(a) For purposes of this section:

(1) “Health care provider” means any individual, corporation, facility or institution licensed by the state to provide health care services; and

(2) “Electronic health record system” means a computer-based information system that is used to create, collect, store, manipulate, share, exchange or make available electronic health records for the purposes of the delivery of patient care.

(b) Not later than one year after commencement of the operation of the State-wide Health Information Exchange, each hospital licensed under chapter 368v and clinical laboratory licensed under § 19a-565 shall maintain an electronic health record system capable of connecting to and participating in the State-wide Health Information Exchange and shall apply to begin the process of connecting to, and participating in, the State-wide Health Information Exchange.

(c) Not later than two years after commencement of the operation of the State-wide Health Information Exchange, (1) each health care provider with an electronic health record system capable of connecting to, and participating in, the State-wide Health Information Exchange shall apply to begin the process of connecting to, and participating in, the State-wide Health Information Exchange, and (2) each health care provider without an electronic health record system capable of connecting to, and participating in, the State-wide Health Information Exchange shall be capable of sending and receiving secure messages that comply with the Direct Project specifications published by the federal Office of the National Coordinator for Health Information Technology.

(d) The executive director of the Office of Health Strategy shall adopt regulations in accordance with the provisions of chapter 54 that set forth requirements necessary to implement the provisions of this section. The executive director may implement policies and procedures necessary to administer the provisions of this section while in the process of adopting such policies and procedures in regulation form, provided the executive director holds a public hearing at least thirty days prior to implementing such policies and procedures and publishes notice of intention to adopt the regulations on the Office of Health Strategy’s Internet web site and the eRegulations System not later than twenty days after implementing such policies and procedures. Policies and procedures implemented pursuant to this subsection shall be valid until the time such regulations are effective.