AN ACT CONCERNING A WORKING GROUP REGARDING ENDOMETRIOSIS.

House of Representatives
sHB5322 / File No. 514 1

General Assembly File No. 514
February Session, 2026 Substitute House Bill No. 5322

House of Representatives, April 8, 2026

The Committee on Public Health reported through REP.
MCCARTHY VAHEY of the 133rd Dist., Chairperson of the
Committee on the part of the House, that the substitute bill
ought to pass.

AN ACT CONCERNING A WORKING GROUP REGARDING
ENDOMETRIOSIS.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in General
Assembly convened:

Section 1. (NEW) ( Effective from passage ) (a) There is established a 1
working group regarding endometriosis for the purpose of evaluating 2
and making recommendations regarding the diagnosis, treatment, 3
research, education and public awareness of endometriosis in the state. 4
The working group shall be within the Legislative Department. The 5
working group shall evaluate the following: 6
(1) The prevalence and impact of endometriosis on residents of the 7
state; 8
(2) Barriers to timely and accurate diagnosis of endometriosis; 9
(3) Access to evidence-based treatment for endometriosis, including, 10
but not limited to, medical, surgical and therapeutic interventions; 11
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(4) Insurance coverage and reimbursement practices for the 12
treatment of endometriosis; 13
(5) The impact of endometriosis in the workplace, including, but not 14
limited to, leave, accommodations and employment protections; 15
(6) Gaps in public and provider education and training concerning 16
endometriosis; and 17
(7) Opportunities to improve endometriosis data collection, research 18
initiatives and patient outcomes. 19
(b) The working group shall consist of the following members, who 20
shall be appointed not later than thirty days after the effective date of 21
this section: 22
(1) Four appointed by the speaker of the House of Representatives, 23
one of whom shall be a member of the House or Representatives, one of 24
whom shall be a physician licensed pursuant to chapter 370 of the 25
general statutes with demonstrated experience in the diagnosis and 26
treatment of endometriosis, one of whom shall be a representative of a 27
federally qualified health center and one of whom shall be an individual 28
residing in the state who has been diagnosed with endometriosis; 29
(2) Four appointed by the president pro tempore of the Senate, one of 30
whom shall be a member of the Senate, one of whom shall be a physician 31
licensed pursuant to chapter 370 of the general statutes who is a member 32
of the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists, one of 33
whom shall be a researcher affiliated with an academic or research 34
institution in the state with expertise in endometriosis and one of whom 35
shall be a patient advocate with experience advocating on behalf of 36
individuals with endometriosis; 37
(3) Four appointed by the minority leader of the House of 38
Representatives, one of whom shall be a member of the House of 39
Representatives, one of whom shall be a pediatric or an adolescent 40
medicine physician licensed pursuant to chapter 370 of the general 41
statutes and currently practicing in the state, one of whom shall be an 42
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individual in the state with expertise in racial and health equity or who 43
represents a community -based organization serving historically 44
underserved populations and one of whom shall be a representative of 45
an association of hospitals in the state or an administrator of a hospital 46
in the state; 47
(4) Four appointed by the minority leader of the Senate, one of whom 48
shall be a member of the Senate, one of whom shall be a representative 49
of a school -based health center in the state, one of whom shall be a 50
representative of a therapeutic or pharmaceutical manufacturer with 51
experience in treatments related to endometriosis and one of whom 52
shall be an individual residing in the state who has been diagnosed with 53
endometriosis; 54
(5) The Commissioner of Public Health, or the commissioner's 55
designee; 56
(6) The Insurance Commissioner, or the commissioner's designee; 57
and 58
(7) The cochairpersons of the endometriosis data and biorepository 59
program established pursuant to section 10a-132f of the general statutes. 60
(c) Except for members of the General Assembly, members who 61
represent state agencies and the cochairpersons of the endometriosis 62
data and biorepository program, six of the members first appointed 63
shall serve for a term of two years, six of such members shall serve for a 64
term of three years and, thereafter, members shall serve for a term of 65
two years. The executive director of the Commission on Women, 66
Children, Seniors, Equity and Opportunity shall determine which of the 67
members first appointed shall serve for a term of two years and which 68
of such members shall serve for a term of three years. Any vacancy shall 69
be filled by the appointing authority not later than thirty calendar days 70
after the appointment becomes vacant. Any member previously 71
appointed to the working group may be reappointed. The members of 72
the working group shall receive no compensation for their services but 73
may be reimbursed for any necessary expenses incurred in the 74
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performance of their duties. 75
(d) The administrative staff of the Commission on Women, Children, 76
Seniors, Equity and Opportunity shall serve as administrative staff of 77
the working group. The executive director of said commission shall 78
schedule the first meeting of the working group which shall be held not 79
later than sixty days after the effective date of this section. The working 80
group shall appoint a chairperson and vice-chairperson from among its 81
members at its first meeting. The working group shall meet not less than 82
quarterly and provide an opportunity for public comment at its 83
meetings. 84
(e) Not later than January 1, 2027, and annually thereafter, the 85
working group shall report to the Governor and, in accordance with the 86
provisions of section 11 -4a of the general statutes, to the joint standing 87
committees of the General Assembly having cognizance of matters 88
relating to human services and public health regarding its evaluation 89
and recommendations, including, but not limited to, for legislation 90
necessary to implement any of such recommendations. 91
This act shall take effect as follows and shall amend the following
sections:

Section 1 from passage New section

PH Joint Favorable Subst.

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The following Fiscal Impact Statement and Bill Analysis are prepared for the benefit of the members of
the General Assembly, solely for purposes of information, summarization and explanation and do not
represent the intent of the General Assembly or either chamber thereof for any purpose. In general,
fiscal impacts are based upon a variety of informational sources, including the analyst’s professional
knowledge. Whenever applicable, agency data is consulted as part of the analysis, however final
products do not necessarily reflect an assessment from any specific department.

OFA Fiscal Note

State Impact:
Agency Affected Fund-Effect FY 27 $ FY 28 $
Legislative Mgmt. GF - Potential
Cost
Minimal Minimal
Note: GF=General Fund
Municipal Impact: None
Explanation
The bill creates an endometriosis working group and allows
members to be reimbursed for any necessary expenses incurred in the
performance of their duties. This results in a potential minimal cost to
the Office of Legislative Management to the extent reimbursements are
requested.
The Out Years
The annualized ongoing fiscal impact identified above would
continue into the future subject to inflation.

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OLR Bill Analysis
sHB 5322

AN ACT CONCERNING A WORKING GROUP REGARDING
ENDOMETRIOSIS.

SUMMARY
This bill establishes a 20 -member endometriosis working group
within the Legislative Department to evaluate and make
recommendations on endometriosis diagnosis, treatment, research,
education, and public awareness in Connecticut.
Under the bill, the working group must annually report, starting by
January 1, 2027, to the governor and the Human Services and Public
Health committees on its evaluation and recommendations, including
any legislation needed to implement them.
EFFECTIVE DATE: Upon passage
ENDOMETRIOSIS WORKING GROUP
Evaluation
The bill requires the working group to evaluate the following:
1. the prevalence and impact of endometriosis in Connecticut;
2. barriers to timely and accurate diagnosis;
3. access to evidence -based treatments, such as medical, surgical,
and therapeutic interventions;
4. insurance coverage and reimbursement practices for treating the
condition;
5. the impact of the condition in the workplace, including leave,
accommodations, and employment protections;
6. gaps in public and provider education and training; and
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7. opportunities to improve data collection, research, and patient
outcomes.
Membership
Under the bill, the working group’s membership includes the (1)
insurance and public health commissioners or their designees and (2)
co-chairpersons of the state’s endometriosis data and biorepository
program (see BACKGROUND). It also includes the followin g 16
appointed members listed in the table below:
Table: Endometriosis Working Group Appointed Members
Appointing Authority Member Qualifications
House speaker (4) • One House member
• One Connecticut-licensed physician experienced in
diagnosing and treating endometriosis
• One representative of a federally qualified health center
• One state resident diagnosed with endometriosis
Senate president pro
tempore (4)
• One Senate member
• One physician member of the American College of
Obstetrics and Gynecology
• One researcher affiliated with a Connecticut academic or
research institution with expertise in endometriosis
• One patient advocate with experience advocating on
behalf of people with endometriosis
House minority leader (4) • One House member
• One pediatric or adolescent medicine physician currently
practicing in the state
• One expert in racial and health equity or representative of
a community-based organization serving historically
underserved populations
• One representative of a state hospital association or a
Connecticut hospital administrator
Senate minority leader (4) • One Senate member
• One representative of a school-based health center
• One representative of a therapeutic or drug manufacturer
experienced in endometriosis-related treatments
• One state resident diagnosed with endometriosis

The bill staggers appointed members’ terms (except for legislators) as
determined by the Commission on Women, Children, Seniors, Equity
and Opportunity’s (CWCSEO) executive director, with six initial
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appointees serving a two -year term, and the other six serving a three -
year term. After that, members serve two -year terms and may be
reappointed.
The bill requires appointing authorities to make initial appointments
within 30 days of the bill’s passage and fill any vacancy within 30 days.
Under the bill, members serve without compensation but may be
reimbursed for their necessary expenses in performing their duties.
Meetings and Leadership
CWCSEO’s executive director must schedule and hold the first
meeting within 60 days after the bill’s passage. The working group must
appoint a chairperson and vice-chairperson from among its members at
the first meeting.
Under the bill, the working group must meet at least quarterly and
provide opportunities for public comment at the meetings.
The bill requires the CWCSEO administrative staff to serve in this
capacity for the working group.
BACKGROUND
Endometriosis Data and Biorepository Program
In 2023, the legislature directed UConn Health and The Jackson
Laboratory to create an endometriosis data and biorepository program
to promote research on (1) early detection of endometriosis in
adolescents and adults and (2) developing therapeutic strateg ies to
improve clinical management of the condition. The program, EndoRISE,
focuses on administering the endometriosis biorepository, public
awareness, and clinical education.
COMMITTEE ACTION
Public Health Committee
Joint Favorable Substitute
Yea 32 Nay 0 (03/23/2026)