[{"_1":2,"_111":-5,"_112":-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",[32,75,87,99],{"_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",6272305,"mediaKeyId","3027934-e6cd77072354a5cea38f5f618dddf0cf","parentId",3027934,"title","Committee frames budget priorities: keep safety net whole, focus upstream on primary care and prevention","audioSeconds",1201,"startMs",2747010,"endMs",3948095,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=3027934-e6cd77072354a5cea38f5f618dddf0cf&start=2747&end=3948","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3027934-e6cd77072354a5cea38f5f618dddf0cf/thumbnail_2747010.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6272305/Vermont/Committee-frames-budget-priorities-keep-safety-net-whole-focus-upstream-on-primary-care-and-prevention","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6272305-0362492295e852108334af810f10670c/orig.mp4?Expires=1771204215&Signature=aJD4lxfrXk9iiQiRseLW1wxgmx4xppZMmxuBwwwQ9w594sTDdTSOt41gWfY8tqAM5DQoybtLI7hUThbrvlcuGCcAavscgovdMV1~d4prs5vVnirL2QOnV80bgJ~hDDvwEJ~6ADzjBmIJFZe9UMNVHzVgEWDUcmI5aNebAdQkb17XrrB7eYeyGhgJrgejBMmR1J1GGfXD8AjBi~iofp6ugRf-SUzZPjwA29hfadk9ecoVJJN3N8yGOMse-UwowqyrqXvPXy0QkNDAM05j63k3wdgete4ZvxRKPu9hOXwqn2CbQ9DZvj2Jwm0dBgqBAmLfs2pkJWtfgli6Ci-rkNV6ug__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","","date","2025-04-17T00:20:33.867Z","article","The Senate Health and Welfare Committee held an extended discussion of budget priorities, emphasizing protecting existing safety-net services, investing in upstream primary care and prevention, and targeting limited resources toward proven or evidence-informed programs.

Committee members said the immediate focus should be on maintaining core services that keep people fed, housed and connected to primary care. Senators repeatedly cited food security programs, home- and community-based services (including SASH and adult day services), designated agencies (DAs) and specialized service agencies (SSAs) as high priorities. The committee also discussed recovery supports and recovery residences as important services for individuals with substance-use disorder but asked for clearer outcome data and program definitions before committing additional funding.

On primary care funding, members emphasized the need to ensure continuity for practices receiving OneCare payments during any transition to new payment models or programs (references were made to ACO transitions, SASH and Blueprint programs). The committee flagged a one-time backfill and settlement issues tied to Medicare and OneCare funds and urged language or appropriations that prevent abrupt loss of funding to primary-care providers during 2026 transitions.

Members urged that requests for new programs be weighed against the zero-sum constraints of the current budget environment and suggested several approaches: 1) provide a short memo listing committee principles (upstream prevention, protect safety net, basic needs and recovery supports) for Appropriations; 2) identify a short list of high-priority line items the committee would prefer to protect or increase; or 3) provide a hybrid letter that states principles and flags specific high-priority line items for protection. Committee leadership asked staff to prepare draft language the committee could edit and transmit to Appropriations.

Committee members repeatedly asked for data to support funding choices — for example, counts served, costs per person, and measurable outcomes for recovery residences and other programs — to help prioritize scarce resources. The joint fiscal office and administration will be asked to provide more precise estimates where available. The committee agreed to continue the conversation and to circulate a draft memo reflecting the group’s principles and any specific line-item priorities.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","Senate Health and Welfare - 2025-04-16 - 9:00 AM","oneSentenceSummary","Senate Health and Welfare members discussed budget principles including prioritizing safety-net programs (food banks, DAs/SSAs, SASH), protecting primary care funding during transitions, and favoring prevention and recovery supports while noting constrained fiscal environment; committee asked staff to draft a priorities memo.","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},6272311,"Health Department urges caution on H.401, recommends narrower cottage-food exemptions",156,1646910,1803205,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=3027934-e6cd77072354a5cea38f5f618dddf0cf&start=1646&end=1803","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3027934-e6cd77072354a5cea38f5f618dddf0cf/thumbnail_1646910.jpg","/articles/6272311/Vermont/Health-Department-urges-caution-on-H401-recommends-narrower-cottage-food-exemptions","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6272311-5e41c8340c77dd5e2a52f6e4f09f1152/orig.mp4?Expires=1771204215&Signature=P0~ll-PNLLkviyymI9hVN434qcLhIBKZjzX7rodWOgQLIpTnNoTsngX6DFR1oytJ3~8qHK0geBWCxwi~5b7Dqqz~K6ACbyLWc5qenOEr4JeeCVIDhGdBloPSHqBP77tGOKHJnQkNiPDPWoga0yexHZllE8kWmPRlyn~hjTa5UUbrJNaT1YE8zdilhBQmVMl1yM5vFcxBQK3JoV5HiZs74SQrWXIiKYHXNNRqkF11G7S-ulBYqp1TKOfKiz7FQ~QkMdUUY6cYSs1JXn5F3hUX5ccIP2TcgNklwqEkW-ORkPN0PGDKzEFluHvWmikdhHCS-QG~-JjEcAnmTGRTcGfZuw__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","The Department of Health told the Senate Health and Welfare Committee it supports the goals of H.401 but warned that the bill, as written, could increase public-health risk by broadening licensing exemptions for foods produced in home kitchens.

Interim Commissioner Julia Rell and Liz Wursing, director of the Food and Lodging Program, testified that food-safety science distinguishes potentially hazardous foods from non–potentially-hazardous foods and that improperly canned, preserved or fermented products can cause serious illnesses including salmonella, listeriosis and botulism. Rell said Vermont’s annual counts show more than 100 salmonella infections and an average of three listeriosis cases per year, and she emphasized the department’s goal of preventing food-safety issues before they occur.

The Department recommended revising H.401 to create a separate “cottage food” category limited to non–potentially-hazardous products (for example, baked goods, candy, jams, dry herbs, granola and similar items), retain lower gross-receipts exemptions for higher-risk products, and require training, registration or a simple attestation and labeling for cottage food operators. The department submitted model language and guidance from other states (including Connecticut and Minnesota examples) and offered to provide a bill markup that defines “cottage food operation,” “cottage food operator” and “cottage food product.”

A joint fiscal officer summarized the fiscal note and said the estimated impact to the Food and Lodging fee fund would be minimal; the fund had roughly $1.5 million in FY2004 and the fee types affected by the bill generate about $26,000 annually within the broader fund. The fiscal officer said changes could be marginal and that the department does not currently collect gross-receipt data for small producers to pinpoint revenue effects.

Committee members asked clarifying questions about which products would remain at the existing $10,000 exemption versus the proposed $30,000 threshold, and the Department reiterated its suggestion to preserve the lower threshold for higher-risk products while increasing the exemption for low-risk cottage foods.

The committee accepted the Department’s offer to provide written testimony and a draft of the proposed statutory language for further consideration.","The Department of Health told the Senate Health and Welfare Committee that while it supports the goals of H.401, it recommends limiting home-kitchen exemptions to non–potentially-hazardous foods, adding registration and training, and aligning Vermont with other states to protect public health.",{"_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},6272316,"Panel hears Soluna presentation on a digital mental health platform for adolescents",450,181545,632115,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=3027934-e6cd77072354a5cea38f5f618dddf0cf&start=181&end=632","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3027934-e6cd77072354a5cea38f5f618dddf0cf/thumbnail_181545.jpg","/articles/6272316/Vermont/Panel-hears-Soluna-presentation-on-a-digital-mental-health-platform-for-adolescents","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6272316-36a405fb9f4ac5ce7c53cf3a0996b158/orig.mp4?Expires=1771204215&Signature=b-GmBB3WWw1FhkhU9HkfanGejLgnJiaASgzcJu4pzmMb~uB1jnspzI83U8YmYAPh9UZ0w9g3k6n~6A0bH6JiofnoqkiqidDsimH6VArSZunouQ8PP4sNOsP62OxpJT58WATDN41vayN53PcEnCUUY8N8zFMV1iatq32ajVHQVHhjrUydHsnBrniU83LrPwTESS7KnpSXNosBR2jEAqWznmCOsaq3yA7wIqbq4HOfDUxazp1b6Lvmwu4Q8J4Rpum6cslPmzfYTOPJxET-qkY5rGDn0OWWBTqT5tOo9S9hlA9yT5UuoUaj0Ocl-sBd4bU99ECsg6DtKXBoHt6gs5Zwqg__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","The Senate Health and Welfare Committee heard a presentation from Dr. Laura Tully, vice president of partnerships for Soluna, on a digital mental health platform aimed at adolescents and young adults.

Tully described Soluna as “an evidence based digital mental health platform” that offers self-guided resources, coping skills, a moderated peer community forum, one-to-one coaching and licensed counseling. She said the platform can be accessed through a phone, tablet, or web browser and is intended to be offered without barriers to eligible users.

Committee members asked how Soluna keeps users safe in an online forum, whether coaches are local and culturally familiar, what data the company collects, and whether the service uses advertising. Tully said Soluna uses pre-moderation of posts so content is reviewed by a human before it goes live, prevents direct private messaging between users, operates on an anonymous user model, and routes safety concerns to staff for follow-up. On workforce locality she said the company recruits across states while aiming to have coaches based in the implementing state when feasible; users can select coaches with lived experience that match their preferences.

Tully said Soluna provides access to 1:1 coaching and counseling via chat, phone, and sometimes video; it also maintains a curated database of local, low-cost and no-cost community resources that users can search by ZIP code. On privacy she said Soluna asks only for ZIP code, date of birth and (when required for coaching or safety follow-up) an email address, and that the company is a business associate under HIPAA and complies with the most restrictive applicable federal or state privacy rules; it also meets European GDPR standards.

Tully said Soluna’s model is built on publicly funded implementations and cited California, New Jersey and the platform’s origins and long history in the U.K.; she described a health economics study conducted in partnership with an NHS consortium that found downstream cost savings in areas such as reduced pediatrician visits, fewer antidepressant prescriptions and fewer emergency visits in that implementation. She reported 15 months of California data are available and offered to provide written testimony with additional data points.

Committee members expressed interest in data demonstrating effectiveness, clarification about what information is collected and shared with government partners under contract, and how the platform encourages “healthy phone use.” Tully said Soluna does not serve advertising, does not sell data, and shares contractually required aggregated data with state partners in publicly funded implementations. She offered to supply the committee with written testimony and evaluation data.","Dr. Laura Tully of Soluna described the company’s digital mental health platform, its features, safety and moderation practices, evidence base, privacy protections and California implementation; committee members asked about coaching locality, effectiveness data and data privacy.",{"_33":100,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":101,"_41":102,"_43":103,"_45":104,"_47":105,"_49":106,"_51":107,"_53":108,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":109,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":110,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":56,"_74":56},6272320,"Senate panel votes to advance H.218, opioid settlement funding bill",105,41410,146959,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=3027934-e6cd77072354a5cea38f5f618dddf0cf&start=41&end=146","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3027934-e6cd77072354a5cea38f5f618dddf0cf/thumbnail_41410.jpg","/articles/6272320/Vermont/Senate-panel-votes-to-advance-H218-opioid-settlement-funding-bill","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6272320-4fc3e0b5749e958aae6f3afc8ccbf37a/orig.mp4?Expires=1771204215&Signature=odU0kta1hCqaFJQKwUq5LLbtiGnJ~lMAoAk5Idr8VN2JhW3fwroZJUUsvaKA84pov3cr~mf2-OI-ms6Vir6VxEs-nVNUrcIVHRtsTP-pXoxJipR-xVO443wZiwAOT6OVB63WmZwHF1HiYqgOe9~6ZUMEVDG91PxlsQ4aI4H6O8kM1sdz8OaAISWlYWcswDEgRzpDbZRenCjfqW6l~F-cw0QVyDPNB7gwVN6JJrLHW5agBr2nOZCU-VGv~B9HdPN0b~r1JRDjMl~-IZyoHyDfY~B43GUxZuplDrSTrgLqXID5Er5ncSsADCyl2TzLV2oIh-fj007v8Rg-XDjNhrQguA__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","The Senate Health and Welfare Committee voted to recommend favorable action on H.218, a bill that would direct funds from the opioid settlement abatement program. The committee recorded a roll-call vote and agreed to forward the bill for further consideration in the Senate.

Committee leadership said the bill will next move upstairs and to the Appropriations Committee for fiscal consideration. Senator Hart was named the committee reporter for H.218 and will carry the bill forward.

During the committee meeting a motion was made to vote favorably on H.218. The committee conducted a roll-call: Senator Larry Hart voted “yes,” Senator Cummings voted “yes,” Senator Meade voted “no,” Senator Gillard voted “yes,” and Senator Alexis voted “yes.” The tally on the record was four yes votes and one no vote. Following the vote, members discussed procedural next steps, including routing the bill to Appropriations.

No amendments or changes to the bill text were recorded during the committee session. Committee members noted that final appropriations and detailed budget allocations would be handled later by Appropriations.

The committee also recorded that the measure had already passed the House and would continue through the Senate process.","The Senate Health and Welfare Committee voted 4-1 to recommend H.218, a bill reallocating opioid settlement abatement funds; the measure will be sent to the floor and likely to Appropriations, and Senator Hart was designated reporter.","actionData","errors"]

Article not found

Committee frames budget priorities: keep safety net whole, focus upstream on primary care and prevention

Health Department urges caution on H.401, recommends narrower cottage-food exemptions

Panel hears Soluna presentation on a digital mental health platform for adolescents

Senate panel votes to advance H.218, opioid settlement funding bill