DDS Legislative Updates- February 22 2008

Bills Proposed by the Department of Developmental Services:

S.B. No. 242 (RAISED) PUBLIC HEALTH. 'AN ACT CONCERNING CHANGES TO STATUTES AFFECTING THE DEPARTMENT OF DEVELOPMENTAL SERVICES', to make various technical changes to statutes affecting the Department of Developmental Services.
REF. PUBLIC HEALTH
S.B. No. 242 changes the name of the Council on Mental Retardation to the Council on Developmental Services, changes references to “state mental retardation regions” to “state developmental services regions”, changes references to “mentally retarded persons” to “persons with mental retardation”, updates the reference to the Southeastern Connecticut Association for Developmental Disabilities as a member of the Camp Harkness Advisory Board, and increases the number of self-advocates employed by DDS by one to a total of eleven.
H.B. No. 5131 (RAISED) SELECT COMMITTEE ON CHILDREN. 'AN ACT AMENDING THE STATUTES CONCERNING THE DEPARTMENT OF CHILDREN AND FAMILIES', to make technical and other revisions to laws governing the Department of Children and Families regarding emergency placement of children, access to records, transfer of termination of parental right cases and the department's role and responsibility in Safe Havens cases.
REF. SELECT COMMITTEE ON CHILDREN
Although the Department of Children and Families (DCF) requested H.B. No. 5131, Sec. 2(g)(17) (lines 429-431) was part of DDS’s 2008 legislative initiatives.  Sec. 2(g)(17) (lines 429-431) allows DCF to disclose client records to the Department of Developmental Services for the purposes of eligibility and enrollment in the voluntary services program operated by DDS.
H.B. No. 5541 (RAISED) PUBLIC HEALTH. 'AN ACT CONCERNING SEXUAL ASSAULT OF PERSONS PLACED OR TREATED UNDER THE DIRECTION OF THE COMMISSIONER OF DEVELOPMENTAL SERVICES', to expand the definitions of sexual assault in the second degree and sexual assault in the fourth degree to include assaults committed on persons placed or treated under the direction of the Commissioner of Developmental Services.
REF. PUBLIC HEALTH
H.B. No. 5630 (RAISED) PUBLIC HEALTH. 'AN ACT PROMOTING CONSISTENCY AMONG PEER REVIEW PROCEEDINGS', to require the department's mortality review process and the operations of the Independent Mortality Review Board to be consistent with other peer review processes found in the general statutes.
REF. PUBLIC HEALTH

Raised and Committee Bills Being Followed by the Department of Developmental Services
S.B. No. 34 SEN. MCKINNEY, 28th DIST.; REP. CAFERO, 142nd DIST. 'AN ACT IMPLEMENTING THE GOVERNOR'S BUDGET RECOMMENDATIONS WITH RESPECT TO SOCIAL SERVICES PROGRAMS', to implement the Governor's budget recommendations.
REF. HUMAN SERVICES
The Human Services Committee will hold a Public Hearing on Tuesday, February 26, 2008 at 10:00 a.m. in Room 2A of the LOB on S.B. No. 34 and other bills.
S.B. No. 413 (RAISED) HUMAN SERVICES. 'AN ACT ESTABLISHING A COMMUNITY PROVIDER RESCUE FUND ACCOUNT AND COMMUNITY-BASED SERVICES COMMISSION', to establish a community provider rescue fund, community-based services commission and capital improvement fund to stabilize the funding of necessary services for children and adults with disabilities, persons with substance use disorders and persons with mental illness.
REF. HUMAN SERVICES 
The Human Services Committee will hold a Public Hearing on Tuesday, February 26, 2008 at 10:00 a.m. in Room 2A of the LOB on S.B. No. 413 and other bills.
S.B. No. 417 (RAISED) HUMAN SERVICES. 'AN ACT CONCERNING THE ESTABLISHMENT OF THE FATALITY REVIEW BOARD', to enact legislation that incorporates elements of Executive Order No. 25, dated February 8, 2002, which included the establishment of the Fatality Review Board.
REF. HUMAN SERVICES
The Human Services Committee will hold a Public Hearing on Tuesday, February 26, 2008 at 10:00 a.m. in Room 2A of the LOB on S.B. No. 417 and other bills.