Can I Access the Documents CADH Produces to Advocate and Educate?
Yes. Below please find documents, arranged topically, that constitute some of CADH’s advocacy and educational activities.a
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Farmers' Markets
Farmers' markets provide Connecticut residents with important access to healthy, locally grown foods
and other farm products, but this access must be balanced with ensuring that the public is not exposed
to unacceptable risks of contracting foodborne illness.
April 14, 2011 Comments on House Bill No. 6156, An Act Concerning Farmers' Markets, outlining
specific concerns with the bill's current language.aa a
Health Reform
March 21, 2012 Testimony regarding Raised Bill 5527: An Act Concerning a Working Group to
Study Health Care Reform, which would convene a working group to study and
make recommendations concerning health care reform.
March 15, 2012 Testimony regarding Raised Bill 405: An Act Concerning Targeted Health Areas,
which would establish a Targeted Health Area program and provide economic
incentives to licensed physicians and physician offices providing primary care
services or needed medical specialities in such targeted health areas.
The Affordable Care Act provides Connecticut the unprecedented opportunity to establish a State Basic
Health Program, which could provide affordable and comprehensive health benefits to low-income
individuals at a cost that is neutral to the state.
March 21, 2012 Testimony regarding Raised Bill 425: An Act Concerning a Basic Health Program
March 13, 2012 Testimony regarding Raised Bill 5450: An Act Establishing a Basic Health Program
In July 2009, the Connecticut General Assembly passed House Bill 6600, An Act Concerning the
Establishment of the SustiNet Plan. That law established an eleven-member volunteer board of directors
to design and establish, by January 1, 2011, the details and implementation process for a statewide
public health care plan called SustiNet. That plan is being considered during this current legislative
session.
February 14, 2011 Testimony regarding RB 6305: An Act Concerning Implementation of the SustiNet
Plan, which would create SustiNet
Hookah
A hookah is a charcoal-heated waterpipe used to smoke mixtures of tobacco, fruit and/or herbs, with the
smoke filtered through the water in the base of the hookah’s pipe. Using a waterpipe to smoke tobacco
poses a serious potential health hazard to smokers and others exposed to the smoke emitted.
Nonetheless, hookah smoking has become popular in Connecticut, especially in hookah lounges,
establishments where patrons can smoke from a communal hookah that is placed at each table.
March 2, 2011 Testimony regarding PB 415: An Act Concerning State Oversight Over Hookah
Lounges
March 1, 2011 Fact sheet regarding PB 415: An Act Concerning State Oversight Over Hookah
Lounges, setting forth the rationale for banning rather than regulating hookah
smoking in Connecticut and providing suggested statutory language
December 23, 2010 Memorandum discussing the application of Connecticut smoking laws to hookah
lounges in the state
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Lead
March 7, 2012 Testimony regarding RB 188: An Act Concerning Financial Assistance to Local
Health Departments for Lead Poisoning Prevention, which would streamline the
funding process for local public health departments.
Under current law, local health directors have the authority with respect to lead prevention and control.
The relevant provisions of the Public Health Code may be found here. The Department of Public Health
proposed changes to those regulations.
July 29, 2010 Testimony regarding regulations proposed by the Connecticut Department of Public
Health concerning Lead Poisoning Prevent and Control Grants for Local Health
Departments
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Outdoor Wood-Burning Furnaces
Outdoor wood-burning furnaces, a strucutre designed to burn wood to heat adjacent structures, is currently
regulated by Section 22a-174k of the Connecticut General Statutes.
February 22, 2012 Testimony regarding RB 84: An Act Concerning Outdoor Wood Furnaces, which
would prohibit the use of wood-burning furnaces between May first and September
thirtieth.
November 16, 2011 Comments in support of the Connecticut Council on Environmental Quality's
recommendations regarding air pollution from outdoor wood furnaces.
March 31, 2011 Letter to the co-chairs of the Environment Committee, outlining CADH's concerns
with the substitute bill language for Proposed Substitute Bill 830.
February 9, 2011 Testimony regarding RB 830: An Act Prohibiting the Use of Certain Outdoor Wood-
Burning Furnaces, which would prohibit the use of outdoor wood-burning furnaces
except if such furnaces are used for agricultural or farming purposes or to heat the
home of such farmer.
March 8, 2010 Testimony regarding SB 126: An Act Adding Wood Smoke to the Public Health
Nuisance Code and Concerning Outdoor Wood-Burning Furnaces, which would
add wood smoke to the public health nuisance list and to ban outdoor wood-burning
furnaces.
Public Health Infrastructure
CADH regularly advocates for maintaining and enhancing public health funding, especially so that local
health departments may continue performing essential, statutorily mandated services.
March 2, 2011 CADH provided comments on the Governor's proposed budget for the Department
of Public Health.
Following, Governor Dan Malloy's election, CADH engaged in advocacy to ensure that the next
Commissioner of Public Health would exhibit strong, decisive, and visionary leadership.
February 3, 2011 Testimony in Support of House Resolution Re Dr. Jewel Mullen to be
Commissioner of Public Health
December 21, 2010 Press Release: CADH Supports Appointment of Dr. Jewel Mullen As Next
Department of Public Health Commissioner
November 9, 2010 Letter urging Governor-Elect Dan Malloy to make promoting the public’s health a
top priority of his administration and to consider several characteristics that are
critical in selecting Connecticut’s next Commissioner of Public Health
In May 2009, former Governor M. Jodi Rell executed Executive Order No. 26, which created the Governor's
Council for Local Public Health Regionalization to communicate a practical regional approach for defining
local public health infrastructure with the goal of public health regionalization. "Regionalization" in this
context is the formation of health districts, governed by a board whose members are appointed by member
towns. Health departments are otherwise municipally based.
January 2010 Moving Toward Public Health Equity in Connecticut, presented by the Governor’s
Council for Local Public Health Regionalization, a report which describes the
current public health system in Connecticut, analyzes data collected, and sets forth
governing principles to guide future changes to the system. Appendices to the
Report may be found here.
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Public Swimming Areas
Under current law, local health directors have the authority to inspect public swimming areas to ensure
that they meet certain standards. The Department of Public Health recently proposed changes to those
regulations.
December 2, 2010 Comments on proposed regulations regarding public swimming areas, which
would replace the current regulations under Sections 19-13-B34 and 19-13-B36
of the Regulations of the Connecticut State Agencies
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State-Local Collaboration
The Connecticut Conference of Municipalities advocated for legislation to establish a Council to faciliate
collaboration between state and local governmental public health.
March 7, 2012 Testimony regarding RB 277: An Act Establishing a Council to Promote Collaboration
Between Local Health Departments and the Department of Public Health.
April 14, 2011 Fact sheet regarding HB 5618: An Act Concerning the Establishment of a Council
to Promote the Enhanced Communication Between State and Local Public Health
Officials, responding to the fiscal note published by the Office of Fiscal Analysis.
March 2, 2011 Testimony regarding HB 5618: An Act Concerning the Establishment of a Council
to Promote the Enhanced Communication Between State and Local Public Health
Officials.
January 27, 2011 Fact sheet regarding HB 5618: An Act Concerning the Establishment of a Council
to Promote the Enhanced Communication Between State and Local Public Health
Officials, setting forth the rationale for forming a Council and providing language
of a comparable statute in Utah.
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Subsurface Sewage Disposal
Under current law, local health directors have the authority with respect to subsurface sewage disposal.
The relevant provisions of the Public Health Code may be found here.
June 2010 Comments on the Connecticut Department of Environmental Protection’s Draft
“General Permit to Discharge from Subsurface Sewage Disposal Systems Serving
Existing Facilities”
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Tobacco
The dangers of tobacco use and exposure to tobacco smoke are well-document. CADH engages in
advocacy activities to protect the public's health from the adverse effects of tobacco.
March 7, 2012 Testimony regarding RB 5332: An Act Concerning Smoking in Public Buildings
and the Exemption for Tobacco Bars, which would redefine "tobacco bar" to
further reduce smoking in public places.
March 11, 2011 Testimony regarding RB 948: An Act Concerning Smoking in Workplaces, which
would ban smoking in all workplaces, not just workplaces with five or more
employees, as provided under current law.
February 9, 2011 Testimony regarding RB 884: An Act Prohibiting Smoking in Private Clubs, which
would ban smoking in private clubs that sell alcohol to be consumed on the
premises, consistent with comprehensive legislation passed by the Connecticut
Generaly Assembly in 2003 to ban smoking in restaurants and bars.
March 18, 2010 Testimony regarding HB 5411: An Act Concerning Medicaid, which would require
the Commissioner of Social Services to amend the Medicaid state plan to include
treatment for smoking cessation
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Tanning Facilities
Under Section 19a-232 of the Connecticut General Statutes, a "tanning facility" means any place where a
tanning device is used for a fee, membership dues or other compensation.
March 7, 2012 Testimony regarding RB 54: An Act Concerning the Use of Indoor Tanning Devices
By Persons Under Eighteen Years of Age, which would ban the use of tanning beds
for individuals under eighteen years old.
March 1, 2010 Testimony regarding SB 263: An Act Requiring Tanning Facilities to Provide
Notification of the Health Risks Associated with the Use of Tanning Devices, which
would require tanning facilities to inform consumers of the health risks associated
with the use of tanning devices prior to the use of such devices.
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Vaccinations
Pharmacists in Connecticut currently have legal authority to administer certain (but not all) types of
vaccines in Connecticut.
March 16, 2012 Testimony regarding RB 371: An Act Concerning the Administration of Injectable
Vaccines in Adults, which would allow pharmacists to administer to adults vaccines
that are listed on the National Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's adult
immunization schedule under certain circumstances.
