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HB 6551

AN ACT CONCERNING ASSISTED OUTPATIENT TREATMENT FOR PERSONS WITH SEVERE MENTAL ILLNESS.

2025 Regular Session Introduced by Sarah Keitt

Connecticut bill establishes court-ordered community mental health treatment for severe mental illness as alternative to hospitalization or incarceration.

REF. TO JOINT COMM. ON Public Health
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Bill Summary · HB 6551

Legislative bill overview

HB 6551 establishes an assisted outpatient treatment (AOT) program in Connecticut for individuals with severe mental illness, allowing courts to mandate community-based mental health treatment as an alternative to hospitalization or incarceration. The bill creates legal mechanisms for initiating AOT through petition, outlines treatment requirements, and specifies conditions for program participation and termination.

Why is this important

Assisted outpatient treatment programs aim to reduce hospitalizations, emergency room visits, and involvement with the criminal justice system by ensuring consistent access to mental health services in the community. Connecticut's adoption of AOT could affect how the state manages severe mental illness cases and potentially influence criminal justice outcomes, housing stability, and healthcare costs for a vulnerable population.

Potential points of contention

  • Civil liberties concerns: Mandatory treatment without involuntary hospitalization raises questions about bodily autonomy, due process protections, and whether court-ordered outpatient care constitutes a deprivation of liberty that requires robust safeguards
  • Implementation and resource allocation: Effective AOT requires substantial investment in community mental health infrastructure, treatment capacity, and monitoring systems; unclear whether Connecticut has adequate funding and provider networks
  • Racial and socioeconomic disparities: Historical evidence suggests AOT programs can be applied unevenly across demographic groups, potentially disadvantaging communities of color and low-income individuals without explicit equity protections in the bill language

Compiled from official sources — confirm details with the bill’s official record.

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