General Provisions

V.S.A. tit. 18, ch. 1, subch. 1

in effect

18 V.S.A. § 1 General powers of Department of Health

1. General powers of Department of Health In accordance with this title, the Department of Health shall have power to supervise and direct the execution of all laws relating to public health and substance abuse. Amended 2005, No. 174 (Adj. Sess.), § 34a; 2007, No. 15, § 8; 2023, No. 6, § 88, eff. July 1, 2023.

18 V.S.A. § 2 Definitions

2. Definitions The following words and phrases, as used in this title, will have the following meanings unless the context otherwise requires: (1) “Department” means the Department of Health. (2) [Repealed.] (3) “Commissioner” means the Commissioner of Health or the Commissioner’s designee. (4) “Health officer” means the Commissioner of Health, the Commissioner’s designee, or a local or district health officer. (5) “Local board of health” means the local health officer, with the selectboard of the town or city council of a city. (6) “Palliative care” means interdisciplinary care given to improve the quality of life of patients and their families facing the problems associated with a serious medical condition. Palliative care through the continuum of illness involves addressing physical, cognitive, emotional, psychological, and spiritual needs and facilitating patient autonomy, access to information, and choice. (7) “Permit” means any permit or license issued pursuant to this title. (8) “Person” means any individual, company, corporation, association, partnership, the U.S. government or any department or agency thereof, and the State of Vermont or any department, agency, subdivision, or municipality thereof. (9) “Public health hazard” means the potential harm to the public health by virtue of any condition or any biological, chemical, or physical agent. In determining whether a health hazard is public or private, the Commissioner shall consider at least the following factors: (A) the number of persons at risk; (B) the characteristics of the person or persons at risk; (C) the characteristics of the condition or agent which is the source of potential harm; (D) the availability of private remedies; (E) the geographical area and characteristics thereof where the condition or agent which is the source of the potential harm or the receptors exist; and (F) Department policy as established by rule or agency procedure. (10) “Public health risk” means the probability of experiencing a public health hazard. (11) “Selectboard,” in the context of this title, includes trustees of an incorporated village, or a city council when appropriate. (12) “Significant public health risk” means a public health risk of such magnitude that the Commissioner or a local health officer has reason to believe that it must be mitigated. The magnitude of the risk is a factor of the characteristics of the public health hazard and the degree and the circumstances of exposure to such public health hazard. Amended 1959, No. 329 (Adj. Sess.), § 27, eff. March 1, 1961; 1977, No. 147 (Adj. Sess.); 1985, No. 267 (Adj. Sess.), § 2; 2009, No. 25, § 2; 2023, No. 53, § 17, eff. June 8, 2023; 2023, No. 85 (Adj. Sess.), § 37, eff. July 1, 2024.

18 V.S.A. § 4 Agencies and employees

4. Agencies and employees The Commissioner may set up such departmental agencies, to be known as divisions, as may be needed to effect the full purpose of the consolidation herein made, and to make the service rendered by the Department of the highest possible efficiency, and may employ such division directors, such institution superintendents and personnel, and such clerical assistants, not otherwise authorized by law, as may be needed to maintain proper operation of the several departments and functions herein consolidated, and may, subject to the approval of the Commissioner of Human Resources, fix the compensation and expense allowance of such employees. Amended 1959, No. 329 (Adj. Sess.), § 27, eff. March 1, 1961; 2003, No. 156 (Adj. Sess.), § 15; 2023, No. 53, § 18, eff. June 8, 2023.

18 V.S.A. § 5 Duties of Department of Health

5. Duties of Department of Health The Department of Health shall: (1) Conduct studies, develop State plans, and administer programs and State plans for hospital survey and construction, hospital operation and maintenance, medical care, and treatment of substance abuse. (2) Provide methods of administration and such other action as may be necessary to comply with the requirements of federal acts and regulations as relate to studies, development of plans and administration of programs in the fields of health, public health, health education, hospital construction and maintenance, and medical care. (3) Appoint advisory councils, with the approval of the Governor. (4) Cooperate with necessary federal agencies in securing federal funds that become available to the State for all prevention, public health, wellness, and medical programs. (5) Seek accreditation through the Public Health Accreditation Board. (6) Create a State Health Improvement Plan and facilitate local health improvement plans in order to encourage the design of healthy communities and to promote policy initiatives that contribute to community, school, and workplace wellness, which may include providing assistance to employers for wellness program grants, encouraging employers to promote employee engagement in healthy behaviors, and encouraging the appropriate use of the health care system. (7) Serve as the leader on State rental housing health laws. (8) Provide policy assistance and technical support to municipalities concerning the implementation and enforcement of State rental housing health and safety laws. Amended 2011, No. 48, § 26, eff. May 26, 2011; amended 2019, No. 48, § 5.

18 V.S.A. § 6 Interfering with health officers; penalty

6. Interfering with health officers; penalty A person who in any way interferes with a local health officer; or the director, chemist, or inspectors of the State laboratory in the performance of their duties under this title shall be fined not more than $50.00 for the first offense and for each subsequent offense shall be fined $100.00. Amended 1959, No. 329 (Adj. Sess.), § 27, eff. March 1, 1961; 2023, No. 53, § 19, eff. June 8, 2023.

18 V.S.A. § 7 General penalty

7. General penalty A person who violates a provision of this title for which no other penalty is provided shall be fined not more than $100.00 nor less than $50.00.

18 V.S.A. § 8 Prosecutions; penalties

8. Prosecutions; penalties The State’s Attorney to whom the Commissioner of Health reports a violation of this title shall cause proceedings to be commenced and prosecution in the proper court without delay for the enforcement of penalties as in such case provided. Amended 1959, No. 329 (Adj. Sess.), § 27, eff. March 1, 1961; 2023, No. 53, § 20, eff. June 8, 2023.

18 V.S.A. § 9 Blood donations

9. Blood donations A person who is 16 years of age or over shall have legal capacity, without consent or authorization of the person’s parent or guardian, to donate blood and to consent to the withdrawal of blood from his or her body, in connection with any voluntary blood donation program under which no compensation is paid or received. Added 1973, No. 166 (Adj. Sess.), eff. March 22, 1974; amended 1975, No. 136 (Adj. Sess.), § 1, eff. Feb. 17, 1976; 2011, No. 86 (Adj. Sess.), § 1, eff. April 24, 2012.

18 V.S.A. § 12 Provision of information regarding contraceptives

12. Provision of information regarding contraceptives In order to prevent or reduce unintended pregnancies and sexually transmitted diseases, the Department of Health, in partnership with health care providers and health insurers, shall communicate to adolescents and other individuals of reproductive age information regarding contraceptive access and coverage. Added 2019, No. 157 (Adj. Sess.), § 5, eff. Nov. 1, 2020.

18 V.S.A. § 13 Community Violence Prevention Program

13. Community Violence Prevention Program (a)(1) There is established the Community Violence Prevention Program to be administered by the Department of Health in consultation and collaboration with the Chief Prevention Officer, the Department of Public Safety, the Director of Violence Prevention, the Executive Director of Racial Equity, and the Council for Equitable Youth Justice. The Program shall work with communities to implement innovative, evidence-based, and evidence-informed programs addressing causes of youth and community violence. (2) Grants awarded pursuant to this section shall be at the discretion of the Commissioner of Health. Preference shall be given to communities where there has been an increase in violence associated with illegal drug sales and trafficking, gang activity, or human trafficking. Grants shall: (A) build on and complement existing programs addressing the causes of youth and community violence; and (B) be for the purpose of funding efforts that address violence and associated community harm using approaches that may include the following: (i) best available research evidence; (ii) experiential evidence; (iii) contextual evidence; (iv) lived experience of impacted communities; (v) trauma-responsive programming; and (vi) other qualitative or quantitative factors that may inform the decision making of the Commissioner. (b)(1) A Vermont municipality or nonprofit organization may submit an application for a Community Violence Prevention Program grant to the Commissioner of Health. Grants awarded under this section shall be for the purpose of funding innovative, evidence-based, or evidence-informed approaches to reducing violence and associated community harm. (2) The Commissioner of Health, in consultation with the Department of Public Safety and the Executive Director of Racial Equity, shall develop and publish guidelines for the award of Community Violence Prevention Program grants. The guidelines shall include a focus on increasing community capacity to implement approaches for human services, public health, and public safety collaboration to address root causes of community violence and substance use through data-driven projects. (c) The Community Violence Prevention Program shall collect data to monitor youth and community violence and its related risk and protective factors and to evaluate the impact of prevention efforts and shall use the data to plan and implement programs. The Program shall use monitoring and evaluation data to track the impact of interventions. (d) [Repealed.] Added 2023, No. 23, § 10, eff. May 30, 2023; amended 2025, No. 116 (Adj. Sess.), § 1, eff. July 1, 2026.

Source: Vermont General Assembly (legislature.vermont.gov)URL: https://legislature.vermont.gov/statutes/chapter/18/001Fetched: 10/21/2026