Senate Committee on Health and Welfare

AGENDA

Room 17 and Zoom

January 30, 2024 - February 2, 2024

Last Updated 2/2/2024 9:09 AM

Unless otherwise noted, all meetings are livestreamed at

https://legislature.vermont.gov/committee/streaming/senate-health-and-welfare.

Tuesday, January 30, 2024

9:30 AM                   Senate Floor

10:00 AM                   S. 215 - An act relating to 3SquaresVT

Walk-through

Sen. Ruth Hardy, Sponsor, Senate Government Operations Committee

Katie McLinn, Legislative Counsel, Office of Legislative Counsel

Leslie Wisdom, Food & Nutrition Program Director, Department for Children and Families

Anore Horton, Executive Director, Hunger Free Vermont

Michael Cyr, Director of Business Development, The Skinny Pancake

Zachary Hughes, Community Member and 3SquaresVT Former Recipient, Montpelier

10:55 AM                   Break

11:10 AM                   S. 109 - An act relating to Medicaid coverage for doula services

Matt Levin, Executive Director, Early Childhood Advocacy Alliance

Sarah Teel, Research Director, Voices for Vermont's Children

Ashley Berliner, Director of Medicaid Policy, Department of Vermont Health Access

Lauren Layman, General Counsel, Office of Professional Regulation, Secretary of State's Office

11:40 AM                   S. 109 - An act relating to Medicaid coverage for doula services

Possible Mark-up

Jennifer Carbee, Director and Chief Counsel, Office of Legislative Counsel

11:55 AM                   Adjourn

Wednesday, January 31, 2024

9:00 AM                   Competency Restoration Report

Karen Barber, General Counsel, Department of Mental Health

9:30 AM                   S. 189 - An act relating to mental health response service protocols

Overview

Katie McLinn, Legislative Counsel, Office of Legislative Counsel

Nicole DiStasio, Director of Policy, Department of Mental Health

Mourning Fox, Director of Mental Health Programs, Department of Public Safety

10:00 AM                   S. 151 - An act relating to pay parity and transparency in health care

Overview and Possible Mark-up

Jennifer Carbee, Director and Chief Counsel, Office of Legislative Counsel

11:00 AM                   S. 263 - An act relating to expanding Vermont’s health care workforce through graduates of international medical schools

Introduction

Sen. Wendy Harrison, Sponsor, Windham County

Jennifer Carbee, Director and Chief Counsel, Office of Legislative Counsel

11:30 AM                   S. 109 - An act relating to Medicaid coverage for doula services

Fiscal Update

Rebecca Copans, Government and Media Affairs, Blue Cross Blue Shield of Vermont

Nolan Langweil, Principal Fiscal Analyst, Joint Fiscal Office

11:45 AM                   Developmental Disabilities Housing Initiative

Jenn Townley, Member, Developmental Disabilities Housing Initiative

11:50 AM                   Mental Health Advocacy

Lindsey Owen, Executive Director, Disabilities Rights Vermont

Kristin Chandler, Coordinator, Team Two

12:00 PM                   Adjourn

1:00 PM                   Senate Floor

Thursday, February 1, 2024

9:00 AM                   S. 192 - An act relating to forensic facility admissions criteria and processes

Susan Garcia Nofi, Staff Attorney, Vermont Legal Aid Disability Law Project

Jennifer Poehlmann, Executive Director, Center for Crime Victim Services

Kelly Carroll, Impacted Citizen, Bennington

Katie McLinn, Legislative Counsel, Office of Legislative Counsel

Stuart Schurr, General Counsel, Department of Disabilities, Aging & Independent Living

Rebecca Silbernagel, Principal Assistant, Department of Disabilities, Aging & Independent Living

10:00 AM                   S. 197 - An act relating to the procurement and distribution of products containing perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances and monitoring adverse health conditions attributed to perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances

Update

Matthew Chapman, Director, Waste Management Protection Division, Agency of Natural Resources

Sarah Owen, State Toxicologist, Vermont Department of Health

Kyla Bennett, Ph.D, Director, Science Policy, Public Employees for Environmental Responsibility (PEER)

Jessie Hammond, Health Statistics and Informatics Director, Department of Health

11:00 AM                   Blueprint Expansion Pilot Update

John Saroyan, M.D., Executive Director, Blueprint for Health, Agency of Human Services

Addie Armstrong, Ph.D., Data Analytics and Information Administrator, Blueprint for Health, Agency of Human Services

Ilisa Stalberg, Maternal and Child Health Director, Vermont Department of Health

12:00 PM                   Adjourn

1:00 PM                   Senate Floor

Friday, February 2, 2024

9:00 AM                   S. 98 - An act relating to Green Mountain Care Board authority over prescription drug costs

Susan Barrett, J.D., Executive Director, Green Mountain Care Board

Julia Boles, Health Policy Advisor, Green Mountain Care Board

Rachel Cottle Latham, Director, State Policy, Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America

Jeff Hochberg, Director, Rutland Pharmacy

Theo Kennedy, J.D., M.P.H., Public Policy Attorney and General Practitioner, Rutland Pharmacy and The Vermont Pharmacists Association

10:30 AM                   S. 173 - An act relating to the collection, sharing, and selling of consumer health data

Overview

Jennifer Carbee, Director and Chief Counsel, Office of Legislative Counsel

Beth Anderson, President and CEO, Vermont Information Technology Leaders (VITL)

Jessica Barquist, Vice President of Public Affairs, VT, Planned Parenthood of Northern New England

11:30 AM                   Senate Floor

ATTENTION WITNESSES

Please email handouts to the committee assistant at least 24 hours before your scheduled meeting time. With few exceptions, any documents you send to a committee assistant are open to the public and may be posted to the committee’s web page.

If you have any questions or comments, please contact

 Kiki Carasi-Schwartz at kcarasi-schwartz@leg.state.vt.us