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SB00192 • 2026

AN ACT CONCERNING PATIENT PROTECTIONS AND STANDARDS OF CARE AT CONNECTICUT VALLEY HOSPITAL.

AN ACT CONCERNING PATIENT PROTECTIONS AND STANDARDS OF CARE AT CONNECTICUT VALLEY HOSPITAL.

Healthcare
Passed Legislature

This bill passed both chambers and reached final enrollment, even if later executive action is not shown here.

Sponsor
Public Health Committee
Last action
2026-02-13
Official status
Public Hearing 02/18
Effective date
Not listed

Plain English Breakdown

The official source material does not mention the establishment of an advisory council or provisions related to discharging patients from Whiting Forensic Hospital.

Patient Protections and Standards of Care at Connecticut Valley Hospital

This act requires patients undergoing psychiatric evaluation at Connecticut Valley Hospital to be separated according to their biological sex.

What This Bill Does

  • Requires the Commissioner of Mental Health and Addiction Services to develop policies for separating people who are getting evaluated for mental health issues based on their biological sex.

Who It Names or Affects

  • People undergoing psychiatric evaluation at Connecticut Valley Hospital
  • The Commissioner of Mental Health and Addiction Services

Terms To Know

Biological sex
A person's physical characteristics that determine their sex, such as chromosomes, hormones, internal and external reproductive organs.

Limits and Unknowns

  • The bill does not specify what happens if there are not enough separate spaces for patients.
  • It is unclear how the policy will affect transgender and non-binary individuals.
  • There is no information on how these policies will be enforced or monitored.

Bill History

  1. 2026-02-13 Connecticut General Assembly

    Public Hearing 02/18

  2. 2026-02-11 Connecticut General Assembly

    Referred to Joint Committee on Public Health

Official Summary Text

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.

Current Bill Text

Read the full stored bill text 
LCO No. 1145 1 of 2

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:

Section 1. Section 17a-471a of the general statutes is repealed and the 1
following is substituted in lieu thereof (Effective October 1, 2026): 2
(a) The Commissioner of Mental Health and Addiction Services, in 3
consultation and coordination with the advisory council established 4
under subsection (b) of this section, shall develop policies and set 5
standards [related] relating to clients residing on the Connecticut Valley 6
Hospital campus and to the discharge of such clients from the hospital 7
into the adjacent community , and persons undergoing psychiatric 8
evaluation at Connecticut Valley Hospital . Any such policies and 9
standards shall (1) ensure that no discharge of any client admitted to 10
Whiting Forensic Hospital under commitment by the Superior Court or 11
transfer from the Department of Correction shall take place without full 12
compliance with sections 17a -511 to 17a -524, inclusive, 17a-566 to 17a -13
575, inclusive, 17a-580 to 17a-603, inclusive, and 54-56d, and (2) require 14
persons undergoing psychiatric evaluation at Connecticut Valley 15

Raised Bill No. 192

LCO No. 1145 2 of 2

Hospital to be separated according to their biological sex at all times. 16
(b) There is established a Connecticut Valley Hospital Advisory 17
Council that shall advise the Commissioner of Mental Health and 18
Addiction Services on policies concerning, but not limited to, building 19
use, security, clients residing on the campus and the discharge of clients 20
from the campus into the adjacent community. In addition, the advisory 21
council shall periodically review the implementation of the policies and 22
standards established by the commissioner in consultation with the 23
advisory council. The council shall be composed of six members 24
appointed by the mayor of Middletown, eight members appointed by 25
the Commissioner of Mental Health and Addiction Services and one 26
member who shall serve as chairperson appointed by the Governor. On 27
and after January 1, 2024, at least two members appointed by the 28
Commissioner of Mental Health and Addiction Services shall have lived 29
experience with a behavioral health disorder. 30
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.]