# Vermont S.18: An act relating to licensure of freestanding birth centers Vermont S.18, An act relating to licensure of freestanding birth centers, is a 2025-2026 Session Senate bill sponsored by Martine Larocque L Gulick (Democratic); status signed, last action 2025-05-14 (Senate Message: Signed by Governor May 13, 2025); PRIA reads it as touching household money (as of 2026-11-01). - Canonical: https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/VT-S18-2026 - As of: 2026-11-01 - Plain-text twin of the page above; the HTML and this file carry the same facts. ## Facts - Bill: Vermont S.18 - State: Vermont - Session: 2025-2026 Session - Title: An act relating to licensure of freestanding birth centers - Status: signed - Chamber: Senate - Introduced: 2025-01-22 - Last action: 2025-05-14, Senate Message: Signed by Governor May 13, 2025 - Sponsor: Martine Larocque L Gulick (Democratic) - Cosponsors: 8 - Touches household money: yes - Economic provisions PRIA read: 4 ## Summary No summary available. ## Bill overview: provisions PRIA read - Health plans must cover midwife care: benefit, medium. Beginning January 1, 2027, health plans with maternity benefits must cover qualifying midwife services. Providers must be Vermont-licensed midwives or advanced practice registered nurses certified as nurse midwives. Services must fall within the provider's licensed practice. Coverage applies in hos… - Medicaid must seek birth-center coverage approval: benefit, low. Effective May 13, 2025, Vermont's Agency of Human Services must seek federal approval for Medicaid coverage at licensed birth centers. The request covers prenatal, maternity, postpartum, and newborn care. It also seeks separate payments for facility fees and professional services. This request does… - Birth centers cannot offer epidurals: cost, low. Beginning January 1, 2027, or earlier if Health Department rules take effect, birth centers cannot offer epidurals or cesarean deliveries. These limits affect families choosing where to give birth. Only licensed operators can present a facility as a birth center or use that term in names, ads, or m… - Birth centers face licensing and fees: mixed, low. Starting January 1, 2027, or earlier if Health Department rules take effect, Vermont birth centers need state licenses. Approval requires an inspection and compliance with state rules; licenses cover only named people and premises and cannot transfer. Operators pay $250 for each initial, renewal, o… ## Sponsors and cosponsors - Sponsor: Martine Larocque L Gulick (Democratic), Senate - Cosponsor: Alison Clarkson (Democratic), Senate - Cosponsor: Anne E Watson (Democrat/Progressive), Senate - Cosponsor: David H Weeks (Republican), Senate - Cosponsor: Rebecca "Becca" E White (Democratic), Senate - Cosponsor: Robert Plunkett (Democratic), Senate - Cosponsor: Ruth E Hardy (Democratic), Senate - Cosponsor: Terry K Williams (Republican), Senate - Cosponsor: Wendy K Harrison (Democratic), Senate ## Bill text - As Enacted (ACT 19)Opens in a new window, 2025-05-21: [PDF](https://legislature.vermont.gov/Documents/2026/Docs/ACTS/ACT019/ACT019%20As%20Enacted.pdf) - As Passed by Both Chambers, 2025-05-02: [PDF](https://legislature.vermont.gov/Documents/2026/Docs/BILLS/S-0018/S-0018 As Passed by Both House and Senate Official.pdf) - As Passed by Both Chambers (Unofficial), 2025-05-02: [PDF](https://legislature.vermont.gov/Documents/2026/Docs/BILLS/S-0018/S-0018 As Passed by Both House and Senate Unofficial.pdf) - House Proposal of Amendment, 2025-04-18: [PDF](https://legislature.vermont.gov/Documents/2026/Docs/BILLS/S-0018/S-0018 House proposal of amendment Official.pdf) - House Proposal of Amendment (Unofficial), 2025-04-18: [PDF](https://legislature.vermont.gov/Documents/2026/Docs/BILLS/S-0018/S-0018 House Proposal of Amendment Unofficial.pdf) - As Passed by the Senate, 2025-03-28: [PDF](https://legislature.vermont.gov/Documents/2026/Docs/BILLS/S-0018/S-0018 As passed by the Senate Official.pdf) - As Passed by the Senate (Unofficial), 2025-03-28: [PDF](https://legislature.vermont.gov/Documents/2026/Docs/BILLS/S-0018/S-0018 As Passed by the Senate Unofficial.pdf) - As Introduced, 2025-01-17: [PDF](https://legislature.vermont.gov/Documents/2026/Docs/BILLS/S-0018/S-0018 As Introduced.pdf) ## Related bills - H.955: An act relating to next steps in transforming Vermont’s education system (signed) - H.951: An act relating to making appropriations for the support of the government (signed) - H.952: An act relating to capital construction and State bonding budget adjustment (signed) - H.957: An act relating to approval of amendments to the charter of the Town of Williston (signed) - H.944: An act relating to the fiscal year 2027 Transportation Program and miscellaneous changes to laws related to transportation (signed) - H.942: An act relating to miscellaneous agricultural subjects (signed) ## Sources - [As Enacted (ACT 19)Opens in a new window (PDF)](https://legislature.vermont.gov/Documents/2026/Docs/ACTS/ACT019/ACT019%20As%20Enacted.pdf) - [As Passed by Both Chambers (PDF)](https://legislature.vermont.gov/Documents/2026/Docs/BILLS/S-0018/S-0018 As Passed by Both House and Senate Official.pdf) - [As Passed by Both Chambers (Unofficial) (PDF)](https://legislature.vermont.gov/Documents/2026/Docs/BILLS/S-0018/S-0018 As Passed by Both House and Senate Unofficial.pdf) - [House Proposal of Amendment (PDF)](https://legislature.vermont.gov/Documents/2026/Docs/BILLS/S-0018/S-0018 House proposal of amendment Official.pdf) - [House Proposal of Amendment (Unofficial) (PDF)](https://legislature.vermont.gov/Documents/2026/Docs/BILLS/S-0018/S-0018 House Proposal of Amendment Unofficial.pdf) - [As Passed by the Senate (PDF)](https://legislature.vermont.gov/Documents/2026/Docs/BILLS/S-0018/S-0018 As passed by the Senate Official.pdf) - [As Passed by the Senate (Unofficial) (PDF)](https://legislature.vermont.gov/Documents/2026/Docs/BILLS/S-0018/S-0018 As Passed by the Senate Unofficial.pdf) - [As Introduced (PDF)](https://legislature.vermont.gov/Documents/2026/Docs/BILLS/S-0018/S-0018 As Introduced.pdf) ## Related - [H.955: An act relating to next steps in transforming Vermont’s education system](https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/VT-H955-2026) - [H.951: An act relating to making appropriations for the support of the government](https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/VT-H951-2026) - [H.952: An act relating to capital construction and State bonding budget adjustment](https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/VT-H952-2026) - [H.957: An act relating to approval of amendments to the charter of the Town of Willist…](https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/VT-H957-2026) - [H.944: An act relating to the fiscal year 2027 Transportation Program and miscellaneou…](https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/VT-H944-2026) - [H.942: An act relating to miscellaneous agricultural subjects](https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/VT-H942-2026) - [Vermont bills](https://policyrisk.com/states/vermont/bills) - [Vermont state hub](https://policyrisk.com/states/vermont) - [All state legislation](https://policyrisk.com/state-bills) Source: PRIA, https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/VT-S18-2026 (as of 2026-11-01).