The Connecticut General Assembly Public Health Committee voted to raise 13 legislative concepts and approved drafting a committee bill, Senate Bill 7, intended to protect access to health care and to promote equitable delivery of services.

Committee leaders said the concepts cover a range of issues that the panel will consider in the 2025 session, including Department of Social Services recommendations on implementing an all‑payer health equity approach and a hospital global payment methodology tied to a federal innovation model; proposed revisions to developmental services and mental‑health statutes; studies to consider designation changes for long‑term acute care; a pancreatic cancer screening program; corrections‑health proposals; certificate‑of‑need reforms; protections for reproductive‑health access; private‑equity oversight of health‑care institutions; a proposal to require automated external defibrillators in nursing homes; and updates to tobacco and vapor product regulation.

Why it matters: the concepts set the committee's drafting priorities and shape which topics will move to formal bill text, hearings and votes. Several items involve state agencies or interagency coordination (for example, the Department of Social Services, Department of Developmental Services and the Department of Mental Health and Addiction Services) and, in at least one case, a previously awarded grant that the committee said requires statutory changes for implementation.

Most important details
- The list of 13 concepts read into the record included: Department of Social Services (DSS) recommendations on implementing an all‑payer health equity approach and the developmental federal innovation model hospital global payment methodology; Department of Developmental Services (DDS) statutory revisions including abuse and neglect reporting and guardianship changes; Department of Mental Health and Addiction Services (DMHAS) statutory revisions, including adding two municipal seats to the opioid settlement advisory committee and insurance‑coverage issues for a pretrial impaired‑driving intervention program; a directive to the Department of Public Health to study designating long‑term acute care facilities as chronic disease hospitals; establishment of a pancreatic cancer screening and early detection program; multiple proposals related to health care in correctional facilities; certificate‑of‑need reforms; measures to preserve or protect access to reproductive health care; oversight proposals addressing private‑equity ownership of health‑care institutions; a requirement proposal for automated external defibrillators in nursing homes and assisted living facilities; patient protections and standards of care at DMHAS inpatient facilities; expanded regulation of tobacco products and electronic nicotine delivery systems; and continued work on hospital financial assistance rules.

Committee action and process
- The motion to raise the 13 concepts was moved by Senator Summers and seconded by Senator Ammar; the committee adopted the motion by voice vote. Committee leaders announced votes would remain open until 4:00 p.m. that day to allow members who could not attend to record their votes.
- The committee separately moved to draft a committee bill, Senate Bill 7, described in the meeting as "enact concerning protections for access to health care and the equitable delivery of health care services in the state." That motion was moved by Senator Amware and seconded by Senator Summers and was approved by voice vote; committee leaders said the bill will be a senate priority and that specific provisions will be developed collaboratively by members.

Discussion highlights and staff support
- Committee chairs said some topics reflect agency requests tied to implementation needs (the DSS all‑payer/ global payment model was described as associated with a state grant) and noted the pediatric/pancreatic cancer screening proposal would be funded within available appropriations. DMHAS proposals include statutory language changes and advisory‑committee membership adjustments tied to opioid settlement work. Leaders emphasized collaboration among members on items where multiple competing proposals were filed (certificates of need, reproductive‑health protections, private‑equity oversight and DMHAS facility standards).
- Legislative staff introduced to the committee included office attorneys Nick Panzarella and Eileen Lawler Parker, Office of Legislative Research staff Nicole Dube and James Orlando, clerk Peter Kolkowsky and assistant clerks Dave Ratcliffe and Kathleen Panaza; staff support and scheduling procedures (including Zoom protocols and roll‑call guidance) were reviewed before business began.

Meeting schedule and next steps
- Committee leadership announced two upcoming meeting dates: Wednesday, Jan. 22, and Friday, Jan. 31, with time-of-day notices distributed to members. Committee chairs said they will work with members to draft bill language, coordinate with other committees where subject matter overlaps (for example, tobacco product regulation), and circulate schedules and contact information to members.

Notes on limits of this report: The committee recorded the motions and voice votes in the transcript; no roll‑call tallies with member names and individual yes/no votes were provided in the transcript excerpt. Where the transcript summarized proposals only (for example, multiple competing certificate‑of‑need proposals), the committee said content will be worked out in drafting and collaboration rather than specifying final language at this meeting.