Underfunded pension liabilities get needed attention
The topic of Vermont’s overwhelming state employee and teachers’ pension burdens rears its head on occasion, but legislators quickly move on to challenges more easily...more
2/10/2020
/ Biomass ,
Co-payments ,
Cost-Sharing ,
Driverless Cars ,
Economic Development ,
Educational Institutions ,
Employee Benefits ,
Health Insurance ,
Healthcare Facilities ,
Healthcare Reform ,
Legislative Agendas ,
Mental Health ,
Non-Compete Agreements ,
Pensions ,
Pharmaceutical Industry ,
Prescription Drug Coverage ,
Prescription Drugs ,
Regulatory Agenda ,
State and Local Government ,
Telehealth ,
Tobacco Regulations
PFAS bill progresses -
The House Natural Resources Committee finished deliberation this week on S.49, a bill that grants the Agency of Natural Resources more discretion in setting the maximum contaminant level for PFAS...more
4/15/2019
/ Cannabis Products ,
Contract Renewal ,
Decriminalization of Marijuana ,
Hazardous Substances ,
Health Insurance ,
Healthcare Reform ,
Legislative Agendas ,
Medicaid ,
Medical Expenses ,
Minimum Wage ,
PFAS ,
Regulatory Agenda ,
State and Local Government ,
Strict Liability ,
Tax Deductions ,
Tobacco Regulations ,
Wage and Hour
House passes budget bill -
The House approved a $6.1 billion FY 2020 budget this week. The bill, H.542, provides for a 3.1 percent growth in spending over FY 2019....more
4/2/2019
/ ACOs ,
Association Health Plans ,
Certificate of Need ,
Child Care ,
Construction Project ,
Critical Infrastructure Sectors ,
Health Insurance ,
Home Health Agencies ,
Individual Mandate ,
Legislative Agendas ,
Low-Income Issues ,
Medicaid ,
Moratorium ,
Proposed Legislation ,
Public Projects ,
Revenue ,
State and Local Government ,
State Funding
A workgroup report reviewed in the House Human Services Committee this week recommended that Vermont consider implementing an unused drug repository program....more
3/25/2019
/ Contract Renewal ,
Decriminalization of Marijuana ,
Deregulation ,
Health Insurance ,
Healthcare ,
Individual Mandate ,
Insurance Regulations ,
Legislative Agendas ,
Marijuana Related Businesses ,
Prescription Drugs ,
Proposed Legislation ,
Senate Finance Committee ,
State and Local Government ,
Subscription Services ,
Substance Abuse ,
Working Groups
The Senate this week passed a bill imposing strict liability and medical monitoring obligations on commercial users of toxic substances on a 21-8 vote. Given the recent and intense focus on toxic releases of chemicals such as...more
3/18/2019
/ Child Care ,
Comprehensive Primary Care (CPC+) ,
Economic Development ,
Health Insurance ,
Healthcare ,
Hospitals ,
Legislative Agendas ,
Medical Monitoring ,
Proposed Legislation ,
Rural Health Care Providers ,
Social Services ,
Strict Liability ,
Transparency
Paid family and medical leave legislation, H.107, passed the House General, Housing, and Military Affairs Committee on Wednesday on an 8-1-1 vote. Rep. Marianna Gamache, R-Swanton, a lone but passionate dissenter, raised...more
2/22/2019
/ Broadband ,
Environmental Policies ,
Health Insurance ,
Healthcare Workers ,
Legislative Agendas ,
Non-Compete Agreements ,
Paid Family Leave Law ,
Proposed Legislation ,
Strict Liability ,
Tobacco Regulations ,
Water Supplies ,
Wireless Industry
Paid family leave moves into the spotlight -
The House General, Housing, and Military Affairs Committee dedicated most of its time this week to the issue of paid family leave. The committee heard from administration...more
2/13/2019
/ Decriminalization of Marijuana ,
Emergency Rooms ,
Health Information Technologies ,
Health Insurance ,
Legislative Agendas ,
Paid Family Leave Law ,
Proposed Legislation ,
State and Local Government ,
State Labor Laws ,
Toxic Chemicals ,
Wage and Hour
Trial Bar Proposes Anti-Ride-Sharing Amendments to Insurance Bill -
The Senate Judiciary Committee considered amendments this week proposed by the Vermont Trial Lawyers Association that would likely force Uber out of...more
4/11/2017
/ Affordable Housing ,
Auto Insurance ,
Consumer Lenders ,
Electricity ,
Energy Sector ,
Energy Storage ,
Health Insurance ,
Independent Contractors ,
Insurance Industry ,
Insurance Regulations ,
Legislative Agendas ,
Licensing Rules ,
Low Income Housing ,
Low-Income Issues ,
Medicaid ,
Mental Health ,
Mortgage Loan Originators ,
Power Grid ,
Private Right of Action ,
Proposed Legislation ,
Renewable Energy ,
Sharing Economy ,
Telemedicine ,
Uber ,
Workers' Compensation Claim
Act 188 Plans On Hold as New Chemical Bill is Introduced -
Nearly three years after the legislature passed a law to regulate children’s products containing chemicals of high concern, a web site intended to inform the...more
2/28/2017
/ ACOs ,
Affordable Care Act ,
Angel Investors ,
Basel Committee on Banking Supervision (BCBS) ,
Blue Cross ,
Blue Shield ,
Children's Products ,
Disclosure Requirements ,
Duty to Warn ,
Economic Development ,
Employee Housing ,
Hazardous Substances ,
Health Care Providers ,
Health Insurance ,
Hospitals ,
Housing Market ,
Insurance Industry ,
Legislative Agendas ,
Meals-Gifts-and Entertainment Rules ,
Medicaid ,
Mental Health ,
Minimum Wage ,
Municipalities ,
Original Source ,
Pending Legislation ,
Pharmaceutical Industry ,
Pregnancy ,
Pregnancy Discrimination ,
Proposed Legislation ,
Public Health ,
R&D ,
Research and Development ,
Safety Standards ,
Senate Finance Committee ,
Suicide ,
Tax Credits ,
Tax Increment Financing ,
Tax Revenues ,
Toxic Chemicals ,
Traditional News ,
Vaccinations ,
Wage and Hour ,
Wages
Governor’s $35 Million Housing Bond Discussed in Ways and Means Committee -
Executive Director Gus Selig of the Vermont Housing and Conservation Board revealed some of the details this week behind the $35 million bond...more
2/20/2017
/ ACOs ,
Affordable Care Act ,
Affordable Housing ,
Agricultural Sector ,
Aircraft Equipment ,
Department of Labor (DOL) ,
Drug Pricing ,
Economic Development ,
Funding ,
Health Care Providers ,
Health Insurance ,
Healthcare Facilities ,
Job Creation ,
Legislative Agendas ,
Medicaid ,
Mental Health ,
Millennials ,
Pharmaceutical Industry ,
Prescription Drugs ,
R&D ,
Research and Development ,
Rural Areas ,
Rural Development ,
Sales Tax ,
State Budgets ,
Tax Credits ,
Telemedicine ,
Transfer Taxes
The Agency of Transportation has submitted a proposal to the House Transportation Committee that would allow the agency to seek damages from a utility that fails to move or adjust a utility line that is in a state or local...more
2/13/2017
/ Affordable Care Act ,
Auto Insurance ,
Coal ,
Divestment ,
Economic Development ,
Employee Benefits ,
Exxon Mobil ,
Fossil Fuel ,
Health Care Providers ,
Health Insurance ,
Hospitals ,
Insurance Industry ,
Investment ,
Legislative Agendas ,
Lyft ,
Medicaid ,
Mental Health ,
Municipalities ,
Natural Gas ,
Notice Requirements ,
Oil & Gas ,
Pending Legislation ,
Pensions ,
Pharmaceutical Industry ,
Pharmacies ,
Qualified Health Plans ,
Right of Way ,
Sharing Economy ,
State Pilot Programs ,
Telecommunications ,
Telemedicine ,
Telephone Service Providers ,
Transportation Industry ,
Uber ,
Utilities Sector ,
Water
Tax-writing House Committee Proposes $48 Million Hike -
The House Ways and Means Committee has approved a package of revenue measures totaling more than $48 million. The package includes a transportation funding bill...more
3/21/2016
/ Broadband ,
Driver's Licenses ,
Employee Retirement Income Security Act (ERISA) ,
Gobeille v Liberty Mutual Insurance Com. ,
Health Insurance ,
Legislative Agendas ,
Managed Care Contracts ,
Mutual Funds ,
Prescription Drugs ,
State Funding ,
Ways and Means Committee ,
Workplace Violence
Legislators this session will grapple with an estimated $58 million budget gap for fiscal year 2017, of which $53 million is attributed to Medicaid. With Vermont’s Medicaid program now covering one in three Vermonters, the...more