Legislative View
2020 VCP Legislative Agenda
Fact Sheet Designated and Specialized Service Agencies
Fact Sheet Mental Health
Fact Sheet Developmental Services
3% Fact Sheet
2020 VCP Legislative Updates
Legislative Update for October 7, 2020 – Legislature Finalizes the Fiscal Year 2021 Budget – Budget Overview; Fiscal Year 2022 Pressures; Corona Virus Relief Funds (CRF); Mental Health Budget Remains in DMH; Mental Health and Public Safety; Justice Reinvestment; Woodside Juvenile Detention Facility / Other Legislation – S.124 Directs the Criminal Justice Council to Address Racism and Improve Mental Health Supports
Legislative Update for September 24, 2020 – Legislature Focuses on Finalizing the Fiscal Year 2021 Budget; Senate Health and Welfare Reviews DAIL Budget; House Health Care Reviews Public Safety Proposal for Mental Health Workers in State Police Barracks; Senate Health and Welfare Considers Public Safety Proposal; House Health Care Committee Develops Budget Amendment for DPS Proposal; Senate Adjusts Woodside Proposal in the Budget; CRF for Designated and Specialized Service Agencies; House Appropriations Hears Commissioner Greshin’s Opinion on Senate Budget Bill; Senate Health and Welfare and House Health Care Joint Meeting on CRF; Senate Health and Welfare and Senate Appropriations Reviews OneCare Funding for Primary Care; Senate Finance Committee Addresses Broadband
Legislative Update for September 2, 2020 – Legislature Reconvenes with a Focus on Finalizing the Fiscal Year 2020 Budget; Scott Administration Proposes FY21 Budget Restatement with Few Changes; House Health Care and Senate Health and Welfare Committees Take Testimony on the FY21 Budget; Appropriations Committees Deliberates Budget and Takes Public Testimony; Department Budget Testimony – Department of Mental Health Overview; DAIL Budget Overview; DVHA Budget Overview; Department of Health Budget Overview; Joint Fiscal Oversight Committee Considers Woodside; House Health Care Committee Considers Mental Health Funding; Senate Committees Supportive of Embedded Workers at State Police Barracks; Senate Appropriations Considers Hazard Pay; Education
Legislative Update for July 1, 2020 – Legislative and Funding Overview; Legislature Approves First Quarter Appropriation Bill H.961; Senate Adjusts the House CRF Bill H.965 for Health and Human Services; Legislature Passes H.966 to fund Broadband, Housing and Economic Relief with CRF; Legislature Passes Miscellaneous Health Care Bill; Workers Compensation Legislation Passes Legislature; Secretary of Education Dan French Addresses How Schools Shall Reopen
Legislative Update for June 23, 2020 – House Passes CRF Bill for Health Providers H.965; Senate Health and Welfare Committee Begins Deliberation of CRF for Health Providers in H.965; Senate Appropriations Committee Reviews the work of the Senate Health and Welfare Committee on H.965; Senate Amends First Quarter of FY21 Budget with Plan for Mental Health Workers in State Trooper Barracks; Senate Judiciary Committee Take Testimony on S.219 Law Enforcement Bill; Senate Plans to Amend S.218 on the DMH 10-year Plan to an Act Establishing the Mental Health Integration Council; House of Representatives Passes H.966 CRF (corona virus relief fund) for Broadband, Connectivity and Housing; Senate Health and Welfare Amends Health Care Bill Further
Legislative Update for June 16, 2020 – House of Representatives Considers Appropriation of Corona Virus Relief Funds CRF; Vermont Care Partners Advocacy on CRF; House Appropriations Works Through CRF Appropriations Recommendations; House Appropriations Receives Proposal from House Health Care Committee; House Health Care Committee Recommendations on CRF to House Appropriations Committee; Broadband Discussed by Senate Finance; CRF to address Housing and Homelessness; Senate Health and Welfare Begins Consideration of CRF; Mental Health Commissioner Squirrell Presents to Senate Health and Welfare on Brattleboro Retreat; Senate Judiciary Committee Begins Work on Addressing Police Brutality Concerns; House Education Committee Learns about Success Beyond Six Challenges; Legislative Process for FY21
Legislative Update for June 8, 2020 – Legislative Process for Fiscal Decisions; CRF Appropriation Deliberations; House Health Care Committee Takes Testimony from the Chair of the Green Mountain Care Board; Coalition of Health Care Providers Make Recommendations to the House Health Care Committee on June 3rd ; Secretary Smith Testifies about the CRF to Human Service and Health Care Committees on June 3rd and 4th; House Health Care Committee Continues Deliberations of CRF Expenditures on June 5th;Brattleboro Retreat to Receive Additional Funding; Judiciary Committee
Legislative Update for June 2, 2020 – Opportunity for Further COVID-19 Funding; Health Care Providers Testify to the House Health Care Committee and Senate Health and Welfare Committee; Highlights of Information Presented to Appropriations Committees; Finance Commissioner Adam Greshin Presents FY21 First Quarter Skinny Bill to House Appropriations Committee; AHS CFO Sara Clark Presents to House Appropriations Committee; House Appropriations Committee Budget Discussions; Budget Adjustment Bill Ready for Governor Scott’s Signature; Telehealth Options Studied by Senate Health and Welfare; House Human Services Hears DCF testimony on Woodside and COVID Residential Programs
Legislative Update for May 19, 2020 – House Appropriation Receives Briefing on FY21 Budget Request; Updates of Federal Funding; Budget Adjustment Bill at Finish Line in the House; House Human Services Learns about the New Budget Adjustment Proposal for AHS; Senate Health and Welfare and House Health Care Committees Receive Budget Update from AHS; Senate Health and Welfare Considers Extension of COVID-19 Health Care Measures
Legislative Update for May 11, 2020 – Update of the New Fiscal Realities; Essential Employee Hazard Grant Program Gains Support; Health Committees Review Telehealth; House General, Housing and Military Affairs Addresses Homelessness; Senate Health and Welfare Develops Legislation to Plan for After the Pandemic is Past the Disaster Stage; Senate Caucus
Legislative Update for April 28, 2020 – The Legislature Makes Adjustments in Response to the COVID-19 Pandemic; Update of the New Fiscal Realities; Joint Fiscal Committee Adopts Conditions for the Acceptance of the Coronavirus Relief Funds to Vermont; Special Education Discussed by House Education Committee; Children’s Integrated Services
Legislative Update for April 17, 2020 – The Legislature Makes Adjustments to Respond to the COVID-19 Pandemic; Act 95 Addresses COVID-19; Legislature Explores New Financial Realities; House Health Care and Senate Health and Welfare Hear from Secretary Smith on Response to Covid-19; DMH Testimony at House Health Care on March 27th; Senate Health and Welfare Returns to S.290; House Health Care Committee House Education Hears Testimony from Four School Superintendents; House Education Hears Testimony on School Mental Health; AOE Special Ed Guidance; Justice Reinvestment Bill Continues Moving Forward
Legislative Update for March 6, 2020 – House Appropriations Committee Deliberates the FY21 Budget Recommendations; Senate Health and Welfare Returns to Rutland Mobile Response Bill; Justice Reinvestment Bill Passes the Senate; S.183 on Insanity and Competency Ready for Passage by the Senate
Legislative Update for February 25, 2020 – Senate Health and Welfare Hears Vermont Care Partners Request for Financial Review; House Appropriations Committee Takes Testimony from Human Service Advocates; House Health Care Budget letter; House Human Services Committee Budget Letter; Senate Health and Welfare Reviews S.302 Mobile Response Bill; Senate Judiciary Committee at the Finish line with S.183 on Insanity and Competency; Senate Health and Welfare Reviews S.183 on Insanity and Competency Legal Issues; Senate Appropriations Committee Reviews Justice Reinvestment Bill S.388; Senate Judiciary Considers Closure of Woodside; House Human Services Studies Woodside; Senate Health and Welfare Hears Vision 2030 Report Presented by Mental Health Commissioner
Legislative Update for February 18, 2020 – House Appropriations Committee Discusses Public Hearing Testimony; Senate Appropriations Hears Budget Testimony on Mental Health; House Health Care Hears about Department of Mental Health (DMH) Performance Measures; Senate Judiciary Committee Continues to Study Insanity and Incompetency Legislation; House Health Care Committee Learns about the Mental Health Residential Continuum; House Health Care Studies Suicide; Board of Education & Agency of Education Rule Making Authority Under Study; Budget Adjustment Bill, H.760, Nears Finish Line with House and Senate Amendments
Legislative Update for February 10, 2020 – House Committee on Appropriations Hears Mental Health Budget Proposal for FY20; Mental Health Budget Presented to House Health Care Committee; Senate Judiciary Committee Finalizes the Justice Reinvestment Bill; Senate Appropriations Committee Hears Health Department Budget Proposal; Senate Health and Welfare Takes First Testimony on S.302 Mobile Response for Youth in Rutland; New version of S.183 Taken up by Senate Judiciary Committee; S. 290 on Health Care Reform Implementation Reviewed by Senate Health and Welfare Committee
Legislative Update for February 4, 2020 – Save The Dates; Mental Health Advocacy Day Make a Strong Statement of Support for Community Mental Health; House Human Services Takes a full Morning of Testimony on Mental Health; Senate Institutions Learns about Intensive Residential Recovery Proposal; House Human Services Learns about experiences with Developmental Disability and Substance Use; House General, Housing and Military Affairs Learns about the Experience of Homelessness; Senate Judiciary Begins Work on Justice Reinvestment Bill; Human Services Secretary Mike Smith Presents FY21 Budget to House Appropriation Committee; AHS Budget Highlights: Initiatives (base funding will annualize, one time funding will not); Two Committees look at Use of Force by Law Enforcement; House Appropriations Committee Hears Department of Children and Families FY21 Budget Proposal; House Health Care Committee Receives Update on Secure Residential Development
Legislative Update for January 27, 2020 – Save the Dates; Governor Scott’s Budget Address; Senate Judiciary Committee Continues Testimony on Insanity Plea; House Health Care Learns about Institutions for Mental Diseases (IMDs);Council of State Government Presents Justice Reinvestment II; House Human Services Hears OneCare Overview
Legislative Update for January 21, 2020 – House Human Services Learns about Developmental Disability Services; Senate Judiciary Committee Begins Study of Insanity Defense as Proposed in S.183; House Corrections and Institutions Studies Woodside; GMCB Reviews their Analysis of the Brattleboro Retreat Finances at House Health Care; House Appropriations and Health Care Committee Learns about All Payer Model; House Health Care and Senate Health and Welfare Jointly Receive Testimony from OneCare; Senate Health and Welfare Hears Rural Health Task Force Report; Senate Institutions Gets Update on Secure Residential facility; State Revenue Forecast increases by $44 Million
Legislative Update for January 13, 2020 – Save the Dates; House Corrections and Institutions Hears from Incoming Human Services Secretary Mike Smith; Mental Health Commissioner Squirrell Updates the House Corrections and Institutions Committee; AHS Secretary Smith Presents Budget Adjustment Request to Senate Appropriations Committee; Governor’s Scott Presents State of the State Speech; House Appropriations Hears Mental Health Overview on January 9th; Senate Education Committee Plans Revisions to State funding of Schools; Justice Reinvestment
Legislative Update for January 6, 2020 – Vermont Care Partners Legislative Agenda; Mental Health Advocacy Day and Advocacy Webinar; Budget Adjustment and Fiscal Issues; OneCare and Delivery System Reform Funding; Woodside Juvenile Detention Center Discussed at Justice Oversight; Save the Dates
Make Your Voice Heard! Mental Health Advocacy Day is January 29th Please join us at the State House on Wednesday, January 29, 2020 @ 8:00 a.m.
2019 Legislative Wrap Up
VCP Legislative Agenda 2019
2019 Legislative Updates
* 2019 Legislative Wrap Up
* Update for May 18, 2019
* Update for May 7, 2019
* Update for April 30, 2019
* Update for April 23, 2019
* Update for April 16, 2019
* Update for April 9, 2019
* Update for April 2, 2019
* Update for March 25, 2019
* Update for March 19, 2019
* Update for March 9, 2019
* Update for February 26, 2019
* Update for February 20, 2019
* Update for February 12, 2019
* Update for February 5, 2019
* Update for January 29, 2019
* Update for January 23, 2019
* Update for January 15, 2019
2018
2018 VCP Legislative Wrap Up
Legislative Update for March 7, 2018
· Upcoming Advocacy Events
· House Health Care Committee Issues Recommendations on Mental Health Funding
· House Appropriations Committee Deliberations
· Administration’s Concerns with House Committee of Education Special Education Bill
· Brattleboro Retreat Testifies at House Corrections and Institutions
· AHS Facilities Plan Receiving both Support and Scrutiny
· Vermont Senate and House Pass two different Gun Violence Protection Measures
· Trauma Bill is Teed up for Approval by the full Senate
· Study Bill on Orders of Non-Hospitalization Passes Senate and Lands in House Health Care Committee
· Senate Health and Welfare Committee Approves Universal Primary Care Study Bill
· Disability Awareness Day A Big Success
Legislative Update for February 26, 2018
- Upcoming Advocacy Events
- House Health Care Committee Takes a Deep Dive on Mental Health Funding
- Commissioner of Mental Health Melissa Bailey Highlights the Changes in the DMH Budget Request
- George Karabakakis Represents Views of HCRS and Vermont Care Partners to House Health
- ED Physician Dr. Mashkuri Adds Perspective
- Dr. Pierattini of UVMC speaks to the Demand for Inpatient and ED Care
- Wilda White of Vermont Psychiatric Survivors (VPS) Weighs In
- House Committee on Health Care Discussion
- Morning Fox Deputy Commissioner of the Department of Mental Health
- Julie Tessler of Vermont Care Partners Makes Final Plea for Support for Stage 2 Workforce Investment
- House Education Committee Passes Census Funding Bill
Legislative Update for February 20, 2018
- DISABILITY AWARENESS DAY AGENDA February 28, 2018
- House Human Services Sends Budget Priorities for House Appropriations Committee
- House Health Care Committee Receives feedback on the Budget from Mary Moulton
- Senate Health and Welfare Finalizes S.261 and S.203
- Senate Health and Welfare Hears about Suicide Prevention
- Con Hogan Warns Senate Institutions Committee against a Large DOC Campus Facility Plan
- Public Hearings on FY19 Budget
- House Education Hears from Superintendent of Washington Northeast Supervisory Union
Legislative Update for February 12, 2018
- Community-Based Public Hearings on the Governor’s Recommended FY2019 State Budget
- House Appropriations Committee Takes Testimony from DAIL Commissioner Hutt
- DAIL Commissioner Monica Hutt Gives DAIL Budget Request Update to House Human Services
- DMH Commissioner Melissa Bailey Presents to House Health Care
- ACO Presentation to House Health Care by Michael Costa and Ena Backus
- Susan Aronoff Raises Concerns about ACOs to House Health Care
- DVHAs Reaction on Universal Primary Care Bill
- Senate Health and Welfare Hears DMH Budget Overview from DMH
- Senate Health and Welfare S.203 Creates a Study Committee on Orders of Non-Hospitalization (ONH)
- House Education is working on version 7.1 of the Special Education Funding Bill
- Testimony by Dr. Mark Levine and Jolinda LaClair at House Human Services
Legislative Update for February 6, 2018
Community-Based Public Hearings on the Governor’s Recommended FY2019 State Budget; Mental Health Advocacy Day; Matt Habendank and Tiffany Moore Present to House Education Committee; Matt Habendank and Michael Curtis Present at Senate Education Committee; Elizabeth Sightler Educates House Human Services on Developmental Disabilities; Clay Gilberts Educates House Human Services Committee on Substance Use Disoarders; House Health Care Committee Hears Feedback of Governor’s Budget and Act 82 Report; Commissioner of Mental Health Presents to House Appropriations Committee; Commissioner of Health Presents to House Appropriations Committee; House Human Services Receives Agency of Human Services Budget Overview; Con Hogan Weighs in on the Facilities Plan to House Corrections and Institutions Committee; House Approves Budget Adjustment as Amended by the Senate; AHS Secretary Gobeille Runs Through AHS FY19 Budget Proposal for Senate Appropriations.
Legislative Update for January 29, 2018
Health Advocacy Day on Wednesday, January 31, 2018; House Appropriations Statewide Budget Hearings; Secretary Gobeille Gives Fiscal Year 2019 Budget Overview to House Appropriations; Hospital Association Reports Progress on Act 82; Senate Health and Welfare Continues to Hear Testimony on ACES Bill, S.261; Paul Dragon Reports on the Workforce Report required in Act 82; House Health Care Explores Accountable Care Organizations (ACOs); Senate Health and Welfare Reviews Facilities Report; House Education Continues testimony from Tammy Kolbe;
Legislative Update for January 24, 2018
Upcoming Advocacy Events; House Appropriations Statewide Budget Hearings; Governor Scott Presents his Proposal for the Fiscal Year 2019 (FY19) Budget; Senate Health and Welfare Addresses Childhood Trauma in S.261; House Health Care Receives Overview of Medicaid ACO Pilot; Senate Health and Welfare Reviews Act 82 Reports; Senate Health and Welfare Discusses Budget Adjustment with Senator Kitchel, Chair of Appropriations
Legislative Update for January 18, 2018
Mental Health Advocacy Day; Advocacy Training; House Appropriations Committee Recommend Fiscal Year 2018 (FY18) Budget Adjustment; Senate Appropriations Starts Budget Adjustment Bill; Senate and House Education Committees Study Special Education; Senate Health and Welfare Consider Universal Primary Care S.53; House Corrections and Institution and House Health Care Committee hears AHS Facility Report
Legislative Update for January 5, 2018
Join in Mental Health Advocacy Day on Wednesday, January 31, 2018; Advocacy Training; House and Senate Health Care Committees will Collaborate on Mental Health; Budget Adjustment Act Highlights; Vermont Care Partners Workforce Report
Legislative Update for March 26, 2017
Investment in the Crisis Services in House Budget Bill; Senate Poised to Pass Bill to Improve Workforce Compensation, Crisis Services and Care Coordination; House Health Care Committee Gets an Update on Medicaid Pathway; Grenon Bill Passes the House of Representatives on the Anniversary of Phil Grennon’s Death; ACES Legislation Teed up for House Vote and the Senate has Already Taken Testimony; Duty to Warn; Offender with Mental Illness Legislation Passes the Senate; Independent Contractor Legislation