Vermont 2025-2026 Regular Session

Vermont House Bill H0270 Compare Versions

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

Old	New	Differences
1	1	BILL AS INTRODUCED H.270
2	2	2025 Page 1 of 6
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5	5	VT LEG #380013 v.3
6	6	H.270 1
7	7	Introduced by Representatives Krasnow of South Burlington, Burtt of Cabot, 2
8	8	Carris-Duncan of Whitingham, Coffin of Cavendish, Dodge of 3
9	9	Essex, Dolgin of St. Johnsbury, Graning of Jericho, Howard of 4
10	10	Rutland City, Kleppner of Burlington, Labor of Morgan, 5
11	11	LaMont of Morristown, Luneau of St. Albans City, McCann of 6
12	12	Montpelier, McGill of Bridport, Minier of South Burlington, 7
13	13	Nugent of South Burlington, Olson of Starksboro, Pouech of 8
14	14	Hinesburg, Priestley of Bradford, Rachelson of Burlington, and 9
15	15	Wells of Brownington 10
16	16	Referred to Committee on 11
17	17	Date: 12
18	18	Subject: Health; mental health; emergency service providers; peer support 13
19	19	counseling; confidentiality 14
20	20	Statement of purpose of bill as introduced: This bill proposes to require that 15
21	21	communications made during the course of emergency service provider peer 16
22	22	support counseling remain confidential. 17
23	23	An act relating to confidentiality for peer support counseling among 18
24	24	emergency service providers 19 BILL AS INTRODUCED H.270
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28	28	VT LEG #380013 v.3
29	29	It is hereby enacted by the General Assembly of the State of Vermont: 1
30	30	Sec. 1. 18 V.S.A. § 7257c is added to read: 2
31	31	§ 7257c. CONFIDENTIALITY; PEER SUPPORT COUNSELING FOR 3
32	32	EMERGENCY SERVICE PROVIDERS 4
33	33	(a) As used in this section: 5
34	34	(1) “Critical incident stress management program” means a program 6
35	35	established by the employer of emergency service providers to provide 7
36	36	counseling or support services to emergency service providers working in a 8
37	37	paid or volunteer capacity. 9
38	38	(2) “Emergency service provider” means an individual: 10
39	39	(A) currently recognized by a Vermont fire department as a 11
40	40	firefighter; 12
41	41	(B) currently licensed by the Department of Health as an emergency 13
42	42	medical technician, an emergency medical responder, an advanced emergency 14
43	43	medical technician, or a paramedic; 15
44	44	(C) currently certified as a law enforcement officer by the Vermont 16
45	45	Criminal Justice Council, including constables and sheriffs; 17
46	46	(D) currently employed by the Department of Corrections as a 18
47	47	probation, parole, or correctional facility officer; 19 BILL AS INTRODUCED H.270
48	48	2025 Page 3 of 6
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51	51	VT LEG #380013 v.3
52	52	(E) currently certified by the Vermont Enhanced 911 Board as a 911 1
53	53	call taker or employed as an emergency communications dispatcher providing 2
54	54	service for an emergency service provider organization; or 3
55	55	(F) currently registered as a ski patroller at a Vermont ski resort with 4
56	56	the National Ski Patrol or Professional Ski Patrol Association. 5
57	57	(3) “Employer” means an entity that employs or oversees emergency 6
58	58	service providers working in a paid or volunteer capacity, including a State or 7
59	59	local agency, such as a county sheriff, municipal police department, Vermont 8
60	60	State Police, or any State or local public body that employs or oversees 9
61	61	volunteer emergency service providers. 10
62	62	(4) “Peer support counseling session” means a critical incident stress 11
63	63	management program session for emergency service providers who have been 12
64	64	involved in a traumatic incident by reason of their employment or volunteer 13
65	65	service. 14
66	66	(b)(1) Except as provided in subsection (d) of this section, any 15
67	67	communication made by a participant or counselor in a peer support 16
68	68	counseling session of a critical incident stress management program 17
69	69	established by an employer of emergency service providers, including any oral 18
70	70	or written information conveyed during a peer support counseling session, 19
71	71	shall not be disclosed by any individual participating in the peer counseling 20
72	72	session. 21 BILL AS INTRODUCED H.270
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76	76	VT LEG #380013 v.3
77	77	(2) Except as provided by subsection (d) of this section, any 1
78	78	communication relating to a peer support counseling session between 2
79	79	counselors, between counselors and other staff members of a critical incident 3
80	80	stress management program, or between staff members of a critical incident 4
81	81	stress management program, including any oral or written information, shall 5
82	82	not be disclosed by any individual participating in the communication. 6
83	83	(3) Written communications described in this subsection, such as notes, 7
84	84	records, and reports related to a peer counseling session, are exempt from 8
85	85	public inspection and copying under the Public Records Act and shall be kept 9
86	86	confidential. The Public Records Act exemptions created in this section shall 10
87	87	not be subject to the provisions of 1 V.S.A. § 317(e) (repeal of Public Records 11
88	88	Act exemptions). 12
89	89	(c) Except as provided by subsection (d) of this section, any 13
90	90	communication made by a participant or counselor in a peer support 14
91	91	counseling session, including any oral or written communication, such as 15
92	92	notes, records, and reports related to the peer counseling session, shall not be 16
93	93	admissible in a judicial, administrative, or arbitration proceeding. Limitations 17
94	94	on disclosure imposed by this subsection include disclosure during any 18
95	95	discovery conducted as part of an adjudicatory proceeding. Limitations on 19
96	96	disclosure imposed by this subsection shall not include knowledge acquired by 20
97	97	an emergency service provider from observations made during the course of 21 BILL AS INTRODUCED H.270
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101	101	VT LEG #380013 v.3
102	102	employment or volunteer service or information acquired by the emergency 1
103	103	service provider during the course of employment or volunteer service that is 2
104	104	otherwise subject to discovery or introduction into evidence. 3
105	105	(d)(1) Confidentiality protections described in subsections (b) and (c) of 4
106	106	this section shall only apply to a peer support counseling session conducted by 5
107	107	an individual who has: 6
108	108	(A) been designated by an employer or a critical incident stress 7
109	109	management program to act as a counselor; and 8
110	110	(B) received training in counseling and providing emotional and 9
111	111	moral support to emergency service providers who have been involved in 10
112	112	emotionally traumatic incidents by reason of their employment or volunteer 11
113	113	service. 12
114	114	(2) Confidentiality protections described in subsections (b) and (c) of 13
115	115	this section shall not apply to the following information as it pertains to an 14
116	116	individual designated to receive such information in the normal course the 15
117	117	individual’s professional responsibilities: 16
118	118	(A) any threat of suicide or homicide made by a participant of a peer 17
119	119	support counseling session or any information conveyed in a peer support 18
120	120	counseling session relating to a threat of suicide or homicide; 19
121	121	(B) any information relating to the abuse of a child or vulnerable 20
122	122	adult or other information that is required to be reported by law; 21 BILL AS INTRODUCED H.270
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126	126	VT LEG #380013 v.3
127	127	(C) any admission of criminal conduct; or 1
128	128	(D) any admission of a plan to commit a crime. 2
129	129	(e) Nothing in this section shall prohibit any communications between 3
130	130	counselors regarding a peer support counseling session or between counselors 4
131	131	and other staff members of a critical incident stress management program. 5
132	132	(f) An employer shall not be liable for any disclosure made in violation of 6
133	133	this section by an emergency service provider who participates in a peer 7
134	134	support counseling session. 8
135	135	Sec. 2. EFFECTIVE DATE 9
136	136	This act shall take effect on July 1, 2025. 10