The Public Health Committee voted to advance a package of public-health measures and to reserve two proposals for subject-matter public hearings during its meeting on Monday; committee leaders said roll-call votes would be held open until 3 p.m.

The committee agreed to "raise" a set of bill concepts (items 1–14 and 16–18 on the agenda) and to take JF (judiciary/floor) action on four fully drafted bills: SB 1191, SB 1192, HB 6835 and HB 6838. Two bills were referred for change of committee (change of reference), and the committee voted to hold subject-matter public hearings on SB 568 and HB 6556.

Why it matters: The package includes health-screening programs, measures meant to address medical debt navigation, interstate licensure to ease workforce mobility and changes aimed at improving access to substance use disorder treatment. The bills advance to the next step in the legislative process, where full-floor action or further drafting will determine whether the proposals become law.

What the committee advanced

- SB 1191: "An act establishing a pancreatic cancer screening and treatment referral program." The motion to JF the bill to the floor was moved by Representative Kitt and seconded by Representative Cammros DeGraw. Committee discussion noted uncertainty about insurance coverage for people who are not income-eligible; Representative Leslie Zepkus asked whether people whose insurance does not cover screening would be served under the program. Committee members said additional conversations with the Department of Public Health would be needed to clarify eligibility and funding. Representative Tavros DeGraw described family losses to pancreatic cancer and urged passage, saying "this early screening is beyond critical" for families affected by the disease. Outcome: JF to the floor (committee vote recorded; roll call held).

- SB 1192: "An act concerning hospital financial assistance." Sponsors said the bill would require hospital financial-assistance referral information (internet link, phone number, electronic and postal address) to be provided to the Office of the Health Advocate (OHA). The OHA would contract with a vendor to create an online assistance portal intended to centralize information and streamline access. Committee discussion thanked HealthEquity Solutions and the governor's office for work on the compromise language. Outcome: JF to the floor (committee vote recorded; roll call held).

- HB 6835: "An act adopting the physician assistant licensure compact." Supporters said the compact aligns Connecticut with interstate licensure compacts that allow licensed physician assistants to practice across state lines, a tool frequently used to address workforce shortages. Outcome: JF to the floor (committee vote recorded; roll call held).

- HB 6838: "An act concerning access to substance use disorder treatment facilities." Sponsors said the bill would allow a person to be admitted to treatment even if they are not currently intoxicated and would prohibit some facilities from requiring a person to be intoxicated or to test positive for opioids as a condition of admission. The substitute language clarified the standard for emergency commitment in cases of repeated overdoses and added explicit references to administration of opioid antagonists by emergency physicians or EMS personnel. Outcome: JF to the floor (committee vote recorded; roll call held).

Other committee actions

- Change of reference: The committee approved changing the reference for proposed HB 5194 (an act prohibiting certain lending practices by health care providers) to the General Law Committee, and proposed HB 5775 (an act concerning the safety of home health care workers) to the Planning and Development Committee. Sponsors explained that the home-health safety item includes municipal parking and local planning implications, which is why Planning and Development was selected.

- Subject-matter public hearings: The committee voted to hold public hearings on two proposals: SB 568, creating a task force on venous thromboembolism (blood clots), which drew supportive remarks about public education from Senator Gordon; and HB 6556, concerning appointment of receivers and the exercise of eminent domain to maintain continuity of health care services at financially distressed hospitals. HB 6556 provoked specific objections to the eminent-domain language from several members; some said they would vote to hear the proposal but expected the eminent-domain provision to be a focus at the hearing.

Roll-call and process notes

Committee leadership said roll-call votes were taken for the four JF items and for HB 6556 and that the committee would keep votes open until 3 p.m. for members joining remotely while technical issues were resolved. Several members spoke to the need to clarify program details (insurance coverage, eligibility, vendor contracts) before floor debate. Sponsors repeatedly framed several items as starting points for further negotiation rather than final policy.

The committee scheduled its next meetings for Friday, Feb. 14 at 1:30 p.m. and Wednesday, Feb. 19 at 11:30 a.m., and reiterated that recorded roll-call votes remained open until 3 p.m.