Mental Health Public Hearing, Youth Advisory Council & Planning and Development

mccv
February 23, 2022
The legislative session is underway. Committees are voting to draft bills, and hearings have begun. This Friday, there are two hearings I would like to highlight, the Planning and Development Committee and the Joint Public Health and Children’s Committee hearing on children’s mental health. On Sunday, Rep. Leeper and I will host the first in a series of Youth Advisory Council meetings.
Children’s Mental Health

I have been honored to join the bi-partisan working group leading the effort to develop legislation aimed at providing additional support, resources, and structural change to the children’s mental health system in our state. If you are a parent, teacher, provider, or young person interested in sharing your experience in order to inform the legislation, please use the information below to submit written testimony or to sign up for this Friday’s zoom.

HB 5001, An Act Concerning Children's Mental Health, is a comprehensive proposal encompassing schools, healthcare settings, insurance eligibility, screening tools, and more. A press conference was held on Friday, Feb. 18, to unveil the legislation and discuss the ways in which it will address the needs of Connecticut's mental and behavior health system for children. You can watch the on-demand recording here.
HB 5001 - Bill Highlights
The Public Health Committee and the Committee on Children will hold a joint public hearing via Zoom on Friday, February 25th at 9 a.m. on this piece of legislation and the SB 2, An Act Expanding Preschool and Mental and Behavioral Services for Children. You can watch live on YouTube or on CT-N.
If you are interested in providing testimony, you can find information on how to do so on the CGA Bulletin. Testimony is accepted:
  • Via Zoom: Register using the On-line Testimony Registration Form
    • Registration will close on TOMORROW, Feb. 24, at 3:00 P.M. Speaker order of approved registrants will be posted on the Public Health Committee website on Thursday, at 6pm under Public Hearing Testimony
  • In Writing: Email in a Word or PDF format to PHtestimony@cga.ct.gov
  • By Phone: Call the Phone Registrant Line at (860) 240-0441 to leave your contact information
A detailed guide to submitting testimony can be found here.
 
Planning and Development

The Planning and Development Committee, which I co-chair, will be working this year to pass our state’s Plan of Conservation and Development. This Friday, there will be a hearing on a bill related to the Plan, as well as bills on E-Book Licensing, Animal Tethering, introduced by Reps Leeper and Devlin, and Conservation Easements. We cover items that impact municipal operations in the committee, and have a wide ranging agenda. You can sign up to testify or listen to the hearings via the committee’s YouTube channel.
 
Youth Advisory Council

Together with Representative Leeper I am happy to re-start something I had done a few years back, a Youth Advisory Council. Our first meeting will be held virtually on Sunday, February 27th at 4:30PM.

The Council will meet periodically during the session to gather input, discuss legislation in Hartford, and hear directly from our students. This will also be an opportunity to ask us questions and share thoughts about the legislative process. I hope that you will share this info with your children, students and friends!

To register for the Youth Advisory Council, please click here.