Week 10 Legislative Update

The daily schedule has definitely changed.  We spent much of our week on the house floor voting on bills that passed out of committee prior to crossover.  In the healthcare committee we had two bills pass over to the Senate:  H83 Act relating to female genital cutting (FGC) and H528 The Rural Health Services Task Force.
 
Regarding H83, In 1996 Congress passed legislation prohibiting female genital cutting (FGC).  This past fall, a federal judge in the Eastern District of Michigan dismissed a case against two doctors and others who were charged with violating the statute.   The judge found that Congress overstepped its bounds by legislating to prohibit FGC because under our federal system of government, local criminal activity is for the states to regulate, not Congress.   The case is on appeal, but the District Court ruling is likely to reduce or eliminate the chances of it being used by federal prosecutors around the country, and signals that the states need to regulate FGC if they want to prohibit the act.  This is an important piece of legislation.
 
Regarding H528, rural health care systems are facing challenges all throughout the country.  More than 100 rural hospitals have closed in the US since 2010, and here in Vermont at least one critical-access hospital is facing financial crisis.  While we are concerned about the future of Vermont’s rural hospitals, we also recognize that the rural health care continuum consists of many more service providers than just hospitals.  These service providers are often interwoven into networks of care.  So H528 creates a Task Force to bring together representatives from the different components of the rural health care continuum, and would ask the members of the Task Force to think boldly about the future of this system.

A bill of importance to many in our community and the broader state is H531 - an act relating to Vermont’s child care and early learning system.  The House Human Services committee voted unanimously out of committee and is headed to the house floor this week.  The Human Services Committee views this legislation as a first step in addressing the current child care crisis in Vermont. If it becomes law, it will be part of a multi-year strategy to improve and strengthen child care laws and regulations, a priority of both the Legislature and the Administration. H. 531, does the following:

•  Invests $10.5 million in VT’s child care and learning system;
  
• Expands income eligibility for child care for low and middle-income families;
  
• Increases reimbursement rates to child care providers from 2008 levels to 2015 levels for pre-school and school age children;
• Includes a student loan repayment program and funds scholarships for early educators to further professional development;
  
• Invests in infrastructure and technology redesign of the Child Care Financial Assistance Program (CCFAP); and
•  Creates an exemption from certain educational requirements for child care  business owners and teachers who have worked in the field 10 or more years.

The goal is to create more favorable conditions for Vermont families to access affordable, high-quality child care, so parents who want or need to work can which will also provide a continuing, robust supply of experienced workers for Vermont businesses.
 
I’m excited to share two upcoming events:

Please join the Essex Democrats Open House, Saturday March 30th 6-7:30 at Brownell Library, Kolvoord Room, 6 Lincoln St Essex Junction.  Local residents are invited to learn more about the Essex Democrats, consider joining the committee, meet current members, and get up to speed on issues.  This event is free and open to the public.  Light refreshments will be served.  See the facebook event link here for more details:  https://www.facebook.com/events/2196573720606128/.

Our next community conversation will be April 13th from 8:00am to 9:30am at Sweet Alchemy located at 45 Upper Main St.  This is a time to talk with your Essex area representatives about issues of importance to you.

I look forward to hearing from residents, so please reach out with comments or questions! Thank you for the continued opportunity to serve Essex Junction!