HB 5514 Summary

• Allows advanced practice registered nurses to sign medical certificates and provide clinical opinions in various contexts previously limited to physicians, including disability determinations, immunization exemptions, and utility service disconnections.

• Expands health care professional qualifications and licensing requirements, including acupuncturists (increasing training hours from 1,350 to 1,905 hours effective October 1, 2012), massage therapists, and advanced practice registered nurses, with continued education requirements.

• Establishes new entities and programs including an Office of Oral Public Health, Health Information Technology Exchange of Connecticut board, and an advisory council on organ and tissue donation education.

• Modifies numerous public health and safety regulations including tumor registry reporting procedures, water treatment operator certification, life settlement contracts, and automatic external defibrillator requirements at college athletic facilities.

• Makes technical corrections and updates to vital statistics definitions, tax exemption procedures, employment regulations, and insurance claim form requirements to reflect current medical and administrative practices.