VermontVermont would plan school mental-health training and supervised peer support
The vetoed proposal would have agencies plan school mental-health training and supervised student peer support, with program funding still to be explored.
What it does
The proposal would have Vermont’s mental health department oversee training grants for school and afterschool staff, plus supervised student peer-support activities beginning July 1, 2028.
During the fiscal year 2028 budget process, state agencies would look for funding for the proposed programs, including possible use of existing special funds.
State agencies would list existing school mental-health services and recommend how to fit the proposed training and peer-support programs into them by January 15, 2027.
Argument forTraining could help school and afterschool staff build mental-health knowledge, while supervised peer connections might give students another way to find support.
Argument againstBecause the proposal only asks agencies to look for funding, the planned training and peer-support programs might not start on schedule.
More detail
The Department of Mental Health would oversee a grant program for mental-health training and a peer-support program. Training would serve educators, other school staff, and afterschool staff. Peer support would give students supervised opportunities to connect at school or in afterschool settings. The Department of Mental Health would work with the Agency of Education. The peer-support activities would have to take place in a supervised school or afterschool setting. The initiatives would take effect on July 1, 2028. The act itself would take effect on July 1, 2026.
The Department of Mental Health and the Agency of Education would explore possible funding sources and recommend how to pay for the proposed programs. The review would cover the mental-health training and peer-support programs described in the proposal. The agencies would consider whether existing special funds could support the programs. The text does not itself provide funding for the programs. The agencies would conduct this review as part of the fiscal year 2028 budget presentation.
The Department of Mental Health would submit an inventory of existing school mental-health programs and services and recommend how to integrate the proposed initiatives. The department would work with the Agency of Education and stakeholders and report to specified House and Senate committees. The inventory would cover existing mental-health programming and services in schools. The report would include a recommendation about integrating the proposed literacy and peer-support programs into those existing services. The report would be due on or before January 15, 2027.
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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 Phil Scott vetoed bill on June 17, 2026Latest
- May 29Vetoed by Governor Phil Scott on June 17, 2026Major
- May 29Delivered to Governor on June 11, 2026To Governor
- May 28House message: House concurred in Senate proposal of amendmentMinor
- May 26Senate proposal of amendment concurred inMinor
- May 26Rules suspended and taken up for immediate consideration as moved by Rep. McCoy of Poultney
- May 26Notice Calendar: Senate Proposal of AmendmentMinor
- May 22Senate Message: Passed in concurrence with proposal of amendmentMinor
- May 22Rules suspended & messaged to House forthwith, on motion of Senator Baruth
- May 22Read 3rd time & passed in concurrence with proposal of amendmentPassed 2nd Chamber
- May 22New Business/Third ReadingMinor
- May 213rd reading ordered
- May 21Proposal of amendment by Committee on Health and Welfare agreed toMinor
- May 21Reported favorably by Senator Lyons for Committee on AppropriationsMinor
- May 21Read 2nd time, reported favorably with proposal of amendment by Senator Gulick for Committee on Health and WelfareMinor
- May 21Favorable report by Committee on AppropriationsMinor
- May 21Favorable report with proposal of amendment by Committee on Health and WelfareMinor
- May 21Unfinished Business/Second ReadingMinor
- May 20Favorable report by Committee on AppropriationsMinor
- May 20Favorable report with proposal of amendment by Committee on Health and WelfareMinor
- May 20New Business/Second ReadingMinor
- May 19Favorable report by Committee on AppropriationsMinor
- May 19Favorable report with proposal of amendment by Committee on Health and WelfareMinor
- May 19Second ReadingMinor
- May 19Entered on Notice Calendar
- May 12Referred to Committee on Appropriations per Senate Rule 31
- May 12Favorable report with proposal of amendment by Committee on Health and WelfareMinor
- May 12Second ReadingMinor
- May 12Entered on Notice Calendar
- Mar 26Read 1st time & referred to Committee on Health and WelfareMinor
- Mar 24Read third time and passedPassed 1st Chamber
- Mar 24Rep. North of Ferrisburgh asked and was granted leave to withdraw amendment
- Mar 24Rep. North of Ferrisburgh moved to amend the bill
- Mar 24Action Calendar: Action postponed until March 24, 2026
- Mar 20Rep. Berbeco of Winooski moved to postpone action until March 24, 2026, which was agreed to
- Mar 20Action Calendar: Third ReadingMinor
- Mar 19Third Reading orderedMinor
- Mar 19Report of Committee on Health Care agreed to
- Mar 19Rep. Bluemle of Burlington recommended for the Committee on Appropriations
- Mar 19Rep. Berbeco of Winooski reported for the Committee on Health Care
- Mar 19Read second timeMinor
- Mar 19Action Calendar: Favorable with Amendment
- Mar 18Notice Calendar: Favorable with Amendment
- Mar 17Referred to Committee on Appropriations per Rule 35(a)
- Mar 17Notice Calendar: Favorable with Amendment
- Feb 17Rep. Conlon of Cornwall moved that the Committee on Education be relieved of the bill and that the same be committed to the Committee on Health Care, which was agreed to
- Jan 29Read first time and referred to the Committee on EducationIntroduced
Mental HealthEducationTaxes & Budget