Vermont Legislature SmartTranscripts:

[Speaker 0]: Will the house please come to order and members kindly take their seats. Good morning. Good morning. The devotional today will be led by the reverend Campton Randolph of the New Jersey Fellowship in of Plainfield.

[Rev. Campton Randolph (New Journey Fellowship, Plainfield)]: Thank you. Good morning. It's New Journey Fellowship just down the road in Plainfield, Vermont. I wanna thank you for having me this morning. I wanna take you back to my sixth grade English classroom, and my professor, Ed mister Edward Cloman had a sign on his wall, and it had three words, and it said, less is more. Mister Cloman, I don't know if he had read the bible, but he understood some spiritual truths that our lord Jesus understood very well, which is that oftentimes less is more. It reminds me of when he was Jesus was teaching about how to pray. And he said in the sermon of the mountain, he said, don't just heap up words when you pray like the Gentiles do, but your father in heaven knows what you want, what you need before you even pray. So keep it simple, stupid. Jesus didn't say that last part. That's that's my paraphrase. But the he gets at a human problem, which is we often don't see solutions when they involve less, when they involve subtractive thinking or giving something up. Some researchers wanted to get at this issue. They published their findings in the journal Nature a few years ago, and and what they studied was this this question. They gave subjects LEGO towers, and they said we need to get this LEGO tower to balance a brick. The tower had on top of it a block in the corner and then a large flat piece that cantilevered out awkwardly. And and and and they said, well, you need to do this in the fewest moves possible. We're gonna give you a bin of Legos to help you. And so the vast majority of people looked at this tower and they said, well, this is easy. They took off the flat piece, they put three more pieces on the missing corners, they put the flat piece back on top and they put the brick on. They said, problem solved. Well, turns out that was not the easiest and most simple solution. That took five moves. The easiest solution was to take off the flat piece, take off the one awkward brick on the corner, the piece on the corner, and put the brick on top. That took two moves. But we can't see it. The problem was even worse when they gave people a ticker of numbers on a screen and they were supposed to spot all the sixes while they were going about this task. When we're distracted and overwhelmed, we we become especially poor at seeing these simple solutions that involve taking away rather than adding more. This is something that we see in scripture. And the problem's even worse because it turns out we're not just given a Lego tower, we built the tower. Our party built the tower. Our predecessors built the tower. Each block represents some investment that we thought was good that we've made, that we've sacrificed for. There was a young man in the scriptures and he went to Jesus and he said, what do I need to do to enter the kingdom of heaven? He said, I I've done everything the law requires. I tithe, I I give, I sacrifice. I meet all of the obligations of the law. And Jesus said, it's really quite simple. Just give away everything you have and come and follow me. And this person hung their head and they walked away very sad. They didn't give away what they had, and they didn't turn and follow Christ because they were very wealthy and very rich. They had sacrificed and earned all that money, all the wealth. And this person in the gospel, they gave up the greatest good, the kingdom of heaven. They gave it up for temporary, worldly, ultimately fleeting, and meaningless wealth. We miss what's right in front of our face because we can't see it. We have a bias, and we have a hubris that prevents us from pursuing solutions that are simple, but sometimes involve giving things up and letting go. And so what I urge all of you to do is to consider maybe that you are missing and can't see the very solution that's in front of your face. Maybe we need to ask what we need to get out of the way, what we need to give up, what we need to sacrifice. Jesus said whoever loses his life will find it. What do we need to let go of and get out of the way and give up in order to achieve the greatest good for the people of this state? And I ask you to ask yourself that, not just today, not just this session, but in your career as lawmakers. What is it that you're not seeing? What do we need to let go of? Allow me to pray for this body today. Heavenly father, I ask that you give us wisdom. I thank you, Lord, that you have brought together this group, this body. You have assembled it here. You have tasked it. I ask that you give us wisdom, and you give us eyes to see what we do not see and you give us humility, Lord, to pursue the greatest good, to pursue righteousness. I ask that you give us the power to fill it, fulfill it, and I ask this in the name of our Lord. Amen. Thank you.

[Speaker 0]: Members, we have two house bills for introduction today. The first is house bill eight eighty nine, which is an act relating to an exemption for disability related income on candidate disclosure forms introduced by representative, Nigro of Bennington. Please listen to the first reading of the bill.

[BetsyAnn Wrask (Clerk of the House)]: H eight eighty nine, an act relating to exemption for disability related income on candidate disclosure forms.

[Speaker 0]: Now the bill has been read the first time and is referred to the committee on government operations and military affairs. The second is house bill eight ninety an act relating to reducing barriers to non profit religious organizations providing preventative healthcare services introduced by representative Boutin of Barrie City. Please listen to the first reading of the bill.

[BetsyAnn Wrask (Clerk of the House)]: H eight ninety. An act relating to reducing barriers to nonprofit religious organizations providing preventive health care services.

[Speaker 0]: Now the bill has been read the first time and is referred to the committee on health care. Members, all three bills on the notice calendar require referral to a money committee pursuant to house rule 35A. The first is house bill five forty eight which is an act relating to adding a mediator position to the office of the Vermont Labor Relations Board. Carrying an appropriation the bill is referred to the committee on appropriations. Next is House Bill five fifty seven, five seventy seven which is an act relating to establishing the Vermont Prescription Drug Discount Card Program. Affecting the revenue of the state, the bill is referred to the committee on ways and means. Finally, House Bill five sixty seven is an act relating to unclaimed property, state retirement systems and capital debt affecting the revenue of the state. The bill is referred to the committee on ways and means. Are there any announcements? Member from Cabot.

[Unidentified Representative from Cabot]: Thank you, madam speaker. I just wanna welcome to the body my pastor, Captain Randolph. We became friends in the last five years or so, and I was there at his baptism. And I like the story that he told about how he would never be caught dead in a church and then had this radical transformation in his life. And now here he is a pastor of a thriving congregation in Plainfield, and I'm proud to be a member of that church. So I just want to ask the body to join me in welcoming him here.

[Speaker 0]: Will the guest of the member from Cabot please rise and be recognized? Member from East Montpelier.

[Unidentified Representative from East Montpelier]: Thank you, madam speaker. Yesterday in my vote explanation, I misspoke that h seventy was assigned committee less than two weeks ago. I had misread the date. It was January 2025, not 2026. The rest of my reasons for voting no still stand. Thank you.

[Speaker 0]: Are there any further announcements? Member from Montpelier.

[Representative Kate McCann (Montpelier)]: Madam Speaker, the Green Mountains and the Emerald Isle have long shared a special connection rooted in our history and our people. One in five Vermonters claim Irish ancestry and the ties between this state and Ireland, cultural, personal, and economic, run deep. Today, it's a real honor to welcome Maria Walsh, a member of the European Parliament who represents 15 counties and nearly 1,800,000 people across the West And Midlands Of Ireland, one of the largest constituencies in Europe. Maria first came to national prominence in Ireland as Rose of Tralee in 2014, and she has since gone on to serve in one of the world's largest representative bodies, bringing with her the perspective of rural communities that are often far from the political centers of power. She has also been a strong advocate for LGBTQ plus inclusion and visibility, helping ensure that public life better reflects the full diversity of communities it serves, a value that resonates strongly here in Vermont. At a moment when our transatlantic relationships and our ties with Europe matter deeply, it means a great deal to have her here with us in the Vermont House. And Madam Speaker, we're especially fortunate today because this is a three for one visit. Maria is joined by her mother, Noreen, and her aunt, Sheila. Noreen is from, County Mayo, and Sheila is just from down the road in Boston. So please join me in welcoming MEP Maria Walsh, Noreen, and Sheila to the house.

[Speaker 0]: Will the guests of the member from Montpelier please rise and be recognized. Member from South Burlington.

[Unidentified Representative from South Burlington]: Thank you, madam speaker. I'd like to reinvite and remind the body that senator Bernie Sanders will be joining the working Vermonters caucus today at 12:15 in Room 10 and, hope to see you there. Thank you.

[Speaker 0]: Are there any further announcements? Member from panel.

[Unidentified Representative from Pownal]: Thank you, madam speaker. The caucus for Vermont's economy team players through and through. We're happy to yield Room 10 to senator Sanders and will instead be caucusing in Room 267 Of The Pavilion at 12:15. Thank you.

[Speaker 0]: Are there any further announcements? Member from Berkshire.

[Representative Lisa Hango (Berkshire)]: Thank you. The Vermont National Guard and Veterans Affairs Caucus will be meeting on Tuesday morning in Room 10 at 8AM.

[Speaker 0]: Are there any further announcements? Seeing none. Orders of the day. Members, we will begin with house bill six eleven, which is an act relating to miscellaneous provisions affecting the department of Vermont Health Access. The bill was referred to the committee on healthcare which recommends that the bill be amended as printed in today's calendar. The member from Waterford, representative powers will speak for the committee And then carrying an appropriation, the bill was then referred to the committee on appropriations which recommends that the bill ought to pass when amended as recommended by the committee on healthcare. The member from Morristown, representative will speak for that committee. Please listen to the second reading of the bill.

[BetsyAnn Wrask (Clerk of the House)]: H611, an act relating to miscellaneous provisions affecting the Department of Vermont Health Access.

[Speaker 0]: Member from Waterford.

[Representative Debra Powers (Waterford)]: Thank you, madam speaker. House, H six one one is a technical and housekeeping bill from the Department of Vermont Health Access, otherwise known as DIVA. This bill proposes several changes to existing stat ute for the recommendations of Vermont Medicaid and our health insurance marketplace. These changes are intended to lessen unnecessary administrative burdens on the state staff, clarify existing statute and amend current language to promote participation in state advisory bodies and affordability for Vermonters. H-six 11 would not substantially change existing Medicaid statute, excuse me, or rules. The impacts of this bill will largely be felt by grateful state staff who will be better able to prioritize their time to best serve our most vulnerable Vermonters. In addition, H611 would delay implementation on Medicaid coverage for doula services for one year. This compromise represents collaborative efforts between, agency of human services, Vermont Department of Health, Office of Professional Regulation, and the provider community. This will allow the agency of Human Services in addition an additional year to best determine how to seek the Centers for Medicare Medicaid Services approval in a way that accurately captures how doula services are provided in Vermont currently. Allow me to walk you through the bill and you can follow along in today's house calendar on page three ninety four. Section one eliminates the requirement of the Department of Vermont Health Access, create annual list of present prescription drugs for which the price has recently increased significantly and provide those lists to the Attorney General's Office so that the office can try to get more information about the price increases from drug manufacturers. The second section repeals language requiring drug manufacturers, to make 340B drug pricing available to cover entities pharmacies at a discount at the time of purchase, not a rebate to be given later. This provision is currently in litigation and may be preempted by federal law. The third section amends the membership requirements for Medicaid and Exchange Advisory Committee to include individuals who are also members of the Beneficiary Advisory Committee as required by federal law. The fourth section amends the statute on reflective health benefit plans to remove references to small group market in light of the permanent unmerging of the individual and small group markets last year. Because the premium loading issue that led the creation of reflective health benefit plans only affects individual market plans which are eligible for subsidies. The fifth section amends, the composition of technical utilization review board to say that the existing 10 member size is a minimum and that terms may be staggered but do not have to be. Section six amends the eligibility requirements for V Pharm, a prescription drug assistance program administered by DIVA. To eliminate the requirement to calculate household income using federal modified adjusted gross income because income for V Pharm has never been calculated this way. Section seven directs the agency of human services to amend its rules and procedures to increase the amount of money that a Medicaid beneficiary can keep in the irrevocable prepaid funeral arrangement from $10,000 to $15,000 It specifies that any amount remaining in the account after funeral and burial expenses have been paid goes back to Vermont Medicaid up to the total amount of Medicaid paid for the beneficiary's care. Federal approval is required if received. If received, this section would apply to prepaid funeral arrangements entered into on or after 07/01/2027. Sections eight and nine delay from 07/01/2026 until 07/01/2027, the date by which DIVA must seek federal approval to amend Vermont's Medicaid state plan and allow for Medicaid coverage doula services. Section 10 changes the date the act would take effect on 07/01/2026. Our committee heard testimony from the Director of Medicaid Policies, Agency of Human Services, Chief Counsel, Office of Legislative Counsel, Chief Healthcare Advocate, Vermont Legal Aid, Policy Analyst, Medicaid Policy Unit, Agency of Human Services, Director of Communications and Legislative Affairs Department of Vermont Health Access, social worker doula advocate Washington County Mental Health Services, deputy commissioner, the Department of Vermont Health Access, commissioner Consumer Research and Health Policy Analyst, Office of the Healthcare Advocate, Vermont Legal Aid. Madam Speaker, the Department of Vermont Health Care Access has one of the largest budgets. Voted at a committee eleven-zero-zero and thank you and we ask for your support.

[Speaker 0]: And now speaking for the committee on appropriations, member from Morristown.

[Unidentified Representative from East Montpelier]: Thank you.

[Representative David Yacovone (Morristown)]: Thank you, madam speaker. Your committee on appropriations took testimony from our legislative council and our joint fiscal office as we walked through the bill and deliberated on it. Our determination is there are no fiscal impacts to our state budget, and we recommend your support of this bill. You might notice in in yesterday's calendar, the vote tally from the appropriations committee was eight zero three, and that is the accurate vote. There was just a typographical error for those who might be following today. It says nine zero two. The vote was eight zero three. Thank you for your support.

[Speaker 0]: The question is shall the bill be amended as recommended by the committee on healthcare? Are you ready for the question? If so, all those in favor please say aye. Aye. All those opposed please say nay. The ayes appear to have it. The ayes do have it and you have amended the bill. Now the question is shall the bill be read a third time? Are you ready for that question? If so, all those in favor please say aye. Aye. All those opposed please say nay. The ayes appear to have it. The ayes do have it and third reading is ordered. Next up is house bill five forty which is an act relating to the recommendations of the post adjudication reparative program working group. Please listen to the third reading of the bill.

[BetsyAnn Wrask (Clerk of the House)]: H five forty, an act relating to the recommendations of the post adjudication reparative program working group.

[Speaker 0]: The question is shall the bill pass? Are you ready for the question? If so, all those in favor please say aye. Aye. All those opposed please say nay. The ayes appear to have it. The ayes do have it and you have passed the bill. The final bill on our action calendar today is house bill 50 which is an act relating to identifying underutilized state buildings and land. The bill passed the senate with a proposal of amendment that is printed in today's calendar. Thereafter the bill was committed to the committee on corrections and institutions which recommends that the house concur in the senate proposal of amendment with a further amendment thereto that is printed in today's calendar. The member from Fairfield, representative Greg Burr, will speak for the committee member from Fairfield.

[Representative Gregory "Greg" Burtt (Fairfield)]: Thank you, madam speaker. An act relating to identify in you underutilized state buildings and land passed this body without objection last year. The bill went to the senate where they made a few changes. This year, the committee on corrections and institutions made further changes, and I will present a more the more substantive changes now. In section one, the senate added state leased land buildings excuse me, state leased buildings, which we removed. Since we do not own these buildings, they would not be available for potential housing development and therefore including them is irrelevant to the purpose of this bill. They also changed our request for this inventory to be done by annually to buy annually. We changed that back to annually. Section one g, they changed our language asking for heads of each agency to indicate the inventory, whether the building or land was unnecessary for state purposes to whether it was unnecessary for the statutory purposes of the agency. The committee felt that the language was too prescriptive and that there were many there may not always be clear statutory language to base that decision on, and that it'd be easier for the agencies to comply with the original language, so we changed that back. We also added section two, which includes new language that directs the head of each agency to report the aforementioned inventory to the commissioner of the Department of Housing and Community Development each year through the calendar year 2030 in a format that meets the requirements laid out in the governor's executive commit, order 06/25. And on that and that on before January 15 of each legislative session through 2031, said report will be delivered to the committee on corrections and institutions as well as the senate committee on institutions. We worked with the departments of BGS and HCD to ensure that our request was achievable by them. The bill takes a passage effect on passage. The committee heard from legislative council, the commissioner and deputy commissioner of building general services, and the commissioner of department of housing and community development. The committee vote was nine zero two when we ask for the body's support.

[Speaker 0]: The question is, shall the house concur in the senate proposal of amendment with further amendment thereto as recommended by the committee on corrections and institutions? Are you ready for the question? If so, all those in favor please say aye. Aye. All those opposed please say nay. The ayes appear to have it. The ayes do have it and you have concurred in the senate proposal of amendment with further proposal of amendment thereto. Members, that completes the orders of the day. Are there any announcements? Seeing nope. Member from Brattleboro.

[Representative Emilie Kornheiser (Brattleboro)]: Madam speaker, the joint fiscal committee will be meeting today at 12:15 in Room 11 to hear the, about the grant for rural health transformation from the federal government.

[Speaker 0]: Are there any further announcements? Seeing none. Member from Pulte, can you please offer us a motion to adjourn until Tuesday, February 10 at 10AM?

[Representative Michael Mrowicki (Putney)]: Madam speaker, I make a motion this body stand in adjournment until Tuesday, 02/10/2026 at 10AM.

[Speaker 0]: You have heard the motion. Are you ready for the question? If so, all those in favor, please say aye. Aye. All those opposed, please say nay. The