Public Health Committee February 26, 2025

Submitted by: Dawn Brown, MSW

Dear Honorable Chairpersons Senator Anwar, Representative McCarthy Vahey and distinguished members of the Public Health Committee of the Connecticut General Assembly:

My name is Dawn Brown and I am the Executive Director of the National Association of Social Workers – Connecticut Chapter (NASW-CT). On behalf of NASW-CT, representing over 2,200 members, we are in support of S.B. 1331. Instead of a study, however, we urge the Committee to consider the substantive recommendations submitted by Mag Morelli, Amanda Gunthel and Dr. Anthony Yoder, appointed members of the working group created under Public Act 24-19, § 23, in a letter dated November 18, 2024 to the Office of Health Strategy (OHS).

As part of a coalition of 23 healthcare provider associations and organizations, we notified OHS on November 21, 2024, that we supported the recommendations in the Letter. NASW-CT continues to support these recommendations, which provide a detailed roadmap of legislative and other changes necessary to protect patient information and to shield healthcare providers from onerous requirements.

The Letter was appended to OHS’ Health Information Exchange Regulations Recommendations Report submitted to this Committee on January 1, 2025 (see pages 25-41 at: https://portal.ct.gov/ohs/-/media/ohs/reports/office-of-health- strategy-health-information-exchange-regulations--pa-24-19.pdf?rev=a5017b20eb4241d59ebcd4fb959d2a16).

Thank you for the opportunity to submit testimony on this bill.