Vermont Bills

introduced · Vermont · House Jan 17, 2025

H 40: An act relating to licensure of freestanding birth centers

House Bill 40 establishes a licensing system for freestanding birth centers in Vermont, removing the requirement for them to obtain state approval (certificate of need) before opening. It mandates that health insurance plans and Medicaid cover prenatal, maternity, birthing, postpartum, and newborn care services provided at licensed birth centers. Birth centers must meet state safety and operational standards and pay a $250 licensing fee to operate. This aims to expand access to birth center options, which have demonstrated improved health outcomes and lower costs for mothers and babies compared to hospital births.

Topics ✓ Healthcare

introduced · Vermont · Senate Jan 16, 2025

S 10: An act relating to modifying requirements for obtaining a certificate of need

This bill (S 10) raises cost thresholds for health care facilities to require a "certificate of need" from Vermont's Green Mountain Care Board. It increases the capital expenditure threshold for non-hospital facilities from $1.5 million to $5 million and for hospitals from $3 million to $10 million. The bill also eliminates certificate requirements for routine equipment replacements (like fully depreciated medical equipment) and certain lower-cost projects, while adding a new $100 million threshold for conceptual development phase approvals. These changes directly affect hospitals and non-hospital health care facilities planning new services, construction, or equipment purchases.

Topics ✓ Healthcare

introduced · Vermont · House Jan 16, 2025

H 39: An act relating to repeal of authorization of overdose prevention centers

This bill (H.39) would repeal Vermont's legal protections for overdose prevention centers (OPCs), removing immunity from drug possession charges and civil liability for users, staff, and operators. Currently, OPCs - safe spaces offering harm reduction services like naloxone and sterile supplies - are shielded from prosecution under state law. The repeal would mean participants and providers could face drug possession charges for activities within these centers, and centers could lose legal protection against civil claims. The bill targets the specific immunity provisions (Section 4256(c)), not the centers themselves, and would take effect July 1, 2025.

Topics ✗ Healthcare

passed both · Vermont · Senate Jan 16, 2025

JRS 6: Joint resolution relating to weekend adjournment on January 17, 2025

This joint resolution (JRS 6) sets a specific schedule for Vermont's legislative session. It directs both the Senate and House to adjourn on Friday, January 17, 2025, and reconvene no later than Tuesday, January 21, 2025. The resolution is procedural, solely affecting the timing of legislative meetings during that week. It does not change substantive laws or impact any constituents directly.

introduced · Vermont · House Jan 16, 2025

H 38: An act relating to adding new positions to the Human Rights Commission

H 38 adds six full-time and two part-time staff positions to Vermont's Human Rights Commission, including Communications Coordinators, Intake Specialists, Staff Attorney Investigators, a Paralegal, and part-time Mediators/Social Workers. The bill allocates $794,616 in fiscal year 2026 for salaries and benefits, plus $25,000 for outreach, $18,000 for operations, and $50,000 for office space. These new roles aim to expand the Commission's capacity to handle discrimination complaints and provide support services. The changes take effect July 1, 2025, directly impacting the Commission's operations and the residents it serves.

Topics ✓ Budget & Taxes ✓ Labor & Employment

introduced · Vermont · House Jan 15, 2025

H 36: An act relating to family forensic evaluators

H.36 requests the Chief Superior Judge, Office of Professional Regulation, and Vermont Psychological Association to study how to increase family forensic evaluators in Vermont. These evaluators are mental health professionals who assist courts in complex child welfare and parenting cases. The study will examine current needs, geographic distribution, barriers to availability, and recruitment strategies. The entities must submit recommendations to the legislature by November 1, 2025. This bill does not change laws but seeks solutions to address a shortage hindering timely case resolution.

Topics ✓ Healthcare

introduced · Vermont · House Jan 15, 2025

H 37: An act relating to the consolidation of Vermont’s school districts to align with career and technical education service regions

This bill proposes consolidating Vermont's school districts to match the state's existing career and technical education (CTE) service regions. It would directly affect Vermont's public school districts by requiring them to align their boundaries with current CTE service areas. The key mechanism involves reorganizing school district structures to eliminate mismatched boundaries, aiming to streamline coordination for career-focused education programs. The bill does not specify funding or new programs, only the structural realignment of districts. (3 sentences)

Topics ✓ Education

introduced · Vermont · House Jan 15, 2025

H 33: An act relating to expanding employee access to unpaid leave

H.33 expands Vermont's unpaid leave protections to cover domestic violence, sexual assault, stalking, bereavement, and military-related family exigencies, directly affecting employees working for businesses with 10+ employees (for parental leave) or 15+ employees (for other leave types). It redefines "family member" to include non-traditional relationships - like caregivers in non-legal bonds or LGBTQ+ families - without requiring legal documentation, and creates "safe leave" for victims of domestic violence or assault. The bill also mandates employer reporting to track how expanded leave impacts workers, particularly low-income employees and non-traditional families. These changes aim to make leave access more equitable while aligning with inclusive standards.

Topics ✓ Labor & Employment ✓ Veterans

introduced · Vermont · House Jan 14, 2025

H 30: An act relating to the use of seclusion and restraint on children and youth in the custody of the Department for Children and Families

H 30 reduces the use of seclusion and restraint on children and youth in residential programs under Vermont's Department for Children and Families (DCF). It defines these terms in law (33 V.S.A. § 3206), requires residential programs to report data consistently, and mandates DCF to update its IT system for better data collection. The bill also requires staff training on alternatives to seclusion and restraint. These changes directly affect children in DCF custody and the residential programs serving them.

Topics ✓ Criminal Justice ✓ Healthcare

introduced · Vermont · House Jan 14, 2025

H 29: An act relating to replacing statutory references to Vermont Psychiatric Survivors with MadFreedom, Inc.

This bill updates Vermont statutes to replace references to "Vermont Psychiatric Survivors" with "MadFreedom, Inc." in four specific legal provisions. It affects the Vermont Land Access and Opportunity Board, Health Equity Advisory Commission, Mental Health Crisis Response Commission, and Mental Health Response Service Guidelines by changing the organization that appoints certain members. The bill makes no policy changes - only updates the official name used in these statutory references. It takes effect July 1, 2025.

introduced · Vermont · Senate Jan 14, 2025

S 8: An act relating to eligibility for Dr. Dynasaur for young adults up to 26 years of age

This bill expands Vermont's Dr. Dynasaur program to cover all young adults under age 26 who live in Vermont and have incomes at or below 312% of the federal poverty level. It directly affects Vermont residents aged 18-26 who currently might not qualify for the program due to age or income limits. The key change amends eligibility rules to remove previous restrictions, making coverage available to all qualifying young adults regardless of prior enrollment status. The program, administered under federal Medicaid/SCHIP rules, will take effect on July 1, 2025.

Topics ✓ Healthcare

introduced · Vermont · House Jan 14, 2025

H 32: An act relating to treatment for opioid use disorder in correctional facilities

This bill requires Vermont's Department of Corrections to partner with local opioid treatment programs to provide medication for opioid use disorder (like buprenorphine or methadone) in correctional facilities. It ensures inmates with opioid use disorder can continue their prescribed medication upon admission and receive at least a 28-day supply upon release to maintain treatment continuity. The law updates existing medical care standards to mandate these partnerships through memorandums of understanding with community treatment providers. It directly affects incarcerated individuals in Vermont facilities who require opioid use disorder treatment, aligning their care with community-based treatment systems. The bill focuses on concrete policy changes to improve access to evidence-based treatment during incarceration and transition to community care.

Topics ✓ Criminal Justice ✓ Healthcare

Bill results