Vermont health officials, Burlington update House committee on overdose prevention center implementation

Theresa Wood, chair of the House Human Services Committee, opened the Jan. 14 committee meeting by calling for an update on the overdose prevention center authorized by the legislature last year for the City of Burlington.

Mark Levine, commissioner of the Vermont Department of Health, told the committee the department published operating guidelines for overdose prevention centers on schedule "on September 13, 2024." He said the guidance is not a rule-making product but that stakeholders have treated the guidance as setting strong operational expectations. Levine said the guidance drew on experience from syringe services programs, recovery centers, the Drug Policy Alliance, Vermont Medical Society members, researchers at New York University and Brown University, Burlington city staff, and other stakeholders.

Levine said Vermont has not yet received a grant proposal from the City of Burlington and therefore has not released the $1,100,000 referenced in the statute from the opioid abatement special fund. "We have not yet received a grant proposal from the city, which means that at the present time, we have not really awarded the $1,100,000 from the opioid abatement special fund to the city because that is contingent upon receiving a submission of a grant proposal," he said.

On evaluation, Levine said the department contracted with the Pacific Institute for Research and Evaluation (PIRE) in September to support the pilot evaluation and that the department received a baseline evaluation report. He said the department is working to include Vermont in a broader evaluation called SAFER (Study Assessing the Effectiveness of Overdose Prevention Centers through Evaluation Research), a collaboration with Brown and NYU that is funded by a National Institute on Drug Abuse grant; he said a federal funding decision was expected next month.

Joe McGee, deputy chief of staff in the Burlington mayor's office, told the committee the city has met with the Department of Health, drafted a small zoning amendment to allow for an overdose prevention center under Burlington zoning, and hired a special assistant for implementation, Teresa Bizina. McGee said the city will issue a request for letters of interest from potential providers and later a request for proposals, both developed in collaboration with the Department of Health and following the published guidelines. He said he expected a request for letters of interest to be posted "hopefully in early February" and that the city's grant proposal would be submitted to the health department around February.

McGee said site selection will follow provider selection and will be informed by local overdose data and evidence about effectiveness within a given radius. He told the committee that the city will involve first responders and other stakeholders in planning. McGee noted work already underway in Burlington, including a community response team that leaves naloxone kits and test strips and a recent pilot that allows paramedics to initiate buprenorphine in the field after reversing an overdose.

Committee members asked several follow-up questions. Representative Doug Bishop asked whether evaluation work could lead to federal funding; Levine replied that the federal dollars discussed were primarily to fund the research on effectiveness and comparisons with New York and Rhode Island, not to fund Vermont program operations. Representative McGuire raised concerns about federal prosecution under the Controlled Substances Act and whether the city or state would seek assurances from federal prosecutors; Chair Wood and staff said it was too early to predict how federal enforcement might affect the pilot and that the topic would be discussed as implementation proceeds.

Representative (name on record) asked about the funding timeline; committee members discussed that the Legislature had authorized opioid settlement funds and that the pilot is intended to be funded through that settlement fund for the evaluation period. Representative (name on record) asked about liability for family lawsuits; Chair Wood directed members to the legislative language (H72/Act referenced) and suggested consulting legislative counsel for legal details.

The committee asked the Department of Health to share a direct link to the published guidelines; Levine said staff in the room would provide that link. Members said they would remain in close contact with department and city staff as the proposal, procurement, site selection and evaluation proceed.

The update included no formal motions or votes; the city has not yet submitted a grant proposal, and no award has been made.

Levine and McGee stayed for questions and committed to return with further updates as the city prepares its proposal and the department advances the evaluation.