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Lawmakers press for Agency of Human Services role in disaster planning for vulnerable adults
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Summary
Members of a legislative committee discussed adding the Vermont Agency of Human Services to disaster-planning requirements to better account for older Vermonters and other vulnerable adults, and committee members said regional planners had raised concerns about insufficient AHS support.
A committee considering disaster-planning legislation discussed an amendment to require the Vermont Agency of Human Services (AHS) to participate in planning for vulnerable adults, including older Vermonters.
Supporters said regional planning commissions had reported an “insufficient amount of support from the Agency of Human Services” for people affected by natural disasters, and proposed language to ensure AHS participates in planning and response for vulnerable adults.
“One of the regional planning commissions felt there was an insufficient amount of support from the Agency of Human Services for individuals who had been impacted by… floods,” a representative who proposed the amendment said. That lawmaker said they had worked with local councils to identify where AHS should be inserted into the bill’s planning provisions so the agency would be “part of that process, in particular for the section around vulnerable adults, older Vermonters, etcetera.”
Another committee member said the regional planning commissions had previously been in conversation with AHS after the 2023–2024 event season and described a single AHS staffer being assigned for the whole state during that period. “There was one person assigned from the Agency of Human Services for the whole state when we were dealing with 2023 and 2024,” that member said, and added that the RPCs had asked for more advance planning rather than only responding after disasters.
At least one member said they had not personally spoken with AHS about the amendment. “I have not talked to the Agency of Human Services about…” that member said before the remark trailed off in the record.
Committee members expressed appreciation for the proposed addition and said regional planners had repeatedly flagged the issue. The transcript does not record a formal vote on the amendment in this session.
