Health and Welfare

H 293 changes Vermont's health equity reporting requirements by reducing the frequency of Department of Health reports from annual to every three years starting in 2028. It also updates disclosure rules for cancer and amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) registries, requiring written confidentiality agreements before sharing identifiable health data with researchers or other registries. The bill ensures that any shared data must be minimized to what's necessary for research, while maintaining privacy protections under state and federal law. These changes take effect July 1, 2025, and directly affect the Department of Health, healthcare researchers, and state registries managing cancer and ALS patient data.

H.248 amends existing laws regarding child care grants and financial assistance programs. It allows the Commissioner for Children and Families to provide supplemental financial relief to child care programs at risk of closing, particularly those in high-poverty areas. The bill also expands eligibility for the Child Care Financial Assistance Program, enabling families with incomes up to 575% of the federal poverty level to receive subsidies for child care needed for employment or training. Additionally, it revises payment schedules for child care providers, requiring timely payments and reducing the rate difference between family child care homes and center-based programs.

This bill makes permanent the ability to use remote and electronic methods for signing advance directives, which were previously only allowed through March 31, 2024. It allows witnesses and neutral explainers to participate via live video or telephone, and permits all parties to use digital signatures. The law also expands remote witnessing options for a special clause called a Ulysses clause, which lets a named agent make medical decisions even against the principal's wishes if they lose capacity. These changes affect individuals creating advance directives, their witnesses, and healthcare providers in Vermont. The bill takes effect on April 1, 2024.

Senate Message, adopted in concurrence

House message: Governor approved bill on May 10, 2018