This bill proposes to gradually implement Green Mountain Care, Vermont's publicly financed health care program, over a ten-year period starting with primary care in the first year and adding preventive dental and vision services in the second year. It establishes an advisory group within the Green Mountain Care Board to recommend how to sequence and finance additional health services for years three through ten, aiming for comprehensive coverage by the tenth year. The legislation requires the state to seek federal waivers to modify existing health insurance rules and mandates detailed financial analysis to ensure the program is economically sustainable and reduces overall health care spending. It also directs the Green Mountain Care Board to consider cost-sharing options and ensures health care professionals receive adequate reimbursement to recruit and retain staff.
This bill would allow Vermont to join the Audiology and Speech-Language Pathology Interstate Compact, enabling licensed audiologists and speech-language pathologists to practice in other member states without needing separate licenses for each location. The compact facilitates this by recognizing licenses from other participating states while maintaining each state's authority to regulate practice and protect public health. It specifically supports military families by allowing providers to practice in states where their spouses are stationed and enables telehealth services across state lines. The legislation also establishes a system for sharing information about disciplinary actions and investigations between member states to ensure consistent oversight.
This bill would allow Vermont municipalities to establish civilian oversight boards to monitor and investigate law enforcement agencies within their jurisdiction. The boards would have the authority to receive, investigate, and adjudicate complaints against police officers, including incidents involving physical force, officer-involved deaths, and unprofessional conduct. Key provisions grant the boards power to access police records and body camera footage, hire investigators and legal counsel, issue subpoenas, and hold public hearings before recommending disciplinary actions that must follow existing collective bargaining agreements. Investigations conducted by these boards would remain confidential unless specific exceptions are met, and boards must publish public reports detailing their findings and recommendations.
This bill modifies Vermont's health insurance requirements to expand colorectal cancer screening coverage and increase funding for primary care services. It mandates that health insurers cover colorectal cancer screenings for individuals aged 50 and older in accordance with national guidelines, while also allowing for high-risk screenings as recommended by physicians. The legislation requires major health insurers, the state employee health plan, and certain educational benefit plans to increase their allocation of total health spending to primary care by at least one percentage point annually until reaching a minimum of 12 percent. Additionally, the bill establishes reporting requirements for insurers to track primary care spending and directs state officials to recommend payment increases for Patient Centered Medical Homes to support comprehensive primary care delivery.
This bill expands Vermont's personal income tax deduction for student loan payments to include both interest and principal amounts paid on qualifying education loans. It directly affects Vermont residents who pay student loans for eligible educational institutions and meet specific income limits, allowing them to deduct these payments from their taxable income. The bill applies to taxpayers with adjusted gross incomes of $120,000 or less for single filers and $200,000 or less for married couples filing jointly, using federal definitions for what counts as a qualified education loan and eligible institution. The changes take effect retroactively to January 1, 2023, and apply to all taxable years beginning on or after that date.
This bill would change Vermont's sales tax rules to include candy as a taxable item, currently exempting it from the sales and use tax that applies to most food products. The legislation defines candy as sugar or sweetener-based preparations like bars, drops, or pieces made with chocolate, fruits, nuts, or other ingredients, while excluding flour-based items and products requiring refrigeration. Once enacted, candy purchases would be subject to the standard sales tax rate, and the change would take effect on January 1, 2024. This policy aligns Vermont's tax treatment of candy with the multistate Streamlined Sales and Use Tax Agreement.
This bill updates wage requirements for Vermont state construction projects, requiring workers on projects over $100,000 to receive prevailing local wages plus 42.5% for benefits, with exceptions for transportation and parks projects. It mandates that employees on projects funded by both state and federal money receive the higher of the federal Davis-Bacon rate or the state prevailing wage. The legislation establishes enforcement procedures where employees can file claims with the Attorney General, who must investigate within 120 days, and requires the state to maintain a public list of contractors prohibited from receiving state work. The bill also directs the Commissioner of Labor to create rules implementing these wage standards and takes effect on July 1, 2023.
This bill requires all new and existing single-family homes in Vermont to have fireblocking installed before they are sold. Fireblocking consists of approved materials placed in concealed spaces like walls, floors, and stairwells to stop flames from spreading between different areas of a house. Sellers must certify to buyers at closing that the home meets these installation standards, and if fireblocking is missing, sellers must fix the issue within 60 days of being notified. The law takes effect on July 1, 2023, and applies to individual family homes but excludes condominiums and multi-unit buildings.
This bill creates a new Legislative Office of Government Accountability and Strategic Planning within Vermont's Legislative Branch to help the General Assembly oversee state government operations. The office would evaluate how well state agencies and programs work, develop strategies for investing in people, businesses, the economy, the environment, and infrastructure, assess staffing levels, and ensure public funds are used as intended. Sponsored by five state representatives, the bill aims to provide the legislature with dedicated resources for monitoring government performance and strategic planning.
This bill proposes to name the State office building at 133 State Street in Montpelier after former Governor Philip H. Hoff. The legislation amends Vermont law to officially designate the building as the "Philip H. Hoff State Office Building" while also clarifying the name of a separate building in Rutland. The change takes effect on July 1, 2023, and applies to the building that houses state offices in the Capital Complex.
This bill limits the Vermont Public Utility Commission's authority to review electric distribution upgrades, restricting their oversight to stability, reliability, and public health and safety concerns. Under the new rules, the Commission would not evaluate other potential impacts of these upgrades, though affected utilities and the Department of Public Service would still participate in the process. The changes take effect on July 1, 2023, and apply to electric distribution facilities regulated under Vermont law.
This bill proposes changing how juries deliver verdicts in Vermont when a defendant is found not guilty by reason of insanity. It requires courts to inform juries that such defendants will be committed to the Department of Mental Health if deemed dangerous to themselves or others, and mandates that verdicts state "guilty, but insane" instead of simply "not guilty." The changes directly affect criminal court proceedings and the Department of Mental Health by clarifying the legal status and disposition of defendants found insane at the time of their alleged offenses. The bill takes effect immediately upon passage.
