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sHB5356 / File No. 414 1
General Assembly File No. 414
February Session, 2026 Substitute House Bill No. 5356
House of Representatives, April 7, 2026
The Committee on Human Services reported through REP.
GILCHREST of the 18th Dist., Chairperson of the Committee on
the part of the House, that the substitute bill ought to pass.
AN ACT CONCERNING NONEMERGENCY MEDICAL
TRANSPORTATION FOR MEDICAL ASSISTANCE RECIPIENTS.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in General
Assembly convened:
Section 1. Subsection (a) of section 17b -276 of the general statutes is 1
repealed and the following is substituted in lieu thereof (Effective July 1, 2
2026): 3
(a) The Commissioner of Social Services shall identify geographic 4
areas of the state where competitive bidding for nonemergency 5
transportation services provided to medical assistance recipients to 6
access covered medical services would result in cost savings to the state. 7
For the identified areas, the Commissioner of Social Services, in 8
consultation with the Commissioner of Transportation, the 9
Commissioner of Public Health and the Secretary of the Office of Policy 10
and Management, shall purchase such nonemergency transportation 11
services through a competitive bidding process. Any transportation 12
providers awarded a contract or subcontract for the direct provision of 13
such services shall meet state licensure or certification requirements and 14
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the nonemergency transportation requirements established by the 15
Department of Social Services, and shall provide the most cost effective 16
transportation service, provided (1) any contractor awarded a contract 17
solely for coordinating such transportation services shall not be required 18
to meet such licensure or certification requirements , [and provided] (2) 19
the first such contracts for the purchase of such services shall not exceed 20
one year, and (3) any driver providing services under such contract or 21
subcontract who is operating under the provisions of subdivision (3) of 22
subsection (e) of section 14 -44, shall be deemed to have met the 23
requirements prescribed in this subsection for a period not to exceed 24
ninety days in the aggregate . Prior to awarding a contract pursuant to 25
this section, the Commissioner of Social Services shall consider the effect 26
of the contract on the emergency ambulance primary service areas and 27
volunteer ambulance services affected by the contract. The 28
commissioner may limit the geographic areas to be served by a 29
contractor and may limit the amount of services to be performed by a 30
contractor. The commissioner may operate one or more pilot programs 31
prior to state -wide operation of a competitive bidding program for 32
nonemergency transportation services. By enrolling in the Medicaid 33
program or participating in the competitively bid contract for 34
nonemergency transportation services, providers of nonemergency 35
transportation services agree to offer to recipients of medical assistance 36
all types or levels of transportation services for which they are licensed 37
or certified. Effective October 1, 1991, payment for such services shall be 38
made only for services provided to an eligible recipient who is actually 39
transported. A contract entered into pursuant to this section may 40
include services provided by another state agency. Notwithstanding 41
any provision of the general statutes, a contract entered into pursuant 42
to this section shall establish the rates to be paid for the transportation 43
services provided under the contract. The Commissioner of Social 44
Services shall, at least annually, (A) review such rates, (B) ensure such 45
rates are adequate to provide a pool of nonemergency medical 46
transportation drivers to provide Medicaid recipients access to such 47
transportation services, and (C) ensure such rates are included in each 48
contract. A contract entered into pursuant to this section may include 49
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services provided by another state agency and shall supersede any 50
conflicting provisions of the regulations of Connecticut state agencies 51
pertaining to medical transportation services. Any contractor awarded 52
a contract for coordinating nonemergency transportation services for 53
medical assistance recipients, who also coordinates transportation 54
services for nonmedical assistance recipients, shall disclose to any 55
transportation provider, with whom it subcontracts to provide 56
nonemergency transportation services under this section, the source of 57
payment at the time the service is requested. 58
This act shall take effect as follows and shall amend the following
sections:
Section 1 July 1, 2026 17b-276(a)
Statement of Legislative Commissioners:
The title was changed and the provisions of Subsec. (a)(3) were rewritten
for clarity.
HS Joint Favorable Subst. -LCO
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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 $
Social Services, Dept. GF - Potential
Cost
See Below See Below
Note: GF=General Fund
Municipal Impact: None
Explanation
The bill makes certain drivers eligible to provide nonemergency
medical transportation (NEMT) through a contract or subcontract with
the Department of Social Services (DSS). To the extent that an increased
number of drivers allowed under the bill (taxicab and livery) provide
NEMT services at a higher rate than current providers, the state could
experience a cost.
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 5356
AN ACT CONCERNING NONEMERGENCY MEDICAL
TRANSPORTATION FOR MEDICAL ASSISTANCE RECIPIENTS.
SUMMARY
This bill allows certain drivers who apply to the motor vehicles
commissioner for a public passenger endorsement to operate taxicab or
livery service vehicles (an F endorsement) to provide nonemergency
medical transportation (NEMT) under a Department of Social Services
(DSS) contract or subcontract (see BACKGROUND) for up to 90 days
while the application is pending.
Existing law allows taxicab or livery services providers to employ
drivers who have applied for an F endorsement for up to 90 days before
their endorsement is approved so long as the employer, after
conducting a criminal background check and driving history review,
determines the applicant meets requirements to operate these vehicles.
The bill deems these drivers as also meeting requirements to provide
NEMT.
The bill also requires the DSS commissioner to review Medicaid rates
for NEMT at least annually to ensure that they are (1) adequate to give
Medicaid recipients access to transportation from a pool of NEMT
drivers and (2) in each contract.
EFFECTIVE DATE: July 1, 2026
BACKGROUND
Nonemergency Medical Transportation
DSS’s NEMT program provides transportation to qualifying medical
appointments for Medicaid members and Covered C T enrollees who
have no other means of transportation. DSS currently contracts with
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Medical Transportation Management (MTM) to provide NEMT
services.
Related Bill
sHB 5041, favorably reported by the Human Services Committee,
allows, rather than requires, Covered CT to provide NEMT coverage.
COMMITTEE ACTION
Human Services Committee
Joint Favorable
Yea 21 Nay 2 (03/19/2026)