Vermont prohibits hospitals from denying care or admission based on vaccination status

Original title: An act relating to a hospital patient’s right not to be denied care based on vaccination status

Last action · February 19, 2025: Read first time and referred to the Committee on Health CareSponsors: Gregory Burtt and 12 others

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What This Bill Would Do

Vermont hospitals are prohibited from denying patient admission, care, or services based solely on vaccination status, taking effect immediately upon passage.

Why it matters

Establishes a statutory right for patients regarding medical admissions and treatment access, altering how hospitals evaluate individuals seeking care.

Who It Would Affect

Groups the bill's text would affect if enacted, as described in the record. Being affected is not a position for or against it.

Directly affected

Hospital patients

Patients gain the statutory right to receive admission, care, and services regardless of their vaccination status.

Directly affected

Hospitals

Hospitals are prohibited from using a patient's vaccination status as the sole reason to deny admission, care, or services.

Key Facts

Adds a new provision to the Bill of Rights for Hospital Patients ensuring individuals cannot be denied admission, care, or services based solely on vaccination status.
Amends 18 V.S.A. § 1852 by inserting subsection (19).
Takes effect immediately upon passage.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can a Vermont hospital refuse to admit me if I am unvaccinated?

No. Under this bill, hospitals are prohibited from denying admission, care, or services based solely on a patient's vaccination status.

When does this change take effect?

The act takes effect upon passage.

What else do you want to know?

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Where This Stands

Currently in committee. The next step in the legislative lifecycle is Floor Vote.

Procedural history

1 action

Feb 19, 2025HouseIntroduced
Read first time and referred to the Committee on Health Care

Version history

Only one version on file - nothing to compare yet. As later stages (committee substitute, engrossed, enrolled) are captured, the redline appears here.

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