VCDR Weekly Legislative Update
Week of January 14–16, 2026
VCDR shares a weekly legislative summary to help partners and advocates stay oriented to disability-related activity at the State House. This week’s update includes committee agendas, key activities, and a running list of bills related to disability rights.
Click Here to view the full weekly summary (PDF)
Quick Themes This Week
- Federal funding / federal funds update (budget and broader impacts)
- Victim notification systems and corrections-related victim services updates
- Corrections health care services (Wellpath)
- Transportation updates impacting non-emergency medical transportation, older adults, and people with disabilities
- Housing and homelessness solutions discussion
- Introduction of new human services bills in Senate Health & Welfare, including S.157 and H.237
Committee Schedule Highlights
Wednesday, January 14, 2026
House Appropriations (Room 9) — 1:05 PM
Federal Funds Update (Sarah Clark, Secretary of Administration)
Livestream: https://legislature.vermont.gov/committee/streaming/house-appropriations.
House Corrections & Institutions (Room 34) — 1:00 PM
Victim Notification Systems Task Force updates (Center for Crime Victim Services, DOC, DPS, survivors, and others)
Livestream: https://legislature.vermont.gov/committee/streaming/house-corrections-and-institutions.
Thursday, January 15, 2026
House Corrections & Institutions (Room 34) — 10:30 AM
Wellpath Health Care Services (DOC health services)
Livestream: https://legislature.vermont.gov/committee/streaming/house-corrections-and-institutions.
House Judiciary (Room 30) — 15 minutes after floor
H.613 — Victims of officer-involved shootings of an individual experiencing a mental health crisis (witness testimony)
Livestream: https://legislature.vermont.gov/committee/streaming/house-judiciary.
House Transportation (Room 43) — 9:45 AM + 10:45 AM
Agency of Transportation updates, including non-emergency medical transportation, older adult and disability transportation, and coordination of health care and transportation services.
Livestream: https://legislature.vermont.gov/committee/streaming/house-transportation.
Friday, January 16, 2026
House General & Housing (Room 31) — after floor
Homelessness and Housing Solutions
Livestream: https://legislature.vermont.gov/committee/streaming/house-general-and-housing.
Senate Health & Welfare (Room 17) — TBD
Committee discussion and introduction of human services bills, including:
- S.157 — recovery residence certification
- H.237 — prescribing by doctoral-level psychologists (introduction)
Livestream: https://legislature.vermont.gov/committee/streaming/senate-health-and-welfare.
Bills to Watch
Below are a few bills flagged for visibility because they are directly connected to disability rights, services, systems access, or safety. (This is not a complete list.)
Newly introduced / newly highlighted
H.613 — Victims of officer-involved shootings of an individual experiencing a mental health crisis
As introduced: https://legislature.vermont.gov/Documents/2026/Docs/BILLS/H-0613/H-0613%20As%20Introduced.pdf
S.195 — Judicial proceedings for involuntary treatment
As introduced: https://legislature.vermont.gov/Documents/2026/Docs/BILLS/S-0195/S-0195%20As%20Introduced.pdf
S.233 — Special education family advocacy pilot program
As introduced: https://legislature.vermont.gov/Documents/2026/Docs/BILLS/S-0233/S-0233%20As%20Introduced.pdf
S.241 — Regulating the use of artificial intelligence in the provision of mental health services
As introduced: https://legislature.vermont.gov/Documents/2026/Docs/BILLS/S-0241/S-0241%20As%20Introduced.pdf
Key carry-over bills related to disability rights (selected)
S.5 — Guardianship proceedings (carry-over)
As introduced: https://legislature.vermont.gov/Documents/2026/Docs/BILLS/S-0005/S-0005%20As%20Introduced.pdf
S.6 — Repealing the Commissioner of Labor’s authority to recommend a subminimum wage for individuals with a disability (carry-over)
As introduced: https://legislature.vermont.gov/Documents/2026/Docs/BILLS/S-0006/S-0006%20As%20Introduced.pdf
H.26 — Guardianship proceedings (carry-over)
As introduced: https://legislature.vermont.gov/Documents/2026/Docs/BILLS/H-0026/H-0026%20As%20Introduced.pdf
H.30 — Use of seclusion and restraint on children and youth in DCF custody (carry-over)
As introduced: https://legislature.vermont.gov/Documents/2026/Docs/BILLS/H-0030/H-0030%20As%20Introduced.pdf
H.582 — Adult protective services (2026)
As introduced: https://legislature.vermont.gov/Documents/2026/Docs/BILLS/H-0582/H-0582%20As%20Introduced.pdf
Full Bill List and Links
The full weekly summary includes a running list of disability-rights-related bills (carry-over and newly introduced), plus additional committee agendas and legislative links.
Helpful legislative pages:
- Vermont Legislature home: https://legislature.vermont.gov/
- Announcements: https://legislature.vermont.gov/home/noteworthy/announcements/
Questions or items to flag?
If you have a bill or hearing you’d like VCDR to track closely, or any questions for the coalition, please reach out at [email protected]