Senate Government Operations reviews H.588 to ease licensure rules and expand pharmacists' test‑and‑treat authority
Loading...
Summary
The Senate Government Operations Committee on April 2 reviewed H.588, an Office of Professional Regulation bill that would remove an APRN active‑practice renewal requirement, expand pharmacist testing and prescribing for COVID‑19, flu and strep, ease psychology licensure pathways, eliminate a defunct midwife advisory committee and propose a technical FBI background‑check fix for the Board of Medical Practice.
The Senate Government Operations Committee on Thursday, April 2 continued consideration of H.588, an Office of Professional Regulation (OPR) bill that would alter licensing rules across multiple health and personal‑care professions and expand certain pharmacist authorities. The committee heard detailed explanations from OPR staff and asked for additional testimony from the commissioner of health on pharmacist testing and prescribing.
"We are removing the active practice requirement for APRNs," said Jen Cole, director of Oleg Yaron, describing section 14 of H.588 that would replace the two‑year active‑practice hours standard with continuing education requirements. Cole said the change aligns Vermont with most other states and that the board of nursing supports dropping the active‑practice requirement. Lauren Hibbert, deputy secretary of state, asked about patient outcomes; OPR staff replied that their research showed no statistically significant difference in outcomes tied to removing the requirement.
Committee members spent substantial time on pharmacy provisions in section 14a. Cole said the bill would expand pharmacist prescribing authority under a state protocol approved by the commissioner of health to allow pharmacists to test and prescribe treatments for COVID‑19, influenza and streptococcal pharyngitis using CLIA‑waived tests. "This expands pharmacist prescribing authority and the practice of clinical pharmacy in state to include state protocol approved by the commissioner of health to test and prescribe drugs for the treatment of specific conditions," Cole said, linking the change to rural health transformation grant work and the goal of getting patients treated more quickly.
OPR also described changes to mental‑health licensure policy. The bill would create short‑term supplementation pathways for psychologists who lack certain coursework so they can obtain licensure while broader statutory reforms proceed next year. Cole said OPR's mental‑health licensure study found psychology to be among the most stringent professions and that the office plans more comprehensive legislative reform.
On midwifery, Cole said section 16 would eliminate a largely defunct midwife advisory committee and move detailed birth‑reporting requirements from statute to a director discretion standard, triggering rulemaking and consultation with the Department of Health to determine what data are truly needed. "We're hoping this change removes the requirement and puts it as the director may require," Cole said, adding OPR will coordinate with the Department of Health about the birth data they need.
A sustained exchange addressed massage regulation. Committee members and OPR staff discussed whether the bill—currently registering massage establishments—should instead create a licensure pathway for massage therapists. OPR cautioned that licensure would increase staff workload, require accelerated rulemaking and could create enforcement complexity. Lauren Hibbert said she had researched potential harms and observed both anecdotal reports and the office's studies, but noted OPR had not found data‑driven evidence of systemic harm. "We did not find, data driven evidence of harmful massage," Hibbert said, while OPR staff noted they have not received complaints themselves. Several senators urged broader stakeholder outreach and more study before creating a licensure pathway that could exclude other ‘‘touch’’ practitioners.
Committee members also discussed related pharmacy items: harmonizing statutes to allow pharmacy technicians who already test for COVID to also test for flu and strep and noting related legislation (H.611) under consideration in Senate Health and Welfare that would address HIV prophylaxis. OPR staff said modest statutory edits in titles 18 and 26 would be needed for implementation and that the office would coordinate language with Health and Welfare.
Finally, OPR requested the committee include a technical fix so the Board of Medical Practice's FBI background‑check language mirrors OPR's language and allows DOs to use Vermont as a 'home state' under the physician licensing compact. Hibbert said OPR had drafted language and OPR staff would share it; the committee agreed to pursue the fix and to consult with Senator Lyons and Health and Welfare if needed.
The committee did not take a formal vote on H.588 Thursday. Chair noted the panel will continue the discussion next week, requested testimony from the health commissioner on the pharmacist test‑and‑treat proposal and said further work on psychology and other technical edits is expected before any vote.
