| 1 | 1 | | BILL AS INTRODUCED H.227 |
|---|
| 2 | 2 | | 2025 Page 1 of 3 |
|---|
| 3 | 3 | | |
|---|
| 4 | 4 | | |
|---|
| 5 | 5 | | VT LEG #379609 v.4 |
|---|
| 6 | 6 | | H.227 1 |
|---|
| 7 | 7 | | Introduced by Representatives Bos-Lun of Westminster, Austin of Colchester, 2 |
|---|
| 8 | 8 | | Bishop of Colchester, Burtt of Cabot, Campbell of St. 3 |
|---|
| 9 | 9 | | Johnsbury, Carris-Duncan of Whitingham, Chapin of East 4 |
|---|
| 10 | 10 | | Montpelier, Christie of Hartford, Cina of Burlington, Coffin of 5 |
|---|
| 11 | 11 | | Cavendish, Cordes of Bristol, Dodge of Essex, Donahue of 6 |
|---|
| 12 | 12 | | Northfield, Eastes of Guilford, Headrick of Burlington, Hooper 7 |
|---|
| 13 | 13 | | of Burlington, Kleppner of Burlington, Lipsky of Stowe, Logan 8 |
|---|
| 14 | 14 | | of Burlington, McCann of Montpelier, McGill of Bridport, 9 |
|---|
| 15 | 15 | | Morrow of Weston, Mrowicki of Putney, Olson of Starksboro, 10 |
|---|
| 16 | 16 | | Pezzo of Colchester, Pouech of Hinesburg, and Surprenant of 11 |
|---|
| 17 | 17 | | Barnard 12 |
|---|
| 18 | 18 | | Referred to Committee on 13 |
|---|
| 19 | 19 | | Date: 14 |
|---|
| 20 | 20 | | Subject: Health; mental health; crisis diversion; peer respite facility 15 |
|---|
| 21 | 21 | | Statement of purpose of bill as introduced: This bill proposes to establish a 16 |
|---|
| 22 | 22 | | residential peer respite facility that provides support and services to individuals 17 |
|---|
| 23 | 23 | | experiencing a mental health crisis. 18 |
|---|
| 24 | 24 | | An act relating to establishing a residential peer respite facility in southern 19 |
|---|
| 25 | 25 | | Vermont 20 BILL AS INTRODUCED H.227 |
|---|
| 26 | 26 | | 2025 Page 2 of 3 |
|---|
| 27 | 27 | | |
|---|
| 28 | 28 | | |
|---|
| 29 | 29 | | VT LEG #379609 v.4 |
|---|
| 30 | 30 | | It is hereby enacted by the General Assembly of the State of Vermont: 1 |
|---|
| 31 | 31 | | Sec. 1. LEGISLATIVE INTENT 2 |
|---|
| 32 | 32 | | It is the intent of the General Assembly that: 3 |
|---|
| 33 | 33 | | (1) by increasing from four to six the number of psychiatric residential 4 |
|---|
| 34 | 34 | | beds that the Department of Mental Health oversees or contracts for statewide, 5 |
|---|
| 35 | 35 | | in addition to those currently available in northern and central Vermont, a 6 |
|---|
| 36 | 36 | | greater number of individuals in crisis will be successfully diverted from 7 |
|---|
| 37 | 37 | | inpatient psychiatric settings; 8 |
|---|
| 38 | 38 | | (2) by providing adequate residential alternatives to hospitalization for 9 |
|---|
| 39 | 39 | | individuals in mental health crisis, Vermonters will have greater access to 10 |
|---|
| 40 | 40 | | residential support and various therapeutic options during mental health crisis; 11 |
|---|
| 41 | 41 | | (3) by expanding peer-supported programming, individuals in mental 12 |
|---|
| 42 | 42 | | health crisis seeking an alternative to hospitalization receive effective, 13 |
|---|
| 43 | 43 | | compassionate, and affordable care; 14 |
|---|
| 44 | 44 | | (4) the State and those individuals seeking support during a mental 15 |
|---|
| 45 | 45 | | health crisis may avoid incurring expensive hospitalization costs; and 16 |
|---|
| 46 | 46 | | (5) by providing more residential beds for short- to medium-term stays, 17 |
|---|
| 47 | 47 | | individuals in mental health crisis will have fewer long-term stays in Vermont 18 |
|---|
| 48 | 48 | | hospital emergency departments. 19 BILL AS INTRODUCED H.227 |
|---|
| 49 | 49 | | 2025 Page 3 of 3 |
|---|
| 50 | 50 | | |
|---|
| 51 | 51 | | |
|---|
| 52 | 52 | | VT LEG #379609 v.4 |
|---|
| 53 | 53 | | Sec. 2. RESIDENTIAL PEER RESPITE FACILITY 1 |
|---|
| 54 | 54 | | (a) The Department of Mental Health shall issue a request for proposals to 2 |
|---|
| 55 | 55 | | establish a two-bed residential peer respite facility in southern Vermont based 3 |
|---|
| 56 | 56 | | on an existing model that provides supports and services to individuals 4 |
|---|
| 57 | 57 | | experiencing a mental health crisis. 5 |
|---|
| 58 | 58 | | (b) A successful applicant shall ensure that: 6 |
|---|
| 59 | 59 | | (1) at least one bed in the facility may be reserved for stays of up to four 7 |
|---|
| 60 | 60 | | weeks; and 8 |
|---|
| 61 | 61 | | (2) the remaining bed is reserved for short-term residential stays of up to 9 |
|---|
| 62 | 62 | | two weeks. 10 |
|---|
| 63 | 63 | | (c) On or before January 1, 2026, the Department shall contract with an 11 |
|---|
| 64 | 64 | | eligible applicant to establish and operate a residential peer respite facility in 12 |
|---|
| 65 | 65 | | accordance with this section. 13 |
|---|
| 66 | 66 | | Sec. 3. APPROPRIATION; RESIDENTIAL PEER RESPITE FAC ILITY 14 |
|---|
| 67 | 67 | | In fiscal year 2026, $515,000.00 is appropriated from the General Fund to 15 |
|---|
| 68 | 68 | | the Department of Mental Health for the purpose of contracting with an entity 16 |
|---|
| 69 | 69 | | to establish and operate a residential peer respite facility pursuant to Sec. 2 17 |
|---|
| 70 | 70 | | (residential peer respite facility) of this act. 18 |
|---|
| 71 | 71 | | Sec. 4. EFFECTIVE DATE 19 |
|---|
| 72 | 72 | | This act shall take effect on July 1, 2025. 20 |
|---|