House passes health-equity data bill, concurs on healthcare-advocate changes; medical-debt measure sent to Ways and Means; Burlington teams honored

The Vermont House of Representatives on April 15, 2025 approved H.293, an act relating to health equity data reporting and registry disclosure requirements, concurred in Senate amendments to H.80 concerning the Office of the Healthcare Advocate, and referred S.27 to the House Committee on Ways and Means after members discovered the Senate bill would affect state revenue. The chamber also read two House concurrent resolutions congratulating Burlington High School's boys and girls Division I championship teams.

H.293 was read on third reading and passed by voice vote after the clerk presented the bill. The clerk called for the question and the chair declared, "The ayes do have it," indicating passage; no roll-call tally was recorded on the floor during the reading.

Members referred S.27, an act relating to medical debt relief and excluding medical debt from credit reports, to the House Committee on Ways and Means. The referral occurred after members discovered language in S.27 that would affect state revenue and, pursuant to House Rule 35(a), required review by Ways and Means before further floor action.

The House then took up H.80, an act relating to the Office of the Healthcare Advocate. The clerk and a member explained that the Senate had passed H.80 with a proposal of amendment printed in the calendar and that changes clarify the advocate's role in the certificate-of-need process and when state agencies must share information with the advocate's office. The member from Colchester told the House the House Health Care Committee had considered the changes and reported a straw poll of 10-0-1 in favor of concurrence. "We ask for your support," the member from Colchester said on the floor. The House concurred in the Senate proposal of amendment by voice vote; the chair declared the ayes had it.

Earlier in the session the clerk read two House concurrent resolutions adopted pursuant to the consent calendar: H.C.R. 90 and H.C.R. 91, which congratulate the 2025 Burlington High School Seahorses Division I championship girls and boys basketball teams. The readings named the players, coaches, and managers and directed the secretary of state to send copies of the resolutions to Burlington High School.

The House completed its orders of the day and adjourned to Wednesday, April 16, 2025, at 1 p.m.

Votes at a glance

- H.293 (health equity data reporting and registry disclosure requirements): Passed by voice vote on third reading; floor tally not specified. - S.27 (medical debt relief; exclusion from credit reports): Referred to House Committee on Ways and Means due to identified revenue impact (referral under House Rule 35(a)). - H.80 (office of the Healthcare Advocate; concurrence in Senate proposal of amendment): House Health Care Committee straw poll 10-0-1; House concurred by voice vote. - H.C.R. 90 and H.C.R. 91: Read as adopted on the consent calendar; congratulatory resolutions to Burlington High School boys and girls basketball teams.

Procedural notes: Several floor actions were resolved by voice vote and the clerk/chair declared the results; no roll-call vote tallies were entered in the transcript for those floor approvals. The committee straw poll cited for H.80 (10-0-1) was reported by the member explaining the amendment.