Vermont H 583: An act relating to the beverage container redemption system

Bill Text

No. 133 Page 1 of 14
2026

VT LEG #390206 v.1
No. 133. An act relating to clinical decision making.
(H.583)
It is hereby enacted by the General Assembly of the State of Vermont:
Sec. 1. 18 V.S.A. chapter 233 is added to read:
CHAPTER 233. CLINICAL DECISION MAKING
§ 9771. DEFINITIONS
As used in this chapter:
(1) “Health care facility” has the same meaning as in section 9432 of
this title.
(2) “Health care provider” has the same meaning as in section 9402 of
this title.
(3) “Health care services” has the same meaning as in section 9481 of
this title and includes all of the following:
(A) inpatient; outpatient; habilitative; rehabilitative; dental;
palliative, including hospice; therapeutic; supportive; nursing home; home
health; mental health; and substance use disorder services, provided by a health
care facility;
(B) pharmacy services, including drugs, devices, and medical
supplies;
(C) performance of functions to refer, arrange, and coordinate care;
(D) durable medical equipment, diagnostic equipment, surgical
devices, and infusion equipment; and

No. 133 Page 2 of 14
2026

VT LEG #390206 v.1
(E) technology associated with providing the services and equipment
set forth in subdivisions (A)–(D) of this subdivision (3), such as telehealth,
electronic health records, software, claims processing, and utilization systems.
(4) “Health care staffing company” means a person engaged in the
business of providing or procuring health care personnel for temporary
employment or contracting by a health care facility, but does not include an
individual who independently provides the individual’s own services on a
temporary basis to health care facilities as an employee or contractor.
(5)(A) “Hedge fund” means a pool of funds managed by investors for
the purpose of earning a return on those funds, regardless of the strategies used
to manage the funds. Hedge funds include a pool of funds managed or
controlled by private limited partnerships.
(B) “Hedge fund” does not include:
(i) individuals or entities that contribute, or promise to contribute,
funds to a hedge fund but do not participate in the management of the hedge
fund or the fund’s assets or in any change of control of the hedge fund or the
fund’s assets; or
(ii) entities that solely provide or manage debt financing secured
in whole or in part by the assets of a health care facility, including banks, credit
unions, commercial real estate lenders, bond underwriters, and trustees.
(6) “Management services organization” means any organization or
entity that contracts with a health care provider or provider organization to

No. 133 Page 3 of 14
2026

VT LEG #390206 v.1
perform management or administrative services relating to, supporting, or
facilitating the provision of health care services.
(7) “Ownership or investment interest” means any of the following:
(A) direct or indirect possession of equity in the capital, stock, or
profits totaling more than five percent of an entity;
(B) interest held by an investor or group of investors who engage in
the raising or returning of capital and who invest, develop, or dispose of
specified assets; or
(C) interest held by a pool of funds by investors, including a pool of
funds managed or controlled by private limited partnerships, if those investors
or the management of that pool or private limited partnership employs
investment strategies of any kind to earn a return on that pool of funds.
(8)(A) “Private equity group” means an investor or group of investors
who primarily engage in the raising or returning of capital and who invest,
develop, dispose of, or purchase any equity interest in assets, either as a parent
company or through another entity the investor or investors completely or
partially own or control.
(B) “Private equity group” does not include individuals or entities
that contribute, or promise to contribute, funds to the private equity group but
otherwise do not participate in the management of the private equity group or
the group’s assets, or in any change in control of the private equity group or
the group’s assets.

No. 133 Page 4 of 14
2026

VT LEG #390206 v.1
(9) “Provider organization” means any corporation, partnership,
business trust, association, or organized group of persons that is in the business
of health care delivery or management, whether incorporated or not, that
represents one or more health care providers in contracting with health insurers
for payment for health care services. The term includes physician
organizations, physician-hospital organizations, independent practice
associations, provider networks, accountable care organizations, management
services organizations, and any other organization that contracts with health
insurers for payment for health care services.
(10) “Significant equity investor” means:
(A) any private equity group with a direct or indirect ownership or
investment interest in a health care facility or management services
organization;
(B) an investor, group of investors, o