(a) There is established a Connecticut Alcohol and Drug Policy Council which shall be within the Department of Mental Health and Addiction Services.

(b) The council shall consist of the following members: (1) The Secretary of the Office of Policy and Management, or the secretary’s designee; (2) the Commissioners of Children and Families, Consumer Protection, Correction, Education, Mental Health and Addiction Services, Public Health, Emergency Services and Public Protection and Social Services, and the Insurance Commissioner, or their designees; (3) the Chief Court Administrator, or the Chief Court Administrator’s designee; (4) the chairperson of the Board of Regents for Higher Education, or the chairperson’s designee; (5) the president of The University of Connecticut, or the president’s designee; (6) the Chief State’s Attorney, or the Chief State’s Attorney’s designee; (7) the Chief Public Defender, or the Chief Public Defender’s designee; and (8) the cochairpersons and ranking members of the joint standing committees of the General Assembly having cognizance of matters relating to public health, criminal justice and appropriations, or their designees. The Commissioner of Mental Health and Addiction Services and the Commissioner of Children and Families shall be cochairpersons of the council and may jointly appoint up to seven individuals to the council as follows: (A) Two individuals in recovery from a substance use disorder or representing an advocacy group for individuals with a substance use disorder; (B) a provider of community-based substance abuse services for adults; (C) a provider of community-based substance abuse services for adolescents; (D) an addiction medicine physician; (E) a family member of an individual in recovery from a substance use disorder; and (F) an emergency medicine physician currently practicing in a Connecticut hospital. The cochairpersons of the council may establish subcommittees and working groups and may appoint individuals other than members of the council to serve as members of the subcommittees or working groups. Such individuals may include, but need not be limited to: (i) Licensed alcohol and drug counselors; (ii) pharmacists; (iii) municipal police chiefs; (iv) emergency medical services personnel; and (v) representatives of organizations that provide education, prevention, intervention, referrals, rehabilitation or support services to individuals with substance use disorder or chemical dependency.

(c) The council shall review policies and practices of state agencies and the Judicial Department concerning substance abuse treatment programs, substance abuse prevention services, the referral of persons to such programs and services, and criminal justice sanctions and programs and shall develop and coordinate a state-wide, interagency, integrated plan for such programs and services and criminal sanctions.

(d) Such plan shall be amended not later than January 1, 2017, to contain measurable goals, including, but not limited to, a goal for a reduction in the number of opioid-induced deaths in the state.

(P.A. 97-248, S. 3, 12; P.A. 98-250, S. 35, 39; June Sp. Sess. P.A. 99-2, S. 35, 72; P.A. 00-27, S. 6, 24; 00-104; P.A. 04-234, S. 2; P.A. 13-26, S. 2; P.A. 15-198, S. 9; P.A. 16-43, S. 4; June Sp. Sess. P.A. 17-2, S. 305.)

History: P.A. 97-248 effective July 1, 1997; P.A. 98-250 added Commissioners of Consumer Protection, Motor Vehicles and Transportation to the council, effective July 1, 1998; June Sp. Sess. P.A. 99-2 amended Subsec. (b)(7) by adding “and ranking members” and replacing “the budgets of state agencies” with “appropriations”, effective July 1, 1999; P.A. 00-27 made technical changes in Subsec. (b), effective May 1, 2000; P.A. 00-104 amended Subsec. (b) by designating the Commissioner of Children and Families as a cochairperson of the council, deleting provision re scheduling the first meeting of the council, and making technical changes; P.A. 04-234 replaced Board of Parole with Board of Pardons and Paroles, effective July 1, 2004; P.A. 13-26 amended Subsec. (b) by making a technical change and amended Subsec. (c) by deleting provisions re submission of report and making a technical change, effective July 1, 2013; P.A. 15-198 amended Subsec. (a) to replace “Office of Policy and Management for administrative purposes only” with “Department of Mental Health and Addiction Services” and amended Subsec. (b) to delete references to Commissioners of Higher Education, Motor Vehicles and Transportation, add reference to Commissioner on Aging, delete reference to chairperson of the Board of Pardons and Paroles, add reference to chairperson of the Board of Regents for Higher Education and president of The University of Connecticut, add provision allowing cochairpersons to appoint up to 7 individuals to council and delete provision re Office of Policy and Management to provide staff to council, effective June 30, 2015; P.A. 16-43 amended Subsec. (b) by adding provisions re establishing subcommittees and working groups and added Subsec. (d) re amendment of plan to contain measurable goals; June Sp. Sess. P.A. 17-2 amended Subsec. (b) by deleting reference to Commissioner on Aging, effective October 31, 2017.