SB 192

General Assembly  Raised Bill No. 192
  February Session, 2026  LCO No. 1145
 Referred to Committee on PUBLIC HEALTH
 Introduced by:
   (PH)
 AN ACT CONCERNING PATIENT PROTECTIONS AND STANDARDS
 OF CARE AT CONNECTICUT VALLEY HOSPITAL.
 Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in General
 Assembly convened:
1Section 1. Section 17a-471a of the general statutes is repealed and the
2    following is substituted in lieu thereof (Effective October 1, 2026):
3      (a) The Commissioner of Mental Health and Addiction Services, in
4   consultation and coordination with the advisory council established
5   under subsection (b) of this section, shall develop policies and set
6   standards [related] relating to clients residing on the Connecticut Valley
7   Hospital campus and to the discharge of such clients from the hospital
8   into the adjacent community, and persons undergoing psychiatric
9   evaluation at Connecticut Valley Hospital. Any such policies and
10   standards shall (1) ensure that no discharge of any client admitted to
11   Whiting Forensic Hospital under commitment by the Superior Court or
12   transfer from the Department of Correction shall take place without full
13   compliance with sections 17a-511 to 17a-524, inclusive, 17a-566 to 17a-
14   575, inclusive, 17a-580 to 17a-603, inclusive, and 54-56d, and (2) require
15   persons undergoing psychiatric evaluation at Connecticut Valley
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  Raised Bill No.        192
16 Hospital to be separated according to their biological sex at all times.
17    (b) There is established a Connecticut Valley Hospital Advisory
18 Council that shall advise the Commissioner of Mental Health and
19 Addiction Services on policies concerning, but not limited to, building
20 use, security, clients residing on the campus and the discharge of clients
21 from the campus into the adjacent community. In addition, the advisory
22 council shall periodically review the implementation of the policies and
23 standards established by the commissioner in consultation with the
24 advisory council. The council shall be composed of six members
25 appointed by the mayor of Middletown, eight members appointed by
26 the Commissioner of Mental Health and Addiction Services and one
27 member who shall serve as chairperson appointed by the Governor. On
28 and after January 1, 2024, at least two members appointed by the
29 Commissioner of Mental Health and Addiction Services shall have lived
30 experience with a behavioral health disorder.
  This act shall take effect as follows and shall amend the following
  sections:
  Section 1  October 1, 2026  17a-471a
 Statement of Purpose:
 To require the Commissioner of Mental Health and Addiction Services
 to keep persons undergoing psychiatric evaluation at Connecticut
 Valley Hospital separated according to biological sex at all times.
 [Proposed deletions are enclosed in brackets. Proposed additions are indicated by underline, except
 that when the entire text of a bill or resolution or a section of a bill or resolution is new, it is not
 underlined.]
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