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Vermont Bills

Track legislation and stay informed about the bills that matter to you.

State Legislature US Congress

All 8,295 Active 4,786 In committee 1,729 Passed 2,509 Signed 952 Failed 8

signed · Vermont · House May 10, 2024

H 872: An act relating to miscellaneous updates to the powers of the Vermont Criminal Justice Council and the duties of law enforcement officers

This bill updates the powers of the Vermont Criminal Justice Council and clarifies the duties and conduct standards for law enforcement officers in the state. It requires the Council to create and enforce a statewide Law Enforcement Officers' Code of Conduct that prohibits specific behaviors such as criminal conduct, untruthfulness, sexual harassment, biased enforcement, unlawful use of force, and domestic violence. The legislation also establishes clear definitions for different levels of misconduct and sets rules for how the Council can impose sanctions, ensuring that disciplinary actions align with those taken by individual law enforcement agencies. Additionally, the bill grants the Council authority to define training requirements and allows for limited waivers of annual training obligations for officers who can complete them within a specified timeframe.

Topics ✓ Criminal Justice

signed · Vermont · Senate May 10, 2024

S 253: An act relating to building energy codes

This bill amends Vermont's building energy code requirements and establishes procedures for a working group to oversee compliance. It creates a working group that will receive administrative and legal support from the Department of Public Service to review energy standards and submit reports to state committees by November 2024 and 2025. The legislation also updates the residential building contractor registry to require contractors to acknowledge compliance with state energy standards and mandates website updates to clarify these legal requirements. Additionally, the bill extends a deadline for energy code compliance from February 2030 to July 2026 and requires contract templates to include statements about energy standard compliance.

Topics ✓ Energy

signed · Vermont · Senate May 10, 2024

S 98: An act relating to Green Mountain Care Board authority over prescription drug costs and the Green Mountain Care Board nomination and appointment process

This bill modifies the Green Mountain Care Board's role in regulating prescription drug costs and establishes a formal process for nominating and appointing its members. Regarding drug costs, the Board must now evaluate how proposed programs might affect access to medications for Vermonters and consider impacts on other state agencies and the private sector before implementing regulations. The bill also creates a Green Mountain Care Board Nominating Committee to review applications and submit qualified candidate lists to the Governor, who then makes appointments subject to Senate consent. Board members will serve staggered terms of three to six years, with reappointments requiring Senate approval, and all committee proceedings remain confidential. These changes take effect on July 1, 2024, with some provisions applying immediately upon passage.

Topics ✓ Healthcare

signed · Vermont · Senate May 10, 2024

S 102: An act relating to expanding employment protections and collective bargaining rights

This bill expands employment protections in Vermont by prohibiting employers from discriminating against employees who decline to attend or participate in employer-sponsored meetings about religious or political matters. It also prevents employers from requiring employees to attend such meetings, while allowing exceptions for communications required by law or necessary for job performance. The law includes specific exemptions for religious institutions, political organizations, and voluntary forums, and defines what constitutes political and religious matters for enforcement purposes. Additionally, the bill creates a study committee to examine how Vermont's labor laws apply to agricultural workers and identify potential ways to extend coverage to this group.

Topics ✓ Labor & Employment

signed · Vermont · Senate May 10, 2024

S 120: An act relating to postsecondary schools and sexual misconduct protections

This bill requires Vermont postsecondary schools to ensure students have access to confidential sexual misconduct support services, either on or off campus, and mandates written agreements with external providers when such services are specialized. It establishes an amnesty policy that protects students from disciplinary action when reporting sexual misconduct, except when the ancillary violation poses a direct threat to health or safety. The legislation also mandates annual trauma-informed prevention programming for all students, staff, and faculty covering consent, bystander intervention, and available support resources. Additionally, the bill creates the Intercollegiate Sexual Harm Prevention Council to coordinate prevention efforts across Vermont colleges and repeals a previous council established in 2021.

signed · Vermont · Senate May 10, 2024

S 109: An act relating to Medicaid coverage for doula services

This Vermont bill directs the Office of Professional Regulation to review whether doulas should be regulated through registration, certification, or licensure, with results due by January 2025. It also requires the Department of Vermont Health Access to calculate the estimated costs of adding doula services to Medicaid coverage and recommend whether to include them in the state's health plan. The bill defines a qualified doula as one who is registered, certified, or licensed by the state, and mandates that any Medicaid coverage for these services only apply to doulas meeting those standards.

Topics ✓ Healthcare

signed · Vermont · Senate May 10, 2024

S 246: An act relating to amending the Vermont basic needs budget and livable wage

This bill updates Vermont's legal definition of a livable wage and establishes a regular process for calculating basic needs budgets. It requires the Joint Fiscal Office to report these calculations annually, defining a livable wage as the hourly rate needed for a two-person household with no children to cover half their basic needs in shared housing with employer health insurance. The bill mandates that these calculations follow established methodology and be updated every six years or more often to reflect current living costs. While the report serves as an economic indicator, it is not official state guidance on wages or compensation. The changes take effect on July 1, 2024.

Topics ✓ Budget & Taxes ✓ Healthcare ✓ Labor & Employment

signed · Vermont · Senate May 10, 2024

S 254: An act relating to including rechargeable batteries and battery-containing products under the State battery stewardship program

This bill expands Vermont's battery stewardship program to include rechargeable batteries and battery-containing products, requiring retailers to stop selling these items unless the manufacturer has an approved recycling or management plan. The law takes effect on January 1, 2026, and applies to retailers, battery producers, and battery manufacturers who must either join an approved stewardship organization or demonstrate they are exempt from the program. The bill also adds administrative procedures for registering stewardship organizations and establishes a process for requesting administrative use controls at contaminated hazardous material sites.

Topics ✓ Environment

passed both · Vermont · House May 10, 2024

HCR 247: House concurrent resolution in memory of Norman Paul Bartlett of Putney

This House concurrent resolution honors the memory of Norman Paul Bartlett, a longtime leader in Vermont education who passed away in March 2024. The measure expresses the General Assembly's condolences to his family and directs the Secretary of State to send a copy of the resolution to them. It recognizes Bartlett's half-century career with the Vermont Education Association, where he negotiated over 500 school contracts and served in various leadership roles. The resolution also acknowledges his personal contributions to community organizations and his life as a family man and avid skier. This is a commemorative document rather than a policy change.

passed both · Vermont · House May 10, 2024

HCR 249: House concurrent resolution recognizing May 6–12, 2024 as National Nurses Week in Vermont and designating May 9, 2024 as ANA-Vermont Hill Day at the State House

This legislative resolution officially recognizes May 6-12, 2024, as National Nurses Week in Vermont and designates May 9, 2024, as ANA-Vermont Hill Day at the State House. The measure honors the nursing profession by acknowledging nurses' contributions to healthcare, particularly during the pandemic, and invites the public to express gratitude to nurses on that date. The resolution directs the Secretary of State to send a copy of the document to ANA-Vermont, the organization overseeing the commemoration. It does not create new laws or funding but serves as a formal acknowledgment of the nursing profession's importance.

passed both · Vermont · House May 10, 2024

HCR 250: House concurrent resolution recognizing the importance of public awareness of tardive dyskinesia

This bill is a non-binding resolution that formally recognizes the importance of public awareness about tardive dyskinesia, a movement disorder affecting approximately 600,000 Americans. The resolution highlights that the condition can result from long-term use of certain antipsychotic medications and is more common in older adults, those with substance use disorders, and postmenopausal individuals. It notes that symptoms can significantly impact daily activities like eating, writing, and sleeping, and acknowledges the FDA-approved medication Ingrezza as a treatment option. The bill directs the Secretary of State to send a copy of the resolution to a federal policy analyst in Washington, DC, but does not create new laws or funding.

passed both · Vermont · House May 10, 2024

HCR 251: House concurrent resolution recognizing June 2024 as National Scoliosis Awareness Month in Vermont

This bill formally recognizes June 2024 as National Scoliosis Awareness Month in Vermont. It directly affects individuals with scoliosis, their families, healthcare providers, and related organizations in the state. The resolution directs the Secretary of State to send copies to the Scoliosis Research Society and the Vermont Orthopaedic Society. This is a ceremonial measure that raises awareness about scoliosis, a condition involving sideways curvature of the spine that may require monitoring, bracing, or surgery depending on severity.