House committee puts H.32 on hold after drafting changes to MOUD rules in corrections; seeks DVA, DOC data

The House Corrections and Institutions Committee on April 29 examined a revised draft of H.32 that would tighten rules for providing medication for opioid use disorder (MOUD) in Vermont correctional facilities, expand definitions to include detainees, and add an annual report requirement to assess outcomes after reentry.

Committee counsel Katie McGlenn of the Office of Legislative Counsel presented the draft (4.1) and said the committee’s goals were to ensure parity between MOUD offered in the community and in corrections, improve coordinated reentry care and clarify who makes medical decisions in facilities.

“The per the entity that’s responsible for the delivery of MOUD in our correctional facility is really Wellpath,” Katie McGlenn said, describing the contractor model currently used by DOC and noting the draft focuses on clarifying the department’s relationship with medical contractors.

Key elements in the draft included: definitions that explicitly cover “detainees” as well as sentenced individuals; language that would allow a department contractor to identify necessary…