H 228 requires Vermont hospitals to report detailed compensation data for executives, clinical leaders, and frontline healthcare workers (including base salaries, bonuses, and benefits) to the Green Mountain Care Board annually. It mandates that hospitals maintain staffing ratios where administrative staff do not exceed national averages for similar hospitals, and caps executive/clinical leadership compensation at no more than 10 times the pay of the lowest-paid frontline healthcare workers. These requirements will be integrated into the Board’s annual hospital budget review process starting in 2027. The bill applies to all Vermont hospitals and takes effect January 1, 2026, for fiscal year 2027 budgets.
This bill (H 242) regulates short-term rentals in Vermont by imposing two main requirements: (1) a host-occupancy rule requiring a long-term resident to live on the same premises as the rental, and (2) a numerical limit allowing no more than one short-term rental per property parcel. It also mandates annual registration with the state Department of Housing, requiring owners to provide detailed information including property addresses, unit counts, and guest capacity. Municipalities can exempt themselves from these rules via voter vote, though existing local regulations (as of July 2025) will automatically override the statewide rules. The bill affects short-term rental owners, operators, and municipalities, taking effect July 1, 2026.
This bill requires manufacturers to provide written notice to buyers if firefighting gear (including protective equipment and station wear like uniforms) contains PFAS chemicals, starting July 1, 2026. It mandates the notice explain what PFAS is and why it's used, and both seller and buyer must keep copies for three years. The bill then bans the sale or distribution of firefighting gear with intentionally added PFAS starting July 1, 2028. It directly affects firefighting equipment manufacturers, fire departments, and state agencies purchasing such gear in Vermont. The law aims to increase transparency about PFAS exposure while phasing out its use in this specific equipment.
This bill (H 254) clarifies court procedures for serving legal documents in civil cases. It requires that when a Vermont court approves alternate service of process (such as publishing a notice or leaving documents at a defendant's home), that order automatically applies to all future service steps in the same case - including post-judgment actions - without needing new court orders. The bill directly affects civil court proceedings where alternate service is used, streamlining the process for plaintiffs and courts. It specifically updates Vermont Rule of Civil Procedure 4(d)(1) and applies to all existing and future cases using such service methods.
This bill (H 239) would extend key rights to temporary Vermont state employees who work over 1,280 hours annually for two years. It requires temporary workers to receive comparable pay, whistleblower protections, sick/annual leave, and health insurance meeting ACA standards after six months of employment. The bill also prohibits termination without good cause and clarifies that such employees qualify as "State employees" for labor rights purposes. These changes apply to temporary workers in state agencies, colleges, and courts who meet the hour threshold, effective July 1, 2025.
This bill expands the scope of practice for optometrists in Vermont by creating an "advanced therapeutic procedures specialty." Qualified optometrists with this specialty may now perform specific procedures, including removing small superficial eye lesions (like chalazia), certain laser treatments (such as for cataracts), and targeted injections for conditions like chalazia or vision testing. The bill also explicitly prohibits optometrists from performing retinal surgeries, corneal transplants, or injections into the back of the eye. Optometrists seeking this specialty must complete additional continuing education hours focused on advanced procedures. The changes aim to clarify and modernize what optometrists can legally provide while maintaining patient safety through defined boundaries.
This bill requires anyone claiming property through adverse possession to notify the current property owner (as listed in public records) at least six months before the 15-year period for such a claim expires. Currently, claimants could file without informing the owner until after the 15 years, but this change gives owners time to respond or challenge the claim. The bill directly affects both potential claimants and current property owners in Vermont. It does not alter the 15-year timeframe but adds a mandatory notice step to the process.
This bill (H 240) allows Vermont's Governor to temporarily waive water quality permits for dam operators during declared flood emergencies. It directly affects dam operators and the Agency of Natural Resources, authorizing them to lower water levels in dams before a flood to prevent damage to people or property. The key mechanism requires the Governor, after consulting with the Natural Resources Secretary, to determine that lowering water levels will significantly reduce flood risk, while mandating dam operators to minimize environmental harm during the drawdown. The waiver applies only during active emergencies and expires 180 days after the emergency ends.
H 236 authorizes small hydroelectric facilities (with a proposed capacity of five megawatts or less) to use Vermont's Class B(2) waters, which are currently designated for recreation, fishing, irrigation, and public water sources. The bill requires the Secretary of Natural Resources to amend Vermont's Water Quality Standards by July 1, 2026, to formally include hydroelectric generation as a "suitable use" for Class B(2) waters. It also prohibits denying such projects before 2026 unless the project would impair water quality. This directly affects small hydroelectric developers seeking to use state waters for power generation. The bill makes a specific classification change to existing water quality rules without creating new regulatory requirements.
H 255 increases criminal penalties for assaulting public transit workers in Vermont. It adds up to one year in prison for a first assault offense and up to 10 years for repeat offenses against workers while they perform their duties. The bill also prohibits intentionally exposing transit workers to bodily fluids (like blood or vomit), punishable by up to one year in jail or a $1,000 fine. "Public transit worker" is defined to include drivers (employees or volunteers) and support staff at transit centers. The law applies to all such assaults committed while workers are on duty, excluding individuals under 18 in residential facilities.
Vermont's S.72 requires the state pension investment commission to review the fossil fuel holdings in three public retirement systems (state employees', teachers', and municipal employees' funds) by December 2025. The bill mandates a plan to fully divest these systems from fossil fuels by December 2030, with a longer-term goal to divest private investments containing fossil fuels by December 2040, unless holdings are below a "de minimis" threshold (less than 2% of portfolios). The commission must submit annual progress reports to legislative committees starting in 2027. This directly affects Vermont's public employee pension funds, not private retirement accounts.
This bill changes when adjunct faculty at the University of Vermont and Vermont State Colleges can join a union bargaining unit. It requires the Labor Relations Board to allow adjuncts to be included in a bargaining unit starting on either the effective date of their employment contract or their first teaching day - whichever comes first. This makes it easier for new adjunct faculty to gain union eligibility immediately upon starting their role. The law takes effect on July 1, 2025.
