Vermont Bills

vetoed · Vermont · House May 20, 2025

H 219: An act relating to establishing the Department of Corrections’ Family Support Program

H 219 establishes the Department of Corrections’ Family Support Program, providing free parenting and trauma-informed family support services to all incarcerated individuals who are parents or guardians. The program aims to increase parents' knowledge and skills, offer resources for communicating with their children and caregivers, and create child-friendly visitation spaces. It also includes outreach for children's services and reentry support for parents. The bill directs the Department to include funding for these services in its annual budget, with initial implementation at the Chittenden Regional and Northern State Correctional Facilities and an intent to expand statewide by 2028, contingent on appropriated funds.

Topics ✓ Criminal Justice

signed · Vermont · House May 20, 2025

H 137: An act relating to the regulation of insurance products and services

H.137 regulates virtual currency business activities, particularly those involving virtual-currency kiosks, to protect consumers. It requires licensed virtual currency operators to provide clear disclosures to customers before engaging in any activity, outlining fee schedules, insurance coverage, and liability for unauthorized transfers, and stating that virtual currency is not money. For each transaction at a virtual-currency kiosk, operators must disclose specific details such as transaction amounts, fees, refund policies, and daily limits. These measures aim to ensure transparency for individuals using virtual currency services.

signed · Vermont · Senate May 16, 2025

S 36: An act relating to the delivery and payment of certain services provided through the Agency of Human Services, services for persons who are incapacitated, and Human Services Board proceedings

Bill S 36 amends existing law by replacing the term "public inebriates" with "persons who are incapacitated." It requires the Departments of Health and Mental Health to prioritize expanding services for incapacitated individuals in Chittenden County and report on these efforts by February 2026. The Department of Corrections must also report on efforts to connect incapacitated persons in correctional facilities with substance use recovery providers. Additionally, the bill mandates reports from the Agency of Human Services and the Human Services Board by December 2025. These reports will propose improvements to the Human Services Board's appeal processes, focusing on attorney training, data collection, and making the process more accessible and consistent for appellants.

Topics ✓ Criminal Justice ✓ Healthcare

signed · Vermont · Senate May 16, 2025

S 27: An act relating to medical debt relief and excluding medical debt from credit reports

This bill establishes a state-funded program to provide medical debt relief for eligible Vermont residents. It appropriates $1 million to contract with a nonprofit entity to acquire and abolish qualifying medical debts, ensuring these debts are removed from individuals' credit reports. The legislation also prohibits credit reporting agencies, large healthcare facilities, and medical debt collectors from reporting medical debt information. Furthermore, large healthcare facilities are restricted from selling medical debt unless it is to a nonprofit for the express purpose of debt abolition. Finally, the bill clarifies the definition of "behavioral health" in state statutes to avoid stigmatization.

Topics ✓ Healthcare

signed · Vermont · House May 14, 2025

H 13: An act relating to Medicaid payment rates for community-based service providers

H.13 establishes new requirements for how the Secretary of Human Services calculates Medicaid payment rates for home- and community-based service providers. The bill directs the Secretary to set "reasonable and adequate" rates for services provided to older adults, individuals with disabilities, and those with mental health or substance use disorders. The calculation methodology must consider factors such as governmental mandates, inflation, and labor market dynamics, and includes a schedule for studying rates at least every five years. It also creates a process for providers at imminent risk of closure to request stabilization and requires annual recalculation and reporting of these rates.

Topics ✓ Healthcare

signed · Vermont · Senate May 14, 2025

S 18: An act relating to licensure of freestanding birth centers

Bill S 18 establishes a licensing framework for freestanding birth centers in the state. It requires facilities providing midwifery care and low-risk deliveries, independent of hospitals, to obtain a license from the Department of Health. Operators must apply, pay a $250 fee, and pass inspections to ensure compliance with safety and health standards. The bill specifically prohibits these licensed birth centers from offering epidural anesthesia or performing cesarean deliveries. The Department of Health is authorized to conduct inspections, enforce compliance, and revoke licenses for non-adherence to the established requirements.

Topics ✓ Healthcare

signed · Vermont · House May 14, 2025

H 218: An act relating to fiscal year 2026 appropriations from the Opioid Abatement Special Fund

H 218 is an act related to fiscal year 2026 appropriations from the Opioid Abatement Special Fund. The bill specifically amends a section of the appropriations to correct a typographical error, changing an allocation from "$50,0000.00" to "$50,000.00" in subdivision (a)(11) of Sec. 1. This ensures the correct amount is appropriated from the fund.

signed · Vermont · House May 14, 2025

H 96: An act relating to increasing the monetary thresholds for certificates of need

H.96 increases the monetary thresholds requiring a certificate of need for healthcare projects in Vermont. It raises the cost limits from current levels (e.g., $1.5 million for facility capital costs to $10 million) to $10 million or $50 million for larger projects. The bill directly affects hospitals and healthcare facilities that would previously need state approval for projects exceeding these thresholds. It also exempts healthcare services or facility projects resulting from state contracts from the certificate requirement. This change reduces regulatory burden for many healthcare investments by raising the cost bar for mandatory review.

passed · Vermont · House May 13, 2025

H 34: An act relating to workforce leadership in Vermont

House Bill 34 designates the Commissioner of Labor and the Executive Director of the Office of Workforce Strategy and Development as co-leaders for workforce education and training in Vermont. This legislation outlines their authority and responsibility to coordinate state government workforce programs. It requires them to develop a state plan, align training with job market needs, and establish performance measures for workforce activities. The bill also mandates that businesses and training providers receiving state funding submit reports evaluating their training results, and it requires the collection of individual-level data to assess program effectiveness.

signed · Vermont · House May 6, 2025

H 17: An act relating to approval of the adoption of the charter of the Town of Morristown

H 17 is an act that officially approves the new charter for the Town of Morristown, as previously adopted by its voters. This bill formalizes Morristown's status as a municipal corporation, ensuring state statutes for municipalities apply unless modified by the charter. A key provision of the approved charter establishes a Town Manager as the chief executive officer, responsible for the town's administrative affairs and managing its employees. This act directly affects the local governance structure and operations for the residents of Morristown.

in committee · Vermont · House May 6, 2025

H 86: An act relating to establishing the Chloride Contamination Reduction Program at the Agency of Natural Resources

H 86 proposes to establish the Chloride Contamination Reduction Program within the Agency of Natural Resources. This program would educate, train, and certify commercial and municipal salt applicators on best management practices for applying salt or salt alternatives. The goal is to increase efficiency, reduce the amount of salt used, and prevent chloride from entering state waters. Certified applicators who follow these practices would receive a presumption of compliance with water quality laws and limited liability for certain snow and ice-related damages. The bill also requires the Agency to track salt usage, set reduction targets, and report on chloride impacts.

Topics ✓ Environment

signed · Vermont · House May 2, 2025

H 10: An act relating to approval of amendments to the charter of the City of Barre

House Bill 10 is an act designed to approve amendments to the charter of the City of Barre. This bill formally authorizes changes to the city's foundational governing document, allowing them to take effect. During its passage, the bill was amended to clarify a section related to the city's fiscal year. This specific amendment confirms that the City of Barre's fiscal year begins on July 1st and ends on June 30th.

Bill results