Connecticut 2026 Session Status: In Committee 5 D cosponsors

SB 501 — AN ACT CONCERNING THE COMPLEX REHABILITATION TECHNOLOGY AND WHEELCHAIR REPAIR ADVISORY COUNCIL.

Last action — FILE NO. 490

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  1. ✓
    Introduced
  2. 2
    In Committee
  3. 3
    Passed Senate
  4. 4
    Passed House
  5. 5
    To Executive
  6. 6
    Enacted

This bill is in committee in the Senate. Introduced March 12, 2026. It must pass committee before a floor vote.

Next likely step: a committee vote, then a floor vote in the Senate.

Prognosis

Stalled 24% · moderate confidence

Where this bill stands today.

Odds of enactment

Low

How often bills like it became law.

  • In Committee

    Current position in the legislative process.

  • 5 sponsors

    5 primary, 0 co-sponsors signed on.

  • Single-party support

    Sponsorship is currently within one party (5 D).

Prognosis reads this bill's own signals — stage, sponsorship breadth, committee status, recorded votes and cross-state momentum. Odds come from a model trained on which bills have become law.

Bill Text

What changed in the latest version

195 added · 128 removed

Plain-language change summary

The updated version of Bill SB 501 has added a section recognizing the committee's report and its recommendation for the bill to pass, which emphasizes the support it has received from the Human Services Committee. Additionally, some redundant lines from the earlier draft have been removed to streamline the document. These changes are important because they clarify the bill’s progress through the legislative process and help present it more clearly to lawmakers and the public.

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General Assembly Raised Bill No.
Senate General Assembly File No.
501 February Session, 2026 LCO No.
490 February Session, 2026 Substitute Senate Bill No.
2961 Referred to Committee on HUMAN SERVICES Introduced by:
501 Senate, April 7, 2026 The Committee on Human Services reported through SEN.
(HS) AN ACT CONCERNING THE COMPLEX REHABILITATION TECHNOLOGY AND WHEELCHAIR REPAIR ADVISORY COUNCIL.
LESSER of the 9th Dist., Chairperson of the Committee on the part of the Senate, that the substitute bill ought to pass.
AN ACT CONCERNING THE COMPLEX REHABILITATION TECHNOLOGY AND WHEELCHAIR REPAIR ADVISORY COUNCIL.
(1) Two appointed by the House and Senate chairpersons of the joint standing committee of the General Assembly having cognizance of matters relating to human services, one of whom is a consumer who uses a complex rehabilitation technology wheelchair purchased, leased or repaired under the Medicaid program, and one of whom is a representative ofthestate advocacy systemfor personswithdisabilities, LCO No.
(1) [Two] Three appointed by the House and Senate chairpersons of the joint standing committee of the General Assembly having cognizance of matters relating to human services, [one of whom is a consumer who uses] two of whom are consumers who use a complex sSB501 / File No.
2961 1 of 5 Raised Bill No.501 established pursuant to section 46a-10b;
490 1 sSB501 File No.
490 rehabilitation technology wheelchair purchased, leased or repaired under the Medicaid program, and one of whom is a representative of the state advocacy system for persons with disabilities, established pursuant to section 46a-10b;
(7) The [Commissioner of Social Services, or the commissioner's designee] Department of Social Services manager of health and human services coordination, appointed by the Commissioner of Social Services;
(7) The Commissioner of Social Services, or the commissioner's designee;
LCO No.
sSB501 / File No.
2961 2 of 5 Raised Bill No.501 (c) Any member of theadvisory council appointed under subdivision (1), (2), (3) or (4) of subsection (b) of this section may be a member of the General Assembly and shall serve one-year terms at the pleasure of the appointing authority.
490 2 sSB501 File No.
490 (c) Any member of theadvisory council appointed under subdivision (1), (2), (3) or (4) of subsection (b) of this section may be a member of the General Assembly and shall serve two-year terms at the pleasure of the appointing authority.
(e) The Commissioner of Aging and Disability Services, or the commissioner's designee, the Department of Social Services manager of health and human services coordination and a member of the advisory council chosen by a majority of members of the advisory council, shall serveaschairpersons.
(e) The Commissioner of Aging and Disability Services, or the commissioner's designee, and a member of the advisory council chosen by a majority of members of the advisory council, shall serve as chairpersons.
Suchchairpersonsshallschedulethefirstmeeting of the advisory council not later than September 1, 2024.
Such chairpersons shall schedule the first meeting of the advisory council not later than September 1, 2024.
An authorized wheelchair dealer who sells or leases a complex rehabilitation technology wheelchair in the state shall provide timely repair of such wheelchair at a consumer's LCO No.
An authorized wheelchair dealer who sells or leases a complex rehabilitation technology wheelchair in the state shall provide timely repair of such wheelchair at a consumer's home upon request.
2961 3 of 5 Raised Bill No.501 home upon request.
(b) An authorized wheelchair dealer shall maintain an electronic mail sSB501 / File No.
(b) An authorized wheelchair dealer shall maintain an electronic mail address and a phone line for consumer repair requests that are accessible each business day and capable of receiving and recording messages.
490 3 sSB501 File No.
490 address and a phone line for consumer repair requests that are accessible each business day and capable of receiving and recording messages.
(3) request any necessary prior authorization from the Department of Social Services and receive a decision from the LCO No.
(3) request any necessary prior authorization from the Department of Social Services and receive a decision from the department on such request;
2961 4 of 5 Raised Bill No.
501 department on such request;
(e) An authorized wheelchair dealer shall notify a consumer of such consumer's rights to timely repair, including a repair at the consumer's home upon the consumer's request, and other rights pursuant to this section in writing at the time of purchase or lease by the consumer of a wheelchair from the authorized wheelchair dealer and on such dealer's Internet web site and any mailings to the consumer.
sSB501 / File No.
490 4 sSB501 File No.
490 (e) An authorized wheelchair dealer shall notify a consumer of such consumer's rights to timely repair, including a repair at the consumer's home upon the consumer's request, and other rights pursuant to this section in writing at the time of purchase or lease by the consumer of a wheelchair from the authorized wheelchair dealer and on such dealer's Internet web site and any mailings to the consumer.
2 July 1, 2026 42-338 Statement of Purpose:
2 July 1, 2026 42-338 Statement of Legislative Commissioners:
To amend statutory provisions and requirements concerning complex rehabilitation technology and wheelchair repair.
In Section 1(b)(1), the underlined language was redrafted for clarity.
that when the entire text of a bill or resolution or a section of a bill or resolution is new, it is not underlined.] LCO No.
HS Joint Favorable Subst.
2961 5 of 5
sSB501 / File No.
490 5 sSB501 File No.
490 The following Fiscal Impact Statement and Bill Analysis are prepared for the benefit of the members of the General Assembly, solely for purposes of information, summarization and explanation and do not represent the intent of the General Assembly or either chamber thereof for any purpose.
In general, fiscal impacts are based upon a variety of informational sources, including the analyst’s professional knowledge.
Whenever applicable, agency data is consulted as part of the analysis, however final products do not necessarily reflect an assessment from any specific department.
OFA Fiscal Note State Impact:
None Municipal Impact:
None Explanation The bill makes various changes to certain requirements concerning wheelchair dealers and the advisory council, resulting in no fiscal impact to the state.
sSB501 / File No.
490 6 sSB501 File No.
490 OLR Bill Analysis sSB 501 AN ACT CONCERNING THE COMPLEX REHABILITATION TECHNOLOGY AND WHEELCHAIR REPAIR ADVISORY COUNCIL.
SUMMARY This bill requires wheelchair dealers to (1) provide data to the Complex Rehabilitation Technology and Wheelchair Repair Advisory Council;
(2) report monthly, rather than annually, to the council and the Department of Social Services (DSS);
Show all 57 changed rows (17 more)
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and (3) provide a written notice to consumers on their right to timely repair.
The bill changes the council’s membership and requires the Office of the Healthcare Advocate, rather than the Human Services Committee administrative staff, to serve as the council’s administrative staff.
The bill also requires appointed council members to serve two-year terms at the pleasure of the appointing authority.
EFFECTIVE DATE:
July 1, 2026 WHEELCHAIR DEALER REPORT AND NOTICE Data Requests An authorized wheelchair dealer is any company doing business in thestateselling or leasing wheelchairs,including complexrehabilitation technology wheelchairs.
The bill requiresauthorizedwheelchair dealers to provide data the council requests, excluding data that is exempt from disclosure under the state’s Freedom of Information Act, which exempts, among other things, trade secrets and certain commercial or financial information (CGS § 1-210).
Monthly Report The bill requires authorized DSS-contracted wheelchair dealers to report monthly, rather than annually, on wheelchair repairs to the sSB501 / File No.
490 7 sSB501 File No.
490 council and the DSS commissioner.
By law, this report includes information on minimum, maximum, and average times from when a repair is requested to when the dealer responds and makes the repair, among other things.
Consumer Notice The bill requires authorized wheelchair dealers to notify consumers of their rights to timely repair, including repair at the consumer’s home if requested, and other rights under the law.
Dealers must provide the notice (1) in writing when a consumer leases or buys a wheelchair, (2) in any mailings to the consumer, and (3) on the dealer’s website.
COUNCIL MEMBERSHIP CHANGES Under current law, the wheelchair membership council has eight appointed members and several ex-officio members.
The bill requires one of the members appointed by the General Law Committee ranking members to be an authorized dealer, rather than a consumer who privately pays for complex rehabilitation technology.
The bill adds a member to the council by requiring the Human Services Committee chairpersons to appoint two consumers who use a complex rehabilitation technology wheelchair that is leased or repaired under the Medicaid program, rather than one.
COMMITTEE ACTION Human Services Committee Joint Favorable Substitute Yea 21 Nay 2 (03/19/2026) sSB501 / File No.
490 8
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How this bill changes current law

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AI-generated reading aid from the bill's amendatory text — verify against the official bill.

This bill establishes a new advisory council related to complex rehabilitation technology and wheelchair repair, and amends the requirements for authorized wheelchair dealers concerning repair times and consumer rights.

  • Section 42-339

    An advisory council to monitor repairs of wheelchairs and to make recommendations concerning improving repair times is established. → There is established a complex rehabilitation technology and wheelchair repair advisory council to monitor repairs of wheelchairs, including complex rehabilitation technology wheelchairs, as defined in section 42-337, and to make recommendations concerning improving repair times.

    The bill formally establishes the complex rehabilitation technology and wheelchair repair advisory council.

  • Section 42-339

    The Commissioner of Social Services, or the commissioner's designee. → Department of Social Services manager of health and human services coordination, appointed by the Commissioner of Social Services;

    This change modifies the representation of the Department of Social Services on the advisory council.

  • Section 42-338

    An authorized wheelchair dealer shall provide timely repair of such wheelchair at a consumer's home upon request. → An authorized wheelchair dealer who sells or leases a complex rehabilitation technology wheelchair in the state shall provide timely repair of such wheelchair at a consumer's home upon request.

    The bill specifies that timely repairs at home apply to complex rehabilitation technology wheelchairs sold or leased by authorized dealers.

  • Section 42-338

    The Healthcare Advocate shall submit a report to the joint standing committees of the General Assembly having cognizance of matters relating to general law, human services and insurance regarding the complaints received and recorded pursuant to this subsection. → Not later than January 1, 2025, and annually thereafter, the Healthcare Advocate shall submit a report to the joint standing committees of the General Assembly having cognizance of matters relating to general law, human services and insurance regarding the complaints received and recorded pursuant to this subsection.

    This requires the Healthcare Advocate to submit a report on complaints concerning timely repair issues annually.

  • Section 42-338

    Not later than December 31, 2024, and annually thereafter, an authorized wheelchair dealer that contracts with the Department of Social Services to sell or lease wheelchairs to Medicaid recipients shall submit a report to the Commissioner of Social Services and the advisory council established pursuant to section 42-339, regarding repair of such wheelchairs. → Not later than December 31, 2024, and monthly thereafter, an authorized wheelchair dealer that contracts with the Department of Social Services to sell or lease wheelchairs to Medicaid recipients shall submit a report to the Commissioner of Social Services and the advisory council established pursuant to section 42-339, as amended by this act, regarding repair of such wheelchairs.

    This change increases the frequency of required reports from authorized wheelchair dealers from annually to monthly.

Action History

  1. FILE NO. 490

  2. SENATE CALENDAR NUMBER 302

  3. FAV. RPT., TAB. FOR CAL., SEN.

  4. RPTD. OUT OF LCO

  5. REFERRED TO Office of Legislative Research AND Office of Fiscal Analysis 04/07/26

  6. FILED WITH LCO

  7. Joint Favorable Substitute

  8. PUBLIC HEARING 0317

  9. REF. TO JOINT COMM. ON Human Services

Sponsors

Sponsorship breakdown

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5 sponsors · 0 co-sponsors · 182 not signed on

Sponsors (5)

Co-sponsors (0)

None.

Not signed on (182)

182 members have not signed on to this bill.

Show all 182 →

"Not signed on" means a member has not sponsored or co-sponsored this bill — it does not imply opposition. Members flagged Voted No have a recorded No vote on this bill.

Whip count is in markup. Polling the chamber and every recorded vote this session. Only the first open is slow. It’s instant for you after this. Calling the roll · Tallying · Engrossing

Subjects

healthcare technology
Cross-referencing the record. Reading this bill against every other bill in the corpus by meaning, not keywords. Only the first open is slow. It’s instant for you after this. Matching · Ranking · Engrossing

Frequently asked questions

Who sponsors SB 501?
SB 501 is sponsored by Jaime S. Foster (Democratic), Kate Farrar (Democratic), Nicholas Menapace (Democratic), Anne M. Hughes (Democratic), and Nick Gauthier (Democratic).
What is the current status of SB 501?
This bill is in committee in the Senate. Introduced March 12, 2026. It must pass committee before a floor vote.
Where can I track SB 501?
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