This bill restructures the University of Vermont Board of Trustees by adding two new voting faculty members and clarifying student representation requirements. The legislation expands the board to 27 members total, with two faculty positions elected by the Faculty Senate and two student positions reserved for one undergraduate and one graduate student. These student trustees serve two-year terms and must be full-time students enrolled in degree programs, while faculty members serve four-year terms with full voting rights. The changes take effect on July 1, 2023, with a transition period for initial faculty appointments beginning in August 2023.
This bill would ban the buying, selling, offering for sale, or possession of any products made from kangaroo parts in Vermont. It directly affects individuals and businesses that currently trade in items containing kangaroo skin, meat, fur, or other body parts. The law prohibits both the purchase and sale of these items, effectively stopping the trade of kangaroo-derived goods within the state. This measure aims to regulate the commerce of covered animal parts by adding kangaroos to the list of prohibited species.
This bill prohibits unauthorized groups from organizing as military units, conducting military training intended for civil disorder, and openly carrying semiautomatic assault weapons in public places. It applies to civilians and private organizations while exempting official military forces, law enforcement officers performing duties, and students participating in supervised military science courses. The legislation defines specific firearm features that classify weapons as semiautomatic assault weapons and sets penalties including fines and imprisonment for violations.
This bill clarifies that adjunct faculty members at post-secondary institutions in Vermont may qualify for unemployment insurance benefits between academic terms under specific conditions. It establishes that these educators are considered to lack reasonable assurance of future employment if the school controls whether their contract renewal conditions are met, if it is unlikely a job will be available next term, or if their position depends on events unlikely to occur. The legislation directly affects contingent faculty who experience gaps in employment between semesters or academic years. By defining these eligibility criteria, the bill aims to provide clearer access to unemployment benefits for non-tenure-track instructors during periods without guaranteed work.
This bill creates the Vermont Office of Film and Creative Media within the existing Vermont Council on the Arts to support the state's growing film and media industry. The new office will maintain databases of local professionals and resources, track employment opportunities for graduates, and establish a tax incentive program to attract outside production companies. Funding of $350,000 is provided to create one-and-a-half full-time positions to support these operations, with the office becoming operational on July 1, 2023. A supervisory board of five industry professionals will be appointed to advise the office on its activities. The bill directly affects film production companies, local creative media workers, and the Vermont Council on the Arts.
This bill requires independent schools in Vermont to pay their teachers' retirement contributions and administrative expenses directly, rather than having these costs covered by the state education budget. It also clarifies that "education spending" includes the portion of retirement payments attributable to school districts, while excluding funds from other sources like endowments or federal grants. The changes take effect on July 1, 2024, and include requirements for independent schools to submit annual payment statements and for the state to report on implementation to relevant committees.
This bill directs the Vermont Commissioner of Motor Vehicles to update the state's Periodic Inspection Manual to align with safety standards from neighboring states. The changes would simplify the inspection criteria to focus only on parts or systems that directly impact vehicle safety and could endanger drivers or other road users. Additionally, the bill would allow minor repairs to be performed on vehicles that might otherwise fail inspection, as long as those repairs do not compromise the vehicle's structure or create new safety risks. This legislation affects vehicle owners, mechanics, and the state's motor vehicle inspection program by modifying how safety inspections are conducted and documented.
This bill requires students graduating from Vermont public high schools to demonstrate civics knowledge as a condition of receiving a diploma. The law offers two pathways: passing the standard U.S. citizenship civics test with a minimum score of 60 percent, or completing one semester of community service with a local government organization under a mentor's supervision. The requirement applies to all public high school and career technical center students, though students with individualized education programs may participate at the discretion of their IEP team. The measure would take effect for students graduating in the 2025-2026 academic year or later.
This bill proposes to remove certain plant and fungi-derived substances from Vermont's list of regulated drugs, meaning they would no longer be subject to criminal penalties for possession or use. Specifically, it excludes peyote, ayahuasca, mescaline, psilocybin, psilocin, ibogaine, and N,N-dimethyltryptamine from the legal definition of regulated drugs under state law. The legislation applies to these specific compounds and the plants or fungi that contain them, regardless of whether they are used for medicinal, spiritual, religious, or other purposes. If passed, the changes would take effect on July 1, 2023, and would be implemented by the state Board of Health.
This bill establishes a statewide registry for short-term rental properties in Vermont, requiring owners to register their units annually with the Department of Housing and Community Development. Property owners must pay a $135 annual fee per unit, though this fee is waived if they have already registered with a local municipality that maintains a comparable system. The registry will collect specific information about each property, including owner contact details, location, building characteristics, and accessibility features, while protecting the data from being used for marketing purposes. Local governments that already run rental housing registration programs will share their data with the state registry, and the bill authorizes the hiring of staff to manage the program starting in 2024.
This bill requires the State of Vermont to develop a comprehensive plan for transitioning to a regenerative economy by 2026, which aims to repair and restore natural and human resources rather than simply reducing harm. The legislation mandates that the state be divided into 11 regions, each forming a People's Assembly to create local plans through broad public engagement involving community members, businesses, and organizations. These regional plans must address specific goals including regenerative agriculture, food justice, waste reduction, renewable energy, and racial equity while guiding state investments and policy decisions. The bill establishes a long-term target of achieving 90 percent of a regenerative economy by December 31, 2046, and requires all state funding streams to align with the resulting roadmap.
This bill would change how write-in candidates win primary elections in Vermont by requiring them to receive at least half the number of petition signatures needed for their office, unless they get more votes than any printed candidate. It directly affects voters who choose write-in candidates and political parties running primary elections. The law would still allow write-in candidates to win if they receive more votes than any other candidate on the ballot, but otherwise they must meet the signature threshold. The bill also maintains the requirement that a write-in winner must still be determined the official party candidate under existing rules before the general election.
