Vermont H 596: An act relating to exempting certain nonprofit mortgage lenders from licensure

Bill Text

BILL AS INTRODUCED H.596
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VT LEG #386228 v.1
H.596 1
Introduced by Representative Boutin of Barre City 2
Referred to Committee on 3
Date: 4
Subject: Human services; opioid use disorder; opioid antagonist; mental health 5
screening 6
Statement of purpose of bill as introduced: This bill proposes to require the 7
Department of Health to include in its opioid overdose prevention, 8
intervention, and response strategy a provision that a hospital provide a mental 9
health screening to each individual it treats who has been administered an 10
opioid antagonist. 11
An act relating to completion of a mental health screening after 12
administration of an opioid antagonist 13
It is hereby enacted by the General Assembly of the State of Vermont: 14
Sec. 1. 18 V.S.A. § 4257 is amended to read: 15
§ 4257. PREVENTION AND TREATMENT OF OPIOID-RELATED 16
OVERDOSES 17
* * * 18
(b) For the purpose of addressing prescription and nonprescription opioid 19
overdoses in Vermont, the Department shall develop and implement a 20

BILL AS INTRODUCED H.596
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VT LEG #386228 v.1
prevention, intervention, and response strategy, depending on available 1
resources, that shall: 2
(1) provide educational materials on opioid overdose prevention to the 3
public free of charge; 4
(2) increase community-based prevention programs aimed at reducing 5
risk factors that lead to opioid overdoses; 6
(3) increase timely access to treatment services for opioid users, 7
including medication for opioid use disorder; 8
(4)(A) educate substance use treatment providers on methods to prevent 9
opioid overdoses; 10
(B) provide education, information, and training on overdose 11
prevention, intervention, and response, including the status of legal possession 12
of substances and harm reduction supplies, to individuals living with opioid 13
use disorder and participating in needle and syringe exchange programs, 14
recovery programs, residential substance use disorder treatment programs, or 15
correctional services; 16
(5) implement and expand hospital referral services for individuals 17
treated for an opioid overdose, including ensuring that a patient receive a 18
mental health screening after the administration of an opioid antagonist; 19

BILL AS INTRODUCED H.596
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VT LEG #386228 v.1
(6) develop a statewide opioid antagonist program that emphasizes 1
access to opioid antagonists to and for the benefit of individuals with opioid 2
use disorder; 3
(7) distribute opioid antagonists to assist those at risk of experiencing an 4
opioid-related overdose; and 5
(8) establish opioid antagonist dispensing kiosks in locations accessible 6
to those at risk of experiencing an opioid-related overdose. 7
* * * 8
Sec. 2. EFFECTIVE DATE 9
This act shall take effect on July 1, 2026. 10