Home healthcare workers now have new protections when visiting patients, including the possibility of chaperones.
A new law, put in place in response to a death last year, also gives them access to information letting them know if a patient poses a safety risk.
“Tomorrow's a big day for healthcare in Connecticut,” AFT Connecticut Vice President John Brady said on Monday.
It’s one of several new laws taking effect on Oct. 1.
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The new protections come almost a year after healthcare worker Joyce Grayson was killed while visiting a patient in Willimantic.
Michael Reese, a convicted rapist, was charged with murder and attempted sexual assault back in April.
Home healthcare workers can now access information that lets them know if a patient poses safety risks, including based on convictions or complaints from other aides.
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Those workers can also request a chaperone.
“We would never deny care, but you’ve got to do it in a safe way so you can go on to see the next patient,” Brady said.
Other new laws include protections for minors online. Anyone under the age of 13 needs a parent’s permission to create a social media account.
Those between 13 and 19 must consent to sharing their personal data.
“There are a number of protections but again we can build on those protections, but I'm very, very proud of the law that we have,” Sen. Bob Duff, (D - Majority Leader), said. "That is the strictest in the country.”
Duff said the law is a continuation of the legislature’s attempts to protect children online. He added he expects lawmakers to make another attempt at regulations around artificial intelligence, including deep fake pornography, in the upcoming session.
Another law requires police departments to create new policies around body-worn cameras, specifically when an officer can pause recording.
Existing law requires police to record interactions, and the new law stipulates pausing can only happen when an officer believes recording interferes with an investigation. The officer must also talk with supervisors before pausing.
“When there’s a pause, that obviously raises a question: what happened,” Sen. Martin Looney, (D - President Pro Tem.), said.
He added recordings can help determine when an officer has engaged in wrongdoing or is the subject of a baseless complaint.
Several laws relate to animals, including a ban on dog racing. No one was organizing dog races in Connecticut, but Duff said this just makes it clear the activity is banned.
Another law establishes the lollipop as the state candy and the Siberian Husky as the state dog.
People can also now face penalties if they kill or injure a police canine in the line of duty.
The law is named Broko’s bill after a state police canine who died while chasing a suspect in December. Broko was the first state police dog killed by gunfire in the line of duty.
“Our canine officers are trained, they work extremely hard and they’re considered a member of our local police department or our state police,” Sen. Heater Somers, (R - Groton), said.
