HB 5516, An Act Concerning Reproductive Rights

TESTIMONY OF THE CONNECTICUT HOSPITAL ASSOCIATION
SUBMITTED TO THE PUBLIC HEALTH COMMITTEE

Friday, March 13, 2026

The Connecticut Hospital Association (CHA) appreciates this opportunity to submit testimony concerning HB 5516, An Act Concerning Reproductive Rights.  CHA has comments about the bill.

Connecticut hospitals make our state stronger by delivering nationally recognized, world-class care, supporting jobs and economic growth, and serving communities across Connecticut.  Every day, hospitals improve access, affordability, and health equity — providing care to all patients regardless of ability to pay.  At the same time, hospitals invest in their workforce and local communities, even as they navigate significant financial and federal challenges.

HB 5516 seeks to alter the oversight tools available to a hospital or health system to oversee licensed practitioners who work at their facilities.  Importantly, the bill does not affect what services the facilities offer or provide but would only impact the level and types of information that may be discussed between a patient and their treating practitioner. 

CHA has consistently supported protecting a patient’s right to access available, legal options for their care delivery.  It is essential to the ethical and meaningful practice of medicine that government limit its interference with the delivery of healthcare while balancing the rare instances of placing specific mandates on hospitals and other providers.  We believe that HB 5516 attempts to limit that interference but ultimately may not fully address all ethical and religious concerns about how care is delivered and discussed at every facility. 

There is a well-established, legal framework embedded in state regulation and federal law that requires hospitals and health systems to oversee and manage practically every aspect of their facilities and operations.   With respect to individual practitioners, the obligations on hospitals and health systems, pursuant to federal regulation, must be shared with their medical staff.  HB 5516 impacts those obligations by removing the full scope of oversight tools that hospitals would otherwise be allowed to use to comply with their regulatory mandates, including the manner by which ethical or religious rights are addressed.  

To mitigate this impact, HB 5516 allows, but does not require, a facility to instruct a practitioner to provide additional information about available, legal healthcare options.  The bill’s application is also limited to reproductive healthcare and gender-affirming care.

We would prefer no interference; however, we respectfully recognize that the committee seeks to protect patient access to information and has carefully constructed the bill to limit a hospital’s risk of being at odds with other laws, including federal mandates, and we particularly appreciate that the bill does not direct what types of care a facility ultimately chooses to offer.  

We appreciate the work of the committee in listening to our concerns in an effort to maintain this difficult balance.   

Thank you for your consideration of our position.  For additional information, contact CHA Government Relations at (203) 294-7301.