Important Acts Affecting Children
The non-partisan Office of Legislative Research has published its report that summarizes new laws affecting children passed during the 2013 regular session.
Children’s Mental, Emotional, and Behavioral Health
PA 13-178 requires the Department of Children and Families (DCF) and the Office of Early Childhood (OEC), in consultation and collaboration with various individuals and agencies, to take several steps to address Connecticut children’s mental, emotional, and behavioral health needs. The new law requires training for school resource officers, mental health care providers, pediatricians, and child care providers. It also requires the Birth-to-Three program to provide mental health services to children eligible for early intervention services under federal law. The new law also establishes a 14-member task force to study the effects of nutrition, genetics, complementary and alternative treatments, and psychotropic drugs on children’s mental, emotional, and behavioral health.
Child Obesity Task Force
PA 13-173establishes a 19-member task force to study the effects of obesity on children’s health and report its findings to the Children’s Committee by October 1, 2014. The law identifies specific tasks that the task force must undertake. As Ranking Member of the Children’s Committee, I am proud to announce that I have been appointed to serve on this task force.
Newborn Testing for Adrenoleukodystrophy (ALD)
PA 13-242 requires that when certain conditions are met, all health care institutions caring for newborn infants must test them for ALD unless, as allowed by law, their parents object on religious grounds. The test for ALD is in addition to the DPH newborn screening program for genetic and metabolic disorders.
School Safety Requirements
PA 13-188 A new law (1) establishes requirements for municipalities and boards of education to hire active or retired police officers to provide armed security at public schools and (2) requires all armed school security to be active or retired police officers. State law generally bans possession of firearms on school grounds except under certain circumstances, one of which is when a person possesses the firearm under an agreement between school officials and the person or his or her employer. The new law applies its requirements to these agreements, thus narrowing who can possess firearms on school grounds under these agreements to active or retired police officers.
Pool Safety Requirements
PA 13-161 establishes and phases in, beginning with the July 1, 2013 school year, statewide safety standards for public school swimming pools being used for physical education classes, interscholastic activities, or extracurricular activities (i.e., student aquatic activities). The new law applies to any pool a school board approves for these activities. When any of the above aquatic activities are taking place at a school pool, the new law requires a qualified person to be present to monitor the pool for distressed swimmers and help them if necessary. This person must be in addition to the one conducting the activity, except for extracurricular activities being conducted in any school year starting July 1, 2014. By July 1, 2014, the new law requires all school boards offering student aquatic activities at a school pool to adopt a pool safety plan ensuring compliance with the new law.
For the full list of acts affecting children, click here.
As always, please feel free to contact me regarding this or any legislative issue at 800-842-1423 or email