BILL AS INTRODUCED H.456
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H.456 1
Introduced by Representatives Cina of Burlington, Christie of Hartford, and 2
Cole of Hartford 3
Referred to Committee on 4
Date: 5
Subject: Human services; Attorney General; corrections; reinvestment; 6
transitional housing; substance use treatment and mental health needs; 7
community support services 8
Statement of purpose of bill as introduced: This bill proposes to appropriate 9
various sums of money to the Agency of Human Services and the Office of the 10
Attorney General to establish and support a State-supported and community-11
based continuum of care for justice-involved individuals. Specifically, this bill 12
proposes to appropriate monies to fund supportive and transitional housing 13
initiatives and community-based mental health and substance use services, and 14
to reappropriate funds for correctional facility construction to invest in 15
community-based services. 16
An act relating to establishing a State-funded and community-based 17
continuum of care for justice-involved individuals 18
It is hereby enacted by the General Assembly of the State of Vermont: 19
Sec. 1. FINDINGS 20 BILL AS INTRODUCED H.456
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The General Assembly finds that: 1
(1) Social determinants of health and crime are interconnected and 2
impact public health and safety. 3
(2) Housing conditions are a key determinant of both health and crime. 4
The lack of affordable housing contributes to the extended incarceration of 5
justice-involved individuals beyond their minimum sentences in Vermont and 6
is linked to higher recidivism rates. Incarceration itself worsens these 7
conditions, negatively affecting public health and safety. 8
(3) Access to health care is also a social determinant of health and 9
crime. Justice-involved individuals suffer from higher rates of chronic health 10
conditions, infectious diseases, substance use disorders, and mental illness. A 11
public health approach focused on prevention and addressing these shared 12
determinants is essential for improving health and reducing crime. 13
(4) Education is a critical social determinant of both health and crime. 14
(5) Economic and social opportunities also drive both health outcomes 15
and criminal behavior. 16
(6) Incarceration often exacerbates social and economic harm and fails 17
to effectively rehabilitate individuals. 18
(7) Vermont can reduce criminal behavior by investing in housing, 19
education, workforce development, health care, nutrition, and mental health 20 BILL AS INTRODUCED H.456
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services, offering community-based support to justice-involved individuals 1
instead of relying on incarceration. 2
Sec. 2. INTENT AND PURPOSE 3
(a) Intent. 4
(1) It is the intent of the General Assembly to reduce harm, restore 5
justice, promote recovery, and build resilience by delaying the construction of 6
new correctional facilities and prioritizing investments in social and housing 7
infrastructure. 8
(2) It is further the intent of the General Assembly to promote 9
transformative justice and recovery by providing housing and shelter for 10
justice-involved individuals alongside community-based support services. 11
(b) Purpose. The purpose of this act is to transform Vermont’s criminal 12
justice system by reducing reliance on State-funded correctional facilities. The 13
act seeks to establish a community-based system of care and rehabilitation that 14
reduces recidivism and promotes recovery. The system will include: 15
(1) accessible, equitable, and localized services statewide; 16
(2) secure housing for individuals in recovery and those at risk of self-17
harm or harming others; 18
(3) strengthened treatment, education, and workforce training integrated 19
into localized, equitable residential programs; 20 BILL AS INTRODUCED H.456
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(4) pathways to economic security through fair compensation, financial 1
services, and opportunities for homeownership and small business 2
development; and 3
(5) support for healthy relationships to help individuals repair harm and 4
reconnect with family and community. 5
Sec. 3. APPROPRIATION; HUMAN SERVICES; JUSTICE-INVOLVED 6
INDIVIDUALS; HOMELESSNESS PREVENTION 7
(a) The sum of $1,313,044.00 is appropriated from the General Fund to 8
the Agency of Human Services in fiscal year 2026 for the purpose of issuing 9
grants to Pathways Vermont to deliver supportive and transitional housing to 10
individuals who are homeless or at risk of homelessness and who are being 11
released from incarceration or who were previously incarcerated. 12
(b) Any grant issued pursuant to this section shall be used to provide 13
supportive and transitional housing to individuals who are homeless or at risk 14
of homelessness and who are being released from incarceration or who were 15
previously incarcerated. 16
Sec. 4. APPROPRIATION; LAND ACCESS AND OPPORTUNITY 17
BOARD; JUSTICE-INVOLVED INDIVIDUALS; SUPPORTIVE 18
AND TRANSITIONAL HOUSING 19
(a) The sum of $1,000,000.00 is appropriated from the General Fund to the 20
Land Access and Opportunity Board in fiscal year 2026 to issue grants to 21 BILL AS INTRODUCED H.456
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community-based service providers for assistance with the purchase of real 1
property for the creation of supportive and transitional housing. 2
(b) The grants provided pursuant to this section shall be used by 3
community-based service providers to provide supportive and transitional 4
housing to justice-involved individuals who are experiencing homelessness or 5
at risk of homelessness. 6
(c) The Land Access and Opportunity Board shall issue grants pursuant to 7
this section to prioritize housing for groups who have been historically 8
disadvantaged, including individuals who are Black, Indigenous, or Persons of 9
Color; individuals with disabilities; individuals who are LGBTQ+; and 10
women. 11
(d) Any grant issued pursuant to this section shall also prioritize the use of 12
the Housing First model and the work of peer-based services and organizations 13
led by individuals with lived experience. 14
Sec. 5. APPROPRIATION; HUMAN SERVICES; JUSTICE-INVOLVED 15
INDIVIDUALS; HOUSING; SUBSTANCE USE AND MENTAL 16
HEALTH; RESIDENTIAL TREATMENT 17
(a) The sum of $1,000,000.00 is appropriated from the General Fund to 18
the Agency of Human Services in fiscal year 2026 to issue grants expanding 19
access to residential recovery facilities for substance use disorders and mental 20
health conditions. 21 BILL AS INTRODUCED H.456
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(b) Any grant issued pursuant to this section shall be used to provide 1
supportive and transitional housing to individuals who are at risk of 2
incarceration, being released from incarceration, or who were previously 3
incarcerated. 4
Sec. 6. APPROPRIATION; HUMAN SERVICES; JUSTICE-INVOLVED 5
INDIVIDUALS; SUBSTANCE USE; RECOVERY SUPPORT 6
SERVICES 7
(a) The sum of $250,000.00 is appropriated from the General Fund to the 8
Agency of Human Services in fiscal year 2026 to issue grants to recovery 9
centers across the State. 10
(b) Any grant issued pursuant to this section shall be used to provide 11
recovery support services to those who are incarcerated or who were 12
previously incarcerated. 13
Sec. 7. APPROPRIATION; ATTORNEY GENERAL ; JUSTICE- 14
INVOLVED INDIVIDUALS; COMMUNITY JUSTICE CENTER S; 15
RESTORATIVE APPROACHES COLLABORATIVE 16
(a) The sum of $250,000.00 is appropriated from the General Fund to the 17
Agency of Human Services in fiscal year 2026 to issue grants to community 18
justice centers across the State and to the Restorative Approaches 19
Collaborative. 20 BILL AS INTRODUCED H.456
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(b) Any grant issued pursuant to this section shall be used to provide 1
restorative justice programs to those who are at risk of being incarcerated, and 2
those currently incarcerated or detained. 3
Sec. 8. APPROPRIATION; HUMAN SERVICES; JUSTICE-INVOLVED 4
INDIVIDUALS; COMMUNITY SERVICES; DESIGNATED 5
AGENCIES 6
(a) The sum of $250,000.00 is appropriated from the General Fund to the 7
Agency of Human Services in fiscal year 2026 to issue grants to designated 8
agencies for pilot programs in supportive and transitional housing. 9
(b) Any grants issued pursuant to this section shall be used to provide 10
community-based services to those who are detained, incarcerated, and who 11
have been previously incarcerated. Designated agencies shall use any grants 12
issued to support justice-involved individuals in maintaining housing and 13
recovery. 14
Sec. 9. APPROPRIATION; HUMAN SERVICES; JUSTICE-INVOLVED 15
INDIVIDUALS; SUBSTANCE USE AND MENTAL HEALTH; 16
OUTPATIENT SERVICES; PILOT PROGRAM 17
(a) The sum of $1,000,000.00 is appropriated from the General Fund to the 18
Agency of Human Services in fiscal year 2026 for the purpose of establishing a 19
pilot program to provide community-based outpatient mental health and 20 BILL AS INTRODUCED H.456
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substance use disorder services to detained or incarcerated individuals and 1
individuals reentering the community. 2
(1) Within correctional settings, a sufficient portion of any monies 3
appropriated shall be used to: 4
(A) reimburse community-based mental health and substance use 5
disorder treatment providers who serve detainees and incarcerated individuals 6
through telehealth or in-person visits at a correctional facility; and 7
(B) employ or contract with a case manager from a designated 8
agency who works both on-site and remotely across the continuum of care to 9
schedule mental health and substance use disorder treatment for detainees and 10
incarcerated individuals that: 11
(i) ensures privacy during telehealth or in-person appointments; 12
(ii) establishes a relationship with case manager in the community 13
prior to the detainee or incarcerated individual reentering the community; and 14
(iii) assists individuals reentering the community in applying for 15
Medicaid or procuring alternative health coverage. 16
(2) Within six months after an individual’s release from detention or 17
incarceration, a sufficient portion of any monies appropriated shall be used to: 18
(A) reimburse community-based mental health and substance use 19
disorder treatment providers who provide telehealth or in-person visits prior to 20 BILL AS INTRODUCED H.456
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the individual’s Medicaid or other health coverage taking effect or in the event 1
that the individual does not have health care coverage; and 2
(B) employ or contract with a community-based case manager to 3
schedule treatment for individuals; coordinate transportation or information 4
technology connections for treatment; and provide continued assistance in 5
applying for Medicaid or procuring alternative health coverage. 6
(b)(1) In accordance with this section, community-based mental health and 7
substance use providers serving detained, incarcerated individuals, or 8
individuals reentering the community after incarceration shall submit 9
reimbursement forms to the case manager in the correctional facility or in the 10
community, as appropriate, using standard Medicaid billing codes. The case 11
manager shall remit the reimbursement form to the correct payer. 12
(2) The Agency of Human Services may support the operation and 13
administration of the pilot program described in this section through grants of 14
financial assistance to, or contracts for services with, a third-party that meets 15
the Agency’s requirements. 16
(3) Any monies appropriated pursuant to this section shall not be used to 17
support the pilot program through the Department of Corrections’ third-party 18
provider of health care services at Vermont’s correctional facilities. 19 BILL AS INTRODUCED H.456
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Sec. 10. CORRECTIONAL FACILITIES; MORATORIUM; 1
RESERVATION OF FUNDS; HOUSING AND COMMUNITY 2
SERVICES 3
(a) The Department of Corrections and the Department of Buildings and 4
General Services shall cease construction of new correctional facilities and 5
cease any expansion or renovations of existing correctional facilities until July 6
1, 2029. 7
(b) Any appropriations designated for construction, expansion, or 8
renovation of correctional facilities shall be reallocated by the Joint Legislative 9
Justice Oversight Committee to support transitional and supportive housing 10
initiatives, community-based mental health and substance use services, and 11
workforce development for justice-involved individuals. 12
(c) Annually, on or before July 1, the Agency of Human Services, in 13
collaboration with the Office of the Attorney General and other relevant 14
stakeholders, shall submit a written report to the Joint Legislative Justice 15
Oversight Committee detailing a plan to: 16
(1) monitor reinvestment efforts pursuant to subsection (b) of this 17
section; 18
(2) calculate any cost savings through the moratorium on correctional 19
facility construction in accordance with subsection (a) of this section and 20
reinvestment efforts pursuant to subsection (b) of this section; and 21 BILL AS INTRODUCED H.456
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(3) analyze the efforts contained in this section and provide any 1
proposed legislation to reinvest in the community continuum of care. 2
Sec. 11. EFFECTIVE DATE 3
This act shall take effect on July 1, 2025. 4