This bill establishes an extended producer responsibility program in Vermont to manage the collection and recycling of waste motor vehicle tires. It requires tire manufacturers to register with the state and either join an approved waste tire stewardship organization or implement their own plan before selling tires beginning in 2026. The program includes a fee system and mandates that manufacturers contribute to tire recycling efforts, with the Agency of Natural Resources overseeing compliance. Covered entities, such as tire retailers, must deliver waste tires to approved collection facilities to participate in the program.
This bill directs the Vermont Agency of Education to submit final recommendations on how to fund and govern the state's career technical education system by February 1, 2024. The legislation requires the agency to provide a written report with all necessary details, or if the deadline is missed, a status update explaining delays and new completion dates. The bill does not change funding or governance directly but sets a timeline for the agency to propose those changes based on prior legislative requirements. It takes effect immediately upon passage and is intended to implement recommendations from a previous 2022 law.
This bill extends a ban on issuing new certificates of need for home health agencies in Vermont until January 1, 2030, or until the state legislature reviews a progress report on healthcare reform initiatives, whichever happens first. The restriction prevents new agencies from opening to offer home health services, including hospice care, during this period, but it does not apply to continuing care retirement communities or licensed homes for terminally ill individuals. The Green Mountain Care Board must submit regular progress reports to state health committees while the moratorium is in effect to explain how healthcare reform efforts relate to home health agencies. The law takes effect on July 1, 2024, and directly impacts home health agency operators and state healthcare planners.
This bill modifies Vermont law to change the date when presidential electors meet to cast their votes for President and Vice President. It directly affects the state's electoral process by updating the timing of elector meetings in accordance with the federal Electoral Count Reform Act. The key provision amends Vermont Statutes to specify that electors must meet on the first Monday or Tuesday after the second Wednesday in December following their election. The change takes effect immediately upon passage and aims to align state procedures with updated federal election requirements.
This bill requires Vermont's Agency of Education to establish an agreement with a virtual learning provider to offer online education options to state students. It sets specific eligibility criteria for students to enroll full-time in virtual learning, including being enrolled in a public middle or high school and having virtual learning identified as beneficial in their personalized learning plan. The legislation also mandates that school districts count eligible virtual students in their enrollment numbers and allows the Agency to create rules to implement these requirements. The changes take effect on July 1, 2024.
This bill requires Vermont state agencies to produce a report on why graduates from local colleges are less likely to stay in the state after graduation. The report must analyze the reasons behind Vermont's low retention rate and propose a plan to improve it. Key provisions include creating better connections between schools and employers, expanding career counseling focused on local industries, strengthening campus-community relationships, and offering streamlined licensure pathways for graduates. The report is due to the General Assembly by July 1, 2025, and the agencies will receive administrative support from the Agency of Education to prepare it.
This bill establishes an Education Bill of Rights for children who are Deaf, Hard of Hearing, or DeafBlind in Vermont public and approved independent schools. It requires the State Board of Education to create rules ensuring these students receive high-quality communication, specialized teacher training, access to all school activities, and balanced information for families about their children's needs and available resources. The legislation also grants infants with documented hearing loss categorical eligibility for early intervention services and gives parents and guardians a formal role in determining educational programs for their children.
This bill allows Vermont taxpayers to claim a charitable contribution credit for donations of game they have legally hunted or fished. The legislation amends state tax law to include lawfully taken game as a qualifying donation for the five percent credit on the first $20,000 of charitable contributions. The credit applies to donations made after January 1, 2024, and remains available even if taxpayers do not itemize deductions on their federal tax returns.
This bill creates a new statewide Study Abroad Program in Vermont that allows high school students in grades 9 through 12 to spend one semester studying in a foreign country as part of their flexible graduation pathway. The program would be funded by school districts, with tuition costs capped at the average union high school tuition rate, and the state Secretary of Education would establish specific rules for eligibility, program requirements, and quality evaluation. Additionally, the bill updates existing flexible pathway guidelines to formally include study abroad as one of several alternative learning options alongside internships, virtual learning, and other educational experiences. The program would take effect on July 1, 2024, and aims to provide students with diverse educational opportunities while maintaining accountability through state oversight.
This bill establishes the Vermont My Health My Data Act to strengthen privacy protections for consumer health data collected by non-healthcare entities like apps and websites. It requires companies to obtain clear, specific consent before collecting or sharing health information and prohibits selling such data without explicit consumer authorization. The law also grants consumers the right to delete their health data and bans the use of geofencing technology around healthcare facilities to gather data. These provisions apply to both Vermont residents and individuals whose health data is collected within the state.
This bill allows housing developers in Vermont to use future resident deposits to fund construction costs, provided they secure those deposits with escrow deposit bonds. The law requires developers to place buyer deposits in escrow accounts managed by licensed brokers, attorneys, or insured banks, but permits exceptions when a surety bond is obtained to cover the withdrawn funds. The bond must be issued by an authorized Vermont surety company and guarantee the return of deposits if the developer fails to deliver units as promised. Funds released under this provision can only be used for actual building and construction expenses of the specific project. The changes take effect on July 1, 2024.
This bill would allow criminal defendants in Vermont to request a new psychiatric evaluation of their competency to stand trial if the Department of Mental Health decides to end their treatment order. Currently, defendants must show changed circumstances to get a follow-up evaluation, but this law specifically states that when the department stops or lets expire a commitment order, that alone counts as a changed circumstance. The change applies to cases where a defendant has been committed to mental health care and later released or discharged from that custody. The bill does not change how initial competency evaluations are conducted, only how courts determine when a subsequent evaluation is required after a defendant has been found incompetent.
