An act relating to the County and Regional Governance Study Committee

The deadline for the Committee to report its findings and recommendations to the House and Senate committees was extended from December 15, 2026 to November 1, 2027.

The date on which the Committee ceases to exist was extended from July 1, 2027 to November 2, 2027, giving the committee additional time to complete its work before being dissolved.

The committee's report deadline was extended from December 15, 2026 (as amended by the House) to November 1, 2027 in the enacted version.

The committee's dissolution date was set to November 2, 2027 in the enacted version, compared to an unspecified date in 2027 in the House-passed version.

A new subsection requiring the committee to be co-chaired by the Chairs of the House and Senate Government Operations committees was added, but it is marked as repealed, making it a null provision.

Report deadline extended from November 1, 2025 to December 15, 2026, giving the committee over a year more time to complete its work.

Committee dissolution date extended from July 1, 2027 to July 1, 2028, keeping the committee in existence for an additional year.

New legislative intent subsection stating that county or regional governance should enhance local and State government work and not become a procedural barrier between the State and municipalities.

New study topic (C) requiring the committee to examine coordination, transparency, efficiencies, and service improvements of nongovernmental agencies providing regional public services, specifically naming designated mental health agencies and public transit providers.

Emergency management study topic changed from the Agency of Administration's role in responding to all hazards events to the role of the Department of Public Safety and Vermont Emergency Management, reflecting a more specific and current agency reference.

Public safety study topic expanded to explicitly include emergency management and public health purposes, and to reference services provided by State, regional, and local agencies.

Duplicated services language changed from 'reduction of duplicated public services' to 'reduction of duplicated or conflicting public services,' broadening the scope to address not just overlap but also conflicts between services.

Document header changed from 'AS PASSED BY HOUSE' to 'BILL AS PASSED BY THE HOUSE' and page count increased from 4 to 7 due to added introductory content.

Official version adds standard legislative metadata: sponsor (Rep. Birong of Vergennes), committee referral line, subject description, and a statement of purpose explaining the bill extends the prospective repeal deadline for the County and Regional Governance Study Committee.