House Human Services committee reviews draft changes to H.545; schedules vote on revised version tomorrow

The House Human Services Committee on the morning session reviewed draft 3.1 of H.545, an act that revises how recommended immunizations are defined, who serves on the advisory council, and which changes take effect immediately versus on July 1, 2031. Committee counsel Katie McLanock summarized edits to funding, membership and terminology across the bill and flagged editorial corrections recommended by agencies.

McLanock told the committee the draft retains Section 1 on immunization funding and adds consistent language that the financial advisory committee "shall receive administrative and technical support from the department." She described membership updates that add a practicing advanced practice registered nurse and a practicing pharmacist appointed under 26 VSA, chapter 28 and chapter 36, respectively, and said the bill reorganizes subsection language about voting by the secretary of education and the public‑school representative.

The committee debated whether education representatives should be nonvoting on advice about "recommended immunizations." Counsel said the bill restructures subsection c so the secretary or designee and the public‑school representative "shall not vote on advice regarding recommended immunizations as defined in section 11 30 of this title." Members clarified that the advisory group performs multiple functions; for some school‑entry immunization matters education representatives would remain voting members, while on the specific advice defined as "recommended immunizations" they would not vote.

Members also discussed the bill's wording about which processes will revert in 2031. Committee members questioned use of the word "current" because it is time sensitive; counsel proposed reader headings that include the effective date to avoid ambiguity. The committee also agreed to standardize the bill's terminology by using "immunizations" where the drafters intended a broader definition than "vaccines."

Chair Speaker 1 told members the next printed version will be the one the committee votes on: "This will be the version that we will be voting on" tomorrow, and encouraged members to raise any final questions now. No formal vote or amendments were recorded during the session.

What happens next: staff will prepare the next printed version and post the reader's assistance language discussed in committee. The committee scheduled its vote on the next version for the following day.