SB 281

General Assembly  Raised Bill No. 281
  February Session, 2026  LCO No. 1550
 Referred to Committee on VETERANS' AND MILITARY
 AFFAIRS
 Introduced by:
   (VA)
 AN ACT ESTABLISHING A TASK FORCE TO STUDY MEANS OF
 ENCOURAGING MORE NURSING HOMES IN THE STATE TO
 CONTRACT WITH THE UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF
 VETERANS AFFAIRS.
 Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in General
 Assembly convened:
1      Section 1. (Effective July 1, 2026) (a) There is established a task force to
2   study available means of encouraging nursing homes in the state to
3   become federally contracted veterans nursing homes and increase the
4   availability of nursing home care to veterans eligible for and in need of
5   such care. The task force shall consider financial incentives, including,
6   but not limited to, assistance to supplement reimbursement for such
7   care and tax credits, and other manners of promoting such nursing
8   homes to veterans eligible for care that is covered by the United States
9   Department of Veterans Affairs. As used in this section, "nursing home"
10   and "federally contracted veterans nursing home" have the same
11   meanings as provided in section 19a-533 of the general statutes.
12      (b) The task force shall consist of the following members:
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13   (1) One appointed by the speaker of the House of Representatives;
14   (2) One appointed by the president pro tempore of the Senate;
15   (3) One appointed by the majority leader of the House of
16 Representatives;
17   (4) One appointed by the majority leader of the Senate;
18   (5) One appointed by the minority leader of the House of
19 Representatives;
20   (6) One appointed by the minority leader of the Senate; and
21   (7) The Commissioner of Veterans Affairs, or the commissioner's
22 designee.
23    (c) Any member of the task force appointed under subdivision (1),
24 (2), (3), (4), (5) or (6) of subsection (b) of this section may be a member
25 of the General Assembly.
26    (d) All initial appointments to the task force shall be made not later
27 than August 1, 2026. Any vacancy shall be filled by the appointing
28 authority.
29    (e) The speaker of the House of Representatives and the president pro
30 tempore of the Senate shall select the chairpersons of the task force from
31 among the members of the task force. Such chairpersons shall schedule
32 the first meeting of the task force, which shall be held not later than
33 September 1, 2026.
34   (f) The administrative staff of the joint standing committee of the
35 General Assembly having cognizance of matters relating to veterans'
36 and military affairs shall serve as administrative staff of the task force.
37    (g) Not later than January 1, 2027, the task force shall submit a report
38 on its findings and recommendations to the joint standing committee of
39 the General Assembly having cognizance of matters relating to veterans'
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40 and military affairs, in accordance with the provisions of section 11-4a
41 of the general statutes. The task force shall terminate on the date that it
42 submits such report or January 1, 2027, whichever is later.
  This act shall take effect as follows and shall amend the following
  sections:
  Section 1  July 1, 2026  New section
 Statement of Purpose:
 To study ways to encourage more nursing homes in the state to contract
 with the United States Department of Veterans Affairs for the provision
 of care to veterans.
 [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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