Rep. Lisa Hango

Maddy summaryThis bill requires Vermont's Medicaid program to provide coverage for one breast pump per child born to Medicaid beneficiaries. It allows pregnant Medicaid recipients to order and receive a breast pump before the baby is born, but only after reaching 27 weeks of pregnancy. The legislation directs the Agency of Human Services to seek necessary federal approval from the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services to implement this coverage change. If federal approval is not needed, the coverage provisions would take effect on July 1, 2023.

Maddy summaryThis bill directs the Vermont Agency of Education to form a working group to study whether licensed athletic trainers should be required at all secondary school athletic events and practices. The proposed group would include representatives from various education organizations and explore cost-effective ways to share athletic trainers between school districts. The legislation does not mandate immediate changes but instead establishes a study process to evaluate the need and resources for this requirement.

Maddy summaryThis bill allocates $5 million from the state's General Fund to the Department of Forests, Parks and Recreation for the Vermont Outdoor Recreation Economic Collaborative in fiscal year 2024. The funding will support grants for outdoor athletic events like marathons and bike races that attract competitors from outside Vermont. The program aims to boost local economic activity by funding events that draw visitors from other states. The appropriation takes effect on July 1, 2023.

Maddy summaryThis bill expands eligibility for Vermont's Child Care Financial Assistance Program by adjusting income thresholds and co-payment rules to help more families access subsidized child care. Under the new provisions, families earning up to 400 percent of the federal poverty level would qualify for subsidies, while those earning 150 percent or less would pay no co-payment regardless of family size. The bill also changes how child care providers are paid by decoupling reimbursement rates from the Step Ahead Recognition System (STARS) and instead tying them to market rates from the Vermont Child Care Market Rate Survey with tiered caps based on provider ratings. These changes would take effect on July 1, 2023, and directly impact families seeking employment or training and the child care providers serving them.

Maddy summaryThis bill requires Vermont State Colleges and the University of Vermont to give admission preference to in-state students who have completed career technical education programs in fields that the institutions offer. The law applies to eligible residents who have finished relevant CTE training and seeks to create a direct pathway for these students into postsecondary programs aligned with their technical background. The preference would be implemented starting July 1, 2023, and applies specifically to both the state college system and the University of Vermont and State Agricultural College.

Maddy summaryThis bill creates a pilot program to help middle schools in Vermont establish career and technical education programs for grades eight and nine. It provides $5.5 million in grant funding to eligible schools located more than 15 miles from existing career centers, with requirements that schools match the funding through in-kind contributions and commit to maintaining the programs for five years. The grants cover one full-time teacher and equipment costs for two years, after which schools must fund their own operations. The Agency of Education will report annually on student participation and program sustainability to the state legislature.

Maddy summaryThis bill modifies Vermont's homestead property tax credit rules by excluding disability and pension income from permanently and totally disabled veterans when calculating household income. The change is made to the state's tax code definition of modified adjusted gross income, specifically removing Veterans' disability and pension payments from the list of income sources that must be added to federal adjusted gross income. This adjustment directly affects disabled veterans who receive benefits from the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, allowing them to potentially qualify for or receive larger property tax credits. The law applies retroactively to January 1, 2023, and applies to property tax credit claims filed on or after January 1, 2024.

Maddy summaryThis bill proposes to improve emergency medical services in Vermont by providing $20 million annually from 2024 to 2028 to support ambulance operations, training, and equipment. It requires health insurance plans and Medicaid to cover emergency medical services for patients who do not need to be transported to a hospital. The legislation also establishes a refundable income tax credit for qualified emergency responders and creates a study committee to examine the EMS system. Additionally, the bill sets requirements for Medicaid reimbursement rates for ambulance services and restricts transporting patients to destinations where the ambulance service has a financial interest.

Maddy summaryThis bill proposes creating a state-supported regional animal control program to assist Vermont municipalities with managing domestic pets. It would establish regional offices to provide free or low-cost vaccination, spay, and neuter services, and help locate resources for regional shelters. The legislation aims to strengthen municipal animal control services through coordinated regional support rather than changing existing local responsibilities.

Maddy summaryThis bill requires three Vermont state departments to ask whether applicants or their family members have served in the U.S. Armed Forces on intake forms used to determine eligibility for programs and services. The Department for Children and Families, the Department of Vermont Health Access, and the Department of Disabilities, Aging, and Independent Living would each add this question to their application materials. The change applies to all individuals seeking assistance from these agencies and would take effect on July 1, 2023. The legislation does not specify how the information would be used or what benefits veterans might receive as a result of providing this data.