Vermont Bills

introduced · Vermont · House Feb 25, 2025

H 322: An act relating to social worker licensure requirements

This bill (H.322) prohibits individuals from using the title "social worker" or advertising services as such without holding a valid license under Vermont law. It requires that all social work programs leading to licensure must be accredited by the Council of Social Work Education (CSWE) or its successor. The law applies directly to social workers, employers, and agencies using the title, with violations subject to penalties under existing law. The bill takes effect on July 1, 2025, and aims to standardize licensure requirements for the profession.

introduced · Vermont · Senate Feb 25, 2025

S 79: An act relating to establishing the Recreational Trails Compensation Study Committee

S 79 establishes the Recreational Trails Compensation Study Committee to examine whether private landowners who allow public recreational trails on their property should receive compensation or other benefits. The committee, composed of landowners, trail experts, conservation representatives, and state officials, will review current trail access costs, economic impacts, and compensation practices in other states. It will analyze data on trail-related expenses for landowners and the economic value of trail access to Vermont's communities. The committee must submit a report to the legislature by December 2026, but the bill itself does not create new compensation requirements - only authorizes the study.

introduced · Vermont · House Feb 25, 2025

H 337: An act relating to duties of the Commissioner of Labor

H 337 requires Vermont's Commissioner of Labor to publish enforcement actions against employers for violations of wage and hour, prevailing wage, and child labor laws. The bill mandates that this information be made publicly available in a searchable format on a dedicated website. Data published will exclude complainant identities and information older than six years. The requirement takes effect on July 1, 2025, increasing transparency around labor law enforcement.

Topics ✓ Labor & Employment

introduced · Vermont · House Feb 25, 2025

H 326: An act relating to the regulation of the use of rodenticides

This bill prohibits all use and sale (including online) of first- and second-generation anticoagulant rodenticides across Vermont, affecting residents, businesses, and commercial pest control applicators. It allows limited exemptions for the Department of Fish and Wildlife when pest control is necessary or no alternatives exist. Additionally, the bill restricts other rodenticides like bromethalin near wildlife refuges, state parks, and ecologically sensitive areas. The law aims to reduce risks to wildlife and ecosystems from these chemicals.

Topics ✓ Environment

introduced · Vermont · House Feb 25, 2025

H 344: An act relating to creating a good cause standard for termination of employment

This bill establishes a "good cause" standard for employer terminations in Vermont, requiring employers to have a legitimate, reasonable business reason (such as poor job performance) to fire most employees. It explicitly excludes trivial, arbitrary, or unrelated reasons for termination and creates an exception for employees with less than 90 days of service. Employers must post a notice about this requirement in a conspicuous location at their workplace. The law takes effect on July 1, 2025, directly affecting Vermont employers and their workforce.

Topics ✓ Labor & Employment

introduced · Vermont · House Feb 25, 2025

H 349: An act relating to the creation of the Vermont State Building Security Board

H 349 creates the Vermont State Building Security Board to manage security for most Vermont state buildings, excluding the State House, courthouses, and the Supreme Court’s space. The Board, composed of seven appointed members, will set statewide security standards, develop facility-specific plans, and appoint a Director of Safety and Security. The Director will create annual security plans, report on security incidents to legislative committees, and coordinate with the Supreme Court and Capitol Complex security. This bill directly affects state employees and Judiciary staff by centralizing security oversight under the new Board.

introduced · Vermont · House Feb 25, 2025

H 341: An act relating to creating oversight and safety standards for developers and deployers of inherently dangerous artificial intelligence systems

This bill establishes safety standards and oversight for developers and deployers of inherently dangerous artificial intelligence systems in Vermont. It requires these entities to submit safety and impact assessments to a new Division of Artificial Intelligence within the Agency of Digital Services. The Attorney General can enforce the law by taking legal action against noncompliant developers or deployers, including seeking court orders to stop violations. The bill specifically targets high-risk AI systems, dual-use foundational models, and generative AI systems that pose serious risks to public safety, economic security, or individual rights.

Topics ✓ Technology

introduced · Vermont · House Feb 25, 2025

H 330: An act relating to authorizing the use of electronic and remote voting for annual meetings of municipal corporations

This bill (H.330) allows Vermont towns and cities (municipal corporations) to use electronic or remote voting systems for their annual meetings. It requires any adopted system to let residents vote in person or remotely for all local elections and public questions, whether voting happens live at the meeting or via ballot. The bill directly affects municipal governments by changing how they conduct annual voting processes. It does not specify funding, security standards, or implementation timelines, focusing solely on authorizing the voting methods.

introduced · Vermont · House Feb 25, 2025

H 328: An act relating to compliance with the environmental justice State policy

H 328 would require regional planning commissions to comply with Vermont's environmental justice State policy. Currently, the policy applies to certain state agencies, but this bill adds regional planning commissions as mandated entities. These commissions coordinate regional planning for issues like land use, transportation, and economic development across multiple towns. The bill directly affects how these commissions conduct their planning work to ensure environmental justice considerations are integrated into their decisions.

Topics ✓ Environment

introduced · Vermont · House Feb 25, 2025

H 340: An act relating to regulating developers and deployers of certain automated decision systems

This Vermont bill regulates developers and deployers of automated decision systems (ADS) used in consequential decisions - such as hiring, housing, loan approvals, or healthcare access - to prevent algorithmic discrimination. It requires businesses to clearly inform consumers before using ADS in such decisions, explaining what data is measured, how it is used, and how it influences outcomes. The bill prohibits the use of ADS that result in discriminatory treatment based on protected characteristics like race, gender, age, or disability. These requirements apply to businesses operating in Vermont that deploy or develop ADS for decisions materially affecting residents' rights, liberties, or welfare.

Topics ✓ Healthcare ✓ Housing ✓ Labor & Employment ✓ Technology

introduced · Vermont · House Feb 25, 2025

H 336: An act relating to enhancing enforcement of employment laws

H.336 allows employees, worker organizations, or whistleblowers to file lawsuits on behalf of Vermont’s Labor Commissioner to enforce workplace laws, such as minimum wage or misclassification rules. It directly affects workers who face violations (e.g., unpaid wages or improper contractor status) and provides a mechanism for them to seek penalties and remedies. Key provisions include sharing recovered fines (70% to the Labor Department, 30% to the filer if the Commissioner doesn’t intervene) and requiring 25% of those funds to support workforce education programs. The bill also prohibits contracts from blocking these lawsuits and sets clear court procedures for filing claims.

Topics ✓ Labor & Employment

introduced · Vermont · House Feb 25, 2025

H 327: An act relating to labor requirements for certain energy projects

H 327 requires corporations building new energy facilities (costing over $100,000) after January 1, 2025, to submit two items to Vermont's Public Utility Commission: a line-item budget from the contractor and an attestation confirming either union labor was used at prevailing wage plus 42.5% fringe benefits, or non-union labor paid the mean prevailing wage plus the same fringe benefits. Fringe benefits include health insurance, retirement contributions, and paid leave. The Commission must make these documents publicly available (with personal details removed) and the law takes effect July 1, 2025. This directly affects energy project contractors and developers regulated by the Public Utility Commission.

Topics ✓ Healthcare ✓ Labor & Employment

Bill results