Candelora Supports Sweeping Bipartisan Legislation to Help IDD Population

HARTFORD—House Republican Leader Vincent Candelora on Tuesday voted for far-reaching legislation aimed at bolstering support services for Connecticut residents with intellectual or developmental disabilities (IDD), kickstarting an effort to reduce, if not eliminate, waitlists for programs and housing. The legislation, H.B. 5001, which passed through the House of Representatives unanimously in a 148 to 0 vote, crucially opens the lines of communication between parents and caregivers, school officials and state agencies about programming and services when a child turns 14—a move that adds specificity to vague state policy while giving service providers more information for long-term planning efforts. "We have too many of our friends, neighbors and constituents who are waitlisted for access to services such as day programs, a problem that is both emotional and stressful for families who really need government to finally develop strategies to fix this problem," Candelora said. "Perhaps most important, this bill introduces guidance to families at a much earlier age, giving parents and caregivers more time to understand the system and find programs and services children will eventually need when they transition out of the educational system." A critical component to reducing the waitlist for services, Candelora said, is supplying enough workers to serve clients. The bill passed Tuesday requires a multi-agency effort to create a Human Services Career Pipeline to train workers to serve the needs of residents with IDD and autism spectrum disorder (ASD). Additionally, the bill establishes a workforce development program that would provide grants on a sliding scale to nonprofit organizations whose workforce includes individuals with IDD. The legislation is an omnibus bill that contains elements from bills that were heard in 10 other committees, Candelora said, highlighting the expansive nature of the topic and buy-in from General Assembly members.  H.B. 5001 awaits action in the State Senate. "This is a bipartisan issue that affects residents of every city and town, and I'm heartened to see my colleagues rally around this legislation that over the next few years will reset how we help this population of vulnerable individuals," Candelora said. Additional provisions of the legislation include:

• Requires the Department of Development Services (DDS) to amend Medicaid waiver programs to provide compensation for family caregivers
• Redefines "child" to anyone under the age of 23, extends the "age out" age from state Department of Education special education and transition services
• Expands the state's "Purple Alert" system to include individuals with an intellectual or other developmental disability
• Requires DSS to establish a two-year pilot program with a Connecticut hospital to provide non-residential outpatient day services for residents with autism spectrum disorder (ASD)
• Requires multi-agency studies of statewide demand for transportation as well as methods of providing transportation to work, educational facilities, stores and more
• Requires establishment of guidelines and best practices for municipal emergency services for creation and implementation of awareness programming for people with ASD, cognitive impairments, and nonverbal learning disorders
• Requires DDS to establishment of a Transitional Life Skills College to provide transitional tools and life skills development
• Requires DDS to establish a grant program for nonprofit provider housing development, priority to those that reserve 50 percent to individuals on waitlists