An act relating to replacing statutory references to Vermont Psychiatric Survivors with MadFreedom, Inc.
H.29 is a technical and organizational bill that updates Vermont statutes to replace references to “Vermont Psychiatric Survivors” with “MadFreedom, Inc.” in several mental health- and equity-related bodies. The bill amends membership provisions for the Vermont Land Access and Opportunity Board, the Health Equity Advisory Commission, the Mental Health Crisis Response Commission, and the list of entities the Department must consult when developing mental health response service guidelines.
Substantively, the bill does not create new programs or change eligibility standards; instead, it changes the named organization authorized to appoint or consult with a member in each of the affected provisions. It also preserves the existing role of that seat or consultation relationship in state policy areas involving land access, health equity, crisis response, and municipal mental health response guidance. The act would take effect on July 1, 2025.
The bill would amend multiple sections of the Vermont Statutes Annotated in Titles 10 and 18 by substituting MadFreedom, Inc. for Vermont Psychiatric Survivors wherever those statutes identify the appointing or consulting entity. This affects board and commission membership language, but not the underlying duties, powers, or scope of the affected bodies. The practical impact is limited to updating statutory references so that the correct organization is recognized in appointments and consultations related to land access, health equity, and mental health crisis response.
The available materials suggest a neutral to supportive posture toward the bill, as it appears to be a housekeeping measure aligning statutory language with an organizational name change. There are no recorded votes or committee transcripts indicating opposition or controversy. Because the bill preserves existing policy structures rather than altering substantive rights or responsibilities, it appears to be the kind of update that typically draws little debate.
No specific points of contention are reflected in the provided record. If any concerns were to arise, they would likely be limited to whether the statutory references should be updated consistently across all affected provisions and whether MadFreedom, Inc. is the proper successor or replacement entity for Vermont Psychiatric Survivors. The bill text itself does not indicate disagreement over the underlying commissions, boards, or crisis-response guidelines.