HB 7259, An Act Concerning Revisions To Various Statutes Concerning Criminal Justice

TESTIMONY OF THE CONNECTICUT HOSPITAL ASSOCIATION
SUBMITTED TO THE JUDICIARY COMMITTEE

Monday, March 31, 2025

The Connecticut Hospital Association (CHA) appreciates this opportunity to submit testimony concerning HB 7259, An Act Concerning Revisions To Various Statutes Concerning Criminal Justice. CHA offers support for the changes proposed in Section 2 of the bill and suggests a modification to the proposed language.

Connecticut hospitals and health systems care for patients, strengthen the state’s economy, and support vulnerable communities across the state. Every day, they work to improve healthcare access, affordability, and health equity. Even as they face ongoing challenges, hospitals provide world-class care to everyone who walks through their doors, regardless of their ability to pay. Hospitals also support an exemplary workforce as the largest collective employer in the state, contribute significantly to the state’s economy, and invest in their communities addressing social drivers of health.

CHA is a statutory member of the state’s Commission on the Standardization of the Collection of Evidence in Sexual Assault Investigations (Commission). Over the last several months, members of the Commission have discussed and supported the concepts outlined in Section 2 of HB 7259. These proposed changes to Connecticut General Statutes Section 19a-112a will provide survivors of sexual assault with an additional designation option for their evidence collection kit.

Currently, survivors of sexual assault can consent to have a sexual assault evidence collection kit performed at hospital emergency departments throughout the state. The proposed modification will allow the survivor to include their name on the collected kit but would not require the alleged assault be reported by the survivor to a law enforcement agency at the time of the evidence collection. This proposed modification of Connecticut’s law is modeled after laws in other states. This option for survivors is considered a survivor-centered approach because it allows the survivor, who may still be coping with what they experienced, to have more time before they make an official report to law enforcement and not put a pause on the evidence collected being analyzed by the state laboratory.

In reviewing the proposed language in Section 2, CHA asks that the following clarification be made to the bill. In line 57, insert the suggested additions as shown in bold below:

After [the collection] collecting the evidence, the health care facility shall obtain the consent of the victim to establish a designation label for the sexual assault evidence collection kit, for which the victim may choose the designation of either: (1) “anonymous” by not including the victim’s name on the sexual assault evidence collection kit and not reporting to a law enforcement agency at the time of evidence collection; (2) “identified” by including the victim’s name on the sexual assault evidence collection kit, but not reporting to a law enforcement agency at the time of evidence collection; or (3) “reported” by including the victim’s name on the sexual assault evidence collection kit and reporting to a law enforcement agency at the time of evidence collection. After the collection and designation of any evidence, the health care facility shall contact a law enforcement agency to receive the evidence.

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