CONNECTICUT, USA — The beginning of the month brings a round of new laws that'll be put into place in Connecticut. From medical debt reporting to changes in the education system, here are some new laws that go into place on July 1.
Kindergarten Start Age
Prior state law required children to be at least five years old by January of the school year to enroll in public school kindergarten.
Now, this law will require that the child will turn five years old by September of the school year to enroll in kindergarten.
Under current law, school boards can vote at a meeting to admit any child under five years old, which remains unchanged in the new law.
Play-based Learning
This law requires school boards to provide all students from preschool to kindergarten with play-based learning during the "instructional time" of each regular school day.
This kind of learning has to be incorporated and interwoven into daily practice and also allow for the students' needs to be met through free play, guided play, and games. It should not involve using mobile devices.
The law will also require each school to allow teachers to use play-based learning for students in first to fifth grade during the regular school day. This learning can be incorporated and integrated into daily practice and has the same stipulations as play-based earning for preschool to kindergarteners.
Minors and Social Media
Parts of this act have already been in effect for a year or more, but beginning July 1, social media platforms will be required to unpublish a minor's social media account within 15 business days and generally delete the account within 45 business days after they get an authenticated request.
The authenticated request must come from the minor or their parent or legal guardian if they are under 16 years old.
Social media platforms will have to delete the account and stop processing the minor's data except where preserving the account (or data) is otherwise permitted by law.
The act also requires a social media platform to establish in its privacy notice at least one secure, reliable way to submit a request to unpublish and delete an account.
Social media platforms do not have to follow the request if they can't determine who sent it; however, they must notify the person who submitted the request that it's not authenticated.
Mental and Behavioral Health Providers
Beginning July 1, a law will authorize out-of-state mental or behavioral health service providers to practice telehealth in Connecticut.
They must provide telehealth services under a relevant Department of Public Health, provide mental or behavioral health services within their professional scope of practice, and maintain professional liability insurance.
This law also allows the Connecticut Department of Health Commissioner to issue an order that authorizes out-of-state telehealth providers to impose conditions requiring out-of-state providers to apply for licensure, certification, or registration.
The commission will be able to suspect or revoke an out-of-state telehealth provider's authorization to practice in the state if they violate any condition that's been imposed.
Medical Debt
This law will prohibit Connecticut health care providers, hospitals, or entities owned or affiliated with hospitals from reporting medical debt to credit rating agencies for use in a credit report.
It also will void any medical debt reported to credit rating agencies.
This act also requires healthcare providers to include a provision prohibiting reporting this debt in any contracts they have with collection agencies.
HUSKY Expansion
This law will expand who qualifies for the state-funded medical assistance, HUSKY, by increasing the maximum age of eligibility from 12 years old to 15 years old.
Funeral Assistance
By law, when a person dies in the state and doesn't leave enough money or has a legally liable relative able to cover funeral and burial/cremation costs, the Department of Social Services must make a payment to them.
Beginning July 1, the maximum amount of this payment goes from $1,350 to $1,800.
Standardized Rental Forms
The Department of Housing Commissioner is required to develop standardized rental agreement forms that landlords and tenants may use.
The forms have to contain a rental agreement's essential terms, be easily readable and include plain language explanations of all the terms and conditions.
This form must be posted on the Department of Housing's website by July 1 and made available in English and Spanish.
By Dec. 1, 2028, these forms have to be translated into the five most commonly spoken languages in the state and also posted to the website.
Debt-free College Eligibility
Beginning July 1, a law will extend the eligibility for the state's debt-free community college program to returning students.
Under previous law, the state's program allowed eligible Connecticut high school graduates who enrolled as first-time community-technical college students to receive awards on a semester basis.
This law now removes the requirement that a qualifying student be a first-time enrollee. Awards must be applied during a student's first 48 consecutive months of community college attendance. Students can receive the award if they meet all other eligibility requirements.
Under existing law, an award is available to qualifying students for the first 72 credit hours they earn.
This law will also make changes by eliminating separate eligibility requirements for qualifying students who take a medical or personal leave of absence or are called to active duty in the armed forces while enrolled in a community college.
Corrections Pilot Programs
Beginning in July, the Department of Correction will begin two pilot programs for people in its custody:
One program will screen, assess, and treat people with alcohol use disorder.
One program will treat people with mental illness.
Under this law, the DOC has to spend at least $500,000 on each pilot program to treat participants with medications that are approved by the FDA for people with alcohol use disorder, as well as clinically appropriate, long-acting injectables for participants with mental illness.
By Dec. 1, 2025, the DOC must report to the Appropriations and Judiciary committees on each pilot program. The report must include the total number of people who have received the treatment, the number of people who requested the treatment but were not approved (along with why they were denied), and initiatives to expand and improve access to those medications.
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Jennifer Glatz is a digital content producer at FOX61 News. She can be reached at jglatz@fox61.com.
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