Vermont S 173: An act relating to the State House art collections

Bill Text

No. 107 Page 1 of 14
2026

VT LEG #389903 v.1
No. 107. An act relating to vocational rehabilitation and apprenticeships.
(S.173)
It is hereby enacted by the General Assembly of the State of Vermont:
Sec. 1. 21 V.S.A. § 641 is amended to read:
§ 641. VOCATIONAL REHABILITATION
(a) When as a result of an injury covered by this chapter, an employee is
unable to perform work for which the employee has previous training or
experience, the employee shall be entitled to vocational rehabilitation services,
including retraining and job placement, as may be reasonably necessary to
restore the employee to suitable employment. Vocational rehabilitation
services shall be provided as follows:
* * *
(2) The Department shall provide an injured worker with a form that
includes information and employee rights. The form shall clearly and simply
explain the worker’s rights, including the choice of provider, the right to
challenge a determination, the right to request vocational rehabilitation
services in the future if the work injury affects the worker’s ability to earn the
worker’s preinjury wage, and reimbursement for related expenses. The worker
shall sign the form and return it to the Department.
* * *

No. 107 Page 2 of 14
2026

VT LEG #389903 v.1
Sec. 2. VOCATIONAL REHABILITATION WORKING GROUP; REPORT
(a) Creation. There is created the Vocational Rehabilitation Working
Group to provide recommendations to the General Assembly on how to
improve the current vocational rehabilitation system to ensure that it meets the
needs of eligible injured workers in a timely and cost-effective manner.
(b) Membership. The Working Group shall be composed of the following
members:
(1) one current member of the House of Representatives, appointed by
the Speaker of House, who shall be a member of the Committee on Commerce
and Economic Development;
(2) one current member of the Senate, appointed by the Committee on
Committees, who shall be a member of the Committee on Economic
Development, Housing and General Affairs;
(3) the Commissioner of Labor or designee;
(4) the Commissioner of Financial Regulation or designee;
(5) two representatives on behalf of workers’ compensation claimants,
one of whom shall be appointed by the Speaker of the House and one of whom
shall be appointed by the Committee on Committees;
(6) two representatives on behalf of employers and workers’
compensation insurance carriers, one of whom shall be appointed by the
Speaker of the House and one of whom shall be appointed by the Committee
on Committees; and

No. 107 Page 3 of 14
2026

VT LEG #389903 v.1
(7) two vocational rehabilitation counselors currently certified in
Vermont, one of whom shall be appointed by the Speaker of the House and one
of whom shall be appointed by the Committee on Committees.
(c) Powers and duties. The Working Group shall meet over the summer
and fall to discuss and develop recommendations on how to improve the
current vocational rehabilitation system and prepare recommendations for
consideration by the General Assembly. The Working Group shall consider
the following topics:
(1) Initial screening.
(A) Is the current initial screening requirement relevant and helpful
or a hindrance to accessing vocational rehabilitation services?
(B) Do other states require an initial screening before a claimant
receives a vocational rehabilitation assessment? What are other possible
approaches that Vermont may wish to consider?
(C) Should the three questions currently asked as part of the initial
screening be modified? Are there additional or different questions that should
be asked?
(D) What improvements could be made to ensure that those
conducting the initial screenings and vocational rehabilitation providers who
provide services to workers’ compensation claimants are familiar with
Vermont’s workers’ compensation system?

No. 107 Page 4 of 14
2026

VT LEG #389903 v.1
(E) Who has current oversight over the initial screening process to
ensure that the system is working as intended?
(2) Vocational rehabilitation generally.
(A) What mechanisms could better and earlier identify which
claimants are likely to require vocational rehabilitation services?
(B) Are claimants being adequately and timely informed of their right
to request a vocational rehabilitation assessment? Is information about the
workers’ compensation system and benefits as a whole being clearly conveyed
in plain, easily understood language?
(C) Are some of the current requirements for providing vocational
rehabilitation services too onerous and administratively unnecessary?
(D) How could vocational rehabilitation services be provided in a
way that is more cost-effective for the workers’ compensation system?
(E) How could the Department of Labor’s oversight of vocational
rehabilitation be improved?
(3) Wage replacement benefits.
(A) Could utilization of vocational services be improved by enabling
claimants to access vocational rehabilitation benefits while receiving wage
replacement benefits?
(B) Coul