Proposals

This proposed rule amends part 1-3, 5 and 7 of the 8-part Health Benefits Eligibility and Enrollment (HBEE) rule. Parts 1,2,3,5 and 7 were last amended effective January 1, 2026. Substantive revisions include: newly requiring certain adult Medicaid applicants and enrollees demonstrate compliance with work and community engagement rules as a factor of eligibility; reducing the retroactive Medicaid coverage period from three months to one month for Adult coverage group enrollees and two months for all other enrollees; restricting non-citizen eligibility for both Medicaid and Qualified Health Plan premium tax credits and adding a new category of "eligible non-citizen" to clarify which individuals remain eligible; adjusting the renewal period from 12 to 6 months for Medicaid enrollees in the Adult coverage group; shortening the annual open enrollment period from November 1st-January 15th to November 1st - December 15th. All of these substantive revisions are required by federal law.

This proposed rule amends part 1-3, 5 and 7 of the 8-part Health Benefits Eligibility and Enrollment (HBEE) rule. Parts 1,2,3,5 and 7 were last amended effective January 1, 2026. Substantive revisions include: newly requiring certain adult Medicaid applicants and enrollees demonstrate compliance with work and community engagement rules as a factor of eligibility; reducing the retroactive Medicaid coverage period from three months to one month for Adult coverage group enrollees and two months for all other enrollees; restricting non-citizen eligibility for both Medicaid and Qualified Health Plan premium tax credits and adding a new category of "eligible non-citizen" to clarify which individuals remain eligible; adjusting the renewal period from 12 to 6 months for Medicaid enrollees in the Adult coverage group; shortening the annual open enrollment period from November 1st-January 15th to November 1st - December 15th. All of these substantive revisions are required by federal law.

This proposed rule amends part 1-3, 5 and 7 of the 8-part Health Benefits Eligibility and Enrollment (HBEE) rule. Parts 1,2,3,5 and 7 were last amended effective January 1, 2026. Substantive revisions include: newly requiring certain adult Medicaid applicants and enrollees demonstrate compliance with work and community engagement rules as a factor of eligibility; reducing the retroactive Medicaid coverage period from three months to one month for Adult coverage group enrollees and two months for all other enrollees; restricting non-citizen eligibility for both Medicaid and Qualified Health Plan premium tax credits and adding a new category of "eligible non-citizen" to clarify which individuals remain eligible; adjusting the renewal period from 12 to 6 months for Medicaid enrollees in the Adult coverage group; shortening the annual open enrollment period from November 1st-January 15th to November 1st - December 15th. All of these substantive revisions are required by federal law.

This proposed rule amends part 1-3, 5 and 7 of the 8-part Health Benefits Eligibility and Enrollment (HBEE) rule. Parts 1,2,3,5 and 7 were last amended effective January 1, 2026. Substantive revisions include: newly requiring certain adult Medicaid applicants and enrollees demonstrate compliance with work and community engagement rules as a factor of eligibility; reducing the retroactive Medicaid coverage period from three months to one month for Adult coverage group enrollees and two months for all other enrollees; restricting non-citizen eligibility for both Medicaid and Qualified Health Plan premium tax credits and adding a new category of "eligible non-citizen" to clarify which individuals remain eligible; adjusting the renewal period from 12 to 6 months for Medicaid enrollees in the Adult coverage group; shortening the annual open enrollment period from November 1st-January 15th to November 1st - December 15th. All of these substantive revisions are required by federal law.

This proposed rule amends part 1-3, 5 and 7 of the 8-part Health Benefits Eligibility and Enrollment (HBEE) rule. Parts 1,2,3,5 and 7 were last amended effective January 1, 2026. Substantive revisions include: newly requiring certain adult Medicaid applicants and enrollees demonstrate compliance with work and community engagement rules as a factor of eligibility; reducing the retroactive Medicaid coverage period from three months to one month for Adult coverage group enrollees and two months for all other enrollees; restricting non-citizen eligibility for both Medicaid and Qualified Health Plan premium tax credits and adding a new category of "eligible non-citizen" to clarify which individuals remain eligible; adjusting the renewal period from 12 to 6 months for Medicaid enrollees in the Adult coverage group; shortening the annual open enrollment period from November 1st-January 15th to November 1st - December 15th. All of these substantive revisions are required by federal law.

Medical providers who care for injured workers covered by a workers' compensation policy are required to bill for their services using the Workers' Compensation Medical Fee Schedule. It is vital to the health of the workers'compensation system that such fees be sufficient to ensure the provision of services, without being so generous as to increase the cost of insurance coverage. The rule generally modestly raises reimbursement amounts, adds a far more robust table of Current Procedural Terminology (CPT) and Healthcare Common Procedure Coding System (HCPCS) codes, and provides for annual indexing going forward using Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS)"market basket" factors, capped at 3 annually.

These rules serve as a guide to the Review Board, its Clerk and Hearing Officers and parties regarding the orderly transaction of its proceedings regarding contested VOSHA Cases. There are two levels of review available to the parties through the Rules of Procedure. The first is through a hearing before a Hearing Officer. The second level is through a discretionary review by the Review Board, should a party (or the Review Board on its own motion) want to appeal the Hearing Officer's decision. There are two types of proceedings offered in the Rules: conventional and simplified. Simplified Proceedings offer employers (respondents) a less formal way to contest a citation (no answer needs to be filed and documents are exchanged freely without the use of discovery, generally). Rules regarding settlement and the parties' option of using Hearing Officers to mediate a settlement are covered in the Rules.

The proposed rule amendments make two changes to the existing leashed tracking dog rule: it amends the definition of "big game animal" to be consistent with the definition in 10 V.S.A. § 4001, to include all big game animals including moose. This will allow hunters to employ leashed tracking dogs to legally track dead or wounded moose. And the proposed amendment strikes the language limiting tracking to big game seasons and the 24-hour period immediately following. This will allow for the use of tracking dogs to locate animals injured or killed outside the legal hunting seasons.

The proposed amendments continue to require the same arrowhead width and cutting edges, but apply the standards to broadheads used with crossbows as well.

The proposed amendments are intended to clarify the big game tagging requirements regarding required tag information, requirements for individuals taking game on their own land, and tagging requirements for the transportation of animal parts. The proposed rule language requires that all big game carcasses are tagged with a tag that contains the name of the hunter, and the applicable tag or permit number. This information is necessary for appropriate enforcement of license and permitting requirements.

The proposed changes explicitly prohibit making false statements in the reporting of wild game taken, allows the Commissioner of Fish and Wildlife to pay a fee of at least one dollar per report to agents at authorized reporting stations, and makes minor technical updates to the citations in the rule. The Department currently is authorized to reimburse authorized check-station agents one dollar per report; this reimbursement has not increased since 1971 and the proposed language is intended to give the Department the ability to increase the reimbursement amount, incentivizing the continued operation of check-stations.

These rules govern the licensing and registration of out-of-state healthcare professionals practicing with Vermont patients via telehealth only. These rules create the permanent system mandated by Act 4 (2023) to replace a system currently operating on an interim basis. The rules provide for eligibility requirements, standards of practice, and mandatory disclosures by out-of-state telehealth professionals. These rules do not apply to practice via telehealth by professionals who hold regular Vermont credentials.

This rule sets the requirements for the Agency of Human Services (AHS) to designate nonprofit agencies (“Designated Agencies”) to deliver community mental health and intellectual/developmental disability services in specific geographic areas of Vermont. It also outlines the responsibilities of “Specialized Service Agencies,” which AHS assigns to provide either community mental health or intellectual/developmental disability services statewide. This rule updates rule 24-020 by incorporating provisions from the Provider Agreement applicable to Designated and Specialized Service Agencies which specifies administrative and operational responsibilities.

The proposed rule revisions prohibit combining source separated food residuals with packaged food residuals; prohibit source separated food residual processing by depackaging machines; create operational requirements for mechanical depackaging facilities (required by Act 170 of 2022); allow development soil disposal outside of lined landfills (Act 69 of 2025); require paper and cardboard recyclables be covered at facilities; increase the amount of slaughterhouse waste that can be processed at medium compost facilities; increase the percentage of allowable paper contamination from 1 to up to 5 in processed glass aggregate; adopted PFAS screening standards for biosolids (already in DEC 2024 policy); expanded recognition of all EPA Part 503 Class A biosolids processes to significantly reduce pathogens alternatives which applies to EQ biosolids produced or imported to Vermont; and added regulations for short paper fiber testing, PFAS screening and tracking where applied. Minor typos were corrected too.

The purpose of this ANR Lands Management Rule is to codify ANR’s land management planning framework and process, and to set forth the requirements for public input related to land management planning. The proposed rule consolidates existing policy and procedure; proposes an update to the planning framework that formalizes a category of routine management activities (Universal Management Actions); creates a new "Statewide Plan;" and establishes two new land classifications that prioritize resource protection and support evelopment of old forest conditions. This proposed rule will provide clarity to the public regarding the process by which the Departments plan for and manage ANR lands and how the public can provide input in the process.

Following is a list of proposed changes: Simplifies minimum reservation period determination for all site types to be based on individual characteristics, use, and occupancy patterns, set by the Commissioner of Forests, Parks and Recreation. Removes system-wide remote site maximum stay of seven nights. Provides Commissioner authority to set prices based on site characteristics, use patterns, market rates, and reasonable cost recovery, and is consistent with recommendations in the 2023 Vermont State Parks Modernization Study. Standardizes advanced reservation period. Modernizes smoking policy, composting information, service animal language and non-discrimination language. Amends pet policy to include nuisance animal criteria. Removes procedure for assigning slips at Burton Island Marina. Updates license and special use permit (SUP) base prices. Clarifies license definition. Removes outdated statute reference. Administratively clarifies language within some existing rules.

This rule updates and reorganizes the administrative rules governing the Use Value Appraisal (Current Use) Program for agricultural, forest, and conservation lands. The revisions align the rules with statutory changes enacted since 1985, improve clarity and consistency, and incorporate current standards and practices.

This new rule, "Estate Recovery," outlines the Medicaid Estate Recovery Procedure. Estate recovery is a federal requirement for states to recover certain Medicaid benefits paid on behalf of a Medicaid enrollee from the individual's estate. The rule needs to be updated to be added to the Health Care Administrative Rules (HCAR). The rule amends the estate recovery provisions from Medicaid Covered Services Rule 7108 "Third Party Liability". The amendments in this new rule include adding a definitions section for clarity and increasing the undue hardship estate value threshold.

This rule, Medicaid Covered Services Rule 7108 Third Party Liability, is being amended to remove the estate recovery language and adopt that language into a new rule. Estate recovery is a federal requirement for states to recover certain Medicaid benefits paid on behalf of a Medicaid enrollee from the individual's estate. This rule is not being amended other than to remove the estate recovery section.

This proposed rulemaking amends the Refugee Medical Assistance rule which was last amended effective November 1, 2019. This proposed rule establishes criteria and process used to determine eligibility and provide coverage under the Refugee Medical Assistance program. Updates to this rule are strictly formal, adopting the federal APA outline standard, as required for implementation within the Agency's upcoming eligibility and enrollment technology system. There are no substantive changes to this rule.

The Department of Disabilities, Aging and Independent Living (DAIL) has long relied on policies and program standards to determine eligibility for, and to administer, Brain Injury Program (BIP) services. DAIL now seeks to codify these policies and standards through the adoption of this new rule, which will modernize some definitions, add clarity regarding continued clinical eligibility, incorporate a required Medicaid policy regarding paying legally responsible individuals, insert federally required Electronic Visit Verification, and add an updated Case Management definition, along with a new "Service Broker" service to comply with federally required Conflict-Free Case Management rules. Once adopted, these BIP Rules will be incorporated into the Health Care Administrative Rules, a set of rules for all Vermont Medicaid services, which is maintained by the Agency of Human Services (AHS).