These 9 New CT Laws Could Change Your Life Starting this Weekend

HARTFORD, CT – Nearly 100 new laws will go into effect on Saturday, Oct. 1, many of which will largely affect the life of an average citizen.

Acts concerning palliative use of marijuana, telehealth providers, penalties for abuse of nursing home patients, use of experimental drugs for terminally ill patients, temporary restraining orders, human trafficking and guns are just a few of the facets of life in Connecticut that will see changes in the new month.

Here are the new laws that take effect this week, with a brief summary of what they mean for residents:

The Palliative Use of Marijuana
The state’s medical marijuana program will now include patients under the age of 18. Younger users will, however, only have access to non-smokable forms of marijuana. Adolescent patients will also need a prescription from their doctor.

Telehealth Providers
This act adds licensed speech and language pathologists, respiratory care practitioners and audiologists to the list of health care providers authorized to provide health care services using telehealth. By law, “telehealth” means delivering health care services through information and communication technologies to facilitate the diagnosis, consultation, treatment, education, care management and self-management of a patient's physical and mental health.

Treating Dogs or Cats Cruelly
This act allows judges to appoint volunteers, from a list of attorneys and law students provided by the agriculture commissioner, to advocate for the interests of justice in certain proceedings involving animals. The court may appoint a separate advocate in prosecutions for animal cruelty or fighting, court proceedings stemming from an animal control officer's seizure of a cruelly treated or neglected animal and criminal cases involving the welfare or custody of cats or dogs.

Experimental Drugs
Access to experimental drugs will be granted to terminally ill patients. The drugs may not be approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. Patients are required, however, to show they have exhausted other treatment options. They must also receive approval from their doctor to use the drugs.

Naloxone Training
This act requires communities to have a plan to train first responders and ensure access to the overdose reversal drug naloxone. It also allows any licensed healthcare professional to administer an opioid antagonist, to treat or prevent a drug overdose without civil or criminal liability.

Guns While Intoxicated
Lowers the blood alcohol content (BAC) level that triggers a presumptive violation of the law's prohibition on carrying a loaded firearm while under the influence of drugs or alcohol. The act also makes changes pertaining to hunting while impaired by alcohol or under the influence of drugs or alcohol.

Gift Card Balances
This act requires someone selling or issuing a gift card to give the buyer an electronic or paper proof of purchase or gift receipt. Anyone accepting a gift card as payment must also give the purchaser, on request, cash for the remaining balance on the card after the purchase if the balance is under $3 and the purchaser provides the proof of purchase or gift receipt.

Child Endangerment While Driving Under the Influence
The criminal penalties will increase for driving under the influence with a child passenger or driving a school bus, student transportation vehicle or other motor vehicle specially designated for carrying children. The law is effective with or without a child passenger.

Farm to School Programs
Food service management companies are required to include a description of how their proposal or bid is consistent with the state's farm-to-school program in their response to a board of education's requests for a school nutrition program. The company must also describe how it facilitates the purchase of products from local farmers. The act also requires the State Board of Education to amend its regulations on nutrition standards for school breakfasts and lunches by Oct. 1, 2017.

For more information and more new laws and regulations taking effect this month, visit the Connecticut General Assembly website.

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