Title 33, Title 33: Human Services

§ 2081. Rulemaking The Agency of Human Services shall adopt rules necessary to implement and administer the provisions of this subchapter, including standards and schedules establishing coverage and exclusion of pharmaceuticals and maximum quantities of pharmaceuticals to be disp…

§ 2091. Dr. Dynasaur-like coverage; legislative intent In establishing Dr. Dynasaur-like coverage for children and pregnant individuals who are not eligible for the Dr. Dynasaur program because of their immigration status, it is the intent of the General Assembly that the hospita…

§ 2092. Dr. Dynasaur-like coverage for certain Vermont residents (a) As used in this section, the term “Vermont residents who have an immigration status for which Medicaid coverage is not available” includes migrant workers who are employed in seasonal occupations in this State. …

§ 2101. Definitions As used in this chapter: (1) “Commissioner” means the Commissioner for Children and Families. (2) “Family” means persons whom the recipient of General Assistance is required by law to support. (3) “Found” means discovered, come upon, chanced upon, or met with …

§ 2103. Eligibility (a) Consistent with available appropriations, the Department for Children and Families shall furnish General Assistance under this chapter, except as provided in this section, to any otherwise eligible individual unable to provide the necessities of life for t…

§ 2104. Application or information (a) A person may apply for General Assistance to the person or persons designated for that purpose by the Commissioner. (b) When a person designated by the Commissioner pursuant to subsection (a) of this section receives an application for Gener…

§ 2105. Action on application or information The Commissioner shall cause an investigation and record to be made of the circumstances of the person alleged to need General Assistance to determine whether the person is eligible. Information shall be sought as to the residence of t…

§ 2106. Limitation on liability for medical assistance The State shall not be liable for medical or surgical care furnished to any person eligible for General Assistance unless the Department agrees to it. This section shall not apply to hospitals. (Added 1967, No. 147, § 7, eff.…

§ 2107. Disqualification (a) When the Commissioner or a person designated by the Commissioner pursuant to section 2104 of this title has reason to believe that an applicant for or recipient of General Assistance came into the State for the purpose of receiving General Assistance,…

§ 2108. Residential weatherization for fuel assistance recipients (a) Recipients of emergency heating fuel or emergency aid for utility services, which are provided under the General Assistance Program, and any other federal fuel assistance programs, shall receive a form that the…

§ 2109. Relief by private persons and hospitals (a) Except as provided in subsection (c) of this section, when a person, including a transient, is injured, suddenly taken sick or lame, or is otherwise disabled and confined to a house or hospital in this State, and is in need of r…

§ 2110. Reimbursement for relief expenditures (a) If the Department fails to provide relief for a person, including a transient, the person or hospital relieving him or her may recover for the relief provided in an action on this statute against the State of Vermont. (b) Notwiths…

§ 2111. Death When a person, including a transient, dies in the State in other than a State institution and no one appears to make funeral arrangements, the person in charge thereof shall report the death of the person to the nearest Economic Services Division office. (Added 1967…

§ 2113. Action for recovery of expenditures Whenever a person who has received General Assistance from the Department owns or thereafter acquires real or personal property or an interest in real or personal property or becomes employed, the Department on behalf of the State of Ve…

§ 2114. Rental or Mortgage Arrearage Program (a) The Department for Children and Families shall provide up to three months of rental or mortgage arrearage assistance to eligible families. Assistance under this section is not an entitlement and shall be limited to the funds approp…

§ 2115. General Assistance program report On or before September 1 of each year, the Commissioner for Children and Families shall submit a written report to the Joint Fiscal Committee; the House Committees on Appropriations, on General, Housing, and Military Affairs, and on Human…

§ 2301. Burial responsibility (a)(1) When a person dies in this State, or a resident of this State dies within the State or elsewhere, and the decedent was a recipient of assistance under Title IV or XVI of the Social Security Act, nursing home care under Title XIX of the Social …

§ 2501. Home Weatherization Assistance Fund (a) There is created in the State Treasury a fund to be known as the Home Weatherization Assistance Fund to be expended by the Director of the State Office of Economic Opportunity in accordance with federal law and this chapter. (b) The…

§ 2502. Home Weatherization Assistance Program (a) The Director of the State Office of Economic Opportunity shall administer the Home Weatherization Assistance Program under such rules, regulations, funding, and funding requirements as may be imposed by federal law. (b) In additi…

§ 2503. Fuel tax (a)(1) There is imposed a tax on the retail sale of heating oil, propane, kerosene, and other dyed diesel fuel delivered in Vermont, at the rate of $0.02 per gallon. (2) There is imposed a gross receipts tax of 0.75 percent on the retail sale of natural gas and c…

§ 2601. Policy and purpose (a) It is the purpose of this chapter to secure the safety and health of low income Vermont households by providing needy Vermonters with assistance for the purchase of essential home heating fuel. To further this purpose, application acceptance, proces…

§ 2601a. Definitions As used in this chapter: (1) “Household” means any individual or group of individuals who live together as one economic unit: (A) for whom energy for home heating fuel is customarily purchased in common; or (B) who make undesignated payments for energy for ho…

§ 2602. Administration (a) The Agency of Human Services shall administer the Home Heating Fuel Assistance Program through an Office of Home Heating Fuel Assistance to be assigned within the Agency as determined by the Secretary and to be headed by a Director appointed by the Secr…

§ 2602a. Office of Home Energy Assistance (a) There is created an Office of Home Energy Assistance to be assigned to a department within the Agency of Human Services as designated by the Secretary and to be headed by a Director appointed by the Secretary. (b) The responsibilities…

§ 2602b. LIHEAP and weatherization Notwithstanding section 2501 of this title, the Secretary of Human Services may transfer up to 15 percent of each federal fiscal year’s Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP) block grant to the Home Weatherization Assistance Program …

§ 2604. Eligible beneficiaries; requirements (a) The Secretary of Human Services or designee, by rule, shall establish household income eligibility requirements of beneficiaries in the Seasonal Fuel Assistance Program, including the income of all residents of the household. The i…

§ 2605. Benefit amounts (a) The Secretary of Human Services or designee shall by rule establish a table that specifies maximum percentages of applicant households’ annual heating fuel costs, based on the proxy table established pursuant to subsection 2604(b) of this title that ca…

§ 2606. Application period; assistance (a) The Secretary of Human Services or designee may accept applications on an ongoing basis beginning on April 1, 2010. The Secretary or designee may establish by rule the procedure for accepting applications and determining eligibility unde…

§ 2607. Payments to fuel suppliers (a) The Secretary of Human Services or designee shall certify fuel suppliers, excluding firewood and wood pellet suppliers, to be eligible to participate in the Home Heating Fuel Assistance Program. Beneficiaries may use their seasonal fuel assi…

§ 2608. Weatherization program agreements The Director of the Home Energy Assistance Program shall inform the Administrator of the Home Weatherization Assistance Program, established under chapter 25 of this title, of all participants in the Home Heating Fuel Assistance Program. …

§ 2609. Crisis reserves; eligibility and assistance (a) Annually, the Secretary of Human Services or designee shall determine an appropriate amount of funds to be set aside for expenditure for the crisis fuel assistance component of the Home Heating Fuel Program. The Secretary or…

§ 3201. Definitions As used in this chapter: (1) “Child, Youth, and Family Advocate” or “Advocate” means an individual who leads the Office of the Child, Youth, and Family Advocate. (2) “Department” means the Department for Children and Families. (3) “Office” means the Office of …

§ 3202. Office of the Child, Youth, and Family Advocate There is established the Office of the Child, Youth, and Family Advocate for the purpose of advancing the interests and welfare of Vermont’s children and youths. The Office shall advocate for the welfare of children and yout…

§ 3203. Duties and authority (a) The Office shall: (1) work in collaboration with relevant parties to strengthen services for children, youths, and families; (2) analyze and monitor the development and implementation of federal, State, and local laws; regulations; and policies re…

§ 3204. Child, Youth, and Family Advocate (a) The Office shall be directed by the Child, Youth, and Family Advocate, an individual who shall be qualified by reason of education, expertise, and experience and who may have a professional degree in law, social work, public health, o…

§ 3205. Child, Youth, and Family Advisory Council (a) Purpose and membership. The Child, Youth, and Family Advocate shall appoint and convene an Advisory Council composed of nine stakeholders who have been impacted by child welfare services provided by the Department for Children…

§ 3206. Incidents and fatalities (a) The Department shall notify the Office of: (1) all incidents of actual physical injury to children or youths in the custody of the Commissioner or at significant risk of such harm; and (2) instances of restraint or seclusion of any child or yo…

§ 3207. Access to information and facilities (a) Notwithstanding any other provision of law, the Child, Youth, and Family Advocate and the Deputy Advocate shall, upon request, have timely access, including the right to inspect and copy, to records necessary to carry out the provi…

§ 3208. Cooperation of State agencies All State agencies shall comply with reasonable requests of the Child, Youth, and Family Advocate and Deputy Advocate for information and assistance. (Added 2021, No. 129 (Adj. Sess.), § 1, eff. July 1, 2022.)

§ 3209. Confidentiality (a) The Office shall maintain the confidentiality of all case records, third- party records, and court records, as well as any information gathered in the course of carrying out individual complaint and systems reviews. These records are exempt from public…

§ 3210. Conflict of interest The Child, Youth, and Family Advocate, the Advocate’s employees or contractors, and members of the Oversight Commission on Children, Youths, and Families shall not have any conflict of interest with the Department or with any entity that provides serv…

§ 3211. Oversight Commission on Children, Youths, and Families (a) Creation. There is created the Oversight Commission on Children, Youths, and Families to provide guidance and recommendations to the Office of the Child, Youth, and Family Advocate. (b) Membership. The Commission …

§ 3301. Definitions As used in this chapter: (1) “Council” means the Council for Equitable Youth Justice. (2) “DCF” means the Vermont Department for Children and Families. (3) “JJRA” means the federal Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention Act of 1973 as reauthorized and as …

§ 3302. Council for Equitable Youth Justice (a) Creation. There is created the Council for Equitable Youth Justice to serve as the State advisory group for Vermont pursuant to 34 U.S.C. § 11133. The Council supports compliance with the core requirements of the JJRA and promotes a…

§ 3303. Council duties and responsibilities (a) Subject to the provisions of section 3309 of this title, the Council shall support monitoring and reporting compliance with the core requirements of the JJRA, including: (1) the deinstitutionalization of status offenders; (2) the se…

§ 3309. Compliance with the Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention Act The Department for Children and Families, within the Agency of Human Services, is the State agency designated for supervising the preparation and administration of the Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Pre…