VermontThe act changes child benefits, youth services, and safety rules
The act changes how Vermont handles Reach Up assets, foster children’s benefits, services for unaccompanied youth, and safety rules in child-serving programs.
What it does
Reach Up would remove its $9,000 asset limit. Starting July 1, 2027, the Department generally could not use foster children’s Social Security benefits for costs the State covers.
Unaccompanied youth who meet listed conditions could get a certificate from approved organizations and use it to seek services without parent or guardian permission.
Child-serving programs would face stricter limits on restraints and seclusion, with documentation and reporting duties; out-of-state contractors would follow these limits starting July 1, 2028.
A new working group would review the Department’s pregnancy calendar and recommend other ways to support pregnant people seeking services.
Argument forFoster children could receive more protection for their benefits, while unaccompanied youth could seek vital services without waiting for parental permission.
Argument againstOrganizations serving children may face added documentation, supervision, reporting, and compliance work under the restraint and seclusion rules.
More detail
The Reach Up program would no longer use a $9,000 asset limit, and the Department would manage foster children’s Social Security benefits under new requirements. The Reach Up rule covers program applicants and recipients. The benefit rules cover foster children whose Social Security benefits are handled by the Department. The Department could use a foster child’s benefits for unmet needs beyond what the State must or agrees to pay if the child or care provider requests it. The Department must protect a child’s eligibility for Supplemental Security Income and must provide an annual accounting of benefit use, applications, or savings. The foster-child benefit restrictions take effect July 1, 2027. The text does not state a separate effective date for removing the Reach Up asset limit.
Eligible unaccompanied youth would be able to obtain a certificate and use it to seek certain services without a parent or guardian’s permission. The certificate would be available to unaccompanied youth through approved school, shelter, youth-service, legal, or domestic-violence organizations. Examples of services include learner’s permits, vital records, health care, housing and shelter, student loans, and automobile insurance. The certificate may be issued only when the listed conditions are met, although those conditions are not detailed in the supplied passage. The supplied text does not state when certificates or the related services begin.
Department officials and covered programs would have to transport children safely and limit restraint and seclusion to narrow safety situations. The rules cover children in Department custody and children in programs operated by or under contract with the Department, including out-of-state contracted programs later. Soft restraints would be required during transport unless another method is needed to protect the child or others. Covered programs could not use prone, mechanical, or chemical restraints or strip searches, with limited exceptions. Seclusion or physical restraint could not be used for punishment, discipline, property protection, or any reason other than a last-resort safety measure or preventing a serious and immediate risk of harm. The act requires documentation, supervision, notices, and reports about restraint use. The text states that restrictions on seclusion and restraint apply to out-of-state programs under Department contract starting July 1, 2028. It does not provide separate dates for the other safety rules.
A working group would examine the Department’s use of a pregnancy calendar and recommend alternatives and ways to support people who need services. The group would study the Department’s practice of monitoring and tracking certain pregnant individuals in Vermont. The supplied text does not state a deadline or separate effective date for the working group’s review.
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Where it stands
- Introduced
- Passed 1st Chamber
- Passed 2nd Chamber
- To Governor
- Became Law
Looking ahead
No hearings or votes scheduled.
History
- 2026
- May 29House message: Governor approved bill on June 15, 2026Latest
- May 29Signed by Governor Phil Scott on June 15, 2026Became Law
- May 29Delivered to Governor on June 9, 2026To Governor
- May 22House message: House concurred in Senate proposal of amendmentMinor
- May 20Which was agreed to on a Roll Call Passed -- Needed 68 of 135 to Pass -- Yeas = 133, Nays = 2
- Vote recorded Which was agreed to on a Roll Call Passed -- Needed 68 of 135 to Pass -- Yeas = 133, Nays = 2. Result: pass.Lower
- May 20Senate proposal of amendment concurred inMinor
- May 20Rep. Steady of Milton demanded yeas and nays
- May 20Action Calendar: Action postponed until May 20, 2026
- May 19Rep. Wood of Waterbury moved to postpone action until May 20, 2026, which was agreed to
- May 19Action Calendar: Senate Proposal of AmendmentMinor
- May 18Notice Calendar: Senate Proposal of AmendmentMinor
- May 15Senate Message: Passed in concurrence with proposal of amendmentMinor
- May 14Read 3rd time & passed in concurrence with proposal of amendmentMajor
- Vote recorded Roll Call, requested by Senator Ram Hinsdale, Failed -- Needed 15 of 30 to Pass -- Yeas = 13, Nays = 17. Result: fail.Upper
- Vote recorded Roll Call, requested by Senator Weeks, Failed -- Needed 15 of 30 to Pass -- Yeas = 13, Nays = 17. Result: fail.Upper
- May 14Roll Call, Requested by Sen. Ram Hinsdale
- May 14Roll Call, requested by Senator Ram Hinsdale, Failed -- Needed 15 of 30 to Pass -- Yeas = 13, Nays = 17
- May 14Proposal of amendment not agreed toMinor
- May 14Roll Call, Requested by Sen. Weeks
- May 14Roll Call, requested by Senator Weeks, Failed -- Needed 15 of 30 to Pass -- Yeas = 13, Nays = 17
- May 14Motion disagreed to
- May 14Senator(s) Weeks motion to recommit bill to Committee on Health and Welfare
- May 14Motion by Senator Lyons to reconsider amendment offered by Sen. Heffernan agreed to
- May 13Read 3rd time & passed in concurrence with proposal of amendmentPassed 2nd Chamber
- May 13Pending third reading, Senator Heffernan proposal of amendment, agreed toMinor
- May 13New Business/Third ReadingMinor
- May 123rd reading ordered
- May 12Proposal of amendment by Committee on Health and Welfare, as amended, agreed toMinor
- May 12Proposal of amendment agreed toMinor
- May 12Senator(s) Morley, Benson, Cummings, Gulick, and Lyons motion to amend Committee on Health and Welfare proposal of amendment; textMinor
- May 12Reported favorably by Senator Chittenden for Committee on FinanceMinor
- May 12Read 2nd time, reported favorably with proposal of amendment by Senator Morley for Committee on Health and WelfareMinor
- May 12Proposal of amendment to be offered by Senator(s) LyonsMinor
- May 12Favorable report by Committee on FinanceMinor
- May 12Favorable report with proposal of amendment by Committee on Health and WelfareMinor
- May 12New Business/Second ReadingMinor
- May 8Proposal of amendment to be offered by Senator(s) LyonsMinor
- May 8Favorable report by Committee on FinanceMinor
- May 8Favorable report with proposal of amendment by Committee on Health and WelfareMinor
- May 8Second ReadingMinor
- May 8Entered on Notice Calendar
- May 1Referred to Committee on Finance per Senate Rule 31
- May 1Favorable report with proposal of amendment by Committee on Health and WelfareMinor
- May 1Second ReadingMinor
- May 1Entered on Notice Calendar
- Apr 3Read 1st time & referred to Committee on Health and WelfareMinor
- Apr 1Read third time and passedPassed 1st Chamber
- Apr 1Rep. Arsenault of Williston and Goodnow of Brattleboro moved to amend the bill, which was agreed to
- Apr 1Action Calendar: Action postponed until April 1, 2026
- Mar 31Rep. Wood of Waterbury moved to postpone action until April 1, 2026, which was agreed to
- Mar 31Action Calendar: Third ReadingMinor
- Mar 27Third Reading orderedMinor
- Mar 27Report of Committee on Human Services, as amended, agreed to
- Mar 27Rep. McGill of Bridport, Bishop of Colchester, Cole of Hartford, Donahue of Northfield, Eastes of Guilford, Garofano of Essex, Maguire of Rutland City, Noyes of Wolcott, and Wood of Waterbury moved to amend the report of the Committee on Human Services, which was agreed to
- Mar 27Rep. Bluemle of Burlington recommended for the Committee on Appropriations
- Mar 27Rep. Waszazak of Barre City recommended for the Committee on Ways and Means
- Mar 27Rep. Donahue of Northfield reported for the Committee on Human Services
- Mar 27Read second timeMinor
- Mar 27Action Calendar: Action postponed until March 27, 2026
- Mar 26Rep. Donahue of Northfield moved to postpone action until March 27, 2026, which was agreed to
- Mar 26Action Calendar: Action postponed until March 26, 2026
- Mar 25Rep. Donahue of Northfield moved to postpone action until March 26, 2026, which was agreed to
- Mar 25Action Calendar: Favorable with Amendment
- Mar 24Notice Calendar: Favorable with Amendment
- Mar 18Pending entry on Notice Calendar, referred to Committee on Appropriations per Rule 35(a)
- Mar 12Pending entry on Notice Calendar, referred to Committee on Ways and Means per Rule 35(a)
- Jan 13Read first time and referred to the Committee on Human ServicesIntroduced
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