Senate Committee on Health and Welfare

 

AGENDA

 

Room 17 and Zoom

April 22, 2025 - April 25, 2025

Last Updated 4/25/2025 10:57 AM

 

Unless otherwise noted, all meetings are livestreamed at

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

Tuesday, April 22, 2025

9:30 AM                   Senate Floor

 

10:40 AM                   H. 401 - An act relating to exemptions for food manufacturing establishments

Mark-up

Katie McLinn, Legislative Counsel, Office of Legislative Counsel

Jessica Schifano, Policy Director, Vermont Department of Health

Rep. Jonathan Cooper, Representative, House Committee on Commerce and Economic Development

 

11:25 AM                   H. 91 - An act relating to the Vermont Homeless Emergency Assistance and Responsive Transition to Housing Program

Committee discussion

Katie McLinn, Legislative Counsel, Office of Legislative Counsel

Nolan Langweil, Principal Fiscal Analyst, Joint Fiscal Office

Amy Shollenberger, Lobbyist, Action Circles, Vermont Community Action Partnership

 

11:40 AM                   H. 13 - An act relating to Medicaid payment rates for home- and community-based service providers

Proposed amendment

Alex McCracken, Director of Communications and Legislative Affairs, Department of Vermont Health Access (DVHA)

Jennifer Carbee, Deputy Chief Counsel, Office of Legislative Counsel

Brendan Atwood, Public Health Policy Director, Agency of Human Services

 

12:00 PM                   Adjourn

 

Wednesday, April 23, 2025

9:00 AM                   Health Care Sustainability

This is a joint hearing with the House Committee on Health Care. It will be hosted in Room 11 and livestreamed to the Senate Health and Welfare Youtube Channel.

Jessica Holmes, Ph.D., Board Member, Green Mountain Care Board

Tom Frank, President and CEO, North Country Hospital

Michael Costa, President and CEO, Gifford Health Care

Robert Adcock, President & CEO, Springfield Hospital

Brendan Krause, Director of Health Care Reform, Agency of Human Services (10:45 AM)

Fran Hodgins, Administrative Services Director, Agency of Human Services

Devon Green, Vice President of Government Relations, Vermont Association of Hospitals and Health Systems

 

11:30 AM                   H. 13 - An act relating to Medicaid payment rates for home- and community-based service providers

Proposed amendment

Jennifer Carbee, Deputy Chief Counsel, Office of Legislative Counsel

 

11:45 AM                   H. 266 - An act relating to the 340B prescription drug pricing program

Committee discussion and mark-up

Jennifer Carbee, Deputy Chief Counsel, Office of Legislative Counsel

Charles Becker, Staff Attorney, Office of the Health Care Advocate, Vermont Legal Aid

 

12:00 PM                   Adjourn

 

1:00 PM                   Senate Floor

 

Thursday, April 24, 2025

9:00 AM                   H. 482 - An act relating to Green Mountain Care Board authority to adjust a hospital’s reimbursement rates and to appoint a hospital observer

Mark-up

Jennifer Carbee, Deputy Chief Counsel, Office of Legislative Counsel

Susan Barrett, Executive Director, Green Mountain Care Board

Devon Green, Vice President of Government Relations, Vermont Association of Hospitals and Health Systems

Sara Teachout, Director, Government, Public and Media Relations, Blue Cross Blue Shield of Vermont

Sam Peisch, Health Policy Analyst, Vermont Legal Aid

 

-                                   S. 18 - An act relating to licensure of freestanding birth centers

Review of language, As Passed by Senate with House markups

Jennifer Carbee, Deputy Chief Counsel, Office of Legislative Counsel

 

10:25 AM                   H. 401 - An act relating to exemptions for food manufacturing establishments

Committee discussion, mark-up, and possible vote

Caroline Sherman-Gordon, Legislative Director, Rural Vermont

Katie McLinn, Legislative Counsel, Office of Legislative Counsel

 

10:50 AM                   H. 91 - An act relating to the Vermont Homeless Emergency Assistance and Responsive Transition to Housing Program

Committee discussion and mark-up

Katie McLinn, Legislative Counsel, Office of Legislative Counsel

Nolan Langweil, Principal Fiscal Analyst, Joint Fiscal Office

Chris Winters, Commissioner, Department for Children and Families

Lily Sojourner, Director, Office of Economic Opportunity, Department for Children and Families

 

12:00 PM                   Adjourn

 

1:00 PM                   Senate Floor

 

Friday, April 25, 2025

9:00 AM                   H. 238 - An act relating to the phaseout of consumer products containing added perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances

Mark-up

Michael O'Grady, Deputy Chief Counsel, Office of Legislative Counsel

 

9:05 AM                   Break

 

9:12 AM                   H. 238 - An act relating to the phaseout of consumer products containing added perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances

Mark-up

Michael O'Grady, Deputy Chief Counsel, Office of Legislative Counsel

Matt Chapman, Director of Waste Management & Prevention Division, Department of Environmental Conservation

 

9:50 AM                   S. 28 - An act relating to access to certain legally protected health care services

Review language, As Passed by Senate with House markups

Jennifer Carbee, Deputy Chief Counsel, Office of Legislative Counsel

Michele Childs,  Legislative Counsel, Office of Legislative Counsel

 

10:35 AM                   S. 27 - An act relating to medical debt relief and excluding medical debt from credit reports

Review language, As Passed by Senate with House markups

Jennifer Carbee, Deputy Chief Counsel, Office of Legislative Counsel

 

10:55 AM                   H. 401 - An act relating to exemptions for food manufacturing establishments

Committee discussion and mark-up

Elisabeth Wirsing, Senior Environmental Health Program Manager, Vermont Department of Health - Zoom

Caroline Sherman-Gordon, Legislative Director, Rural Vermont - Zoom

Katie McLinn, Legislative Counsel, Office of Legislative Counsel

 

11:20 AM                   Hazel Health

Introduction to Hazel Health

Sean Bradley, Community Engagement and Government Relations Manager, Hazel Health - Zoom

 

11:30 PM                   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.

 

Should you require accessibility services, please click here and note that requests should be made 48 hours in advance of testimony.

 

 

 

If you have any questions or comments, please contact

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