Senate advances bill to let doctoral psychologists prescribe certain psychiatric medications

The Vermont Senate on the floor advanced H237, an act to authorize prescribing by doctoral-level psychologists, and ordered the bill to third reading after concurring with the Health & Welfare committee's amendment.

The bill, described by the senator from Chittenden Central as a response to a statewide mental-health provider shortage, would allow a psychologist who satisfies postdoctoral pharmacology training, clinical rotations (including psychiatry, geriatrics, family/internal medicine, emergency medicine and neurology), and a national certifying exam to apply for a prescribing specialty from the Board of Psychological Examiners. The measure also requires a written collaborative agreement with a collaborating practitioner and limits prescriptive authority to drugs the collaborating practitioner provides in the normal course of practice; injectables are not included in the bill's scope.

"To be clear, this bill will not solve the problem, but it will be one more tool in the toolbox to ease the potential harms of provider shortage," the senator from Chittenden Central said during the report. She cited an OPR (Office of Professional Regulation) sunrise report (January 2025) and noted that prescribing psychologists have been implemented in other U.S. jurisdictions, including some states and the military, as background for the proposal.

Key provisions outlined on the floor include: eligibility requirements tied to a current doctoral-level psychology license; completion of specified postdoctoral coursework and clinical rotations; passage of a national certifying exam as determined by rule; a collaborative agreement filed with the board; and a provision allowing the board director to grant specialty recognition without examination to applicants already authorized in another U.S. jurisdiction or Canada with substantially similar requirements. The bill also requires OPR to report by November 15, 2032 on the number of prescribing psychologists, availability of collaborative practitioners, and whether qualification updates are needed to balance access and public protection.

On timing, the senator explained that portions of the bill would take effect on staggered dates: sections 2 and 5 on July 1, 2026, and sections 1, 3 and 4 on July 1, 2029. Committee witnesses listed during the report included Representative Francis McF, staff from legislative counsel and OPR, and representatives from the Vermont Medical Society, the Vermont Psychiatric Association, academic pharmacy, practicing clinicians and psychological associations.

The Senate substituted and adopted the Health & Welfare committee's amendment and then voted to order H237 to third reading; sponsors indicated a further amendment would be introduced at third reading. The bill's next steps are third reading (scheduled for the next floor day) and any additional amendments offered by proponents.