A second human case of Jamestown Canyon virus has been confirmed in Vermont, this time in Charlotte, after mosquitoes there tested positive.

Experts present strong evidence linking PFAS exposure to health issues including cancer and pregnancy effects

The Vermont Department of Health told the House Human Services committee it recommends concentrating opioid settlement dollars on long‑term recovery housing and ongoing operations, not short‑term projects; officials also proposed technical reversions and a statutory correction for a medication dosing unit in Chittenden County.

Deputy Commissioner Julia Rell and State Toxicologist Andrea Kirk told the committee lead, mercury, arsenic and cadmium can impair development in infants and toddlers; the department suggested the Attorney General’s Office may be a more appropriate enforcement entity than the health department.

The House health committee reviewed Senate amendments to H.293 and signaled concurrence. The bill removes or reduces several statutory annual reporting duties for the Department of Health, adds a new financial-reporting requirement for recovery service organizations, and preserves public posting of the underlying data, the department said.

Vermont Department of Health and scientific witnesses told the House Committee on Government Operations & Military Affairs that keeping current THC potency and single‑serving limits helps reduce youth exposure, accidental poisonings and emergency‑department visits; they opposed provisions in the senate draft that raise package and possession limits and recommended stronger local tracking and compliance checks.

At a House Human Services hearing on S.198, witnesses demonstrated vape devices designed to look like toys, video games and school supplies and urged lawmakers to shift penalties from youth to retailers, add retail tax stamps and strengthen online-sales enforcement.

State Health & Welfare presenters outlined the first-year Rural Health Transformation cooperative agreement (~$195 million), explained CMS approval requirements, described a 15% cap on provider payments that held several projects, and reiterated obligation and spending deadlines.

Agency of Human Services officials said Vermont won a $195 million first‑year award under CMS’s Rural Health Transformation initiative, described tight federal timelines and a cooperative‑agreement review process that will require CMS scrutiny of subrecipient budgets and may limit some provider payments.

At an April 7 Senate Health & Welfare hearing on H.660, Department of Health advisers told senators the opioid settlement fund will bring under $5 million a year and recommended pausing new project approvals to evaluate sustainability; DOH asked for several one‑time startup allocations including EMS buprenorphine training and recovery housing and requested $287,000 for a public safety enhancement team.

H.545 would let the Vermont health commissioner issue 'recommended immunizations' (shifting some recommendation authority from the CDC to the state through July 1, 2031), preserve vaccine purchasing and coverage for ages 0–64, authorize pharmacists and supervised pharmacy technicians to administer certain vaccines, and creates advisory roles; the Senate proposed to the House amendments and ordered third reading.

Legislative Council presented the committee's FY2027 budget memo and ranked top 10 priorities (including home health/referral clinics, AHEC, Vermont Care Partners and Medicaid rate increases); the committee approved sending the memo to the House Appropriations Committee by straw poll and asked for an attached spreadsheet of all requests.

Committee members probed the Department of Health’s reclassification of budget lines, an approximately $1.8 million immunization increase driven by spending‑authority adjustments, and proposed reductions affecting the Area Health Education Center and loan‑repayment programs; staff were asked to provide data on program impact and allowable rural health grant uses.

Committee considered H.545, which would decouple some statutory references to CDC recommended immunizations and instead allow the Vermont Commissioner of Health to determine recommended immunizations for six years, with a sunset and no current appropriations; counsel said insurer reimbursement and pharmacist authority language would be aligned to the commissioner's recommendations.

The Senate Health & Welfare Committee voted to advance H.545 (draft 2.1), which temporarily allows the state Commissioner of Health to recommend certain immunizations and ties some insurer coverage and pharmacy authority to those recommendations; the measure will be reported and go to the full Senate.

During a budget markup session, the Joint Fiscal Committee moved to fund several recovery‑oriented programs from opioid settlement and other sources, directed the Department of Health to use cannabis‑funded prevention dollars for multiple prevention requests, and asked staff to add sustainability language before final appropriation.

The House Human Services committee reviewed draft H.66 D on Feb. 11, accepted several Department of Health reversion recommendations to prior appropriations, and agreed to adopt VDH funding levels for key recovery residence and corrections peer‑recovery line items while requesting additional detail on outstanding discrepancies.

A Vermont Senate committee reviewed a draft bill that would allow the state health commissioner to issue vaccine recommendations independent of CDC guidance and would grant civil and administrative immunity to health care professionals who follow those recommendations except in cases of gross negligence, recklessness or intentional misconduct; the provision would sunset on 07/01/2031.

Financial Director Megan Polk told the committee the department plans several internal transfers (Narcan program to Substance Use appropriation, school Medicaid claiming to Agency of Education/DEVA, preschool-development duties to DCF), expects continued federal grants and noted a net reduction of 16 positions with a 3% vacancy-savings rate in the budget despite an actual ~8% vacancy; the committee also discussed single-audit findings and the upcoming joint fiscal committee review of the Rural Health Transformation grant.

Senate Health & Welfare reviewed H.545, which would let the Vermont Department of Health issue a six-year, state-level "recommended immunization" schedule, preserve vaccine purchasing and insurer coverage, and provide limited civil protections for providers; witnesses emphasized the bill is not a mandate and urged preserving access amid reported vaccine-confidence declines.

Legislative counsel Jen Garvey briefed the Senate Health & Welfare committee on a package of 2025 health-related acts, highlighting permanent unmerging of individual and small-group insurance markets, new Medicaid rate-setting requirements for community-based providers, a $1 million medical debt-relief appropriation, and temporary powers for the Green Mountain Care Board to address insurer insolvency.

Department of Health Commissioner Bill Grant told the Senate Appropriation panel on Jan. 13 that his immediate priorities are maintaining vaccine access amid federal guidance changes, expanding substance-use disorder treatment and improving transportation and regionalized care to reduce hospital readmissions.

At the Jan. 13 Senate Appropriation meeting the Department of Health presented budget adjustments including a housekeeping transfer of digital-service costs (B3 11), a request to use general funds to replace Global Commitment dollars for Planned Parenthood of Northern New England after a federal HR 1 pause on Medicaid payments, and a one-time $163,000 reversion item.

Senate Health & Welfare staff reviewed a 12-page list of reports due to the committee on Jan. 8, flagged multiple missing or inconsistently filed items (including a Choices for Care quarterly report), and asked members to prioritize which recurring reports warrant continued oversight.