PA 08-171—sSB 681

Government Administration and Elections Committee

Public Health Committee

Appropriations Committee

AN ACT ESTABLISHING A COMMISSION ON HEALTH EQUITY

SUMMARY: This act establishes a 32-member Commission on Health Equity within the Office of the Health Care Advocate for administrative purposes. The commission must work to (1) eliminate disparities in health status based on race, ethnicity, and linguistic ability and (2) improve the quality of health for all state residents.

The commission may (1) employ necessary staff within available appropriations and in compliance with the State Personnel Act; (2) use any funds available from federal, state, or other sources; and (3) enter contracts to carry out its duties.

The act repeals the Advisory Commission on Multicultural Health. That commission's mission was the elimination of disparities in health status among the state's cultural and ethnic communities and the overall improvement of state residents' health.

EFFECTIVE DATE: Upon passage

COMMISSION

In a preamble to the establishment of the commission, the act states the legislature's finding that (1) equal enjoyment of the highest attainable standard of health is a human right and one of the state's priorities; (2) research and experience show that the state's inhabitants experience barriers to good health based on race, ethnicity, national origin, and linguistic ability; and (3) it requires a variety of actions to address these barriers and others that may arise, including the collection, analysis, and reporting of information; identification of causes; and the development and implementation of policy solutions.

Duties

The commission must:

1. review and comment on any proposed state legislation and regulations that would affect the health of the state's populations experiencing racial, ethnic, cultural, and linguistic disparities in health status;

2. advise and provide information to the governor and legislature on the state policies concerning the health of these populations;

3. work as a liaison between these populations and state agencies to eliminate health disparities;

4. evaluate the impact of policies, procedures, activities, and resource allocations on eliminating these health disparities;

5. review and comment on the Department of Public Health's health disparities performance measures;

6. (a) explore successful programs in other sectors and states and (b) pilot and provide grants for new creative programs that may diminish or contribute to the elimination of health disparities in this state and culturally appropriate health education demonstration projects that the commission funds with public and private funds; and

7. submit to the governor and legislature an annual report on both a retrospective and prospective view of health disparities and the state's efforts to ameliorate those among the state's populations experiencing racial, ethnic, cultural, and linguistic disparities in health status.

The commission also has the authority to:

1. collect and analyze government and other data regarding the health status of state inhabitants based on race, ethnicity, national origin, and linguistic ability, including access, services, and outcomes in private and public health care institutions within the state, including the data collected by the Connecticut Health Information Network;

2. draft and recommend proposed legislation, regulations, and other policies designed to address disparities in health status;

3. conduct hearings and interviews, and receive testimony, regarding matters pertinent to its mission; and

4. convene the directors of state agencies with purview over the elimination of health disparities, including the Office of Health Care Access, Housing Finance Authority, and departments of the Public Health, Social Services, Children and Families, Developmental Services, Education, Mental Health and Addiction Services, Labor, and Transportation to advise and direct them in the implementation of policies, procedures, activities, and resource allocations to eliminate these health disparities;

Additionally, the commission is required to determine if its duties are duplicated by any other state agency, office, bureau, or commission and include information on the duplication in a report to the governor and legislature by June 1, 2010.

Members and Meetings

The commission consists of the:

1. commissioners of public health, mental health and addiction services, developmental services, social services, correction, children and families, and education;

2. deans of UConn Health Center, Yale University Medical School, and Public Health and the School of Epidemiology at Yale University, or their designees;

3. directors of UConn Health Center, Center for Public Health and Health Policy, and Hispanic Health Council, or their designees; and

4. chairpersons of the Office of the Health Care Advocate; Permanent Commission on the Status of Women; and African-American Affairs, Latino and Puerto Rican Affairs, and Asian Pacific American Affairs commissions, or their designees.

The membership also consists of the following members appointed by the following authorities.

Table 1: Appointed Members

*These members must represent communities facing disparities in health status based on race, ethnicity, and linguistic ability.

The appointing authority fills vacancies. The commission elects its own chairperson and vice-chairperson from its members and meets as often as the chairperson or a commission majority deems necessary, but at least quarterly. Members are considered to have resigned if they miss three consecutive meetings or half of the meetings in a calendar year.

Commission members are not paid but may be reimbursed for necessary expenses they incur while performing their duties.

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