[{"_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",[32,75,87],{"_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":56,"_74":56},"mediaId",6090295,"mediaKeyId","2867677-ce6137fa2528fe6510c05f0e53fdf81e","parentId",2867677,"title","Senators briefed on bill to replace hotel‑voucher system with community‑run shelter program and $10M transition fund","audioSeconds",1452,"startMs",3375000,"endMs",4827000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=2867677-ce6137fa2528fe6510c05f0e53fdf81e&start=3375&end=4827","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2867677-ce6137fa2528fe6510c05f0e53fdf81e/thumbnail_3375000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6090295/Vermont/Senators-briefed-on-bill-to-replace-hotelvoucher-system-with-communityrun-shelter-program-and-10M-transition-fund","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6090295-0e0ac79b03835ee6a24d5e9f3a3f971b/orig.mp4?Expires=1771200021&Signature=Yv5fFdFB6pv-AWlIJji-SBsMcVtMDRb7sfI-d~v6M2sqGVrmtRki7sUgA3hTJ-KiBfrHQHJcbUNLKlY0rBa9AQVd5dxfqJ58sqKnLJyWDGn2g1EgBhWSSAHII45teb15zl8sBLFk4mMTZc2LUkIwVLNtGARW4njvKx2zS2vTOGeAr~VE00RNfB82Yduxlr3d4r-Q1dgBKxD2djFb5VzZT3KYgwjI4Y0AbjPO0pCkMHbmYMiSJebcZoypSK09PAbS25AT9JDEJ1vxWVi0AAOTQg94jui6d-N6Vv3cufFu3dp9GlSKY~dra~-2KWc5nU0lOA-ZtENkZn6oSsycBS0DMw__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","","date","2025-04-03T13:07:13Z","article","Senate Health & Welfare members spent an extended portion of the April 3 hearing on a proposal the House passed that would replace the state’s ad hoc hotel‑voucher general assistance program and the Housing Opportunity Program with a community‑administered continuum of care concept (referred to in testimony as “vCARF”). The sponsors described the bill as a structural shift that moves program administration and delivery closer to local communities and Community Action Agencies (CAAs), with a focus on preventing homelessness and providing flexible local responses.

House reporters and sponsors who briefed the committee said the bill consolidates existing resources and gives CAAs authority to provide a range of interventions — from small‑dollar prevention payments to master leasing programs, coordinated hotel blocks used as short‑term shelter, and locally tailored supports — with the Department for Children and Families (DCF) providing oversight during the transition year.

The bill includes $10,000,000 in one‑time transition funding for fiscal year 2026 to support staffing, IT upgrades, training, and other costs for CAAs and related providers as they shift operations and build capacity. Testimony noted the Vermont Network Against Domestic and Sexual Violence will have a distinct role to manage confidential services for survivors, given federal and state confidentiality rules.

Sponsors emphasized that the bill is intended to expand preventative options and creativity at the local level so aid can target people at risk of homelessness and reduce reliance on hotel and motel vouchers. Committee members and sponsors repeatedly said that the bill does not substitute for the long‑term need for affordable housing and supportive services, but that structural change and local flexibility can better use limited funds.

Representatives who reported the bill told the committee the House vote on the measure was 8–2–1. Committee presenters said program operations would remain with the state for FY2026 to ensure continuity while CAAs ramp up, and that DCF must submit an implementation plan and specific prioritization mechanisms by February 1 of the following year; sponsors said some elements of implementation would be codified in a companion bill next year. The committee also discussed the need for collaboration across agencies that serve subpopulations (corrections, mental health, recovery, elder services and developmental services) so those departments can align post‑release and discharge planning with the new shelter model.

What’s next: The bill has passed the House and was discussed by the Senate committee for information and coordination. Sponsors and DCF staff will work on an implementation plan and statutory details that may return to the Legislature in a companion bill next session.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","Senate Health and Welfare - 2025-04-03 - 9:00 AM","oneSentenceSummary","The Senate Health & Welfare Committee on April 3 heard a House‑passed plan to replace Vermont’s hotel‑voucher general assistance program with a community‑administered continuum (referred to in testimony as “vCARF”) and to fund a transition with $10 million for FY2026.","taxTitle","Health & Welfare, SENATE, Committees, Legislative , Vermont","taxId",38585,"location","Vermont","headline","shortSummary",{"_33":76,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":77,"_41":78,"_43":79,"_45":80,"_47":81,"_49":82,"_51":83,"_53":84,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":85,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":86,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":56,"_74":56},6090304,"Senate hears testimony on H.259 to expand workplace-violence prevention for hospital staff",2903,22000,2925000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2867677-ce6137fa2528fe6510c05f0e53fdf81e&start=22&end=2925","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2867677-ce6137fa2528fe6510c05f0e53fdf81e/thumbnail_22000.jpg","/articles/6090304/Vermont/Senate-hears-testimony-on-H259-to-expand-workplace-violence-prevention-for-hospital-staff","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6090304-50c958aa0370b3fbf7d33ad964f4a652/orig.mp4?Expires=1771200021&Signature=ha4BAuOy5p~hPLKP0VqjfaQAa1JVcsOoZCIwqOI2TqvPs1Yg7PXeqg0q-vl-6RKSNjTqx62ftrdvMdIJobzTD7NSFxeQriu24nL66E53LfSxkTUymH94Xr1e89UtZidltHR8gvS1YIMl3qveyMEKdG~6ximL7JkW0kNDu5WRnNtwiC-q1iuvCwLeaHppdWePg3yJUJBr4xxf5cN2~3-mslG0vKYHHM7Iyr0eKPbZrF3gLinkm7ZxCOpgRJ1tc~iiqD5WGMe45wq~ZqIckGe9TnpBEugzpLkfM4WVBOmdq-pR58IbYifuhh0dHnUbCF3L001SmVDQ76E6jbbyhfkZNg__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","The Senate Health & Welfare Committee on April 3 heard more than an hour of testimony on H.259, legislation “relating to preventing workplace violence in hospitals” that would require health-care organizations to create and implement workplace-violence prevention programs with frontline staff representation and specified training and reporting.

The bill’s backers told senators the measure is aimed at protecting caregivers, retaining nurses and other direct‑care staff, and preserving care access as hospitals confront growing volumes and workforce shortages.

Liz Kudo, an emergency nurse with 16 years of experience, described multiple incidents she said illustrate the everyday risk faced by emergency‑department staff, including verbal threats, an incident in which a patient pulled a gun and threatened her family, and other assaults. Kudo said Vermont leads the nation in days away from work due to workplace violence and that reporting of incidents remains low. “This isn’t something that I signed up for,” she told the committee.

Betsy Hassan, president of ANA Vermont and a nursing director at the University of Vermont Medical Center, said the association supports policy interventions that hold organizations accountable and create consistent protections across facilities. Hassan outlined core elements the bill would require: a workplace‑violence prevention program, an oversight committee with direct‑care staff on it, periodic risk assessments and security plans that address de‑escalation and defensive training, trauma‑informed care and victim support through the legal process, and periodic reassessment after an incident. Hassan also said the advocates are seeking an exemption from the state certificate‑of‑need process for safety upgrades (for example, ballistic glass) and want the Agency of Human Services to work with hospitals to identify incentives and funding sources.

Dan Green of the Vermont Association of Hospitals and Health Systems said the bill largely codifies recommendations from an earlier report and that hospitals support including frontline workers in planning and law‑enforcement coordination to implement Act 24. “This bill really continues this effort forward,” he said.

Lindsay Owen, executive director of Disability Rights Vermont, said her organization generally supports the bill’s goals but urged changes to ensure the patient and lived‑experience voice is included in safety‑plan teams and security risk assessments. Owen also asked that reporting requirements explicitly include incidents that involve patients and people in crisis — for example, seclusion, restraint or involuntary medication — and suggested that the protection‑and‑advocacy agency be named as a recipient of those reports. She warned that patients in mental‑health crises are often unable to control behaviors and that implementation should avoid worsening harm to those individuals.

Witnesses cited federal and national context in their presentations, including existing OSHA guidance, national accreditation standards such as Joint Commission recommendations (not universally applicable across Vermont hospitals), federal legislative efforts (witnesses referred to a bill identified as H.R. 1195), and Vermont’s own Act 24 and Act 109 as touchstones for prior work on related topics.

Committee members asked clarifying questions about training, reporting, funding and equity across smaller and larger hospitals. Witnesses and senators agreed the bill aims to let individual hospitals design safety plans that fit local circumstances while requiring accountability and frontline input.

No formal committee vote on H.259 was recorded during the hearing; committee staff said amendments and a proposed BAA change were expected to be discussed later and that an amendment incorporating the governor’s executive order language might be filed.

What’s next: Committee staff and sponsors will review testimony and proposed amendments; senators indicated they expect further drafting and possible budget language to follow.","The Senate Health & Welfare Committee on April 3 heard testimony on H.259, proposed legislation to require hospitals to adopt workplace‑violence prevention programs, include direct‑care staff in planning, and strengthen training and reporting.",{"_33":88,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":89,"_41":90,"_43":91,"_45":92,"_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":56,"_74":56},6090299,"Committee advances H.80 language; vote held pending full roll call",253,3027000,3280000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2867677-ce6137fa2528fe6510c05f0e53fdf81e&start=3027&end=3280","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2867677-ce6137fa2528fe6510c05f0e53fdf81e/thumbnail_3027000.jpg","/articles/6090299/Vermont/Committee-advances-H80-language-vote-held-pending-full-roll-call","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6090299-abde14dfdab642316b483cf032a4fd5b/orig.mp4?Expires=1771200021&Signature=MSkk1Ptcem2B9C9fKi0nAqszAVY98xOr~3Ige3sMFEpJmdbUhpPU2fLMf5BhhrfqhAepX0UDEptCwCfYm0u27LiGT~a1XeCBn61doMZCWRedLLoNM3tTfCQD-5uA1e-emwJSC8wEiJ~bCCc7J-QUavxjhiwsi-52Yqxrg0043nL8cjt1gzqBMuk~Tp0XskFeFrueP9gOeByA6hzhW-2sg5vJ3Jj1skgE8FUYoGB2HETqxkwF1Nb1HBfiOc66I092XFdBelQkGxq2lObM-WHIpZVbOc4P-3mmkgtJ4MmfGuViLBwuPeMesMzE4IcUK5EbQu7m5kighSjz5wO9AEmITA__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","The Senate Health & Welfare Committee reviewed a clean draft of H.80, legislation concerning the Office of the Health Care Advocate, during its April 3 meeting and took a preliminary procedural vote while awaiting absent senators’ ballots.

Jen Kirby of the Legislative Counsel’s Office presented draft 1.2, a clean version of changes the committee discussed at an earlier markup. Kirby said the primary edits clarify two items: (1) in the certificate‑of‑need process, prior language that allowed certain offices to question Green Mountain Care Board staff was narrowed and renumbered; and (2) health‑care providers and insurers “shall cooperate” with the Office of the Health Care Advocate by providing records and information when an individual or that person’s guardian or legal representative has authorized the office to act on the individual’s behalf. The draft explicitly permits providers or insurers to require written consent rather than only oral authorization.

Kirby also described language adjusting the statute that calls for agencies to seek input from the Office of the Health Care Advocate. The change in draft 1.2 expresses legislative intent that agencies seek the office’s input when developing or revising significant state policy affecting health‑care access and affordability so “Vermonters’ perspectives are heard and considered through the voice of their independent advocate.”

A motion to pass H.80 as drafted was made and the clerk began collecting votes. The roll call recorded three yes votes at the time the committee recessed to reach absent members; staff said the committee would hold the recorded action until the remaining members could be polled.

What’s next: The committee held the vote pending a full roll call from absent senators; staff indicated the committee will post the final vote once all members have been contacted.","The Health & Welfare Committee reviewed a clean draft of H.80 (office of the health care advocate), agreed to language clarifying provider cooperation with the Office of the Health Care Advocate and consent for records, and took a preliminary vote that the clerk said would be completed once absent members were reached.","actionData","errors"]

Article not found

Senators briefed on bill to replace hotel‑voucher system with community‑run shelter program and $10M transition fund

Senate hears testimony on H.259 to expand workplace-violence prevention for hospital staff

Committee advances H.80 language; vote held pending full roll call