Vermont H. 293: An act relating to Mental Health and Addiction Services Loan Forgiveness and Development Program

Bill Text

No. 116 Page 1 of 8
2026

VT LEG #390159 v.1
No. 116. An act relating to miscellaneous amendments to the Department
of Health’s reporting and programming requirements.
(H.293)
It is hereby enacted by the General Assembly of the State of Vermont:
* * Community Violence Prevention Program Report * * *
Sec. 1. 18 V.S.A. § 13 is amended to read:
§ 13. COMMUNITY VIOLENCE PREVENTION PROGRAM
* * *
(d)(1) The Commissioner of Health, in consultation and collaboration with
the Chief Prevention Officer, the Department of Public Safety, the Director of
Violence Prevention, the Executive Director of Racial Equity, and the Council
for Equitable Youth Justice, shall report on the Community Violence
Prevention Program:
(A) on or before September 1, 2023 and December 1, 2023 to the
Joint Legislative Justice Oversight Committee; and
(B) on or before January 15, 2024, and annually on that date
thereafter, to the Senate and House Committees on Judiciary, the Senate
Committee on Health and Welfare, the House Committee on Human Services,
and the House Committee on Health Care.
(2) The report required by this subsection shall include:
(A) a complete description of the Community Violence Prevention
Program grant application and award process;

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VT LEG #390159 v.1
(B) guidelines for the award of grants developed under subdivision
(b)(2) of this section;
(C) the number of applications submitted and grants awarded, and the
amount of each grant awarded;
(D) detailed descriptions of the programs and purposes for which all
grants were awarded;
(E) the impacts and outcomes of funded projects; and
(F) descriptions of any grants applied for or awarded. [Repealed.]
* * * Cancer Registry Disclosure Requirements * * *
Sec. 2. 18 V.S.A. § 155 is amended to read:
§ 155. DISCLOSURE
* * *
(b) The Commissioner may furnish confidential information to the National
Breast and Cervical Cancer Early Detection Program, other states’ cancer
registries, federal cancer control agencies, or health researchers in order to
collaborate in a national cancer registry or to collaborate in cancer control and
prevention research studies. However, before releasing confidential
information, the Commissioner shall first obtain from such state registries,
agencies, or researchers an agreement in writing to keep written assurances
acceptable to the Commissioner that the identifying information shall be kept
confidential and privileged as required by law. In the case of researchers, the
Commissioner shall also first obtain written evidence of the approval of their

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VT LEG #390159 v.1
academic committee for the protection of human subjects established in
accordance with 45 C.F.R. part 46 an institutional review board or privacy
board in accordance with 45 C.F.R. § 164.512(i)(1)(i)(A) and (B).
* * * Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis Registry Disclosure Requirements and
Reporting * * *
Sec. 3. 18 V.S.A. § 174 is amended to read:
§ 174. CONFIDENTIALITY
(a)(1) All identifying information regarding an individual patient or health
care provider is exempt from public inspection and copying under the Public
Records Act and shall be kept confidential.
(2) Notwithstanding subdivision (1) of this subsection, the
Commissioner may enter into data sharing and protection agreements with
researchers or state, regional, or national amyotrophic lateral sclerosis
registries for bidirectional data exchange, provided access under such
agreements is consistent with the privacy, security, and disclosure protections
in this chapter. In the case of researchers, the Commissioner shall also first
obtain written evidence of the approval of their academic committee for the
protection of human subjects established in accordance with 45 C.F.R. Part 46
an institutional review board or privacy board in accordance with 45 C.F.R.
§ 164.512(i)(1)(i)(A) and (B). The Commissioner shall disclose the minimum
information necessary to accomplish a specified research purpose.
* * *

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Sec. 4. 18 V.S.A. § 175 is amended to read:
§ 175. ANNUAL REPORT
Annually, on or before January 15 November 1, the Department shall
submit a written report to the Governor, the House Committee on Human
Services, and the Senate Committee on Health and Welfare containing the
statewide prevalence and incidence estimates of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis,
including any trends occurring over time across the State. Reports shall not
contain information that directly or indirectly identifies an individual patient or
health care provider.
* * * Health Equity Data Reporting * * *
Sec. 5. 18 V.S.A. § 252 is amended to read:
§ 252. HEALTH EQUITY ADVISORY COMMISSION
* * *
(e) Report. Annually, on On or before January 15 of odd-numbered years,
the Advisory Commission shall submit a written report to the Senate
Committee on Health and Welfare and to the House Committees on Health
Care and on Human Services with its findings and any recommendations for
legislat