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Vermont State Youth Council urges changes to Act 73, expanded mental-health care and $140,000 state funding
Summary
The Vermont State Youth Council presented a slate of recommendations to the Government Operations & Military Affairs committee, calling for reforms to Act 73, required life-skills courses and more specialist school staff; new inpatient eating-disorder capacity and excused mental-health days; equity curricula; local voting options for 16–17-year-olds; climate and housing proposals; and a $140,000 state appropriation request.
A delegation from the Vermont State Youth Council told the Government Operations & Military Affairs committee on Feb. 11 that the council wants lawmakers to adopt a broad set of youth-focused reforms, from changes to education law to new mental-health services and a request for dedicated state funding.
"This law should not continue to be implemented in its current state without having reforms and edits made to it," said Ezra Tan, 14, a member of the council's education committee, urging revisions to Act 73 and raising concerns that school consolidation drives teacher layoffs and longer bus rides that can run "two hours," which he called "too long." Tan also recommended required financial-literacy and life-skills courses and wider access to alternative learning pathways such as tech centers.
Claire Zantstra, chair of the council's Youth Mental Health Committee, asked lawmakers to "establish at least 1 inpatient eating disorder facility within the state" for patients ages 11–17 or,…
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