medical standards, except that in the case of a managed care plan, as defined in section 38a-478, "benefits payable" means the payments agreed upon in the contract between a managed care organization, as defined in section 38a-478, and a provider, as defined in section 38a-478; (3) "acute treatment services" means twenty-four-hour medically supervised treatment for a substance use disorder, that is provided in a medically managed or medically monitored inpatient facility; and (4) "clinical stabilization services" means twenty-four-hour clinically managed postdetoxification treatment, including, but not limited to, relapse prevention, family outreach, aftercare planning and addiction education and counseling.
Sec. 4. Subsection (a) of section 38a-514 of the general statutes is repealed and the following is substituted in lieu thereof (Effective October 1, 2017):
(a) For the purposes of this section: (1) "Mental or nervous conditions" means mental disorders, as defined in the most recent edition of the American Psychiatric Association's "Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders". "Mental or nervous conditions" does not include (A) intellectual [disabilities] disability, (B) specific learning disorders, (C) motor disorders, (D) communication disorders, (E) caffeine-related disorders, (F) relational problems, and (G) other conditions that may be a focus of clinical attention, that are not otherwise defined as mental disorders in the most recent edition of the American Psychiatric Association's "Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders"; (2) "benefits payable" means the usual, customary and reasonable charges for treatment deemed necessary under generally accepted medical standards, except that in the case of a managed care plan, as defined in section 38a-478, "benefits payable" means the payments agreed upon in the contract between a managed care organization, as defined in section 38a-478, and a provider, as defined in section 38a-478; (3) "acute treatment services" means twenty-four-hour medically supervised treatment for a substance use disorder, that is provided in a medically managed or medically monitored inpatient facility; and (4) "clinical stabilization services" means twenty-four-hour clinically managed postdetoxification treatment, including, but not limited to, relapse prevention, family outreach, aftercare planning and addiction education and counseling.
Sec. 5. Section 20-101 of the general statutes is repealed and the following is substituted in lieu thereof (Effective October 1, 2017):
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 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 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] employment opportunities and day services provided by or under the jurisdiction of the Department of Developmental Services 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. 6. Section 53-164 of the general statutes is repealed. (Effective from passage)