Summary — HB 7156 (Public Act 25-79)
Title: AN ACT CONCERNING THE DEPARTMENT OF DEVELOPMENTAL SERVICES' RECOMMENDATIONS REGARDING VARIOUS REVISIONS TO DEVELOPMENTAL SERVICES STATUTES
Status: Signed by Governor (Public Act 25-79)
Introduced: March 5, 2025
Purpose and intent
HB 7156 is an omnibus statutory update that implements the Department of Developmental Services’ (DDS) recommendations to revise, clarify, and modernize multiple statutes that govern services, oversight, licensing, reporting, and protections for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities. The purpose is to improve service delivery, regulatory consistency, and protections for DDS clients and related populations by making targeted legal changes across a range of topics.
Key topics and areas addressed
The bill makes multiple, discrete changes across statutes touching on the following subjects (as indicated in the bill metadata):
- Behavioral health services
- Child abuse and neglect registry procedures
- Companion services
- Death reporting and related investigations
- DDS authorities, duties, and definitions (general revisions)
- Elder abuse and neglect reporting
- Epinephrine administration (policy for care settings)
- Guardian and ward procedures
- Health care provider roles and obligations
- Statutory provisions affecting persons with intellectual disabilities
- Investigations and investigative authority
- Licensing requirements for providers and residential care homes
- Medicaid and State Medical Assistance Program alignment and reimbursement
- Statutory reporting requirements
Because HB 7156 is omnibus in nature, it bundles multiple technical and substantive revisions designed to align state law with current practice, federal requirements (where applicable), and DDS policy needs.
Who is affected
Primary groups affected include:
- People with intellectual and developmental disabilities who receive DDS-funded or supervised services
- DDS staff and administrators
- Guardians, families, and caregivers
- Residential care homes and licensed service providers
- Health care providers serving DDS clients (including emergency medication administration such as epinephrine)
- Investigative bodies handling alleged abuse/neglect (child and elder)
- Medicaid beneficiaries and entities administering Medicaid-funded services
Effects will vary by provision — some are procedural/administrative clarifications, others may alter licensing, reporting, or reimbursement processes.
Legislative and procedural timeline
- Introduced: March 5, 2025; public hearing March 10, 2025
- Committee action: Joint Favorable Substitute reported and filed with LCO (March 12 & March 27)
- House passed: May 22, 2025
- Senate passed (on consent calendar/in concurrence): June 2, 2025
- Transmitted to Secretary of the State and Governor: June 16, 2025
- Public Act 25-79 and signed by Governor: June 10 and June 23, 2025 (listed in legislative actions; consult the official act for exact effective dates by section)
Implementation and where to find details
The act was signed into law as Public Act 25-79. Specific changes, operative language, and effective dates appear in the text of the enacted public act. For full section-by-section provisions and any fiscal notes, consult:
- The enacted Public Act (25-79) on the Connecticut General Assembly or Secretary of the State website
- Office of Legislative Research (OLR) and Office of Fiscal Analysis (OFA) reports referenced in the bill’s history
Note: This summary describes the bill’s scope and impacts based on the bill title, subject tags, and legislative history. For precise statutory amendments and legal obligations created by HB 7156, refer to the enacted bill text.
