State Policy Reform: Changing Vermont’s Approach to Drugs
Vermonters are pushing legislation and action to solve the overdose crisis. This includes decriminalizing drug use and ending criminal penalties for low-level drug possession, replacing them with a public-health approach. It also involves establishing drug-checking programs and overdose prevention centers statewide.
-
Act 178: Act Language & Act Summary
Act 178, passed in June 2024, is a vital step toward addressing Vermont’s overdose crisis. The law:
Permits the establishment of both fixed-location and mobile overdose prevention centers in the state of Vermont.
Permits a pilot program for an overdose prevention center (OPC) in Burlington, funded through opioid settlement money. The program includes comprehensive research and evaluation to ensure the center’s safety and effectiveness.
Provides state-level legal immunity to both individuals using overdose prevention centers and the service providers operating them, protecting them from criminal liability.
-
Criminalizing people for drug use has been shown to harm individuals psychologically, physically, and economically, creating barriers that make it harder to connect people with the services they need. The fear of arrest alone can push many away from lifesaving care. That's why we're pushing forward efforts to break these cycles of harm and support decriminalization. In the 2025–2026 biennium, Vermont legislators have introduced several bills aligned with this mission, including:
H.189 (Sponsors: Troy Headrick, Brian Cina, James Masland, Barbara Rachelson) An act relating to funding support services for persons who use drugs and eliminating misdemeanor criminal penalties for possessing or dispensing a personal use drug supply.
S.120 (Sponsors: Sen. Tanya Vyhovsky, Sen. Martine Gulick,Sen. Rebecca White) An act relating to funding support services for persons who use drugs and eliminating misdemeanor criminal penalties for possessing or dispensing a personal use drug supply
S.12 (Sponsor: Sen. Nader Hashim) An act relating to sealing criminal history records
-
There are key pieces of legislation for the 2025–2026 session that we are tracking, focused on overdose prevention, harm reduction, criminalization, recovery, medication for opioid use disorder, and more. Check out our regularly updated bill tracking document for more details on these important bills.
Take Action!
Join the Decriminalize Vermont Coalition. Decriminalize Vermont is a coalition of organizations and individual Vermonters committed to ending the harms of Vermont’s drug laws and promoting policies focused on health, equity, and human rights. Learn and here
Add your name to a list of supporters for the establishment of an overdose prevention Center in Burlington here
President Trump is expected to appoint a new U.S. Attorney for Vermont, which could jeopardize this important work, including the overdose prevention center. Vermont Senator Welch, who sits on the Senate Judiciary Committee, has the power to oppose appointments—so let’s urge him to prioritize candidates who support overdose prevention centers and non-punitive drug policies. Call his Burlington office at 802-863-2525 or email him at www.welch.senate.gov/email-peter. Find the email template and phone script here