Vermont H 581: An act relating to the funding of the Department of Fish and Wildlife

Bill Text

BILL AS INTRODUCED H.581
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VT LEG #386242 v.1
H.581 1
Introduced by Representative Burrows of West Windsor 2
Referred to Committee on 3
Date: 4
Subject: Health; prescription drugs; Vermont Prescription Monitoring System; 5
reproductive health care services; gender-affirming health care 6
services 7
Statement of purpose of bill as introduced: This bill proposes not to require 8
the reporting of controlled substances prescribed for reproductive or gender-9
affirming care to the Vermont Prescription Monitoring System unless the 10
Commissioner of Health determines that reporting is necessary to protect the 11
public health. The bill would also require that any information about those 12
medications that is in the Vermont Prescription Monitoring System be 13
excluded from sharing with other states’ prescription monitoring systems. 14
An act relating to limiting the reporting of certain medications to the 15
Vermont Prescription Monitoring System 16
It is hereby enacted by the General Assembly of the State of Vermont: 17
Sec. 1. 18 V.S.A. § 4283 is amended to read: 18
§ 4283. CREATION; IMPLEMENTATION 19

BILL AS INTRODUCED H.581
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VT LEG #386242 v.1
(a) The Department shall maintain an electronic database and reporting 1
system for monitoring Schedules II, III, and IV controlled substances, as 2
defined in 21 C.F.R. Part 1308, as amended and as may be amended, that are 3
dispensed within the State of Vermont by a health care provider or dispenser or 4
dispensed to an address within the State by a pharmacy licensed by the 5
Vermont Board of Pharmacy. 6
(b) As required by the Department, every dispenser who is licensed by the 7
Vermont Board of Pharmacy shall report to the Department in a timely manner 8
data for each controlled substance in Schedules II, III, and IV, as amended and 9
as may be amended, dispensed to a patient within Vermont. Reporting shall 10
not be required for: 11
(1) a drug administered directly to a patient; or 12
(2) a drug dispensed by a health care provider at a facility licensed by 13
the Department, provided that the quantity dispensed is limited to an amount 14
adequate to treat the patient for a maximum of 48 hours; or 15
(3) a medication prescribed for purposes of reproductive health care 16
services or gender-affirming health care services, as those terms are defined in 17
1 V.S.A. § 150, unless the Commissioner determines that the reporting of those 18
medications is necessary to protect the public health. 19
* * * 20

BILL AS INTRODUCED H.581
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VT LEG #386242 v.1
Sec. 2. 18 V.S.A. § 4288 is amended to read: 1
§ 4288. RECIPROCAL AGREEMENTS 2
The Department of Health may enter into reciprocal agreements with other 3
states that have prescription monitoring programs so long as provided access 4
under each such agreement is consistent with the privacy, security, and 5
disclosure protections in this chapter, and further provided that if the Vermont 6
Prescription Monitoring System contains any information regarding 7
medications prescribed for purposes of reproductive health care services or 8
gender-affirming health care services, as those terms are defined in 1 V.S.A. 9
§ 150, the reciprocal agreements shall exclude those medications and any 10
information about their prescribers, dispensers, and recipients from the 11
information to be disclosed to another state’s prescription monitoring program. 12
Sec. 3. EFFECTIVE DATE 13
This act shall take effect on July 1, 2026. 14