In this first episode of 2026, we talk with Vermont State Representative Ashley Bartley, 2025 AllPaths Advocacy Award winner, about her intertwined journey of family building and political service. Ashley, a fourth-generation Vermonter, recounts her personal experience with pregnancy loss and how the desire to grow her family eventually led her to seek public office, in fact making the decision to run for office while she was in labor. Now a champion for legislative reforms aimed at improving the lives of growing Vermont families, Ashley emphasizes how housing, workforce retention, and healthcare are interconnected issues that affect the state’s ability to support young families.
Our conversation highlights Bartley’s advocacy for bill H.302, which would require private and public insurance in Vermont to provide coverage for fertility care. She explains how this legislation is vital for the state’s economy and workforce, as it will help retain younger residents who might otherwise relocate to neighboring states for better reproductive health benefits, as Vermont is the only remaining state in the Northeast that does not have a fertility insurance law. She urges listeners, both Vermonters and those who live outside of the state, to become “squeaky wheels” in the effort to ensure these family building supports move off the “wall” and into law. Together our persistence and shared effort can help support the collective “family that is Vermont”.
For the latest on Vermont Fertility Advocacy efforts, visit the VT Advocacy section of our website and join the Vermont Fertility Advocacy group on Facebook.
To share your story and support of H.302 with Ashley directly, you can email her at abartley@leg.state.vt.us.
Ashley Bartley is a second-term legislator in the Vermont House of Representatives, committed to strengthening families, expanding opportunity, and ensuring government works for the people it serves. Ashley brings a practical, people-centered approach to policy, shaped by her professional and life experiences as a life long Vermonter, HR Professional and most importantly a mother.
Her advocacy focuses on housing affordability, maternal and women’s health, pay equity, and economic development—issues she believes are central to Vermont’s long-term stability and quality of life. Ashley is the lead sponsor of H.302, legislation expanding insurance and Medicaid coverage for fertility care, reflecting her commitment to supporting families and improving access to reproductive health care. In the legislature, she is known for her collaborative, solutions-oriented leadership and her ability to bridge perspectives to advance thoughtful, responsible policy.
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