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Page Addison Town urges peer-to-peer support for students as committee reviews H817
Summary
A page testified March 13 that a peer-to-peer program would help students address substance use and mental health concerns; a committee member said the language to include older mentors was added and cited Mentor Vermont as a model.
Addison Town, a legislative page from Morsville, told a committee considering bill H817 on March 13 that establishing a peer-to-peer program would help students address substance use and related mental-health challenges.
Town said, “I believe that HJ17 will show a lot of progress in schools because I've seen firsthand how mental health affects students and how substance use really gets in the way of students’ mental health,” and argued that a peer program would let students raise issues they do not feel comfortable bringing up in class. Town told the panel that older peers — for example, high-school students — had given her advice and someone to talk to when speaking with adults was difficult.
The testimony matters because committee members framed the proposal as a prevention measure aimed at connecting students with trusted peers rather than relying solely on adult-led interventions. A member of the committee responding to Town’s remarks said the panel had “added that to the bill,” and highlighted Mentor Vermont’s Dream program as an existing model that pairs younger students with older mentors; the member noted a personal connection, saying a child in the member’s family participates in that program.
During questioning, a committee member identified in the transcript as Alan asked whether Town would feel comfortable approaching an older peer or an adult and whether the program would help students identify classmates in need; Town replied that older peers would make it easier to talk and that the program would clarify how to connect classmates with help. Town also said she had not participated in after-school or summer programs related to the proposal.
The committee spent the remainder of the recorded session noting small edits to the bill text and preparing to display highlighted changes for review. The transcript records no formal motion or vote on H817 during the segment provided.
Next steps: committee staff indicated they would present the marked-up changes for the group to review; no vote or formal adoption was recorded in the transcript.
