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LEGISLATIVE COMMITTEE BLOG
March 18– March 22, 2024
Note: Legislative Committee Agendas are updated frequently throughout each day. The latest committee schedule can be found on this link. A list of weekly hearings for all committees can be found here.
House Committee Work
Agriculture, Food Resiliency, & Forestry – will spend Wednesday morning considering a report on the Best Management Practices for the Use of Insecticide Treated Article Seeds. The rest of the week will be dedicated to the House Floor.
Appropriations – On Monday they will review the following bills: H.706, an act banning the use of neonicotinoid pesticides; H.622, an act relating to EMS; H.657, an act relating to modernizing Vermont’s taxes and fees; H.702, an act relating to legislative operations and government accountability; and, H.612, an act relating to miscellaneous cannabis amendments. Tuesday they will review the House Human Services Memo with the remaining schedule TBA.
Commerce and Economic Development – will hear from the Vermont Economic Progress Council, consider H.659, an act relating to captive insurance, receive report and program overviews on Property Records Modernization, Community Development Financial Institutions, Career Tech Ed Construction and Rehabilitation Revolving Loan Fund, and the Unemployment Insurance Trust Fund.
Corrections and Institutions – will devote most of the week to the Governor’s Capital Budget Adjustment.
Education – will devote the week to discussion of school budgets and the Education Fund.
Environment and Energy – will discuss a Right of Way proposed amendment to H.657, an act relating to the modernization of Vermont’s communications taxes and fees. They will consider S.199, an act relating to mergers and governance of communications union districts, with a possible vote on Wednesday. The remaining week is TBA.
General and Housing – is anticipating much of their week will be on the House Floor with their schedule TBA.
Government Operations and Military Affairs – will consider H.862, Town of Barre Charter, and H.869, Brandon Fire District 1 and 2 merger. The rest of the week is TBA.
Health Care – will hear an update on Act 119, Free Care, Bad Debt, and Uncompensated Care. On Wednesday the committee will take up S.109, an act relating to Medicaid coverage for doula services. They will hear about Healthcare Cybersecurity, the Age Strong Vermont Plan, discuss the psychiatric residential treatment facility, VITL and the Vermont Health Information Exchange.
Human Services – will get a walkthrough and spend the week on S.25, an act relating to regulating cosmetic and menstrual products containing PFAS substances.
Judiciary – will work on S.190, an act relating to statements made by a child victim of an offense involving serious bodily injury, and S.278, an act relating to prohibiting a comparative negligence defense in an action for a negligence claim relating to a sexual act or sexual conduct.
Transportation – will continue work on S.309, an act relating to miscellaneous changes to DMV, motor vehicles, and vessels. They will also discuss automobile inspections and review the 2021 Vermont Speed Safety Cameras at Work Zones Report.
Ways & Means – Among the bills up for consideration this week: H.829, an act relating to creating permanent upstream eviction protections; H.687 (Act 250), an act relating to community resilience and biodiversity protection through land use; H.871, an act relating to the development of an updated State aid to school construction program; H.873, PCB testing in schools; and H.769, an act relating to establishing a baby bond trust program.
Senate Committee Work
Agriculture – will consider H.81, an act relating to fair repair of agricultural equipment.
Appropriations – TBA.
Economic Development, Housing and General Affairs – TBA.
Education – will continue work on S.220, an act relating to Vermont’s public libraries, and S.203, an act relating to the appointment of State Board of Education members.
Finance – TBA.
Government Operations – TBA.
Health and Welfare – TBA.
Institutions – TBA.
Judiciary – will hold a possible vote on Prop 4 – declaration of rights; government for the people; equality of rights. They will also hear testimony on H.694, an act relating to sexual exploitation. They will spend much of the week reviewing the budget lines under their jurisdiction.
Natural Resources and Energy – will take testimony on S.311, a housing bill, and S.308, an act relating to updates to land use planning.
Transportation – will take testimony on a Right of Way Usage Fee, and continue work on the FY 2025 Transportation Program.
It’s crossover today, a crucial deadline for all pieces of legislation that must pass out of their committee(s) of jurisdiction, or else they are dropped for the session.
In this week’s update:
View this week's report
Agriculture, Food Resiliency, & Forestry – will continue work designating the State Mushroom.
Appropriations – will hold committee discussions on the FY 2025 State Budget.
Commerce and Economic Development – will continue work on H.121, an act related to data-privacy, with plans to vote it out of committee by the end of the week. They will also hear more on H.707, an act relating to revising the delivery and governance of the Vermont workforce system.
Corrections and Institutions – will devote most of the week to the Governor’s Recommended Capital Budget Adjustment and discussions pertaining to many services related to corrections.
Education – On Tuesday and throughout the week, the committee will discuss their bill, an act relating to the development of an updated State aid to school construction program, and continue taking testimony regarding education cost drivers.
Environment and Energy – will spend much of the week on the Act 250 bill, H.687, an act relating to community resilience and biodiversity protection through land use. They will take up H.657, an act relating to the modernization of Vermont’s communications taxes and fees, receiving an introduction from Rep. Sims from the Ways and Means Committee.
General and Housing – will spend the week on H.704, an act relating to disclosure of compensation in job advertisements, H.695, an act relating to survivor benefits for law enforcement officers, and on H.639, an act relating to disclosure of flood history of real property subject to sale.
Government Operations and Military Affairs – will continue work on their committee bill relating to creating a uniform municipal code of ethics. They will hold a committee discussion on H.140, an act relating to requirements for State-funded grants, on Tuesday with a possible vote on Wednesday. They will take testimony on H.626, an act relating to animal welfare, with a possible vote on Thursday.
Health Care – TBA.
Human Services – will hold a joint hearing with House Health Care regarding the Psychiatric Residential Treatment Facility on Tuesday. They will spend much of the week on their committee bill regarding General Assistance Housing Modernization. There will be a potential vote on H.829, an act relating to creating permanent upstream eviction protections and enhancing housing stability, on Thursday.
Judiciary – will continue work on H.655, an act relating to qualifying offenses for sealing criminal history records and access to sealed criminal history records. They will take testimony on H.173, an act relating to prohibiting manipulating a child for the purpose of sexual contact, on Thursday.
Transportation – will review Section 13 of H.657, an act relating to the modernization of Vermont’s Communications taxes and fees. They will devote most of the week to S.309, an act relating to miscellaneous changes to DMV, motor vehicles, and vessels.
Ways & Means – Wednesday will be a busy lineup: the committee may vote on H.10, an act relating to amending VEGI; discuss their Miscellaneous Tax Bill; hear from Access Management Organizations; take up H.827, an act relating to applying personal income tax to unrealized gains; and discuss Meals and Rooms tax and Short-term rentals. On Thursday they will review H.612, an act relating to miscellaneous cannabis amendments and education spending. They may also vote out H.350, an act relating to the Uniform Directed Trust Act, and H.279, an act relating to the Uniform Trust Decanting Act, with further discussions on Meals and Rooms tax and Short-term Rentals. On Friday they will review H.233, an act relating to pharmacy benefit management and Medicaid wholesale drug distribution.
Agriculture – will take a field trip to United Ag and Turf regarding H.81, an act relating to fair repair of agricultural equipment. They will continue work on this bill on Thursday.
Education – TBA.
Government Operations – will work on S.96, an act relating to privatization contracts. They will vote out S.310, an act relating to natural disaster government response, recovery and resiliency, S.159, an act relating to the county governance study, and S.183, an act relating to planning for the Agency of Health Care Administration.
Institutions – will review the Governor’s Recommended Capital Budget Adjustment.
Judiciary – will vote on S.150, an act relating to automobile insurance, and S.58, an act relating to increasing the penalties for dispensing a regulated drug. They will continue work on Friday regarding Prop 4 – declaration of rights; government for the people; equality of rights. They will hear more testimony on S.259, an act relating to climate change cost recovery, also known as the Climate Change Superfund bill.
Natural Resources and Energy – will possibly vote on S.258, an act relating to the management of fish and wildlife, on Tuesday. They will also take testimony on S.306, an act relating to changes to the Clean Heat Standard. The rest of the week is TBA.
Transportation – TBA.
Tuesday is Town Meeting Day, so be sure to plan to engage in our state and local democracy. There are important local questions that have a statewide impact and this is your opportunity to meet with and advocate on issues such as public safety and housing as your legislators are back for the Town Meeting Day recess.
Agriculture, Food Resiliency, & Forestry – will continue work on H.706, an act relating to banning the use of neonicotinoid pesticides, and H.128, an act relating to removing regulatory barriers for working lands businesses. They will spend two mornings on a bill to designate the State Mushroom.
Appropriations – will continue work on the FY 2025 budget and negotiating in a committee of conference with Senate Appropriations on the FY 2024 Budget Adjustment Act.
Commerce and Economic Development – will review a new draft of H.121, an act related to data privacy on Tuesday afternoon. Wednesday, the committee will get a walk-through of H.536, an act relating to homeowners’ insurance and dog breed discrimination, and spend time on H.707, an act relating to revising the delivery and governance of the Vermont workforce system. The remaining schedule is TBA.
Corrections and Institutions – will devote most of the week to the Governor’s Capital Budget Adjustment and discussions pertaining to many services related to corrections.
Education – On Tuesday the committee will discuss their bill, an act relating to the development of an updated State aid to school construction program, and continue taking testimony regarding education cost drivers.
Environment and Energy – will spend much of the week on the Act 250 bill, H.687, an act relating to community resilience and biodiversity protection through land use.
General and Housing – TBA.
Judiciary – will discuss H.543, an act relating to retail theft, on Wednesday with a possible vote on Friday. They will spend most of the week on H.655, an act relating to qualifying offenses for sealing criminal history records and access to sealed criminal history records.
Transportation – will devote most of the week to the Governor’s proposed FY 2025 transportation budget. There will be a walk-through of S.309, an act relating to miscellaneous changes to DMV, motor vehicles, and vessels on Thursday.
Ways & Means – will continue work regarding education spending, will vote on H.10, an act relating to amending VEGI, on Wednesday and also discuss H.679, an act relating to establishing a property tax surcharge and allocation of property transfer tax revenue. They will review H.279, an act relating to the Uniform Trust Decanting Act, and H.350, an act relating to the Uniform Directed Trust Act on Wednesday as well.
Agriculture – will continue work on S.301, an act relating to miscellaneous agricultural subjects, and hold committee discussions TBA.
Appropriations – will continue work on the FY 2025 budget.
Economic Development, Housing and General Affairs – will take testimony on S.289, an act relating to age-appropriate design code. They will possibly vote on PR.3 – Right to Collectively Bargain. They will receive a walk-through of: S.175, an act relating to requiring retail businesses to accept cash; S.271, an act relating to a right to charge electric vehicles at home; S.246, an act relating to amending the Vermont basic needs budget and livable wage; and S.247, an act relating to repealing the VEGI sunset.
Finance – will continue discussions on school finance. They will receive a walk-through of a housing bill. The rest of the week is TBA.
Government Operations – will continue work on S.55, an act relating to authorizing public bodies to meet electronically under Vermont’s Open Meeting Law, with a possible vote on Tuesday. They will review a new draft of S.310 (draft 2.1 summary), an act relating to natural disaster government response, recovery and resiliency, along with a new draft of S.159, an act relating to the county governance study. They will consider S.518, an act relating to the charter of the City of Essex Junction, and S.801, an act relating to approval of the adoption of the charter of Town of Waterbury.
Health and Welfare – will work on: S.189, an act relating to mental health response service protocols; S.192, an act relating to forensic facility admissions criteria and processes; S.197, an act relating to PFAS and PFOA which proposes a ban on products containing PFAS starting in 2030; S.151, an act relating to pay parity and transparency in health care; and S.98, and act relating to Green Mountain Care Board authority over prescription drug costs. On Thursday they will take up S.114, an act relating to removal of criminal penalties for possessing, dispensing, or selling psilocybin.
Institutions – will review the Governor’s recommended FY 2024-25 Capital Budget Adjustment.
Judiciary – will possibly vote on S.58, an act relating to increasing the penalties for dispensing a regulated drug. They will continue testimony on Friday regarding Prop 4 – declaration of rights; government for the people; equality of rights. They will also hear testimony on S.259, an act relating to climate change cost recovery.
Natural Resources and Energy – will possibly vote on S.258, an act relating to the management of fish and wildlife, on Tuesday. On Wednesday the committee will take testimony on S.254, an act relating to including rechargeable batteries and battery containing products under the state battery stewardship program. S.254 is on their agenda for the rest of the week.
Transportation – will walk-through a new draft of S.184, an act relating to the use of automated traffic law enforcement systems, on Tuesday and continue this work on Thursday and Friday.
Are Vermont’s education funding and housing crises because the state does not tax at a high enough level, even the top marginal rate? Or does Vermont have these crises because we haven’t allowed for growth? Vermont isn’t good at growth in the economic context, yet it is good at it in the spending context. Every conversation legislators are struggling with is about excessive growth or a lack of growth.
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With that in mind, in this week’s update:
Agriculture, Food Resiliency, & Forestry – will continue work on H.706, an act relating to banning the use of neonicotinoid pesticides and take up H.128, an act relating to removing regulatory barriers for working lands businesses.
Appropriations – will continue work on the FY 2025 budget. There will be a public hearing on Tuesday at 5:30 pm so the committee can consider public input regarding their work.
Commerce and Economic Development – will take testimony on their areas of budget jurisdiction. They will hear about Serve, Learn, and Earn, the Vermont Training Program, and the Working Lands Initiative. They will get a walk-through of a new draft of H.707, an act relating to revising the delivery and governance of the Vermont workforce system on Thursday, and they will be drafting their letter to Appropriations on Friday regarding their recommended spending. Many are following the committee’s work on H.121, an act related to data-privacy. This has yet to appear on this week’s committee schedule.
Education – On Tuesday the committee will discuss their bill, an act relating to the development of an updated State aid to school construction program. On Thursday morning they will take testimony regarding education cost drivers. Thursday afternoon there will be a joint hearing with Ways and Means regarding education funding.
Environment and Energy – will spend much of the week on the Act 250 bill, H.687, an act relating to community resilience and biodiversity protection through land use. They will take up H.812, an act relating to threatened and endangered species on Wednesday.
General and Housing – will possibly vote on H.132, an act relating to establishing a homeless bill of rights and prohibiting discrimination against persons without homes. They will take testimony on: H.617, an act relating to residential rental application fees; H.616, an act relating to providing protections against eviction; H.686, an act relating to measuring progress toward statewide and regional housing targets; H.553, an act relating to the right of entry following a tax sale; H.556, an act relating to requiring mobile home park flood risk disclosure; H.639, an act relating to disclosure of flood history of real property subject to sale; H.704; an act relating to compensation in job advertisements; H.449, an act relating to creating a short-term rental housing registry; H.137, an act relating to expanding the Vermont Housing Improvement Program; and H.829, an act relating to creating permanent upstream eviction protections and enhancing housing stability.
Agriculture – will review S.197 as related to PFAS. They will hear from the Cannabis Control Board regarding cannabis regulations. On Thursday they will consider S.301, an act relating to miscellaneous agricultural subjects.
Appropriations – will continue work on the FY 2025 budget hearing from the Secretary of State’s office; getting a budget review from the Commissioner of Finance; Judiciary; Department of Corrections; Department of State’s Attorneys and Sheriffs; and Agency of Natural Resources.
Education – will hold committee discussions on the following bills: S.220, an act relating to Vermont’s public libraries; S.204, an act relating to reading assessment and intervention; S.303, an act related to literacy and the Vermont Imagination Library; S.167, an act relating to amendments to education law; S.207, an act relating to revising the funding for and governance of career technical education; S.191, an act relating to New American Advancement Grant Applicants; S.203, an act relating to the appointment of State Board of Education members; S.238, an act relating to the Board of Trustees of the VT State Colleges Corporation; S.216, an act related to making governance structural changes to the Vermont State Colleges; Board of Trustees; Office of Chancellor; S.171, an act relating to the legal residency of a student following displacement by a natural disaster; S.304, an act relating to Vermont’s career and technical education programs; and, S.172, an act relating to the Education Bill of Rights for children who are deaf, hard of hearing or deafblind. They will also spend more time on S.284, an act relating to the use of electronic devices and digital and online products in schools.
Finance – will take up S.199, an act relating to mergers and governance of communications union districts with a possible vote on Tuesday. The remaining schedule is TBA .
Government Operations – On Tuesday the committee will vote on H.554, an act relating to the charter of the Town of South Hero. They will continue work on S.55, an act relating to authorizing public bodies to meet electronically, under Vermont’s Open Meeting Law, with a possible vote on Wednesday and spend time on S.310, an act relating to natural disaster government response, recovery and resiliency. They will work on S.159, an act relating to the county governance study committee and receive introductions to H.516 and H.518, acts relating to approval of amendments to the charter of the City of Essex Junction and the Town of Essex.
Health and Welfare – will work on: S.189, an act relating to mental health response service protocols; S.302, an act relating to public health outreach programs regarding dementia risk; S.192, an act relating to forensic facility admissions criteria and processes; S.151, an act relating to pay parity and transparency in health care; and S.98, an act relating to Green Mountain Care Board authority over prescription drug costs. On Wednesday, the committee will hear testimony on a strike all amendment to S.197, an act relating to PFAS and PFOA which proposes to ban products with PFAS by 2030.
Judiciary – will possibly vote on Prop 1 – Elections; sheriffs; qualifications and Prop 4 – declaration of rights; government for the people; equality of rights. On Wednesday they will possibly vote on S.209, an act relating to prohibiting unserialized firearms. They will take testimony on S.150, an act relating to automobile insurance and S.259, an act relating to climate change cost recovery.
Natural Resources and Energy – will receive an introduction to S.258, an act relating to the management of fish and wildlife on Tuesday with a possible vote on Thursday or Friday. On Wednesday the committee will vote on S.213, an act relating to the regulation of wetlands, river corridor development and dam safety.
Transportation – will continue work on the FY 2025 transportation budget.
As week seven comes to a close, it’s worth looking at a roadmap to adjournment.
With that in mind, let’s jump into this week’s update:
Agriculture, Food Resiliency, & Forestry – will continue work on H.701, an act relating to banning the use of neonicotinoid pesticides and take up H.128, an act relating to removing regulatory barriers for working lands businesses.
Appropriations – will consider H.850, an act relating to transitioning education financing to the new system for pupil weighting with a possible vote on Monday. They will review the Senate’s changes to the Budget Adjustment bill on Tuesday and then continue work on the FY 2025 budget. They will possibly vote on H.543, an act relating to Vermont’s adoption of the Social Work Licensure Compact.
Commerce and Economic Development – will hear from the Bankers’ Association on Tuesday regarding H.121, an act relating to enhancing consumer privacy. The latest posted draft is 6.1. They will take testimony related to their jurisdictional budget sections on Tuesday, Vermont Arts and Humanities Councils and Wednesday, Better Places and Downtown Credits; Department of Tourism and Marketing; Vermont Housing. They will take up H.143, an act relating to consumer protections related to the towing and storage of vehicles on Thursday. They will review a new draft of H.121 on Friday afternoon.
Environment and Energy – will spend much of the week on the Act 250 bill, H.687, an act relating to community resilience and biodiversity protection through land use. They will receive introductions to H.587, H.588, and H.597 related to wildlife management from sponsor, Rep. Pat Brennan.
General and Housing – will possibly vote on H.132, an act relating to establishing a homeless bill of rights and prohibiting discrimination against persons without homes. They will also consider the following bills: H.432, an act relating to establishing the Task Force to Study and Develop Reparation Proposals for the Institution of Chattel Slavery; H.843, an act relating to the jurisdiction of the Human Rights Commission; and H.725, an act relating to the Human Rights Commission.
Human Services – will continue discussions around General Assistance Housing Modernization and hear from the Developmental Disabilities Housing Initiative on Thursday.
Judiciary – will discuss access to justice on Tuesday. Wednesday, the committee will consider the detention and incarceration of women in Vermont. They will take up H.619, an act relating to creating reciprocal rights to landlord-tenant attorney’s fees and expenses on Friday.
Transportation – will devote most of the week to the Governor’s proposed FY 2025 transportation budget. They will discuss Right-of-Way Permits, Fees on Wednesday.
Ways & Means – TBA.
Agriculture – will spend most of the week on H.81, an act relating to fair repair of agriculture equipment.
Finance – will consider the following bills: S.230, an act relating to Medicare Advantage and Medicare supplemental insurance plans; S.164, an act relating to health insurance coverage for obesity care; S.309, an act relating to miscellaneous changes to laws relative to the Department of Motor Vehicles, motor vehicles and vessels; and, a walk-through from the Chair of House Ways and Means on a “Property Tax Bill” (likely H.850, an act relating to transitioning education financing to the new system for pupil weighting).
Government Operations – will continue work on S.55, an act relating to authorizing public bodies to meet electronically, under Vermont’s Open Meeting Law. They will spend time on S.310, an act relating to natural disaster government response, recovery and resiliency. On Thursday they will receive an overview from the Joint Fiscal Office on Financing Public Infrastructure in Vermont Municipalities. They will also continue work on S.159, an act relating to the county governance study committee and H.554, an act relating to approval of the Town of South Hero Charter.
Judiciary – will consider S.150, an act relating to automobile insurance, S.58, an act relating to increasing the penalties for dispensing or sale of a regulated drug with death resulting, and S.209, an act relating to prohibiting unserialized firearms and unserialized firearms frames and receivers, and to juvenile offenses in the Criminal Division.
Natural Resources and Energy – will possibly vote on S.213, an act relating to the regulation for wetlands, river corridor development and dam safety.
Transportation – TBA
We’re four weeks out from town meeting week, and incredibly five weeks in, after what was a longer-than-normal legislative January due to a strange quirk in Vermont’s constitutional calendar. This means the Town Meeting Day recess is only four weeks away, so committees are in the deliberative phase of legislation, making a week such as this feel as if nothing happened. We’ll keep it very brief with some quicker updates, each taking about a minute to read.
In this week’s Update:
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