Vermont H. 576: An act relating to stormwater management

Bill Text

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VT LEG #386261 v.1
H.576 1
Introduced by Representatives Berbeco of Winooski, Bluemle of Burlington, 2
and Headrick of Burlington 3
Referred to Committee on 4
Date: 5
Subject: Executive; State Treasurer; gender-affirming health care services; 6
Affirming Health Care Trust Fund 7
Statement of purpose of bill as introduced: This bill proposes to establish the 8
Affirming Health Care Trust Fund, to be administered by the State Treasurer, 9
to provide monetary awards to cover costs associated with receiving and 10
providing gender-affirming health care services. 11
An act relating to establishing the Affirming Health Care Trust Fund for 12
costs related to gender-affirming health care services 13
It is hereby enacted by the General Assembly of the State of Vermont: 14
Sec. 1. 3 V.S.A. chapter 18A is added to read: 15
CHAPTER 18A. AFFIRMING HEALTH CARE TRUST FUND 16
§ 551. DEFINITIONS 17
As used in this chapter: 18
(1)(A) “Gender-affirming health care services” means all supplies, care, 19
and services of a medical, behavioral health, mental health, surgical, 20

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psychiatric, therapeutic, diagnostic, preventative, rehabilitative, or supportive 1
nature, including medication, designed to support and affirm an individual’s 2
gender identity. 3
(B) “Gender-affirming health care services” does not include: 4
(i) conversion therapy as defined by 18 V.S.A. § 8351; or 5
(ii) surgical interventions on minors who have variations in their 6
sex characteristics if they have not personally sought and initiated such 7
treatment. 8
(2) “Health care provider” means an individual, partnership, 9
corporation, facility, or institution licensed, certified, or otherwise authorized 10
by law to provide professional health care services in this State to an individual 11
during that individual’s medical care, treatment, or confinement. 12
(3) “Health care services” means services for the diagnosis, prevention, 13
treatment, cure, or relief of a physical or mental health condition, including 14
counseling, procedures, products, devices, and medications. 15
(4) “Health information” means any information that relates to the past, 16
present, or future physician or mental health or condition of an individual; the 17
provision of health care services to an individual; or the past, present, or future 18
payment for the provision of health care services to an individual. 19
(5) “Nonprofit organization” means an organization with tax-exempt 20
status under 26 U.S.C. § 501(c)(3). 21

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(6) “Patient-identifiable data” means any information, including health 1
information, that identifies or may reasonably be used as a basis to identify an 2
individual patient. 3
§ 552. AFFIRMING HEALTH CARE TRUST FUND PROGRAM 4
(a) There is created the Affirming Health Care Trust Fund Program to 5
provide monetary awards to pay for and support access to gender-affirming 6
health care services. 7
(b) The Affirming Health Care Trust Fund Program is authorized to 8
provide monetary awards directly to: 9
(1) health care providers who provide or are seeking to provide gender-10
affirming health care services in Vermont; and 11
(2) nonprofit organizations whose missions include increasing access to 12
gender-affirming health care services in Vermont. 13
(c) Monetary awards shall be used: 14
(1) to pay for costs associated with providing and receiving gender-15
affirming health care services, including: 16
(A) support for providers of gender-affirming health care services 17
and relevant nonprofit organizations in order to increase access to gender-18
affirming health care services; 19
(B) paying for care that would otherwise be uncompensated; 20

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(C) addressing the support needs of individuals seeking care; and 1
(D) reducing disparities in access to gender-affirming health care 2
services by geography, income, race, disability, age, and other factors; 3
(2) for capital costs associated with establishing and operating Vermont-4
based health care clinics to provide gender-affirming health care services; and 5
(3) for the costs of medical malpractice liability and general liability 6
insurance for health care providers involved in providing gender-affirming 7
health care services. 8
(d) The unexpended balance in the Fund at the end of the fiscal year shall 9
remain available for expenditure in future fiscal years. No sums shall be 10
expended from the Fund that would cause the Fund to be in a deficit at any 11
time. 12
(e) The monetary award process shall not require the collection or retention 13
of any patient-identifiable data. 14
(f) The Treasurer may make and enter into contracts, agreements, 15
memoranda of understanding, partnerships, and other arrangements to 16
collaborate, cooperate, coordinate, contract, or combine resources with other