§ 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.
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