H 218 — An act relating to fiscal year 2026 appropriations from the Opioid Abatement Special Fund

Sec.

1.

APPROPRIATIONS;

OPIOID ABATEMENT SPECIAL FUND (a) In fiscal year 2026, the following sums shall be appropriated from the Opioid Abatement Special Fund established in 18 V.S.A.

§ 4774:

(1)(A) $1,976,000.00 to the Department of Health to fund 26 outreach or case management staff positions within the preferred provider network for the provision of services that increase motivation of and engagement with individuals with substance use disorder in settings such as police barracks, shelters, social service organizations, and elsewhere in the community.

BILL AS PASSED BY THE HOUSE H.218 Page 7 of 21 (3)(A) $1,400,000.00 to the Department of Health for recovery residences certified by the Vermont Alliance for Recovery Residences.

VT LEG #382275 v.1 AS PASSED BY HOUSE H.218 Page 2 of 11 (B) It is the intent of the General Assembly that recovery residences be funded annually at not less than fiscal year 2026 levels, unless and until the Special Fund does not have sufficient monies to fund this expenditure.

(5) $800,000.00 for distribution as follows:

(A) not more than $35,000.00 to the Department of Corrections for distribution to Pathways Vermont to implement a contingency management pilot program in Chittenden County for individuals under the supervision of the Department of Corrections;

and (B) the remainder to the Department of Health for grants to providers for ongoing support for contingency management.

(6) $32,157.00 to the Department of Health for distribution to the Brattleboro Fire Department to establish community training programs on the administration of opioid antagonists, CPR, first aid, and Stop the Bleed protocols.

BILL AS PASSED BY THE HOUSE H.218 Page 8 of 21 (7) $44,229.00 to the Department of Health for distribution to the Champlain Housing Trust to continue a pilot program providing access to wound care and preventative health care in three low-barrier shelters within Chittenden County.

(8) $800,000.00 to the Department for Children and Families’ Office of Economic Opportunity to support long-term programs at shelters for individuals experiencing homelessness, including harm-reduction supports and clinical nursing programs.

(9) $309,000.00 to the Department of Health for Health Care and Rehabilitation Services of Southeastern Vermont’s Project Connectionworks to reduce opioid use disorder morbidity and mortality in Windham County through prevention, treatment, and recovery services.

(10) $50,0000.00 to the Judicial Branch to train Vermont’s judges on issues related to opioid use disorder and strategies for use in dockets statewide.

(11) $200,000.00 to the Department of Health for distribution to Elevate Youth Services to establish Healthy Youth Program counselors at the Basement Teen Center at Kellogg-Hubbard Library in Washington County.

(12) $100,000.00 to the Department of Health for distribution to Friends for Change’s Youth Center in Bellows Falls for the purpose of BILL AS PASSED BY THE HOUSE H.218 Page 9 of 21 delivering intervention strategies and harm reduction supports to youth and young adults.

(13) $170,000.00 to the Department of Health for distribution to Spectrum Youth and Family Services for two new positions to expand opioid use disorder screening, treatment, and case management services to youth in Chittenden and Franklin Counties.

(14) $80,000.00 to the Department of Health for distribution to Prevent Child Abuse Vermont for the purpose of teaching parenting skills and providing social and emotional parenting supports for individuals with opioid use disorder.

(15) $850,000.00 to the Department of Disabilities, Aging, and Independent Living for distribution to HireAbility Vermont to provide specialized employment services for individuals with opioid use disorder in Burlington, Newport, Rutland, and Bennington.

(16) $550,000.00 to the Department of Health for distribution to Northeast Kingdom Community Action to hire four peer support specialists to assist individuals with opioid use disorder who are transitioning out of homelessness into safe, permanent housing.

(17) $150,000.00 to the Department of Health for distribution to Connecticut Valley Addiction Services, Inc.

to expand opioid use treatment in rural Windsor County.

BILL AS PASSED BY THE HOUSE H.218 Page 10 of 21 (18) $300,000.00 to the Department of Health for distribution to Vermonters for Criminal Justice Reform and the Johnson Health Center to continue and improve the Managed Medical Response Partnership.

(19) $30,000.00 to the Department of Health for distribution to Treatment Associates of Washington County Mental Health to hire an embedded recovery coach.

(20) $20,824.00 to the Department of Health for distribution to Umbrella to provide integrated services between domestic and sexual violence providers and partners in recovery in northeastern Vermont.

(b) The Department of Health shall carry forward $1,100,000.00 appropriated from the Opioid Settlement Special Fund in fiscal year 2025 for the purpose of awarding grants to the City of Burlington for establishing an overdose prevention center upon submission of a grant proposal that has been approved by the Burlington City Council and meets the requirements of 18 V.S.A.

§ 4256, including the guidelines developed by the Department of Health.

Any unmet need in fiscal year 2026, up to $550,000.00, shall be addressed in the Department’s budget adjustment proposal.

(c) All grant agreements associated with funds appropriated pursuant to this section shall require outcome and measurements data to be collected and reported to the department issuing the grant and to the Opioid Settlement Advisory Committee.

BILL AS PASSED BY THE HOUSE H.218 Page 11 of 21 Sec.

1.

APPROPRIATIONS;

OPIOID ABATEMENT SPECIAL FUND (a) In fiscal year 2026, the following sums shall be appropriated from the Opioid Abatement Special Fund established in 18 V.S.A.

§ 4774:

(1)(A) $1,976,000.00 to the Department of Health to fund 26 outreach or case management staff positions within the preferred provider network for the provision of services that increase motivation of and engagement with individuals with substance use disorder in settings such as police barracks, shelters, social service organizations, and elsewhere in the community.

(B) It is the intent of the General Assembly that these positions shall be funded annually by the Opioid Abatement Special Fund unless and until the Special Fund does not have sufficient monies to fund this expenditure.

(2) $76,000.00 to the Department of Health for distribution to Vermonters for Criminal Justice Reform to fund an outreach worker position.

(3)(A) $1,400,000.00 to the Department of Health for recovery residences certified by the Vermont Alliance for Recovery Residences.

(B) It is the intent of the General Assembly that recovery residences be funded annually at not less than fiscal year 2026 levels, unless and until the Special Fund does not have sufficient monies to fund this expenditure.

(4)(A) $850,000.00 to the Department of Health for syringe services.

(B) It is the intent of the General Assembly that syringe services be funded annually at not less than fiscal year 2026 levels, unless and until the BILL AS PASSED BY THE HOUSE H.218 Page 12 of 21 Special Fund does not have sufficient monies to fund this expenditure.

§§ 4256, 4256, including the guidelines developed by the Department of Health.

(A) not more than $35,000.00 to the Department of Corrections for distribution to Pathways Vermont to implement a contingency management VT LEG #382275 v.1 AS PASSED BY HOUSE H.218 Page 3 of 11 pilot program in Chittenden County for individuals under the supervision of the Department of Corrections;

(7) $32,157.00 to the Department of Health for distribution to the Brattleboro Fire Department to establish community training programs on the BILL AS PASSED BY THE HOUSE H.218 Page 13 of 21 administration of opioid antagonists, CPR, first aid, and Stop the Bleed protocols.

VT LEG #382275 v.1 AS PASSED BY HOUSE H.218 Page 4 of 11 (11) $50,0000.00 to the Judicial Branch to train Vermont’s judges on issues related to opioid use disorder and strategies for use in dockets statewide.

BILL AS PASSED BY THE HOUSE H.218 Page 14 of 21 (13) $100,000.00 to the Department of Health for distribution to Friends for Change’s Youth Center in Bellows Falls for the purpose of delivering intervention strategies and harm reduction supports to youth and young adults.

VT LEG #382275 v.1 AS PASSED BY HOUSE H.218 Page 5 of 11 (17) $550,000.00 to the Department of Health for distribution to Northeast Kingdom Community Action to hire four peer support specialists to assist individuals with opioid use disorder who are transitioning out of homelessness into safe, permanent housing.

BILL AS PASSED BY THE HOUSE H.218 Page 15 of 21 (18) $150,000.00 to the Department of Health for distribution to Connecticut Valley Addiction Services, Inc.

VT LEG #382275 v.1 AS PASSED BY HOUSE H.218 Page 6 of 11 Sec.

Treatment of Opioid Use Disorder * * * BILL AS PASSED BY THE HOUSE H.218 Page 16 of 21 § 4754.

(1) The Advisory Committee shall be composed of the following members and shall reflect the diversity of Vermont in terms of gender, race, age, ethnicity, sexual orientation, gender identity, disability status, and VT LEG #382275 v.1 AS PASSED BY HOUSE H.218 Page 7 of 11 socioeconomic status and ensure inclusion of individuals with lived experience of opioid use disorder and their family members whenever possible:

* * * BILL AS PASSED BY THE HOUSE H.218 Page 17 of 21 (E) a primary care prescriber with experience providing medication- assisted treatment medication for opioid use disorder within the Blueprint for Health hub and spoke model, appointed by the Executive Director of the Blueprint for Health, to provide a statewide perspective on the provision of providing medication-assisted treatment medication for opioid use disorder services;

To that end, the Advisory Committee shall demonstrate consultation with individuals with direct lived experience of opioid use disorder, frontline support professionals, the Substance Misuse Oversight Prevention and Advisory Council, and other stakeholders to identify spending priorities as related to opioid use disorder prevention, intervention, VT LEG #382275 v.1 AS PASSED BY HOUSE H.218 Page 8 of 11 treatment, and recovery services and harm reduction strategies for the purpose of providing recommendations to the Governor, the Department of Health, and BILL AS PASSED BY THE HOUSE H.218 Page 18 of 21 the General Assembly on prioritizing spending from the Opioid Abatement Special Fund.

If the recommendations are supported by an affirmative vote of the majority, the Advisory Committee shall present its recommendations for expenditures from the Opioid Abatement Special Fund established pursuant to this subchapter to the Department of Health and concurrently submit its recommendations in writing to the House VT LEG #382275 v.1 AS PASSED BY HOUSE H.218 Page 9 of 11 Committees on Appropriations and on Human Services and the Senate Committees on Appropriations and on Health and Welfare.

The Advisory BILL AS PASSED BY THE HOUSE H.218 Page 19 of 21 Committee’s written recommendations shall address how each recommendation meets one or more of the criteria listed in subsections 4774(b) and (c) of this subchapter.

OPIOID ABATEMENT SPECIAL FUND * * * VT LEG #382275 v.1 AS PASSED BY HOUSE H.218 Page 10 of 11 (c) Priority for expenditures from the Opioid Abatement Special Fund shall be aimed at reducing overdose deaths, including the following:

BILL AS PASSED BY THE HOUSE H.218 Page 20 of 21 * * * (2) increasing access to medication-assisted treatment medication for opioid use disorder and other opioid-related treatment, specifically:

(B) expanding comprehensive evidence-based or evidence-informed treatment and recovery services, including medication-assisted treatment VTmedication LEGfor #382275opioid v.1use ASdisorder, PASSEDfor BYindividuals HOUSEwith H.218co-occurring Pageopioid 11BILL ofAS 11PASSED medicationBY forTHE opioidHOUSE useH.218 disorder,Page for21 individualsof with21 co-occurring opioid use disorder and other substance or mental health disorders for up to 12 months postpartum;

VT LEG #382275 v.1