| 1 | 1 | | BILL AS INTRODUCED H.12 |
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| 2 | 2 | | 2025 Page 1 of 4 |
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| 5 | 5 | | VT LEG #378941 v.1 |
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| 6 | 6 | | H.12 1 |
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| 7 | 7 | | Introduced by Representatives Bluemle of Burlington and Goldman of 2 |
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| 8 | 8 | | Rockingham 3 |
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| 9 | 9 | | Referred to Committee on 4 |
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| 10 | 10 | | Date: 5 |
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| 11 | 11 | | Subject: Health; nutrition; blenderized tube feeding 6 |
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| 12 | 12 | | Statement of purpose of bill as introduced: This bill proposes to establish a 7 |
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| 13 | 13 | | study committee to explore the benefits of and address barriers to blenderized 8 |
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| 14 | 14 | | tube feeding. 9 |
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| 15 | 15 | | An act relating to addressing barriers to blenderized tube feeding 10 |
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| 16 | 16 | | It is hereby enacted by the General Assembly of the State of Vermont: 11 |
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| 17 | 17 | | Sec. 1. BLENDERIZED TUBE FEEDING STUDY COMMITTEE; REPORT 12 |
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| 18 | 18 | | (a) Creation. There is created the Blenderized Tube Feeding Study 13 |
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| 19 | 19 | | Committee to explore the benefits of and recommend ways to reduce barriers 14 |
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| 20 | 20 | | to blenderized tube feeding, which is the use of blended foods and liquids 15 |
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| 21 | 21 | | given directly through a feeding tube. 16 |
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| 22 | 22 | | (b) Membership. The Committee shall be composed of the following 17 |
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| 23 | 23 | | members: 18 |
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| 24 | 24 | | (1) the Commissioner of Health or designee; 19 |
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| 25 | 25 | | (2) the Commissioner for Children and Families or designee; 20 BILL AS INTRODUCED H.12 |
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| 26 | 26 | | 2025 Page 2 of 4 |
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| 29 | 29 | | VT LEG #378941 v.1 |
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| 30 | 30 | | (3) a representative of the Agency of Agriculture, Food and Markets 1 |
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| 31 | 31 | | with expertise in access to fresh foods or farmers markets, or both, appointed 2 |
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| 32 | 32 | | by the Secretary of Agriculture, Food and Markets; 3 |
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| 33 | 33 | | (4) a caregiver who currently administers blenderized tube feeding, 4 |
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| 34 | 34 | | appointed by the Vermont Family Network; 5 |
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| 35 | 35 | | (5) a pediatric gastroenterologist who is familiar with both blenderized 6 |
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| 36 | 36 | | tube feeding and commercial enteral nutrition products, appointed by the 7 |
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| 37 | 37 | | Vermont Medical Society; and 8 |
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| 38 | 38 | | (6) a dietitian certified pursuant to 26 V.S.A. chapter 73 whose practice 9 |
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| 39 | 39 | | includes working with children who are tube fed, appointed by the Vermont 10 |
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| 40 | 40 | | Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics in consultation with the Office of 11 |
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| 41 | 41 | | Professional Regulation’s dietitian advisors. 12 |
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| 42 | 42 | | (c) Powers and duties. The Committee shall study issues related to 13 |
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| 43 | 43 | | blenderized tube feeding, including the following: 14 |
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| 44 | 44 | | (1) evaluating the benefits, challenges, costs, and barriers to blenderized 15 |
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| 45 | 45 | | tube feeding, especially for children, including: 16 |
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| 46 | 46 | | (A) the impact of blenderized tube feeding on feeding intolerance, 17 |
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| 47 | 47 | | such as gagging, vomiting, and acid reflux; 18 |
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| 48 | 48 | | (B) the impact of blenderized tube feeding on patients’ needs for 19 |
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| 49 | 49 | | medications, such as laxatives and stomach acid blockers; 20 BILL AS INTRODUCED H.12 |
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| 50 | 50 | | 2025 Page 3 of 4 |
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| 53 | 53 | | VT LEG #378941 v.1 |
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| 54 | 54 | | (C) the impact of blenderized tube feeding on patients’ overall health, 1 |
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| 55 | 55 | | including on the need for hospitalization, as well as on patient and family well-2 |
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| 56 | 56 | | being and quality of life; 3 |
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| 57 | 57 | | (D) the costs associated with procuring fresh food and a high-quality 4 |
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| 58 | 58 | | blender to use for blenderized tube feeding; 5 |
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| 59 | 59 | | (E) the availability of health insurance coverage for fresh food and a 6 |
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| 60 | 60 | | high-quality blender compared with the coverage provided for commercial 7 |
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| 61 | 61 | | enteral nutrition products; and 8 |
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| 62 | 62 | | (F) the extent to which health care professionals are aware of the 9 |
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| 63 | 63 | | benefits of blenderized tube feeding and have the time and ability to educate 10 |
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| 64 | 64 | | and support families in utilizing it; and 11 |
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| 65 | 65 | | (2) identifying changes in policy or practice, or both, that would be 12 |
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| 66 | 66 | | necessary to expand access to blenderized tube feeding to more patients, 13 |
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| 67 | 67 | | including children, who would benefit from it. 14 |
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| 68 | 68 | | (d) Assistance. The Committee shall have the administrative, technical, 15 |
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| 69 | 69 | | and legal assistance of the Department of Health. 16 |
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| 70 | 70 | | (e) Report. On or before January 15, 2026, the Committee shall report to 17 |
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| 71 | 71 | | the House Committees on Health Care and on Human Services and the Senate 18 |
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| 72 | 72 | | Committee on Health and Welfare with its findings and any recommendations 19 |
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| 73 | 73 | | for legislative action. 20 |
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| 74 | 74 | | (f) Meetings. 21 BILL AS INTRODUCED H.12 |
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| 78 | 78 | | VT LEG #378941 v.1 |
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| 79 | 79 | | (1) The Commissioner of Health or designee shall be the chair and shall 1 |
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| 80 | 80 | | call the first meeting of the Committee to occur on or before July 1, 2025. 2 |
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| 81 | 81 | | (2) A majority of the membership shall constitute a quorum. 3 |
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| 82 | 82 | | (3) The Committee shall cease to exist on January 15, 2026. 4 |
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| 83 | 83 | | (g) Compensation and reimbursement. Members of the Committee shall be 5 |
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| 84 | 84 | | entitled to per diem compensation and reimbursement of expenses as permitted 6 |
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| 85 | 85 | | under 32 V.S.A. § 1010 for not more than five meetings. These payments shall 7 |
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| 86 | 86 | | be made from monies appropriated to the Department of Health. 8 |
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| 87 | 87 | | Sec. 2. EFFECTIVE DATE 9 |
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| 88 | 88 | | This act shall take effect on passage. 10 |
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