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VermontS.282025-2026 SessionSenate

An act relating to access to certain legally protected health care services

Sponsored By: Ruth E Hardy (Democratic)

Signed by Governor

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Bill Overview

Analyzed Economic Effects

7 provisions identified: 6 benefits, 1 costs, 0 mixed.

License applicants and holders gain privacy

Since May 13, 2025, Vermont credentialing agencies must keep applicants’ and credential holders’ contact details out of public inspection and copying. This covers phone numbers, email addresses, physical addresses, and mailing addresses in agency records. The protection applies to State-regulated professions and occupations, not just health care. An address the person designates as public remains available.

Stronger privacy for patients’ protected care

Since May 13, 2025, health providers covered by federal privacy law and their business partners face new disclosure limits. They generally cannot share identifiable protected-care records with non-Vermont governments when they expect investigation, punishment, discipline, or identification based on that care. Disclosure for civil, criminal, probate, legislative, or administrative proceedings is also restricted. Exceptions include patient permission, qualifying court orders, defense of claims, genuine Vermont provider investigations, and ordinary Vermont Medicaid business within legal limits. Vermont court orders must rule out punishment or discipline based solely on protected care; lawful refusals to disclose carry no liability.

Questionnaire option for pregnancy-ending medication

Since May 13, 2025, physicians and advanced practice registered nurses can use adaptive questionnaires to prescribe pregnancy-ending medication. This exception to initial-evaluation rules applies to prescriptions under Vermont’s pregnancy-termination law. Providers with the right clinical expertise must develop or help develop the questionnaire. It must let the prescriber gather more medical history and ask follow-up questions as needed. The law does not set a patient payment or insurance benefit.

Patients gain safeguards against misleading care

Since May 13, 2025, false ads or ads clearly designed to mislead about Vermont health services violate consumer-protection law. This covers proposed services and ads through print, broadcast, phone, websites, and social media. Covered health professionals, including physician assistants, also face discipline for misleading health care ads, including ads for related products and medicines. Professionals face discipline for covered delegation to people they know, or should know, are unqualified. Letting others use their name or license without responsibility or active oversight is also grounds for discipline.

Prescriber names removed from protected prescriptions

Since May 13, 2025, pharmacy staff must remove prescriber names or initials from fulfilled prescriptions and accompanying printed materials when requested. The prescriber must request removal, and the medicine must be noncontrolled and used for reproductive or gender-affirming care. Names must remain when federal law expressly requires them. Pharmacists and practitioners who dispense directly can also remove their own names or initials. Pharmacy staff generally have civil and administrative immunity for failing to redact, except for gross negligence, recklessness, or intentional misconduct.

More protection for patients and providers

Since May 13, 2025, counseling counts as health care covered by Vermont’s protections against discipline based only on protected care. Vermont protections also cover people who previously helped, encouraged, or tried to help protected care in another U.S. jurisdiction. The activity must have been legal where the person was located and protected under Vermont law. Vermont agencies generally cannot share information or resources to help interstate or federal cases seeking liability for protected care or assistance. Exceptions cover conduct punishable under Vermont law, Vermont State or federal court orders, and good-faith responses to warrants or extradition demands believed valid in Vermont.

Pregnancy centers lose specific accountability rules

Since May 13, 2025, the law removes specific professional-accountability rules at limited-services pregnancy centers. It repeals the requirement that covered professionals take responsibility for the centers’ health services, information, and counseling. It also removes the specific discipline rule for failing to ensure compliance with State law and professional standards. This repeal does not remove every professional-conduct rule that can apply to those professionals.

Sponsors & Cosponsors

Sponsor

  • Ruth E Hardy

    Democratic • Senate

Cosponsors

  • Alison Clarkson

    Democratic • Senate

  • Martine Larocque L Gulick

    Democratic • Senate

  • Rebecca "Becca" E White

    Democratic • Senate

  • Tanya C Vyhovsky

    Democrat/Progressive • Senate

  • Virginia "Ginny" V Lyons

    Democratic • Senate

Roll Call Votes

All Roll Calls

Yes: 97 • No: 43

House vote • 4/17/2025

Which was agreed to on a Roll Call Passed -- Needed 70 of 140 to Pass -- Yeas = 97, Nays = 43

Yes: 97 • No: 43 • Other: 1

Actions Timeline

  1. Senate Message: Signed by Governor May 13, 2025

    5/14/2025Senate

  2. Signed by Governor on May 13, 2025

    5/14/2025Senate

  3. Delivered to Governor on May 7, 2025

    5/7/2025Senate

  4. Senate Message: House proposal of amendment concurred in

    4/29/2025Senate

  5. As passed by Senate and House

    4/25/2025Senate

  6. House proposal of amendment concurred in

    4/25/2025Senate

  7. House proposal of amendment; text

    4/25/2025Senate

  8. Unfinished Business/House Proposal of Amendment

    4/25/2025Senate

  9. New Business/House Proposal of Amendment

    4/24/2025Senate

  10. House proposal of amendment

    4/23/2025Senate

  11. Entered on Notice Calendar

    4/23/2025Senate

  12. House message: House passed bill in concurrence with proposal(s) of amendment

    4/22/2025House

  13. Read third time and passed in concurrence with proposal of amendment

    4/18/2025House

  14. Action Calendar: Third Reading

    4/18/2025House

  15. Which was agreed to on a Roll Call Passed -- Needed 70 of 140 to Pass -- Yeas = 97, Nays = 43

    4/17/2025House

  16. Third Reading ordered

    4/17/2025House

  17. Rep. Houghton of Essex Junction demanded yeas and nays

    4/17/2025House

  18. Report of Committee on Health Care, as amended, agreed to

    4/17/2025House

  19. Rep. Dolan of Essex Junction and LaLonde of South Burlington moved to amend the report of the Committee on Health Care, which was agreed to

    4/17/2025House

  20. Rep. Berbeco of Winooski reported for the Committee on Health Care

    4/17/2025House

  21. Read second time

    4/17/2025House

  22. Action Calendar: Action postponed until 4/17/2025

    4/17/2025House

  23. Rep. Berbeco of Winooski moved to postpone action until 4/17/2025, which was agreed to

    4/16/2025House

  24. Action Calendar: Favorable with Amendment

    4/16/2025House

  25. Notice Calendar: Favorable with Amendment

    4/15/2025House

Bill Text

  • As Enacted (ACT 20)Opens in a new window

    5/21/2025

    PDF

  • As Passed by Both Chambers

    4/29/2025

    PDF

  • As Passed by Both Chambers (Unofficial)

    4/29/2025

    PDF

  • House Proposal of Amendment

    4/22/2025

    PDF

  • House Proposal of Amendment (Unofficial)

    4/22/2025

    PDF

  • As Passed by the Senate

    3/18/2025

    PDF

  • As Passed by the Senate (Unofficial)

    3/18/2025

    PDF

  • As Introduced

    1/28/2025

    PDF

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