H 70 Vermont House · 2025-2026 Regular Session

An act relating to the inclusion of use value appraisal land in the conserved land inventory

Vermont's H.70 would add land enrolled in the state's Use Value Appraisal Program to the official "conserved land" inventory. This program allows landowners to pay lower property taxes in exchange for maintaining agricultural or forest land. The bill updates legal definitions so this land counts toward Vermont's conservation goals of protecting 30% and 50% of land by 2030 and 2050, respectively. It directly affects landowners in the Use Value Appraisal Program and state conservation planning efforts. The law would take effect on July 1, 2025.
Bill status failed 2 of 4 stages cleared
Introduction
Jan 2025
Committee Review
May 2026
House Failed
May 2026
Governor
Introduced Jan 23, 2025 Last action May 12, 2026
Floor votes · House May 12, 2026

How they voted

5473
Failed · 12 other
Total votes 139
May 12, 2026
D Democratic83
4 Yea 70 Nay 9
84% Nay
I Independent3
1 Yea 1 Nay 1
33% Nay
R Republican53
49 Yea 2 Nay 2
92% Yea
Vote distribution
All Yea All Nay Mixed No data
Full legislative history

Actions timeline

Total actions
8
Key actions
2
Committee
2
May 12, 2026
Lower · Passed
Rep. Higley of Lowell moved to relieve the Committee on Environment
lower
May 12, 2026
Vote failed
House Vote: fail (54-73-12)
house
Feb 5, 2026
Lower · Passed
Rep. Galfetti of Barre Town moved to relieve the Committee on Environment
lower
Jan 23, 2025
Introduced
Read first time and referred to the Committee on Environment
lower
30 primary · 0 co-sponsors

Sponsors