Lawmakers Hear Extensive Testimony on Health Care Ownership Rules, Housing Construction Incentives, Energy Emissions Reporting and Environmental Programs
Legislative committees on Wednesday received testimony on a range of bills and budget items, with prominent discussion of proposed limits on health care facility ownership and enforcement mechanisms, pilot programs and credit facilities for off‑site housing construction, a greenhouse gas reporting proposal and multiple environment-related measures including dam safety, tire management and dam emergency planning. Committees hearing the testimony included House Health Care, General & Housing, Energy & Digital Infrastructure, Environment, Education, Human Services, Ways & Means, Appropriations and Senate Health & Welfare.
Health Care (House Health Care)
The House Health Care committee considered draft language that would shift focus from “transaction limitations” to “health care facility ownership and clinical decision making,” and included multiple proposed prohibitions and compliance provisions referenced in testimony tied to bills S.26 and S.10.
Witnesses described proposed mandates on ownership and corporate practice of medicine. Testimony summarized proposals that would prohibit unlicensed persons from owning medical practices or controlling licensed clinicians’ clinical decision making, that would bar certain sale–leaseback ownership structures, and that would require medical practices to comply with professional corporation and professional limited liability company statutes. Draft text flagged for the committee would add definitions, reorganize chapters, and adjust terminology throughout the bill.
The proposal would create enforcement provisions including violations and penalties, and introduce a private right of action allowing parties injured by violations to seek injunctive relief, damages and attorneys’ fees. Testimony said penalties for false reporting and other violations would be suspended and a private right of action delayed until January 1, 2029, with an effective date noted in testimony as July 1, 2026 for the act as introduced. Witnesses urged confidentiality protections for individual provider contact information while making ownership information public. Testimony included accounts from a registered nurse and union president about closures and ownership transfers of hospitals, and from community health center leadership about the financing role of debt for facility growth and acquisitions.
General & Housing (House General & Housing)
The General & Housing committee took testimony on H.775 and associated housing programs. Witnesses described two proposed pilot programs that would bulk‑purchase homes produced through off‑site construction and referenced a credit facility in Section 10F of the bill to support purchases of off‑site produced homes. Testimony emphasized the role of preapproved designs and small grants to help builders adapt, and the potential for bulk purchasing to reduce costs if sufficient scale and revolving funding are available.
The committee also heard budget and program evidence about Vermont Housing Incentive Program (VHIP) and related home ownership center operations. Testimony described a governor’s budget request for $4,000,000 in base funding to sustain VHIP after one‑time funding ends, explained that VHIP staffing and limited service positions were supported historically by ARPA funds that expire, and said base funding would support permanent staffing and program continuity. Witnesses described VHIP project sizes, use of awards to leverage private capital, and the program’s historical role funding small projects, ADUs and mobile home infill.
Presenters from modular and manufactured housing manufacturers and advocates described a range of off‑site construction products—from single‑ and double‑wide manufactured homes to volumetric modular units—and discussed price points, quality, and the potential to scale production to capture cost savings. Department witnesses said the agency has outreach underway to municipalities about accepting standardized designs and that authority to advance funds or provide reimbursement flexibility is included in bill language.
Energy & Digital Infrastructure (House Energy & Digital Infrastructure)
The Energy & Digital Infrastructure committee heard multiple panels discussing H.740 and related energy policy. Testimony described amendments to the greenhouse gas inventory statute and proposed new reporting authority for the Agency of Natural Resources (ANR) to build a comprehensive greenhouse gas emissions reporting program covering fuel suppliers and fuel types. Witnesses said the bill would authorize the secretary to adopt rules to implement reporting requirements and that information collected should include fuel types and volumes sold by sector and county.
ANR and climate council members described the reporting proposal as foundational for state climate policy and pollutant reduction programs, and they outlined staffing and budget needs to stand up a reporting system and associated data platform. Presenters said the agency requested two FTEs, base funding for ongoing platform maintenance and third‑party verification, and one‑time funds for tool development. Testimony cited prior grant funding used for climate planning and noted existing constraints on agency capacity and the limitations of one‑time grants for creating sustained program capacity.
Committee members and witnesses also discussed other bills on the committee agenda, including H.88, H.740, H.5 and S.80, and reviewed administrative and rulemaking aspects related to disconnections, utility regulation, and greenhouse gas inventory updates.
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Environment (House Environment and follow‑up session)
The Environment committee and a later Environment session considered a range of measures. House testimony on HB 204 (tire management) included opposition from industry groups citing concerns that extended producer responsibility (EPR) systems focus on collection rather than building circular markets and may introduce costs and unintended market consequences. Solid waste district managers described current collection and processing arrangements and the limited markets for crumb rubber and tire‑derived products.
The committee also received testimony on H.778 and Act 121 concerning dam safety and dam failure emergency operations planning. The Department of Environmental Conservation dam safety staff and Vermont Emergency Management described program responsibilities, technical and administrative rulemaking, hazard classifications, inspection schedules, and the need for comprehensive assessments, design and construction funding for dam safety work. Witnesses discussed the tradeoffs among options for creating emergency operations plans, the resource and capacity needs for VEM coordination, and past study recommendations.
A later Environment session addressed H.778 again, focusing on implementation, funding and the draft Emergency Operations Planning Committee report.
Human Services, Health & Welfare, Education, Ways & Means and Appropriations
Human Services testimony covered the Department for Disabilities, Aging, and Independent Living budget components and program appropriations. Witnesses presented program line items and percentage shares of department budgets, including developmental disability services, adult services, vocational rehabilitation and other program changes and caseload pressures.
Senate Health & Welfare heard about landlord–tenant statutory exclusions for recovery residences and related residential agreement provisions, including required exit and transfer policies, contingency plans and protections for residents’ possessions.
Education committees heard multiple panels focused on Act 73, Act 173, foundation formula implementation, special education funding and cooperative service agency design. Testimony described maintenance‑of‑effort requirements for IDEA Part B, concerns about capacity and implementation of Act 73, local variation in placement and therapeutic school availability, and budget requests for higher education and allied health workforce funding. The Vermont State College system and the University of Vermont presented budget requests and program priorities, including base funding needs, allied health workforce funding requests and a proposed state contribution to a multipurpose research and student center.
Ways & Means received presentations on motor vehicle purchase and use tax allocations and a governor’s recommendation to phase down the education fund share of that tax by $10 million per year and reallocate those dollars to the Transportation Fund, with a one‑year general fund transfer proposed to offset the fiscal impact to the education fund in the current year. Department and Joint Fiscal Office analysis presented historic allocations and forecasts showing the purchase and use tax as a growing funding source for transportation and education.
Appropriations received testimony from higher education leadership including budget requests for student aid, extension programs and capital funding.
Conclusion
The article summarizes testimony and budget presentations delivered on February 4, 2026, to multiple legislative committees including House Health Care, General & Housing, Energy & Digital Infrastructure, Environment, Education, Human Services, Ways & Means, Appropriations and the Senate Health & Welfare committee. Topics addressed included proposed restrictions and enforcement mechanisms on health care facility ownership, pilot programs and credit facilities for off‑site housing construction, proposed greenhouse gas emissions reporting authority and funding needs, dam safety and emergency planning, tire management, education funding and workforce investments, and tax allocation proposals affecting transportation and education funds.
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