Vermont § 9604 - Duties of State agencies

§ 9604. Duties of State agencies

• (a) It is the intent of the General Assembly that State agencies shall seek input from
  the Office of the Health Care Advocate when developing or revising significant matters
  of State policy affecting health care access and affordability in order to ensure
  that Vermonters’ perspectives are heard and considered through the voice of their
  independent advocate. (b) State agencies shall facilitate the Office’s meaningful participation in health care
  policymaking by complying with reasonable requests from the Office for information,
  assistance, and access. A request shall be considered reasonable if it relates to
  the Office’s statutory duties and authority. (1) When appropriate, State agencies shall allow the Office to access confidential or
  proprietary information that is otherwise exempt from public inspection and copying
  under the Public Records Act and to participate in meetings, deliberations, and proceedings
  in which confidential or proprietary information is discussed; provided, however,
  that nothing in this section shall require a State agency to provide or disclose information
  that is prohibited from disclosure by State or federal law or that would cause the
  provider or discloser to violate any statutory or common law privilege. (2) The Office shall not further disclose any confidential or proprietary information
  provided to the Office. (c) The Agency of Human Services may adopt rules necessary to ensure the cooperation of
  State agencies under this section. (Added 2013, No. 79, § 35a, eff. Jan. 1, 2014; amended 2017, No. 85, § E.300.7, eff. June 28, 2017; 2025, No. 6, § 3, eff. July 1, 2025.)