Page 382

House Bill No. 5506

Public Act No. 22-118 382 of 739

agency which has previously been designated by and authorized to accept funds from the federal Community Services Administration for community action agencies under the Economic Opportunity Act of 1964, or a successor agency established pursuant to section 17b-892 of the general statutes; (2) "Community health worker" means a public health outreach professional with an in-depth understanding of the experience, language, culture and socioeconomic needs of the community and who provides a range of services, including, but not limited to, outreach, engagement, education, coaching, informal counseling, social support, advocacy, care coordination, research related to social determinants of health and basic screenings and assessments of any risks associated with social determinants of health; and (3) "COVID-19" means the respiratory disease designated by the World Health Organization on February 11, 2020, as coronavirus 2019, and any related mutation thereof recognized by said organization as a communicable respiratory disease. (b) The Department of [Public Health] Social Services shall establish a community health worker grant program. The purpose of such program shall be to provide grants to community action agencies that employ or seek to employ community health workers who provide a range of services to persons adversely affected by the COVID-19 pandemic. The department may enter into an agreement, pursuant to chapter 55a of the general statutes, with a person, firm, corporation or other entity to operate such program. (c) The Department of [Public Health] Social Services shall publish on its Internet web site a notice of grant availability for the period beginning on [the effective date of this section] June 23, 2021, and ending on June 30, [2023] 2024.