House Corrections panel reviews H.32 draft to strengthen MOUD reentry care, flags contractor, training and reporting questions

The House Corrections and Institutions Committee on Friday, Feb. 4, continued its review of H.32, a bill that would update Vermont statutes governing delivery of medication for opioid use disorder (MOUD) in correctional facilities and the reentry process for people leaving custody.

Committee counsel Katie McGlenn reviewed changes in a new draft that (among other edits) replaces older terms such as ‘‘medically assisted treatment’’ with ‘‘medication for opioid use disorder’’ (MOUD), adds a definition for ‘‘health care practitioner,’’ and relocates reentry provisions to a consolidated reentry subsection. The draft also cross-references Department of Health rules for opioid treatment programs and office-based opioid treatment providers.

Why it matters: Committee members said the provisions affect continuity of care after release and could influence post-release overdose risk. Tony (Division of Substance Use, Vermont Department of Health) told the committee that people released from incarceration who are not on MOUD face markedly higher overdose mortality, and the committee repeatedly flagged the need to ensure the statute matches how reentry coordination is delivered in practice.

Key points from the discussion

- Reentry coordination and who is responsible. The draft requires that, prior to community reentry, the Department shall provide information and offer care coordination and shall ‘‘identify a health care practitioner licensed to prescribe medication for opioid use disorder or an opioid treatment program or both, and schedule an intake appointment for the offender’’ so that community treatment can continue. Members pressed whether that language should…