[{"_1":2,"_99":-5,"_100":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,76,88],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":46,"_47":48,"_49":50,"_51":52,"_53":54,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":60,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":66,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},"mediaId",6625162,"mediaKeyId","2762634-08f762019ccd071273bb955723093dfe","parentId",2762634,"title","Senate adopts several bills on third reading, including sealing criminal records and Medicaid coverage for doulas","audioSeconds",397,"startMs",526000,"endMs",923000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=2762634-08f762019ccd071273bb955723093dfe&start=526&end=923","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2762634-08f762019ccd071273bb955723093dfe/thumbnail_526000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6625162/Vermont/Senate-adopts-several-bills-on-third-reading-including-sealing-criminal-records-and-Medicaid-coverage-for-doulas","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6625162-8d6f41b06ab46f389d00a6e6fbd3aefc/orig.mp4?Expires=1771143141&Signature=KR~DpyJ-xyRDqwj0oKhv2A2MUhxKpvP7UkvaGgfpzvhHakpp-I04h6kNTgeygeDTLv-6FhUZMZQdpG2bMx5LWGfABmDtssHVtIF3Mh5jJx6mEmUFqpxlSEAN-FTDv-WIe-O9DXw12yqNwk-Sk9e8U3PCRbe~6HUk7sqgnx4tJkewcjzo-verHKLRlfpJsCqd1As-25Jyo5YhArtNv0y4k8mcry9ov4oGZ6A0Dm5P3IMKoCRCqBf0QHcMafveq4c8jU6vh--QXs1VhEln1-hwQkH2TR8jo0Qcl4BG2zPnGjo1wtpyBKuz15x8NPD6Kx1LIfHNdzYCniJAk8GG8ZHx7g__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","Vermont Legislature","date","2025-03-25T14:55:56.72Z","article","The Senate recorded passage by voice vote of several distinct measures on third reading during this session. The measures and recorded outcomes in this transcript are listed below.

Votes at a glance
- JRS 19: Joint resolution relating to weekend adjournment on March 28, 2025. Adopted by voice vote when read into the record.
- S.12: An act relating to sealing criminal history records. Passed on third reading by voice vote.
- S.53: An act relating to certification of community-based perinatal doulas and Medicaid coverage for doula services. Passed on third reading by voice vote.
- S.56: An act relating to creating an office of new Americans. Passed on third reading by voice vote.
- S.63: An act relating to modifying the regulatory duties of the Green Mountain Care Board. Passed on third reading by voice vote; sponsor noted the bill aligns psychiatric hospital fiscal years with other hospitals and codifies current practice for Brattleboro Retreat.
- S.117: An act relating to rulemaking on safety and health standards and technical corrections on employment practices and unemployment compensation. Passed on third reading by voice vote.

For each of the items above, the transcript records the first and third readings and then the presiding officer calling the question. Each recorded passage in the transcript was resolved by voice vote with the presiding officer announcing \"the ayes have it.\" The transcript does not include roll-call tallies for these measures.

What the record shows and does not show
- The transcript shows the formal readings and the presiding officer's announcement of outcomes. It does not include numbered roll-call votes or further debate for the items listed above.
- For S.63, the sponsor responding to a question noted that the change aligns psychiatric hospital fiscal years with other hospitals and codifies existing practice for Brattleboro Retreat; no budgetary impact was recorded on the floor in this excerpt.

Each bill listed above will have separate committee records and fiscal notes not reproduced in full in this transcript.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","Senate Session - March 25, 2025","oneSentenceSummary","The Senate adopted multiple bills on third reading by voice vote in this session. Actions included adoption of a joint resolution on adjournment and passage of several bills on third reading.","taxTitle","SENATE, Committees, Legislative , Vermont","taxId",29455,"location","Vermont","headline","","shortSummary",{"_33":77,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":78,"_41":79,"_43":80,"_45":81,"_47":82,"_49":83,"_51":84,"_53":85,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":86,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":87,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},6625166,"Senate amends broad motor-vehicle bill to preserve DMV ability to collect deposit for road tests; bill includes multiple fee waivers and technical changes",1305,1161000,2466000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2762634-08f762019ccd071273bb955723093dfe&start=1161&end=2466","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2762634-08f762019ccd071273bb955723093dfe/thumbnail_1161000.jpg","/articles/6625166/Vermont/Senate-amends-broad-motor-vehicle-bill-to-preserve-DMV-ability-to-collect-deposit-for-road-tests-bill-includes-multiple-fee-waivers-and-technical-changes","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6625166-50f60fd3e5f3ba1844ced8e00436f4af/orig.mp4?Expires=1771143141&Signature=jJcU2D~rH9r-BVY9Ys32j9Ycp-A8mXrApsF5FomzUzDWXpWHc8Ax0HAwWBYWS8DlB-QLMiD~qb5rCqS8TQm9iHdhAh51Eu~EDFYB4bHI0SUTJ5XX0M2ELV8xkXbpmFHoIpk99rsPIexYRMUMu5ttMDpmGh1NqxHQ52ygz7RPJkQg7l4a8ECjKrA8fRq24QEcDDhNxGeOnqyCpTTUJLpkXwxfplvGmzOZ~3QbZR3EFpjPlYriuLa7hcCeZPmKEqKXM6R5eG6g9i8ghxBI01gT1pUefNiMSkpDI2OdnyH6ooeR9jImxqBo~yRTuYn5o3jZafegVMXZ-DjshB-7i5neng__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Senators on the floor debated and amended S.123, a miscellaneous motor-vehicle bill containing a range of technical changes and fee provisions, and adopted a floor amendment from the Senate Finance Committee that preserves the Department of Motor Vehicles' ability to collect a refundable $29 scheduling deposit for road tests while allowing waiver conditions.

Senator Westman, representing the transportation committee, reviewed the bill at length and highlighted provisions ranging from updated definitions of pleasure cars to multiple fee waivers. Among the provisions described were: clarification of plug-in and battery electric vehicle definitions; a new option to mark non-driver identification cards for organ-donor election; a waiver of non-driver ID fees for people under 23 transitioning out of foster care; exemptions from an EV infrastructure fee for municipal and volunteer fire and rescue organizations; a veterans exemption that extends EV fee waivers to certain veterans; and a reduction in operator license fees for SSI and SSDI recipients that the finance committee estimated would reduce revenues by about $309,000 per year.

Westman said section 8 would lower a four-year operator's license fee from $62 to $20 for people receiving SSI or SSDI and reduce replacement license fees, a change described by the Appropriations committee as carrying the bulk of the bill's revenue effect.

Senator Chittenden, reporting for the finance committee, said seven sections carry fiscal impacts and estimated the bill would reduce Transportation Fund revenues by about $353,000 per year. He described smaller impacts including a roughly $29,000 cost associated with exempting certain emergency vehicles from the EV infrastructure fee and said Department for Children and Families currently spends about $15,000 annually on fees that would be waived for youth in DCF custody.

Finance committee members also raised operational concerns about section 13, which would eliminate the DMV's current authority to charge a $29 deposit to secure a road-test appointment. The chair said the department's old IT system made collection infeasible, but that the new system could enforce deposits and that the deposit helps deter no-shows. Finance indicated it would bring a floor amendment that would not be intended to raise revenue but to allow DMV to hold a $29 deposit while requiring the commissioner to waive the charge for cancellations within 48 hours or for good cause as determined by the commissioner.

That floor amendment was introduced and explained on the floor; sponsors said it would take effect on or before July 1, 2026, and would give the DMV commissioner latitude to publish waiver rules and to waive the deposit when applicants provide timely cancellation or good cause. The transportation committee reported favorably on the amendment, citing the pending IT upgrade at DMV that will eliminate the ability to book multiple appointments. Senators adopted the amendment by voice vote.

During the floor discussion, senators noted witness testimony to committees, including representatives from DMV Commissioner Andrew Collier, Legislative Counsel Damian Leonard, Logan Mulberry, the judiciary, EMS, veterans affairs, ATV groups and motor-vehicle stakeholders. The Appropriations Committee reported favorably on the bill.

Senators voted to amend S.123 as described, and the question was called on reading the bill a third time. Before further floor action could proceed, the Senate recessed for a short period to allow the fire department to check out a reported smell of smoke; the transcript records the recess motion and does not show final third-reading passage in this session.

Key fiscal and operational points from the floor record:
- Estimated Transportation Fund revenue reduction: approximately $353,000/year (finance committee estimate).
- Estimated revenue impact from reducing operator license fees for SSI/SSDI recipients: about $309,000/year.
- Estimated cost to exempt municipal and volunteer emergency vehicles from the EV infrastructure fee: about $29,000/year.
- Department of Children and Families currently pays about $15,000/year on fees that would be waived for youth in custody.

The bill's floor amendment preserves a scheduling deposit mechanism with defined waiver paths and an implementation timeline tied to DMV systems updates.","S.123 — a miscellaneous motor-vehicle bill — received extended floor discussion on technical changes, several fee waivers for veterans and youth in foster care, a reduction in license fees for SSI/SSDI recipients, and a finance committee floor amendment preserving a refundable $29 appointment deposit for road tests with waivers.",{"_33":89,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":90,"_41":91,"_43":92,"_45":46,"_47":93,"_49":94,"_51":95,"_53":96,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":97,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":98,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},6625173,"Senate approves expansion of Medicaid coverage for long-term residential treatment for co-occurring substance use and mental health conditions",349,574000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2762634-08f762019ccd071273bb955723093dfe&start=574&end=923","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2762634-08f762019ccd071273bb955723093dfe/thumbnail_574000.jpg","/articles/6625173/Vermont/Senate-approves-expansion-of-Medicaid-coverage-for-long-term-residential-treatment-for-co-occurring-substance-use-and-mental-health-conditions","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6625173-d94bc524f43ee921382e023d451c5d3d/orig.mp4?Expires=1771143141&Signature=QnNP6yWx~GIBwATodPA~WFX9wh4qeUpx0JiCHfw1Sj-4aaUaH1O5OSYIuzJercAm6etMgF6G4-J1HayNWoRa0tN3x9Wbb8Av4ebOzXH31pkYwEQQEk5kSLfocYL-TktLEDj9tEfUa~mHisM98GL7DSwY7KFHgWHvB7IZHe1Ne9R-fLVqv-fFHfQUDUEgmNHZVXVrC9PrC43fhnvLnZf0ma26ActQEx3zxkBdshJLwnV6y-zSaViFwwgP4vuW4gMpSDiwzxIVxUEfflwv8-8EJjLGwJdVTBCYniOIP4sc1hyF4Svbe-F7OzWlrtbOqH5-uAgbJ0KYR~vtzL9E5UmPAg__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","The Senate on voice vote approved S.36, an act to expand Medicaid coverage for long-term residential treatment for people with co-occurring substance use disorder and mental health conditions, after adopting a committee amendment that inserts a \"medically necessary\" standard for both high-intensity and low-intensity residential care.

The amendment, offered by Senator Lyons on behalf of the Committee on Health and Welfare, adds language requiring that care in high-intensity settings and in lower-intensity recovery residences be prescribed as \"medically necessary,\" as determined by a psychiatrist or appropriate clinical authority. \"The language that's added here is medically necessary and that would be something prescribed by a psychiatrist to ensure that medically necessary treatment is available,\" Lyons said while explaining the committee amendment.

Supporters said the change clarifies coverage for people who need acute withdrawal management and for those who would benefit from longer-term residential support after withdrawal. A senator identified as the senator from Windsor said legislative counsel had clarified inpatient versus outpatient treatment and that outpatient care would remain eligible under the bill; that senator said they would \"happily support\" the bill as expanded coverage for low-income Vermonters on Medicaid seeking substance misuse treatment.

Committee counsel and the amendment sponsor also noted there are currently no Medicaid providers that treat Vermonters out of state and that in-state capacity is sufficient at present. Lyons told the Senate the amendment responds to questions raised on second reading and that it covers both short-term acute withdrawal care and longer-term recovery residences such as Jenna's Promise, which the committee described as providing nonmedical supports with clinics available on call.

The Senate first adopted the committee amendment on a voice vote and then passed the bill on third reading by voice vote.

Discussion vs. decision: the committee amendment was described as clarifying that covered services must be medically necessary; the Senate formally adopted that amendment and then approved the bill. No roll-call vote or numerical tally was recorded in the transcript; both actions were decided by voice vote.

The bill's supporters and the committee framed the change as making explicit the level of clinical necessity for coverage in both high- and low-intensity residential settings for Medicaid beneficiaries. The Senate record does not show further technical changes or an amendment that altered funding levels in session.

What happens next: with Senate passage recorded on third reading, the bill moves on to the next step in the legislative process (not shown in this transcript).","The Senate passed S.36 after adopting a committee amendment that adds a \"medically necessary\" standard for both high-intensity and low-intensity residential treatment covered by Medicaid.","actionData","errors"]

Article not found

Senate adopts several bills on third reading, including sealing criminal records and Medicaid coverage for doulas

Senate amends broad motor-vehicle bill to preserve DMV ability to collect deposit for road tests; bill includes multiple fee waivers and technical changes

Senate approves expansion of Medicaid coverage for long-term residential treatment for co-occurring substance use and mental health conditions