The heat has broken, kids are back in school, and I for one am happy for both. Rep. Dolan and I will resume our weekly updates (we may miss some here and there) and, as always, welcome hearing from residents. Please don’t hesitate to reach out. Representative Lori Houghton (lhoughton@leg.state.vt.us) or Representative Dolan (kndolan@leg.state.vt.us).
This posting has repeats from previous updates – but all important even to post again. I’ve included information on a new homeowner assistance program and a new Essex Junction independence Q&A. HEALTH INSURANCE ACTION THROUGH OCTOBER 1 Vermonters can now pay less for health insurance purchased through Vermont's health insurance marketplace thanks to the federal American Rescue Plan Act. Whether you are enrolled in insurance through Vermont's health insurance marketplace, Vermont Health Connect, are enrolled directly with an insurance company, or don't currently have insurance, you can learn more at HTTPS://INFO.HEALTHCONNECT.VERMONT.GOV/ARPA or call 1-855-899-9600. Don't assume your income is too high to get help. Income eligibility thresholds are much higher now. People in single plans with incomes up to $94,500 and those in family plans with incomes up to $265,000 may qualify for financial help. Don't assume health insurance is too expensive just because you looked in the past. Individuals with income up to $38,000 per year and couples with income up to nearly $60,000 may qualify for plans with $0 monthly premiums. Is your income higher? Want to see your costs? Visit the Plan Comparison Tool. The law gives extra benefits to people who were eligible for unemployment compensation in 2021. VERMONT EMERGENCY RENTAL ASSISTANCE PROGRAM (VERAP) What is VERAP? This program was created to help renters dealing with financial challenges related to the COVID-19 pandemic. For eligible households, the program offers rental and utility assistance to help Vermonters avoid eviction or loss of utility service. ERAP was established by the Consolidated Appropriations Act 2021. What does VERAP include? VERAP helps tenant households with paying rent, past-due rent balances (also known as arrears), utility and home energy costs, utility and home energy cost arrears, and other expenses related to housing. Rent expenses include rent, rent arrears. Utilities include separately stated electricity, gas, water, sewer, trash removal and energy costs, such as fuel oil. VERAP will be accepting applications for rental assistance through 12/31/2021 or until the funds are depleted. Find out eligibility requirements, benefits and how to apply at: HTTPS://ERAP.VSHA.ORG VERMONT HOMEOWNER ASSISTANCE PROGRAM The federal American Rescue Plan Act provides up to $50 million for Vermont to provide relief for homeowners experiencing financial hardship after January 21, 2020. Using these funds, VHFA will launch the Vermont Homeowner Assistance Program this fall to prevent mortgage delinquencies and defaults, foreclosures, loss of utilities or home energy services and displacement. Although this program is not yet available, you can read more and subscribe to receive email notifications when the program opens at HTTPS://WWW.VHFA.ORG/NEWS/HAP MEDICAL DEBT PROJECT NEEDS YOUR STORIES The Office of Health Care Advocate (HCA), a project of Vermont Legal Aid, assists thousands of Vermonters each year with questions and problems related to health insurance and access to care. Through this work, they have identified medical debt as a major challenge facing many Vermonters. They have launched a story collection project to deepen their understanding of medical debt and how it impacts Vermont families’ health care decisions. Please complete their online survey to share how the cost of health care impacts your life. Participants will be entered into a raffle for $25 VISA gift cards to thank them for their time. The survey will take about 10 minutes to complete. If you prefer to verbally share your story or if you would like a printed copy of the survey, please call: 1-800-917-7787 ext. 297. The survey can be found at: HTTPS://VTLEGALAID.ORG/HCA-SURVEY ESSEX JUNCTION INDEPENDENCE Our Village, Our Voices is a citizen-led initiative to create a vision for the future of Essex Junction. This group's purpose is to educate and inform residents about the upcoming independence vote, listen to residents for input into the vision and values Essex Junction should hold, and to get out the vote for the upcoming November vote. In our weekly legislative updates, Representative Dolan and I will be posting one of the facts from their website https://www.ourvillageourvoices.org. Have a question about the why, the process or the history? The website has a contact section for asking your questions. QUESTION: When do we vote on separation? Is it in person at the polls or will we vote by mail? Answer: The vote will be Tuesday, November 2nd, 2021, at Essex High School. Along with in person voting, the Trustees voted unanimously at their August 24th meeting to mail ballots to all active registered voters. We will be voting to adopt a new charter for the City of Essex Junction which will make our municipality independent from the Town of Essex.
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I hope everyone is experiencing some relaxation and fresh air this summer. These FPF updates from Rep. Dolan and I may be off our normal schedule over the next month as we both take some time with our families before school starts backs up and legislative priorities once again become our focus.
As always, we welcome hearing from residents so don’t hesitate to reach out. Representative Lori Houghton (lhoughton@leg.state.vt.us) or Representative Dolan (kndolan@leg.state.vt.us). VERMONT EMERGENCY RENTAL ASSISTANCE PROGRAM (VERAP) What is VERAP? This program was created to help renters dealing with financial challenges related to the COVID-19 pandemic. For eligible households, the program offers rental and utility assistance to help Vermonters avoid eviction or loss of utility service. ERAP was established by the Consolidated Appropriations Act 2021. What does VERAP include? VERAP helps tenant households with paying rent, past-due rent balances (also known as arrears), utility and home energy costs, utility and home energy cost arrears, and other expenses related to housing. Rent expenses include rent, rent arrears. Utilities include separately stated electricity, gas, water, sewer, trash removal and energy costs, such as fuel oil. VERAP will be accepting applications for rental assistance through 12/31/2021 or until the funds are depleted. Find out eligibility requirements, benefits and how to apply at: Vermont State Housing Authority | Emergency Rental Assistance Program (vsha.org) MEDICAL DEBT PROJECT NEEDS YOUR STORIES The Office of Health Care Advocate (HCA), a project of Vermont Legal Aid, assists thousands of Vermonters each year with questions and problems related to health insurance and access to care. Through this work, they have identified medical debt as a major challenge facing many Vermonters. They have launched a story collection project to deepen their understanding of medical debt and how it impacts Vermont families’ health care decisions. Please complete their online survey to share how the cost of health care impacts your life. Participants will be entered into a raffle for $25 VISA gift cards to thank them for their time. The survey will take about 10 minutes to complete. If you prefer to verbally share your story or if you would like a printed copy of the survey, please call: 1-800-917-7787 ext. 297. The survey can be found at: https://www.vtlegalaid.org/hca-survey ESSEX JUNCTION INDEPENDENCE I’m taking a break this week from offering a Q&A from the Our Village, Our Voices website (https://www.ourvillageourvoices.org) to share information about the upcoming Town of Essex public forums. As you read the details below, please remember Village residents are also Town residents and it’s important to have Village voices heard at these public forums. The Essex Selectboard is hosting three facilitated public forums in August to hear from residents throughout the entire community on how to prepare for the Village of Essex Junction’s upcoming independence vote and subsequent Vermont Legislative decision on the creation of an independent City of Essex Junction. Wednesday August 4 6:30 pm to 8:00 pm Memorial Hall, 5 Towers Road Overflow parking at Essex Free Library and Essex Elementary School Friday August 6 12:00 pm to 1:00 pm Online only via Microsoft Teams Meeting link available at www.essexvt.org/publicforums Saturday August 21 9:00 am to 10:30 am Town Offices, 81 Main Street LEGISLATIVE UPDATE: NURSE LICENSURE COMPACT – Act No. 64 (S.48) With the session now firmly behind us I will use my bi-weekly update to highlight some of the lesser-known actions taken this past year. Our state, as most in the country, has a healthcare workforce shortage. The Rural Health Task Force submitted a report to the legislature in January 2020 identifying a need for 5000 nursing related positions in VT. This year we passed Act No. 64 (S.48) an act relating to Vermont’s adoption of the interstate Nurse Licensure Compact. In the simplest terms entering the Compact authorizes Registered Nurses and Licensed Practical Nurses/Vocational Nurses to practice in each state that is a party to the Compact without having to obtain a license in each state. 34 states are currently compact members, including NH and ME. A nurse must meet the Compact requirements to obtain a Compact multistate license, including a criminal background check, meeting education and exam requirements, meeting the home state’s qualifications for licensure, and having a valid U.S. social security number. Entering into the Compact improves Vermonter’s access to care by allowing nurses in NH to provide telehealth services to Vermonters, removing a barrier to those nurses who want to live NH and but work in VT, and it will make recruiting nurses to VT easier by eliminating a licensing barrier. Act 64 brings Vermont in line with the vast majority of states in licensing nurses and makes Vermont a more attractive home state for nurses. It has the potential to help us keep more of the nurses we graduate from VT nursing schools. Each week I hear from residents who have ideas or questions on how to fix a problem, who want to know how to lend a hand to others, and who are just curious about the happenings in Montpelier. I had one of these conversations just this morning. It's these people and conversations that inspire me to dig into our policies and systems to ensure they are really helping Vermonters and that they embrace the values of our community. I welcome hearing from residents on how we can move forward as a community and state. Please feel free to reach out to me (lhoughton@leg.state.vt.us) or Representative Dolan (kndolan@leg.state.vt.us).
HEALTH INSURANCE ACTION Vermonters can now pay less for health insurance purchased through Vermont's health insurance marketplace thanks to the federal American Rescue Plan Act. Whether you are enrolled in insurance through Vermont's health insurance marketplace, Vermont Health Connect, are enrolled directly with an insurance company, or don't currently have insurance, you can learn more at https://info.healthconnect.vermont.gov/ARPA or call 1-855-899-9600. You can also join the July 28th Town Hall at noon to learn more. The link to join is on the website provided above. Don't assume your income is too high to get help. Income eligibility thresholds are much higher now. People in single plans with incomes up to $94,500 and those in family plans with incomes up to $265,000 may qualify for financial help. Did you or someone in your household get unemployment in 2021? You may get the most help, no matter how much you make. There's a lot more financial help now. Don't assume health insurance is too expensive just because you looked in the past. Individuals with income up to $38,000 per year and couples with income up to nearly $60,000 may qualify for plans with $0 monthly premiums. Is your income higher? Want to see your costs? Visit the Plan Comparison Tool. The law gives extra benefits to people who were eligible for unemployment compensation in 2021. Was someone in your household eligible for regular Unemployment Compensation or Pandemic Emergency Unemployment Compensation? Extended Unemployment Compensation or Pandemic Unemployment Assistance? You may qualify for an Enhanced Silver 94 plan. These plans have the lowest out-of-pocket costs. See the Unemployment Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) for more information. ESSEX COMMUNITY RESOURCE BROCHURE Thanks to Essex Chips, the community resource brochure originally created years ago by Bridget Meyer, Liz Subin and myself is still going strong with more resources added this year. The brochure can be found here: http://www.essexchips.org/community-brochure. If your organization would like printed copies of the brochure to distribute, please send an email to sarah@essexchips.org with how many you'd like. If you know other organizations that could benefit from receiving the brochure, please let me know. Let's get this resource guide out into the Essex community! Please share! ESSEX JUNCTION INDEPENDENCE Our Village, Our Voices is a citizen-led initiative to create a vision for the future of Essex Junction. This group's purpose is to educate and inform residents about the upcoming separation vote, listen to residents for input into the vision and values Essex Junction should hold, and to get out the vote for the upcoming November vote. In our weekly legislative updates, Representative Dolan and I will be posting one of the facts from their website https://www.ourvillageourvoices.org. Have a question about the why, the process or the history? The website has a contact section for asking your questions. QUESTION: Does the Village of Essex Junction government have the expertise and resources to become a city? Short answer: Yes. The Village has been operating as a full service, self-governing, and self-sustaining municipality since 1893. The only hurdles for becoming a city are (1) voter approval and (2) legislative approval at the state level and its related political challenges (see the question about what happens after we vote on the charter). There are no financial, operational, or technical barriers preventing Essex Junction's transition from village to city. For a longer answer please visit www.ourvillageourvoices.org. There are also two great events coming up to learn more. Again, check out their website under events for more information. Hope everyone had a wonderful weekend. In our house we celebrated high school graduations and our country’s independence with family and friends. We also talked about our country's continued quest to firmly instill in our culture and our systems that all people are created equal. We have much work to be done and I’m honored that residents in Essex Junction have put their faith in me to help craft and implement policies that embrace this fundamental value in all Vermont’s systems. I welcome hearing from residents on how we can move forward as a community and state.
Please feel free to reach out to me (lhoughton@leg.state.vt.us) or Representative Dolan (kndolan@leg.state.vt.us). ESSEX JUNCTION INDEPENDENCE Our Village, Our Voices is a citizen-led initiative to create a vision for the future of Essex Junction. This group’s purpose is to educate and inform residents about the upcoming separation vote, listen to residents for input into the vision and values Essex Junction should hold, and to get out the vote for the upcoming November vote. In our weekly legislative updates, Representative Dolan and I will be posting one of the facts from their website www.ourvillageourvoices.org. Have a question about the why, the process or the history? The website has a contact section for asking your questions. Question: Other than possible tax savings, what might be some of the other benefits of becoming a city? Answer: The people of Essex Junction will be served by a government focused solely on their needs. All the municipal tax revenues collected from Essex Junction taxpayers will go directly to helping provide and improve most of the services they use and depend on, such as parks and recreation, water and sewer services, public works and street maintenance, community planning, library services, and fire safety. I want to also draw your attention to the blog section on their website. The first article is a timeline of all the various merger and separation votes in our community dating back to 1958. You can also follow the Trustees work at www.essexjunction.org/independence. LEGISLATIVE UPDATE: TELEHEALTH FOCUS - ACT 21 With the session now firmly behind us I will use my bi-weekly update to highlight some of the lesser known actions taken this past year. This featured piece of legislation requires a bit of context. In January 2020 I introduced a bill to expand Vermont’s telehealth policies. As we took testimony that year it was evident that opening up the medical professions that could operate via telehealth and by ensuring that doctor’s receive equal reimbursement for a telehealth visit as an inpatient visit, with the appropriate patient protections, that we could increase accessibility. Days before the Statehouse shutdown due to COVID-19 the House passed this legislation with a 5 year sunset of the equal reimbursement. We felt it would take that long for doctor’s offices to build the technology and for both doctors and patients to feel comfortable with telehealth visits. This telehealth legislation (House bill 723) became a key component in our COVID emergency legislation (House bill 742) signed by the Governor on March 30, 2020. As people reached out during the pandemic to share their stories, it became evident that telehealth allowed some people to receive health treatment for the first time, opened more opportunities for youth and adults to receive mental health care and as we moved out of the pandemic ensured transportation and day-care issues were not an impediment to receiving care. Since some of the provisions of the expanded telehealth policies would end with the pandemic, this session I co-sponsored H104 to facilitate the interstate practice of health care professionals using telehealth. The legislation that passed and became Act 21 formed a Telehealth Working Group to compile and evaluate methods for facilitating the interstate practice of health care professionals using telehealth modalities, including through the creation of telehealth licenses, waiver of licensure, national licensure compacts, and regional reciprocity agreements. The working group also must consider the impacts and ethical considerations related to patient care, whether to limit the practice to preexisting patient relationships, the effects of prescribing medications and other issues relevant to the interstate practice of health care professionals. The working group will provide their findings and recommendations by December 15th, 2021. During testimony this session we heard from many Vermonters, particularly related to mental health treatment, how the opening of opportunities for care provided by telehealth during the pandemic needed to be continued. Accessibility is key in our quest to build a better healthcare system. I look forward to following the working group this summer and digging into the recommendations next session. Happy end of school to all our kids, parents, teachers, and school staff! I know the school year was exhausting for many people for a variety of reasons. Hoping everyone can find some time to breath and relax as nicer weather blankets Vermont.
The legislature is gearing up for a veto session next week. We will be voting to overturn the Governor’s veto on the Winooski and Montpelier charter changes and S.107. The House passed S.79 on the last day of session but rules were not suspended to advance the bill at that time. The Senate will vote on S.79 this week as well. We are continuing in our zoom community, and you can stream the proceedings at this link: Vermont House of Representatives - YouTube. If you want to review the bills you can do so at this link: Bill, Act & Resolution Search (vermont.gov) Rep. Dolan and I will continue to be available throughout the summer and fall for questions and to gather your input on important issues for next session. Please do not hesitate to reach out. Our contact information is: lhoughton@leg.state.vt.us or KNDolan@leg.state.vt.us. CHILD TAX CREDIT AVAILABLE TO FAMILIES WHO DO NOT FILE TAX RETURNS – ACTION NEEDED Starting July 15th the IRS will begin sending monthly checks to those eligible under the expanded child tax credit passed in the American Recue Plan. The credit is increasing to $3,600 for children under the age of 6, $3,000 for children aged 6 to 17, and $500 for youth age 18-24 who are full-time students. This credit is available to anyone who meets the guidelines including families who do not file tax returns. Use the link below to find more information and to notify the IRS of eligibility or changed circumstances such as permanent residence or child custody changes. If you are not required to file tax returns, this link allows you to provide necessary information to the IRS to receive the Advanced Child Tax Credit. Advance Child Tax Credit Payments in 2021 | Internal Revenue Service (irs.gov) DEPARTMENT OF LABOR JOB CENTERS OPENING: The Vermont Department of Labor is re-opening local Job Centers across Vermont for in-person services and will be offering both walk-in and by-appointment-only hours. The Burlington Job Centers will open immediately for in-person services. Staff at Job Centers across the state support jobseekers and employers with all aspects of employment, training and hiring, and include job training and upskilling opportunities, resume writing, mock interviews, hiring events and recruitment support. A variety of virtual services will continue to be offered for job seekers and employers. Job Center staff are not able to assist individuals with unemployment insurance related inquiries. Individuals with questions regarding their unemployment claims should contact the UI Claimant Assistance Center at 877-214-3332. More information on resources available to Vermont job seekers and employers may be found at labor.vermont.gov/workforce-development. VACCINATIONS Although the Governor has lifted all COVID-19 restrictions, vaccination clinics will still be widely available across the state. All Vermonters age 12 and older can find the schedule for daily walk-in clinics, or can register for an appointment at Getting the COVID-19 Vaccine | Vermont Department of Health (healthvermont.gov) More information on the Vermont Forward Plan can be found here: Vermont Forward Plan | Vermont.gov VERMONT HEALTH INSURANCE SPECIAL ENROLLMENT PERIOD OPEN UNTIL OCTOBER 1ST AND EXPANDED FINANCIAL HELP Vermont is extending the Special Enrollment Period for Vermont’s health insurance marketplace to October 1, 2021. The extension will allow Vermonters who do not currently have health insurance to enroll through the marketplace and take advantage of new financial help available under the American Rescue Plan Act. The additional financial help, through expanded premium tax credits, is only available through Vermont’s health insurance marketplace. “The recent federal changes mean that a family of 3 with an annual income of $100,000 may now qualify for nearly $1,200 in tax credits for every month they are enrolled in health insurance through the State’s marketplace - that’s more than $14,000 per year in additional financial help,” said Michael K. Smith, Secretary of the Agency of Human Services. To learn more about financial help under the new changes, visit Vermont’s health insurance marketplace at American Rescue Plan Act FAQ | Vermont Health Connect and click on the updated Plan Comparison Tool. Vermonters may also call the Customer Support Center at 1-855-899-9600 if they have questions or contact a trained Assister for support. It’s such an honor and pleasure serving Essex Junction. Thank you. Be kind to each other and yourself. Rep. Lori Houghton www.lorihoughton.com |