AN ACT ESTABLISHING AN ADVISORY COUNCIL ON CHIMERIC ANTIGEN RECEPTOR T-CELL THERAPY AND OTHER GENE THERAPIES.

Senate
SB451 / File No. 566 1

General Assembly File No. 566
February Session, 2026 Senate Bill No. 451

Senate, April 9, 2026

The Committee on Public Health reported through SEN.
ANWAR of the 3rd Dist., Chairperson of the Committee on the
part of the Senate, that the bill ought to pass.

AN ACT ESTABLISHING AN ADVISORY COUNCIL ON CHIMERIC
ANTIGEN RECEPTOR T-CELL THERAPY AND OTHER GENE
THERAPIES.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in General
Assembly convened:

Section 1. (NEW) (Effective July 1, 2026 ) (a) There is established an 1
advisory council on chimeric antigen receptor T -cell therapy and other 2
gene therapies. The council shall advise and make recommendations to 3
the Department of Public Health and other state agencies, as 4
appropriate, regarding (1) the availability of chimeric antigen receptor 5
T-cell therapy and other gene therapies in the state for the treatment of 6
cancer, (2) safe, equitable and financially sustainable delivery of such 7
therapies, (3) advanced training for clinical providers of such therapies, 8
(4) long -term follow -up and vector safety for patients receiving such 9
therapies, (5) the development of referral and management protocols for 10
such therapies, (6) education for clinicians, patients and patients' 11
relatives and caregivers regarding such therapies and such protocols, (7) 12
advising patients and their relatives and caregivers regarding the cost 13
and availability of insurance coverage for such therapies, (8) 14
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opportunities for coordinating with research collaborations, 15
government agencies, including, but not limited to, the Centers for 16
Medicare and Medicaid Services, accrediting bodies and national 17
registries regarding such therapies, (9) the development of centers of 18
excellence in the state for the delivery of such therapies, including, but 19
not limited to, requiring accreditation of such centers, (10) the 20
development of a state -wide referral network to ensure all eligible 21
patients are matched with a center of excellence in the state, (11) the 22
development of safety protocols to address complications experienced 23
by patients receiving such therapies and other safety concerns, (12) 24
methods of providing psychosocial support to patients receiving such 25
therapies and their relatives and caregivers, and (13) methods of 26
tracking patient outcomes with a focus on equity as it relates to 27
diagnosis, race, ethnicity, geography and income. 28
(b) The council may perform the following functions: 29
(1) Consult with experts on chimeric antigen receptor T -cell therapy 30
and other gene therapies for the treatment of cancer to develop policy 31
recommendations for improving patient access to such therapies in the 32
state; 33
(2) Hold public hearings and otherwise make inquiries of and solicit 34
comments from the general public to assist with a study or survey of 35
persons living with cancer who have received such therapies, such 36
persons' caregivers and health care providers and patient advocates; 37
and 38
(3) Research and make recommendations to the Department of Public 39
Health and other state agencies. 40
(c) The council shall consist of the following members: 41
(1) The Commissioner of Public Health, or the commissioner's 42
designee; 43
(2) The Insurance Commissioner, or the commissioner's designee, 44
who may be the representative of a health carrier; 45
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(3) The Commissioner of Social Services, or the commissioner's 46
designee; 47
(4) The health information technology officer, designated in 48
accordance with section 19a-754a of the general statutes, or the officer's 49
designee; 50
(5) The chairpersons and ranking members of the joint standing 51
committee of the General Assembly having cognizance of matters 52
relating to public health, or their designees; 53
(6) The chairpersons and ranking members of the joint standing 54
committee of the General Assembly having cognizance of matters 55
relating to human services, or their designees; 56
(7) Four appointed by the Senate chairperson of the joint standing 57
committee of the General Assembly having cognizance of matters 58
relating to public health, one of whom shall be a hematologist or 59
oncologist providing services to adults, one of whom shall be a specialist 60
in emerging cellular and genetic therapy, one of whom shall be an 61
expert in pharmacology and one of whom shall be an advocate for 62
patients with a condition that is treated by gene therapy; 63
(8) Four appointed by the House chairperson of the joint standing 64
committee of the General Assembly having cognizance of matters 65
relating to public health, one of whom shall be a patient who has 66
received chimeric antigen receptor T-cell therapy, one of whom shall be 67
a representative of an association of hospitals in the state, one of whom 68
shall be a pediatric hematologist or oncologist and one of whom shall be 69
a community health equity advocate; 70
(9) Four appointed by the Senate ranking member of the joint 71
standing committee of the General Assembly having cognizance of 72
matters relating to public health, one of whom shall be a representative 73
of an internationally recognized accreditation body for institutions 74
providing cellular therapies, one of whom shall be a representative of 75
an association of health carriers in the state, one of whom shall be the 76
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director of a cellular therapy program in the state and one of whom shall 77
be a representative of the life sciences or biotechnology industry; and 78
(10) Four appointed by the House ranking member of the joint 79
standing committee of the General Assembly having cognizance of 80
matters relating to public health, one of whom shall be a representative, 81
family member or caregiver of a person living with cancer who has 82
received gene therapy, one of whom shall be an advocate for cancer 83
patients in the state, one of whom shall be a social worker or patient 84
navigator and one of whom shall be a director of a transplant and 85
cellular therapy program in the state. 86
(d) All initial appointments to the council shall be made not later than 87
October 31, 2026. Except for members of the council who represent state 88
agencies, members shall serve for a term of three years and any vacancy 89
shall be filled by the appointing authority. The members shall receive 90
no compensation for their services but may be reimbursed for any 91
necessary expenses incurred in the performance of their duties. The 92
Commissioner of Public Health shall select an acting chairperson of the 93
council from its members for the purpose of organizing the first council 94
meeting. Such chairperson shall schedule and convene the first meeting, 95
which shall be held not later than November 30, 2026. The members of 96
the council shall appoint, by majority vote, a chairperson and vice -97
chairperson during the first meeting of the council. Thereafter, the 98
council shall meet not less than quarterly in person or on a remote 99
platform, as determined by the chairperson. 100
(e) The council shall be within the Department of Public Health for 101
administrative purposes only. 102
(f) Not later than one year after the date of its first meeting, and 103
annually thereafter, the council shall report, in accordance with the 104
provisions of section 11 -4a of the general statutes, to the joint standing 105
committees of the General Assembly having cognizance of matters 106
relating to public health and insurance regarding its findings and 107
recommendations, including, but not limited to, (1) the council's 108
activities, research findings and any recommendations for proposed 109
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legislative changes, and (2) any potential sources of funding for the 110
council's activities, including, but not limited to, grants, donations, 111
sponsorships or in-kind donations. 112
(g) The council may (1) apply for and accept grants, gifts, bequests, 113
sponsorships and in-kind donations of funds from federal and interstate 114
agencies, private firms, individuals and foundations for the purpose of 115
carrying out its responsibilities, and (2) enter into any contracts or 116
agreements, in accordance with any established procedures, as may be 117
necessary for the distribution or use of any received funds, services or 118
property in accordance with any requirements to fulfill any conditions 119
of a grant, gift, bequest, sponsorship or in-kind donation. 120
This act shall take effect as follows and shall amend the following
sections:

Section 1 July 1, 2026 New section

PH Joint Favorable

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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 $
Public Health, Dept. GF - Potential
Cost
Minimal Minimal
Note: GF=General Fund

Municipal Impact: None
Explanation
The bill establishes an advisory council on chimeric antigen receptor
(CAR) T-cell therapy and other gene therapies within the Department
of Public Health (DPH) for administrative purposes only . The bill
results in a minimal potential cost to DPH beginning in FY 27, as council
members may be reimbursed for necessary expenses incurred in
performing their duties.
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
SB 451

AN ACT ESTABLISHING AN ADVISORY COUNCIL ON CHIMERIC
ANTIGEN RECEPTOR T -CELL THERAPY AND OTHER GENE
THERAPIES.

SUMMARY
This bill establishes a 28 -member advisory council on chimeric
antigen receptor (CAR) T-cell therapy and other gene therapies within
the Department of Public Health (DPH) for administrative purposes
only. Under the bill, the advisory council must advise and make
recommendations to DPH and other state agencies related to these
therapies, such as on (1) how to deliver them in a safe, equitable, and
financially sustainable way; (2) developing related referral and
management protocols; and (3) advanced training for clinical providers
who offer them.
The bill authorizes the council to (1) apply for and accept grants, gifts,
bequests, sponsorships, and in -kind donations from federal and
interstate agencies, private firms, individuals, and foundations to carry
out its responsibilities and (2) enter into a contract or agreement needed
to distribute or use any received funds, services, or property according
to any conditions placed on them.
Lastly, the bill requires the council to annually report to the Insurance
and Real Estate and Public Health committees on its findings and
recommendations, including (1) its activities, research findings, and
recommended legislative proposals and (2) poten tial funding sources
for its activities, including grants, donations, sponsorships , or in-kind
donations. The first report is due no later than one year after the date of
the council’s first meeting.
EFFECTIVE DATE: July 1, 2026
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ADVISORY COUNCIL
Responsibilities
The bill requires the council to advise and make recommendations to
DPH and other state agencies on the following:
1. the availability of CAR T-cell therapy and other gene therapies in
Connecticut to treat cancer;
2. how to deliver these therapies in a safe, equitable, and financially
sustainable way;
3. advanced training for clinical providers who offer these
therapies;
4. long-term follow -up and vector safety (mitigating unintended
harm from viruses used in gene therapy) for patients receiving
these therapies;
5. developing referral and management protocols for these
therapies;
6. education on these therapies and protocols for clinicians,
patients, and patients’ relatives and caregivers;
7. advising patients and their relatives and caregivers on the cost
and available insurance coverage for these therapies;
8. opportunities to coordinate with research collaborations,
government agencies (for example, the Centers for Medicare and
Medicaid Services), accrediting bodies, and national registries on
these therapies;
9. developing centers of excellence in Connecticut to deliver these
therapies, including requiring centers to be accredited;
10. developing a statewide referral network to ensure all patients are
matched with a Connecticut center of excellence;
11. developing safety protocols to address patient complications and
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other safety concerns;
12. ways to provide psychosocial support to patients and their
relatives and caregivers; and
13. ways to track patient outcomes, focusing on equity related to
diagnosis, race, ethnicity, geography, and income.
Functions
In doing its work, t he bill authorizes the advisory council to do the
following:
1. consult with experts on CAR T-cell therapy and other gene
therapies to treat cancer to develop policy recommendations for
improving access to these therapies in Connecticut;
2. hold public hearings and otherwise make public inquiries and
solicit public comments to help with a study or survey of people
living with cancer who received these therapies , these patients’
caregivers, health care providers, and patient advocates; and
3. conduct research and make recommendations to DPH and other
state agencies.
Membership
Under the bill, the advisory council’s membership includes the
following state officials, or their designees: (1) the insurance, public
health, and social services commissioners; (2) the health information
technology officer; and (3) the chairpersons and ranking members of the
Human Services and Public Health committees. The council also
includes the following 16 appointed members as shown in the table
below.
Table: Appointed Council Members Under the Bill
Appointing Authority Member Qualifications
Public Health Committee
Senate chairperson (4)
• One hematologist or oncologist serving adults
• One specialist in emerging cellular and genetic
therapy
• One pharmacology expert
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Appointing Authority Member Qualifications
• One patient advocate for conditions treated by gene
therapy
Public Health Committee
House chairperson (4)
• One patient who received CAR T-cell therapy
• One representative of a Connecticut hospital
association
• One pediatric hematologist or oncologist
• One community health equity advocate
Public Health Committee
Senate ranking member (4)
• One representative of an internationally recognized
accreditation body for institutions providing cellular
therapies
• One representative of a Connecticut health carrier
association
• One director of a Connecticut cellular therapy
program
• One representative of the life sciences or
biotechnology industries
Public Health Committee
House ranking member (4)
• One representative, family member, or caregiver of
someone living with cancer who received gene
therapy
• One advocate for cancer patients in the state
• One social worker or patient navigator
• One director of a transplant and cellular therapy
program in the state

The bill requires appointing authorities to make their initial
appointments by October 31, 2026, and fill any vacancies. Members
serve three-year terms, except for those representing state agencies.
The DPH commissioner must choose the council’s acting chairperson
to organize its first meeting, which must be scheduled and held by
November 30, 2026. At the first meeting, council members must appoint
their chairperson and vice chairperson by a majority vote. The bill
requires the council to meet at least quarterly, either in person or
remotely, as the chairperson determines.
Under the bill, members are not compensated, but may be
reimbursed for necessary expenses incurred in performing their duties.
BACKGROUND
CAR T-cell therapy
CAR T-cell therapy is an individualized immunotherapy that
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genetically changes a person’s own T-cells to recognize and fight cancer
cells that is often used to treat blood cancers such as leukemia,
lymphoma, and multiple myeloma.
COMMITTEE ACTION
Public Health Committee
Joint Favorable
Yea 27 Nay 5 (03/23/2026)