This bill creates the Vermont Broadband Consumer Protection and Competition Act to protect consumers and promote fair competition in the state's broadband market. It requires broadband providers to obtain a net neutrality compliance certificate and prohibits deceptive practices such as misrepresenting service plans, charging excessive termination fees, or imposing unreasonable data caps. The legislation also mandates that providers submit accurate broadband availability data and maintain detailed records of consumer complaints, which must be tracked by the Attorney General and Department of Public Service. These measures aim to ensure transparency, prevent unfair business practices, and improve consumer access to reliable internet service across Vermont.
This bill expands Vermont's cannabis regulations by allowing consumption in public places where tobacco is permitted, increasing THC limits in products, and creating new business licenses for delivery services and private events. It directly affects cannabis businesses, consumers, and communities by establishing specific rules for product potency, event hosting, and direct-to-consumer sales by cultivators. The legislation also allocates additional cannabis tax revenue to support business development, communities historically harmed by cannabis prohibition, and substance misuse treatment programs. These changes aim to provide more flexibility for consumers and businesses while maintaining safety standards and ensuring equitable economic benefits.
This bill establishes a study committee to examine how perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances in landfill leachate affect natural resources across Vermont. The committee will be tasked with evaluating the presence and impacts of these chemical substances found in liquid waste from landfills. The legislation directly involves state environmental officials and land management agencies responsible for monitoring landfill operations. No specific regulatory changes or funding allocations are included in this measure, which focuses solely on creating a framework for further investigation.
This bill would allow doctoral-level psychologists in Vermont to prescribe certain prescription medications for mental health conditions. To qualify, psychologists would need specialized training in biomedical sciences and pharmacology, pass a national certification exam, and maintain a collaborative agreement with a licensed physician. The law establishes a new license category for prescribing psychologists and sets specific rules about which medications can be prescribed, including restrictions on controlled substances and patients under 17 or over 65. The Board of Psychological Examiners would oversee implementation and enforce compliance through continuing education requirements and disciplinary measures.
This bill directs Vermont's Secretary of Natural Resources to evaluate whether the state can support an expanded polystyrene foam densifier facility for recycling waste Styrofoam. The assessment must include cost estimates, location recommendations, and details on how businesses and waste haulers would access the facility. By January 15, 2024, the Secretary must submit a report to legislative committees with findings on whether to build the densifier and whether to ban landfill disposal of EPS foam if the facility is approved. The law takes effect on July 1, 2023, and requires coordination with waste management entities and businesses that generate EPS foam waste.
This bill clarifies that municipal zoning rules limiting the number of group homes do not apply to facilities housing high-risk, justice-involved youth. It amends state law to exclude such facilities from the definition of group homes that are permitted as single-family residential uses, while maintaining existing limits on the number of homes per lot. The change directly affects municipalities, zoning authorities, and operators of residential care facilities by creating a specific exemption for youth justice facilities. The legislation takes effect on July 1, 2023, and aims to provide clearer guidance on how different types of group homes are treated under local zoning regulations.
This bill would make community service a mandatory requirement for all high school students in Vermont to graduate. It directs the state Agency of Education to create and implement a program that integrates community service into every high school by the 2029-2030 school year. The legislation does not specify the exact amount of service required or the types of projects that would count, leaving those details to be determined by the state education agency. This change would directly affect all Vermont high school students and their schools, requiring them to participate in approved community service activities as part of their graduation criteria.
This bill would allow all Vermont students from prekindergarten through 12th grade to attend any public or approved independent school of their choice, regardless of where they live. It creates a School Choice Grant funded by the student's home school district that would be transferred to the school the family selects, with the state Agency of Education managing the process. Schools must accept all applicants unless they lack capacity, in which case they would use a lottery system, and independent schools cannot discriminate based on protected characteristics. The bill also requires the Joint Fiscal Office to submit a report by January 2024 with recommendations on how to integrate this program into Vermont's existing education funding system.
This bill prohibits Vermont schools and educational programs that receive state funding from using unlawful physical restraints, seclusion, mechanical restraints, or chemical restraints on students. It defines specific types of restraints and seclusion that are banned, while allowing certain voluntary physical contacts like escorts and prompts that do not restrict movement. Covered entities must report and document any incidents involving restraint or seclusion, notify parents within 24 hours, and hold meetings within five school days to discuss prevention strategies and potential behavioral support plans. The Agency of Education is tasked with creating a performance review system to monitor compliance and provide technical assistance to schools for implementing evidence-based programs that reduce the need for restraints.
This bill establishes Vermont's public policy to encourage parents to share rights and responsibilities for raising their children after separation or divorce, unless there is a risk of harm to the child or a parent. It creates a rebuttable presumption that shared parental arrangements serve the child's best interests and requires courts to consider specific factors when making custody decisions, including each parent's ability to foster a positive relationship between the child and the other parent. The legislation also clarifies definitions of legal and physical responsibility, prohibits courts from favoring one parent based on gender or financial resources, and sets an effective date of July 1, 2023.
This bill requires Vermont courts to review civil lawsuits filed by individuals who have previously filed three or more cases as plaintiffs. If a court determines the new lawsuit is abusive - meaning it lacks legal or factual basis, aims to harass the defendant, or involves issues already lost in prior litigation - the plaintiff must hire an attorney or prove they cannot afford one. If the plaintiff cannot meet this requirement, the court must dismiss the case and award the defendant reasonable costs, attorney fees, and potentially punitive damages. The law applies specifically to cases in the Civil Division of the Superior Court and takes effect immediately upon passage.
This bill proposes to gradually reduce how much energy from large hydroelectric plants counts as renewable energy in Vermont. It directly affects utility companies and energy providers that sell power from hydroelectric facilities with a capacity greater than 200 megawatts. Under the bill, the amount of large hydroelectric energy eligible to meet renewable energy obligations would decrease by 10 percent each year starting in 2024, eventually reaching zero. The legislation amends state law to clarify that energy from plants exceeding 200 MW is not renewable, with a phased reduction schedule applied to compliance calculations.
