Vermont H. 660: An act relating to establishing the Commission on Sentencing Disparities and Criminal Code Reclassification

Bill Text

No. 141 Page 1 of 12
2026

VT LEG #390224 v.1
No. 141. An act relating to fiscal year 2027 Opioid Abatement Special
Fund and Substance Misuse Prevention Special Fund appropriations.
(H.660)
It is hereby enacted by the General Assembly of the State of Vermont:
* * * Opioid Abatement Special Fund * * *
Sec. 1. APPROPRIATIONS; OPIOID ABATEMENT SPECIAL FUND
(a) In fiscal year 2027, the following sums shall be appropriated from the
Opioid Abatement Special Fund established in 18 V.S.A. § 4774:
(1)(A) $455,000.00 to the Department of Health to fund 26 outreach or
case management staff positions within the preferred provider network for the
provision of services that increase the motivation of and engagement with
individuals with substance use disorder in settings such as police barracks,
shelters, social service organizations, and elsewhere in the community.
(B) It is the intent of the General Assembly that these positions shall
be funded annually by the Opioid Abatement Special Fund unless and until the
Special Fund does not have sufficient monies to fund this expenditure.
(2)(A) $1,600,000.00 to the Department of Health for recovery
residences certified by the Vermont Alliance for Recovery Residences.
(B) It is the intent of the General Assembly that recovery residences
be funded annually by the Opioid Abatement Special Fund unless and until the
Special Fund does not have sufficient monies to fund this expenditure.

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(3)(A) $850,000.00 to the Department of Health for syringe services.
(B) It is the intent of the General Assembly that syringe services be
funded annually by the Opioid Abatement Special Fund unless and until the
Special Fund does not have sufficient monies to fund this expenditure.
(4) $1,100,000.00 to the Department of Corrections to provide peer
recovery center coaches in Vermont correctional facilities and in probation and
parole offices to provide group and individual coaching and reentry support,
which shall not be used to cover administrative expenses.
(5) $250,000.00 to the Department for Children and Families’ Office of
Economic Opportunity to support long-term programs at shelters for
individuals experiencing homelessness, including harm-reduction supports,
transportation to recovery meetings and appointments, and clinical nursing
programs.
(6)(A) $1,200,000.00 to the Department of Health for both the creation
of new opioid use disorder residential treatment beds at American Society of
Addiction Medicine level 3.1 and for the creation of new recovery residence
beds at National Alliance for Recovery Residences (NARR) certification level
III or above with priority given to unserved and underserved regions of the
State.
(B) It is a priority of the General Assembly to fund treatment as part
of opioid use disorder recovery.

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(7) $248,000.00 to the Department of Health for the Prehospital
Vermont EMS Buprenorphine Treatment (PREVENT) Program to expand
training for emergency service providers on carrying buprenorphine and
administering buprenorphine after administering naloxone.
(8) $35,000.00 to the Department of Health to subsidize room and board
for individuals in Rutland Mental Health Services’ transitional housing
program.
(9) $237,646.00 to the Department of Health for distribution to
Springfield Project ACTION to support public safety enhancement team
coordinator positions in Bennington, Springfield, Brattleboro, St. Johnsbury,
and central Vermont for the purposes of providing administrative support,
meeting facilitation, data tracking, outreach event coordination, and
sustainability planning.
(10) $500,000.00 to the Department of Health for distribution to
recovery centers, upon consultation with the Vermont Recovery Network to
determine allocations to individual recovery centers.
(11) $287,000.00 to the Department of Public Safety to provide funding
for expanding the Public Safety Enhancement Team’s harm reduction and
strategic community intervention efforts.
(12) $875,000.00 to the Department of Disabilities, Aging, and
Independent Living to fund specialized employment services to individuals
with opioid use disorder through HireAbility Vermont.

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(b) Notwithstanding 32 V.S.A. § 703, unless reverted by a future act of the
General Assembly, the appropriations made in accordance with this section
shall carry forward until fully expended.
Sec. 2. LEGISLATIVE INTENT; OVERDOSE PREVENTION CENTER
(a) It is the intent of the General Assembly to consider the operational
status and funding needs of Burlington’s overdose prevention center during the
fiscal year 2027 budget adjustment process. If the General Assembly finds that
a location for the overdose prevention center has been procured by lease or
purchase, the overdose prevention center is being fit up for its intended use,
and the overdose prevention center is currently or will imminently become
operational