Senate Committee on Health and Welfare

 

AGENDA

 

Room 17 and Zoom

February 10, 2026 - February 13, 2026

Last Updated 2/13/2026 11:07 AM

 

Unless otherwise noted, all meetings are livestreamed at

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

Tuesday, February 10, 2026

9:30 AM                   Senate Floor

 

10:00 AM                   H. 545 - An act relating to issuing immunization recommendations

Mark-Up

Katie McLinn, Legislative Counsel, Office of Legislative Counsel

Rep. Gregory "Greg" Burtt, House Committee on Agriculture, Food Resiliency, and Forestry

Lauren Layman, General Counsel, Department of Health

 

10:45 AM                   S. 210 - An act relating to access to autopsy reports

Mark-Up

Katie McLinn, Legislative Counsel, Office of Legislative Counsel

 

11:00 AM                   S. 206 - An act relating to licensure of early childhood educators by the Office of Professional Regulation

Mark-Up

Katie McLinn, Legislative Counsel, Office of Legislative Counsel

 

11:20 AM                   S. 206 - An act relating to licensure of early childhood educators by the Office of Professional Regulation

Janet McLaughlin, Deputy Commissioner, Child Development Division, Department for Children and Families

Andrew Prowten, Assistant Director, Educator Quality Division, Agency of Education

 

12:00 PM                   Adjourn

 

Wednesday, February 11, 2026

9:00 AM                   H. 237 - An act relating to prescribing by doctoral-level psychologists

Mark-Up

Katie McLinn, Legislative Counsel, Office of Legislative Counsel

 

9:45 AM                   Recovery Day

This will be a joint hearing with Senate Health and Welfare. It will be held in Room 10 and will be livestreamed here: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC-9RE-K5ZL_Egtle9AdAI-g/featured

Suzie Walker, Executive Director, Recovery Partners of Vermont

Gregory Tatro, Co-founder, Jenna's Promise

Astrid Bradish-Hoyt, Executive Director, Turning Point of Springfield

Dylan Johnson, Recovery Coach, Emergency Department, Turning Point Center, Bennington

Danielle Wallace, Executive Director, Turning Point Center of Addison County

Ashley Brown, Person with Lived Experience, VFOR

Nicholas Farias, Person with Lived Experience, Ben's House

A Anonymous, Person with Lived Experience, Jenna's Promise

Tylor Sears, Person with Lived Experience

 

10:45 AM                   S. 206 - An act relating to licensure of early childhood educators by the Office of Professional Regulation

Katie McLinn, Legislative Counsel, Office of Legislative Counsel

Ph.D Leslie Johnson, Associate Academic Dean, Community College of Vermont - Zoom

Jen Colin, Director, Office of Professional Regulation, Secretary of State's Office

Lauren Hibbert, Deputy Secretary of State, Secretary of State's Office

 

11:30 AM                   S. 190 - An act relating to the Green Mountain Care Board, reference-based pricing, and hospital outsourcing of clinical care

Mary Block, Deputy Commissioner of Insurance, Department of Financial Regulation

 

11:40 AM                   Disability Advocacy Day

Sarah Launderville, Executive Director, Vermont Center for Independent Living (VCIL)

 

11:50 AM                   VT 211 Day

Alison Lamagna, Executive Director, United Ways of VT / VT 211

 

12:00 PM                   Adjourn

 

1:00 PM                   Senate Floor

 

Thursday, February 12, 2026

9:00 AM                   S. 26 - An act relating to prohibiting certain artificial dyes in foods and beverages served or sold at school

Chelsea Myers, Executive Director, Vermont Superintendents Association

Lisa Lefferts, Consultant, Environmental Health/Sciences

Shilpa Ravella, Gastroenterologist

Rosie Krueger, State Director of Child Nutrition Programs, Agency of Education

 

9:30 AM                   S. 197 - An act relating to establishing a primary care payment reform program

Dr. Zirui  Song, Harvard Medical School

 

10:15 AM                   S. 189 - An act relating to an approval process for reducing or eliminating hospital services

Mark-Up

Jennifer Carbee, Deputy Chief Counsel, Office of Legislative Counsel

 

10:30 AM                   S. 189 - An act relating to an approval process for reducing or eliminating hospital services

Owen Foster, J.D., Chair, Green Mountain Care Board

Mike Fisher, Chief Health Care Advocate, Vermont Legal Aid

Jill Mazza Olson, Medicaid and Health Systems Director, Agency of Human Services

 

11:00 AM                   S. 190 - An act relating to the Green Mountain Care Board, reference-based pricing, and hospital outsourcing of clinical care

M.D. Jessa Barnard, Executive Director, Vermont Medical Society

 

11:15 AM                   S. 206 - An act relating to licensure of early childhood educators by the Office of Professional Regulation

Mark-Up

Katie McLinn, Legislative Counsel, Office of Legislative Counsel

 

12:00 PM                   Adjourn

 

1:00 PM                   Senate Floor

 

Friday, February 13, 2026

9:00 AM                   H. 545 - An act relating to issuing immunization recommendations

Mark-Up and Vote

Katie McLinn, Legislative Counsel, Office of Legislative Counsel

Lauren Layman, General Counsel, Department of Health

 

9:30 AM                   S. 142 - An act relating to a pathway to licensure for internationally trained physicians and medical graduates

Intro and High-Level Walkthrough

Sen. Wendy Harrison, Chair, Sponsor

Jennifer Carbee, Deputy Chief Counsel, Office of Legislative Counsel

Diana Wahle, Chair, Health Justice Committee

Mike Zimmer, Senior Policy Consultant, Office of New Americans State Network

Josh Dufresne, CEO, North Star Health

Devon Green, Senior Vice President of Policy and Strategy, Vermont Association of Hospitals and Health Systems

Jessa Barnard, Executive Director, Vermont Medical Society

Jared Rhoads, Executive  Director, Center for Modern Health

 

10:30 AM                   Adjourn

 

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.

 

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

 Calysta Koppenhaver at Calysta.Koppenhaver@vtleg.gov