Vermont 2025-2026 Regular Session

Vermont House Bill H0140 Compare Versions

Only one version of the bill is available at this time.

Old	New	Differences
1	1	BILL AS INTRODUCED H.140
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6	6	H.140 1
7	7	Introduced by Representatives Holcombe of Norwich and Masland of Thetford 2
8	8	Referred to Committee on 3
9	9	Date: 4
10	10	Subject: Health; municipalities; community care coordinator; community 5
11	11	nurse 6
12	12	Statement of purpose of bill as introduced: This bill proposes to establish a 7
13	13	grant program to fund the provision of services by community nurses and 8
14	14	community care coordinators in collaboration with municipalities. 9
15	15	An act relating to the provision of grants for community nurses and 10
16	16	community care coordinators working in collaboration with municipalities 11
17	17	It is hereby enacted by the General Assembly of the State of Vermont: 12
18	18	Sec. 1. LEGISLATIVE INTENT 13
19	19	It is the intent of the General Assembly to improve health outcomes and to 14
20	20	prevent avoidable care and over utilization of institutional care, particularly 15
21	21	among heavy utilizers by expanding access in rural communities to community 16
22	22	nurses and community care coordinators, as recommended in the report 17
23	23	completed by the Green Mountain Care Board’s consultant in accordance with 18
24	24	2022 Acts and Resolves No. 167. 19 BILL AS INTRODUCED H.140
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29	29	Sec. 2. 18 V.S.A. chapter 222 is amended to read: 1
30	30	Chapter 222. ACCESS TO HEALTH CARE PROFESSIONALS 2
31	31	§ 9490. COMMUNITY NURSE AND COMMUNITY CARE 3
32	32	COORDINATOR GRANT PROGRAM 4
33	33	(a) Grant program established. The Department of Health shall administer 5
34	34	a grant program for the purpose of establishing community nurse or 6
35	35	community care coordinator programs in Vermont communities. The 7
36	36	Commissioner shall award grants of up to $10,000.00 per municipality to fund 8
37	37	a community nurse or community care coordinator program in the 9
38	38	municipality, provided the municipal applicant meets the criteria set forth in 10
39	39	this section and rule. As used in this section, “municipality” means a city, 11
40	40	town, or incorporated village in the State. 12
41	41	(b) Grant eligibility. 13
42	42	(1) General criteria. A municipality may submit a grant application to 14
43	43	the Department each year during the period specified by the Department in 15
44	44	rule. Successful grant applicants shall: 16
45	45	(A) demonstrate that the municipality has a separate financial 17
46	46	account that shall be used solely for administering funds for the municipality’s 18
47	47	community nurse or community care coordinator program, or alternatively, 19
48	48	demonstrate that a qualifying nonprofit organization is available to receive and 20 BILL AS INTRODUCED H.140
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53	53	administer the grant funding to pay for community nurse or community care 1
54	54	coordinator services; 2
55	55	(B) demonstrate that the municipality’s community nurse or 3
56	56	community care coordinator program structure has fiscal and organizational 4
57	57	transparency; 5
58	58	(C) provide documentation that the legislative body of the 6
59	59	municipality has approved the community nurse or community care 7
60	60	coordinator program; 8
61	61	(D) describe the proposed collaboration between the community 9
62	62	nurse or community care coordinator and the municipality, including the 10
63	63	community nurse or community coordinator’s anticipated duties, work hours, 11
64	64	and any specialized training necessary to provide services; 12
65	65	(E) describe the municipality’s plan for ongoing funding for the 13
66	66	community nurse or community care coordinator program once the 14
67	67	municipality is no longer eligible for grants under this section; and 15
68	68	(F) if applicable, describe any formal relationship between the 16
69	69	municipality and existing health care providers, including a federally qualified 17
70	70	health center. 18
71	71	(2) Joint applications. Two or more municipalities may submit a joint 19
72	72	application to support and extend shared services; however, each municipality 20
73	73	shall independently address the criteria in subdivision (1) of this subsection. 21 BILL AS INTRODUCED H.140
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78	78	(3) Limitations. 1
79	79	(A) Municipalities that currently have a community nurse or 2
80	80	community care coordinator may apply for grant funding to expand service; 3
81	81	however, municipal applicants seeking to establish new community nurse or 4
82	82	community care coordinator programs shall be given priority for grant funding. 5
83	83	(B) Applications to fund multiple community nurse or community 6
84	84	care coordinator positions within a municipality shall be considered to the 7
85	85	extent that the proposal reflects the municipality’s population and community 8
86	86	nurse service needs. 9
87	87	(C) A municipality shall be eligible for not more than five annual 10
88	88	grants. 11
89	89	(c) Awards granted. Awards granted by the Commissioner under this 12
90	90	section shall be provided directly to the applying municipality. 13
91	91	(d) Rulemaking. Pursuant to 3 V.S.A. chapter 25, the Commissioner shall 14
92	92	adopt rules necessary to administer the grant program established in this 15
93	93	section. The rules shall address: 16
94	94	(1) timelines for application and reapplication; 17
95	95	(2) application criteria; and 18
96	96	(3) procedures for review of grant expenditures and program evaluation. 19 BILL AS INTRODUCED H.140
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101	101	(e) Guidance and resources. The Department shall make guidance and 1
102	102	resources for community nurses and community care coordinators available 2
103	103	through its local health offices. 3
104	104	Sec. 3. APPROPRIATION 4
105	105	(a) Fiscal year 2026. In fiscal year 2026, $200,000.00 is appropriated to 5
106	106	the Department of Health from the General Fund for the purpose of funding 6
107	107	grants pursuant to 18 V.S.A. § 9490 (community nurse and community care 7
108	108	coordinator grant program). 8
109	109	(b) Fiscal year 2027 and later. It is the intent of the General Assembly that 9
110	110	$200,000.00 be appropriated annually to the Department of Health from the 10
111	111	General Fund to fund the community nurse grant program established in 11
112	112	18 V.S.A. § 9490 (community nurse and community care coordinator grant 12
113	113	program). 13
114	114	Sec. 4. EFFECTIVE DATE 14
115	115	This act shall take effect on July 1, 2025. 15