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Former council member urges support for House Bill 7108 on profound autism, calls for staff pay increases
Summary
Adrianne Benjamin, a public commenter and former council member, urged council members to advocate for House Bill 7108 — which would study and address profound autism — and warned the bill lacks provisions on provider pay and rate increases that stakeholders say are needed.
Adrianne Benjamin, a former council member speaking during the public-participation portion of the meeting, urged council members and families to support House Bill 7108, a measure she described as the first Connecticut bill on profound autism to reach committee consideration.
Benjamin said the bill has two main parts: a study component to better count and understand people with severe and profound autism and reforms aimed at improving abuse and neglect investigation transparency and staff training. She said the Human Services Committee unanimously supported the bill in committee, and that the next steps are votes in the full House and Senate before a gubernatorial decision.
Benjamin repeatedly encouraged council members and attendees to contact their legislators in support of the bill and to press for higher pay and provider rates. She said the bill itself does not contain rate increases and warned that training and better identification will not by themselves ensure adequate staff if agencies cannot recruit and retain direct-support workers. “There’s nothing in that bill about raising the pay or the rates for the agencies,” Benjamin said, noting market pressures including private-sector pay increases.
Council members thanked Benjamin for her advocacy. No formal council action on HB 7108 was recorded during the meeting; the presentation served as public comment and advocacy.
