[{"_1":2,"_99":-5,"_100":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,75,87],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":46,"_47":48,"_49":50,"_51":52,"_53":54,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":60,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":66,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":56,"_74":56},"mediaId",6243869,"mediaKeyId","3237415-4246d29a835979994fe65f2cff0c7b14","parentId",3237415,"title","Senate committee narrows PFAS bill language, sets 2029 ban for firefighting PPE and orders 2028 report","audioSeconds",2707,"startMs",264000,"endMs",2971000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=3237415-4246d29a835979994fe65f2cff0c7b14&start=264&end=2971","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3237415-4246d29a835979994fe65f2cff0c7b14/thumbnail_264000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6243869/Vermont/Senate-committee-narrows-PFAS-bill-language-sets-2029-ban-for-firefighting-PPE-and-orders-2028-report","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6243869-f9ad9cfb912b2fcb64543883b569183e/orig.mp4?Expires=1771139676&Signature=LzpKSqTPRFH~C-3dkSYoCpfGw8Bnwis3sQK50DjK5gz74t0JNldwYLQHnfxhUrT59N39qMDsEZlPw-SgBTdvxZhuqAr4E6wk52pwoYh0d7TniFN~wKy03V6UbJeGrgTp3X98LIGC5htt-upf7vP0YsBmi64Y0CMe8DtVdKoBLlG68oq8bXQOYxxGwJOZ4-8ETbSI1PBy8EhHPqUtFUSBetncWbgJqURjNd7iSiLOOK4W0rVl-J3n14uGouGXxsYUVGy5IgU5UXGnuXj9HTebP9hb1XX7gsWjvp6x1GGBQ8qE7m8HIpjUjVHjrfHQ36QiB9N~Gr1B-XRNcNcqEPUmQg__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","","date","2025-05-08T14:13:41Z","article","The Senate Committee on Health & Welfare reviewed a near-final draft of H.238 on May 8 and took direction on multiple product bans, notice requirements and reporting deadlines tied to PFAS regulation.

Committee members emphasized changes to the bill’s definition of “intentionally added” PFAS, agreed to move stationwear into apparel provisions with manufacturer notice requirements through 2027, set a prohibition on the sale of PFAS-containing personal protective equipment (PPE) to take effect July 1, 2029, and directed the Agency of Natural Resources (ANR), in consultation with the Department of Public Safety, to report by December 27, 2028, on the availability, safety and cost of PFAS-free PPE.

Committee staff introduced draft 2.2 of H.238 and walked members through a substantial rewrite of the intentionally added definition, replacing a prior test tied to whether a manufacturer “knew or reasonably could have ascertained” PFAS presence with a simpler formulation that treats PFAS intentionally added if the substance is added to a product or one of its components to provide a specific characteristic or function. The committee agreed that the earlier ‘‘known or reasonably ascertainable’’ language could be removed if the new definition is adopted.

Members debated whether children’s all-terrain vehicles should be excluded from the juvenile-products ban because ATVs are assembled from many components and manufacturers might not know PFAS content. The committee discussed excluding certain complex or multi-component items from the bill’s scope in line with exceptions for children’s electronic products.

Stationwear and PPE

Staff recommended moving stationwear (work uniforms and apparel used in fire stations) into the apparel portion of the bill so stationwear would be banned under the apparel schedule. Committee members agreed that stationwear would be subject to apparel prohibitions and that manufacturers or sellers should notify purchasers about PFAS content through 2027 rather than face immediate prohibition. The committee preserved a plan to prohibit sale of PFAS-containing PPE, including stationwear and PPE items, effective July 1, 2029, while postponing enforcement decisions until ANR’s 2028 report.

On respirators and other respirator-protective equipment, members debated whether to exclude them from the 2029 sale prohibition. Industry and firefighter representatives urged caution about respirators and other mechanical components that may not yet have PFAS-free alternatives. The committee held a straw vote and decided to include respirators in the 2029 sale prohibition so the 2028 ANR report would keep pressure on manufacturers but preserve the committee’s ability to reconsider if alternatives are not yet viable.

Reporting and outreach

The committee directed ANR to deliver a report no later than December 27, 2028, after consulting with the Department of Public Safety, the Division of Fire Safety, emergency-management stakeholders and other interested parties. The report must assess availability, safety and cost of PFAS-free PPE and will be distributed to the Vermont League of Cities and Towns (VLCT) and relevant committees of jurisdiction. Committee members discussed that municipalities set budgets in the fall, and staff said the December report deadline is intended to inform municipal budgeting for 2029.

Cookware and other product dates

Committee members debated the effective date for cookware restrictions. The House had moved cookware to 2028; committee members discussed keeping the existing 2026 date, moving to 2027, or adopting the House’s 2028 date. After a straw poll that the chair summarized as 3–2, the committee directed staff to revert to the House’s 2028 date for cookware in the draft.

Other provisions and structure

Staff summarized structural changes: the bill consolidates many consumer-product prohibitions under one subchapter, adds dental floss and treated containers as regulated items, and expands textile definitions for regulated PFAS concentrations with staged ppm limits. The bill continues to exempt used products from the sale prohibition and keeps the attorney general’s existing certificate-of-compliance and enforcement authority (section renumbered in drafting). ANR will also prepare an interim summary of PFAS regulations and uses in other states that will include information about the use of PFAS-contaminated water in manufacturing where available.

What the committee decided

- Stationwear moved into apparel provisions; manufacturers/sellers to provide PFAS-notice to purchasers through 2027.
- Straw vote: include respirators in the July 1, 2029, sale prohibition; ANR to report in December 2028 on availability, safety and cost, enabling the legislature to amend the prohibition if necessary.
- Committee directed staff to reflect the revised intentionally added definition (effective July 1, 2027, in the draft) and to produce a clean copy of the bill for a forthcoming committee vote.

Meeting next steps

Staff said they will circulate a clean markup as soon as possible for committee consideration and a subsequent vote. ANR will prepare the December 27, 2028, report described above.

","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","Senate Health and Welfare - 2025-05-08 - 10:15 AM","oneSentenceSummary","The Senate Committee on Health & Welfare reviewed a near-final draft of H.238 on May 8 and took direction on multiple product bans, notice requirements and reporting deadlines tied to PFAS regulation.","taxTitle","Health & Welfare, SENATE, Committees, Legislative , Vermont","taxId",38585,"location","Vermont","headline","shortSummary",{"_33":76,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":77,"_41":78,"_43":79,"_45":80,"_47":81,"_49":82,"_51":83,"_53":84,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":85,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":86,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":56,"_74":56},6243859,"Hazel Health pitches school-centered telehealth to expand student mental health access in Vermont",1111,3637000,4748000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=3237415-4246d29a835979994fe65f2cff0c7b14&start=3637&end=4748","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3237415-4246d29a835979994fe65f2cff0c7b14/thumbnail_3637000.jpg","/articles/6243859/Vermont/Hazel-Health-pitches-school-centered-telehealth-to-expand-student-mental-health-access-in-Vermont","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6243859-14d03282322da9708b924b18cef221e2/orig.mp4?Expires=1771139676&Signature=MU3VGOo9N1gsntSldHFqZXcVKybHuuUbLQP09mMZMVjqwuTSjgUMBbGh6iHJzZCJiI48XsRZoxpQBzHJM~7m2W2BWmDeSUBZuzB-xAiAPlr66nbTMEH4ANfd-76WkDw3cPWWmOVHmNoy-pRao6w2D1aF-3X0uHBTbLZXOBZbVNgwBqndV1eqAPTz-h8ZiUFotgblwEwqwrp4kOZtFw6OoLYtV0Q7MEpIicKnpNsnmibmHWd6o3cgBpmoHnybNSSkZ~qgJKEH6li8TZtI-SIsipPz0WiUXgVjDft5tNjPy2urzpYjYebmUuL16uY30LEqKAuuKwG1oBZF~7QC-c~XGw__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Representatives from Hazel Health presented the company’s school-centered telehealth model to the Senate Committee on Health & Welfare and described operations, clinical outcomes and contracting options for K–12 mental-health care.

Sean Bradley, Hazel’s strategic lead, described Hazel Health as a national provider of school-centered telehealth operating in 20 states and said the company provides services at no out-of-pocket cost to families in partnered districts. Bradley told the committee Hazel has served five million students nationally and that the company’s data show reductions in absenteeism and disciplinary actions.

Bob McCullough, a licensed clinician on Hazel’s growth team, described the operational model: Hazel contracts with school districts and with state education or health agencies, hires clinician employees (W-2), provides virtual visits (HIPAA-compliant) and requires parental or guardian consent before delivering care. He said Hazel’s telehealth services are intended to supplement, not replace, in-school or community mental-health services and that Hazel provides care coordination and referrals to higher levels of care when clinically indicated.

Contracting, reimbursement and outcomes

McCullough said Hazel establishes relationships with state and commercial payers (including Medicaid) and noted that not all services Hazel provides are billable to insurers (care coordination and account management are often not reimbursed). He described contracting as a per-student fee arrangement that can range from roughly $10 to $15 per student depending on scope and utilization. Hazel representatives said clinicians who provide services in a state hold that state’s clinical license.

On outcomes, Hazel reported aggregated program figures to the committee: more than 410,000 learning days recovered, 92 percent of students reporting positive outcomes after using Hazel services, a 60 percent reduction in absenteeism and a 50 percent decrease in disciplinary actions; the company cited third-party studies (Clemson University was referenced) indicating clinically significant improvements in depression and anxiety symptoms after a short course of visits. The presenters offered to provide the committee with written materials and study references.

Data protection and consent

Hazel representatives said all services comply with HIPAA and FERPA standards and that the company does not sell student data to third parties. They said parent or guardian consent is required for services and that care coordination is used to link students with local providers when more intensive or in-person care is needed.

Next steps offered to committee

Hazel asked the committee to consider partnering on a statewide K–12 telehealth program to expand mental-health access and offered to provide follow-up documentation, contracting templates and outcome studies for the committee’s review.

","Hazel Health representatives told the Senate Health & Welfare Committee that their telehealth model delivers virtual primary and mental health services in schools and at home, serving 5 million students nationally. They proposed partnering with state agencies and districts to expand access and supplied outcome metrics they say support the model.",{"_33":88,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":89,"_41":90,"_43":91,"_45":92,"_47":93,"_49":94,"_51":95,"_53":96,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":97,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":98,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":56,"_74":56},6243864,"Physical therapists urge lawmakers to address low reimbursement and workforce shortages",470,3063000,3533000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=3237415-4246d29a835979994fe65f2cff0c7b14&start=3063&end=3533","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3237415-4246d29a835979994fe65f2cff0c7b14/thumbnail_3063000.jpg","/articles/6243864/Vermont/Physical-therapists-urge-lawmakers-to-address-low-reimbursement-and-workforce-shortages","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6243864-5728f03689cd5b46138fa5dd2af10de5/orig.mp4?Expires=1771139676&Signature=iEzHO0wsExPuRqSeCyhBV9LAqJEPL1B7riV~mJIAqXVWjf1eNnUj~SVCcHnCFNgH-oAbNVaBkMGE2g0UTF3fXKN9ssuF3~GiqZy4Pf7Y0dnW3MTPEKHnTo3gcuzu-xE1z3EZE4J--0HKk0QbBqs7JxIr5RNjhJbu~8aSYcRQfhfhLStt8QKAGFYGrcYqaBugCKyhn-YEAlhfzy4P8IOswSj6GgiCz8ZG3AsrWdvsjW8Rs-bUq4CfahlcuNlTClDNNgaepdGm8X4o1eGK4K14YAxfJ3dcbYNWRBmJUNXz458tJz5l6cUdz8xvK1We~jWZRjohoYjGLNJZCNydzdHoSw__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Physical therapists and academic faculty spoke to the Senate Committee on Health & Welfare about workforce, reimbursement and access issues, asking the legislature to consider changes that would keep providers in Vermont.

Several clinicians described how declining reimbursement rates, administrative burden and a lack of new entrants are undermining rural clinic sustainability and limiting access to care. They asked the committee to explore options to keep practices open, support direct patient access to physical therapy and consider incentives to retain clinicians in rural communities.

Heidi Milneholm, a doctor of physical therapy who runs a private practice in Middlebury, told the committee she treats children under Vermont Medicaid and said payment for a single visit has fallen from $134 to $126 in five years. She said small, rural clinics provide essential prevention and rehabilitation services that reduce surgeries, opioid use and school burdens when early intervention is available. Milneholm said prior-authorization changes for Medicaid (birth-to-21) had improved access and asked for additional reforms that would allow direct access to physical therapy without payer-imposed referral requirements.

Dr. Elizabeth Slargent, a physical therapist with faculty roles and experience in rural federally qualified health centers, emphasized that physical therapists can reduce pressure on primary care by treating common musculoskeletal conditions. She said direct access and better reimbursement would help address physician shortages and rural health care gaps.

Speakers asked the committee to consider how to incentivize clinicians to stay in or move to Vermont and to examine wage and reimbursement structure. Several clinicians volunteered to provide additional materials and data to the committee for follow-up.

","Physical therapists and educators told the Senate Health & Welfare Committee that stagnant Medicaid reimbursement and administrative burdens are driving providers out of state and reducing access, particularly in rural areas. Speakers asked for policy work to retain providers and expand direct access and other supports.","actionData","errors"]

Article not found

Senate committee narrows PFAS bill language, sets 2029 ban for firefighting PPE and orders 2028 report

Hazel Health pitches school-centered telehealth to expand student mental health access in Vermont

Physical therapists urge lawmakers to address low reimbursement and workforce shortages