Connecticut General Statutes Title 19A. Public Health and Well-Being § 19a-26. State laboratories. Services provided. Schedule of fees. Construction of state public health laboratory. Permissible activities

(a) The Department of Public Health may establish, maintain and control state laboratories to perform examinations of supposed morbid tissues, other laboratory tests for the diagnosis and control of preventable diseases, and laboratory work in the field of sanitation, environmental and occupational testing and research studies for the protection and preservation of the public health. Such laboratory services shall be performed upon the application of licensed physicians, other laboratories, licensed dentists, licensed podiatrists, licensed physician assistants, licensed advanced practice registered nurses, local directors of health, public utilities or state departments or institutions, subject to regulations prescribed by the Commissioner of Public Health, and upon payment of any applicable fee as provided in this subsection. For such purposes the department may provide necessary buildings and apparatus, employ, subject to the provisions of chapter 67,  1 administrative and scientific personnel and assistants and do all things necessary for the conduct of such laboratories. The Commissioner of Public Health may establish a schedule of fees, provided the commissioner waives the fees for local directors of health and local law enforcement agencies. If the commissioner establishes a schedule of fees, the commissioner may waive (1) the fees, in full or in part, for others if the commissioner determines that the public health requires a waiver, and (2) fees for chlamydia and gonorrhea testing for nonprofit organizations and institutions of higher education if the organization or institution provides combination chlamydia and gonorrhea test kits. The commissioner shall also establish a fair handling fee which a client of a state laboratory may charge a person or third party payer for arranging for the services of the laboratory. Such client shall not charge an amount in excess of such handling fee.

(b) The Department of Public Health shall ensure that the new state public health laboratory, to be constructed in the town of Rocky Hill, and authorized in accordance with the provisions of subsection (e) of section 2 of special act 01-2 of the June special session, subsection (g) of section 2 of special act 04-2 of the May special session  2 and subsection (o) of section 2 of public act 07-7 of the June special session  3 is constructed and thereafter operates in accordance with all applicable biosafety level criteria as prescribed by the National Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Office of Health and Safety. The construction of such laboratory shall facilitate the operation and administration of a laboratory that conforms with biosafety level 3 criteria as prescribed by the National Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Office of Health and Safety. The design or construction of such laboratory shall not permit biosafety level 4 activities to be conducted at such laboratory. No activity shall be conducted at the new state public health laboratory that exceeds biosafety level 3, nor shall any person, entity or state agency make application or seek permission to convert the public health laboratory into a facility that engages in biosafety level 4 activities.