AN ACT ESTABLISHING A MINORITY HEALTH ADVISORY COUNCIL.

Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in General Assembly convened:

Section 1. (NEW) (Effective from passage) (a) There is established a Minority Health Advisory Council that shall work to eliminate the disparities in health status among the state's multicultural, multilingual and multiethnic communities. Additionally, such council shall work for an overall improvement of the quality of health for state residents. Such council shall consist of the following commissioners, or their designees, and public members: (1) The Commissioners of Public Health, Mental Health and Addiction Services, Developmental Services, Social Services, Correction, Children and Families, and Education; (2) the dean of The University of Connecticut Health Center, or his designee; (3) the codirectors of The University of Connecticut Health Center and Center for Public Health and Health Policy, or their designees; (4) the dean of the Yale University Medical School, or his designee; (5) the dean of Public Health and the School of Epidemiology at Yale University, or his designee; (6) one member appointed by the president pro tempore of the Senate, who shall be a member of an affiliate of the National Urban League; (7) one member appointed by the speaker of the House of Representatives, who shall be a member of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People; (8) one member appointed by the majority leader of the House of Representatives, who shall be a member of the Black and Puerto Rican Caucus of the General Assembly; (9) one member appointed by the majority leader of the Senate with the advice of the Native American Heritage Advisory Council or the chairperson of the Indian Affairs Council who shall be a representative of the Native American community; (10) one member appointed by the minority leader of the Senate, who shall be a representative of an advocacy group for Hispanics; (11) one member appointed by the minority leader of the House of Representatives, who shall be a representative of the state-wide Multicultural Health Network; (12) the chairperson of the African-American Affairs Commission, or his or her designee; (13) the chairperson of the Latino and Puerto Rican Affairs Commission, or his or her designee; (14) the chairperson of the Permanent Commission on the Status of Women, or his or her designee; and (15) eight members of the public, representing diverse multicultural, multilingual, multiethnic backgrounds, who shall be appointed as follows: Two by the president pro tempore of the Senate, two by the speaker of the House of Representatives, two by the minority leader of the Senate, and two by the minority leader of the House of Representatives. Vacancies on the council shall be filled by the appointing authority.

(b) The council shall elect a chairperson and a vice-chairperson from among its members. Any member absent from either: (1) Three consecutive meetings of the council, or (2) fifty per cent of such meetings during any calendar year, shall be deemed to have resigned from the council.

(c) Members of the council shall serve without compensation, but within available appropriations, and shall be reimbursed for expenses necessarily incurred in the performance of their duties.

(d) The council shall meet as often as necessary as determined by the chairperson or a majority of the council.

(e) The council shall: (1) Review and comment on any proposed state legislation and regulations that would affect the health of multicultural, multilingual, and multiethnic populations in the state; (2) review and comment on the Department of Public Health's health disparities performance measures; (3) advise and provide information to the Governor and the General Assembly on the state's policies concerning the health of the multicultural, multilingual, multiethnic communities in the state; (4) work as a liaison between the multicultural, multilingual, and multiethnic communities and state agencies in order to eliminate health disparities; (5) evaluate the impact of programs in the Departments of Public Health, Social Services, Children and Families, Developmental Services and Education to eliminate such health disparities; and (6) prepare and submit to the Governor and General Assembly an annual report, in accordance with section 11-4a of the general statutes, that provides both a retrospective and prospective view of health disparities and the state's efforts to ameliorate identifiable disparities among the multicultural, multilingual, multiethnic populations of the state.

(f) The council may use such funds as may be available from federal, state or other sources, and may enter into contracts to carry out the provisions of this section.

(g) The council may, within available appropriations and subject to the provisions of chapter 67 of the general statutes, employ any necessary staff.

(h) The council shall be within the Office of the Health Care Advocate for administrative purposes only.

Statement of Purpose:

To establish a Minority Health Advisory Council.

[Proposed deletions are enclosed in brackets. Proposed additions are indicated by underline, except that when the entire text of a bill or resolution or a section of a bill or resolution is new, it is not underlined.]