Committee members on April 11 moved an amendment to S.27 to clarify the definition of medical debt and explicitly include substance use disorder treatment in the listing of health care services that may not be reported to consumer credit reporting agencies.

The change was offered as a single-instance amendment incorporating language used in S.28: "health care services means all supplies, care and services of a medical, dental, behavioral health, mental health, substance use disorder treatment, surgical, psychiatric, therapeutic, diagnostic, preventative, rehabilitative, or supportive nature." Proponents said the insertion prevents out-of-state entities such as credit reporting agencies from arguing that certain care related to behavioral health or substance use is outside the bill's protections.

One committee member who offered the amendment argued forcefully for its inclusion, saying she felt "very, very strongly" that the provision should remain because other jurisdictions and federal usage may employ different terminology and the bill is intended to affect out‑of‑state credit reporting behavior.

The committee conducted a show-of-hands on the amendment; the transcript records "We got 5. Okay," indicating five members raised hands in support during the informal vote recorded in the markup session. Members discussed whether multiple legislators would be listed as sponsors and agreed to add names to the amendment list; staff said they would coordinate with members who wished to be listed.

Action and vote: The committee recorded a show-of-hands on the amendment to S.27 adding "substance use disorder treatment" to the definition of health care services; the transcript records five members in favor in the informal show-of-hands. The transcript does not record a formal roll-call on this amendment in committee during the provided excerpt.

Background and next steps: Committee counsel said the change was particularly relevant for S.27 because the statute addresses prohibitions on reporting medical debt to credit reporting agencies, which are often located outside Vermont. Counsel and members planned to add members' names to the amendment as sponsors and to carry the amendment forward when the committee reports the bill to the floor.