Vermont Bills

passed both · Vermont · House Apr 26, 2024

HCR 232: House concurrent resolution congratulating the Woodford SnoBusters snowmobile club on its 40th anniversary

This bill is a House concurrent resolution that formally congratulates the Woodford SnoBusters snowmobile club on its 40th anniversary. The resolution recognizes the club's contributions to Vermont's statewide snowmobile trail network through volunteer trail maintenance and safety programs. It directs the Secretary of State to send a copy of the resolution to the club as official acknowledgment. The measure is ceremonial and does not create new laws or change existing policies.

passed both · Vermont · House Apr 26, 2024

HCR 237: House concurrent resolution congratulating the youngsters who represented Vermont and earned an individual championship at the 2024 Elks National Hoop Shoot’s New England regional tournament

This bill is a House concurrent resolution that congratulates three young athletes from Vermont who won individual championships at the 2024 Elks National Hoop Shoot's New England regional tournament. The resolution recognizes Cade Barcomb, Olivia Rodgers, and Lincoln Sykes for their achievements in the youth basketball competition, which is designed to ensure fair play by grouping competitors by age and gender. It directs the Secretary of State to send a copy of the resolution to each of the three winners, who have earned invitations to compete at the national finals in Chicago. This measure serves as an official acknowledgment of their accomplishments rather than establishing new laws or policies.

passed · Vermont · House Apr 26, 2024

HR 20: House resolution reaffirming the importance of the friendship and strong bilateral relations between the United States and the Republic of China (Taiwan) and between the State of Vermont and the Republic of China (Taiwan) and supporting Taiwan’s greater participation in multinational organizations

This Vermont House resolution reaffirms the strong friendship and bilateral relations between the United States and Taiwan, as well as the relationship between the State of Vermont and Taiwan. The bill highlights the economic ties between the two regions, noting that Taiwan is Vermont's second-largest export destination and the U.S. is Taiwan's second-largest trading partner. It expresses support for Taiwan's participation in international organizations like the World Health Organization and the International Civil Aviation Organization. Additionally, the resolution supports establishing a memorandum of understanding between Vermont and Taiwan to expand educational exchanges and cooperation. The document directs the House Clerk to send copies to relevant U.S. and Taiwanese officials.

signed · Vermont · House Apr 25, 2024

H 543: An act relating to Vermont’s adoption of the Social Work Licensure Compact and to emergency housing eligibility documentation

This bill updates Vermont's emergency housing eligibility rules by requiring medical certification for disability documentation. It allows households who cannot prove SSI or SSDI eligibility to use a specific form to document qualifying health conditions for temporary emergency housing. The form must include personal information, a description of the disability, risks to health and safety without housing, and verification from a licensed healthcare provider. This change affects individuals seeking emergency housing assistance and healthcare professionals providing disability certifications.

Topics ✓ Healthcare ✓ Housing

passed both · Vermont · Senate Apr 25, 2024

JRS 54: Joint resolution relating to weekend adjournment on April 26, 2024

This bill directs the Vermont state legislature to adjourn on Friday, April 26, 2024, and reconvene no later than Tuesday, April 30, 2024. It directly affects the state's legislative body by setting a specific weekend break schedule for their sessions. The resolution establishes a procedural timeline for when lawmakers will pause and resume their duties during that particular week. This measure is a scheduling directive rather than a policy change, focusing solely on the operational calendar of the legislature.

passed both · Vermont · House Apr 25, 2024

HCR 220: House concurrent resolution congratulating the 2023 North Country Union High School Falcons Division II championship football team

This bill is a ceremonial resolution that congratulates the 2023 North Country Union High School Falcons football team for winning the Division II state championship. It does not create new laws or change any policies but instead formally recognizes the team's athletic achievement and their first divisional title in 26 years. The resolution lists the players, coaches, and team manager who earned this honor and directs the Secretary of State to send a copy of the document to the school. This type of legislative action serves to acknowledge local accomplishments without affecting government operations or public policy.

passed both · Vermont · House Apr 24, 2024

JRH 10: Joint resolution authorizing the Green Mountain Girls State educational program to use the State House facilities on June 27, 2024

This bill authorizes the Green Mountain Girls State educational program to use the Vermont State House facilities on June 27, 2024. The program, sponsored by the American Legion Auxiliary Department of Vermont, allows 12th-grade girls to participate in a mock legislative session and learn about state government operations. The resolution permits access to the legislative chambers and committee rooms between 8:00 a.m. and 4:15 p.m. on the specified date, subject to any rules established by the Sergeant at Arms. The Secretary of State is directed to send a copy of this resolution to the sponsoring organization.

passed both · Vermont · House Apr 24, 2024

HCR 206: House concurrent resolution honoring the professional achievements of child and victim advocate Sally Borden

This House concurrent resolution honors the professional achievements of child and victim advocate Sally Borden. It recognizes her decades of work supporting victims of criminal acts, domestic violence, and child abuse through leadership roles at organizations like KidSafe Collaborative in Vermont. The resolution formally acknowledges her career accomplishments and directs the Secretary of State to send a copy of the document to Borden and her organization. This legislative action serves as a ceremonial tribute rather than changing any laws or policies.

signed · Vermont · Senate Apr 24, 2024

S 190: An act relating to statements made by a child victim of an offense involving serious bodily injury

This bill updates court rules to protect young children who have suffered serious physical abuse by limiting how many times they must describe their traumatic experiences in legal proceedings. It extends existing protections for child victims of sexual offenses to children under 16 who are victims of cruelty causing serious bodily injury, allowing their statements to be used as evidence in court. The legislation also permits hearsay statements from children aged 12 and under to be admitted as evidence in cruelty cases involving serious bodily injury, similar to rules already in place for sexual offense cases. These changes aim to reduce the emotional burden on young victims while ensuring their accounts can still be considered in legal cases.

Topics ✓ Criminal Justice

signed · Vermont · Senate Apr 24, 2024

S 278: An act relating to prohibiting a comparative negligence defense in an action for a negligence claim relating to a sexual act or sexual conduct

This bill prohibits defendants from using a plaintiff's own negligence as a legal defense in personal injury lawsuits involving sexual acts or conduct. It amends Vermont's negligence laws to prevent courts from reducing damages based on how much fault the plaintiff had in the sexual situation. The change applies to any negligence claim where the incident involves sexual acts or conduct as defined in state law. This means plaintiffs seeking compensation for injuries from such incidents cannot have their claims reduced because they were partially at fault. The law takes effect immediately upon signing.

introduced · Vermont · House Apr 23, 2024

HR 19: House resolution providing requirements for bills creating new State-directed spending obligations on the Education Fund

This bill establishes a new rule requiring any legislation that creates new state-directed spending obligations on Vermont's Education Fund to be introduced as a stand-alone bill rather than combined with other measures. The rule defines state-directed spending as supplemental state aid appropriated from the Education Fund to school districts for specific purposes that cannot be included in a school district's general education spending. Under this rule, passing such bills on third reading, voting on Senate amendments, and adopting committee conference reports would require a two-thirds vote of members present. The measure directly affects how future spending bills related to the Education Fund are drafted, introduced, and voted on by the Vermont House of Representatives.

passed both · Vermont · House Apr 23, 2024

HCR 204: House concurrent resolution congratulating Jaden Coppins of Colchester on her individual title victory at the inaugural New England girls’ wrestling championship

This bill is a ceremonial resolution that congratulates Jaden Coppins, a senior at Colchester High School, on winning the individual title at the inaugural New England girls' wrestling championship. The measure formally recognizes her achievement in the 120-pound weight class and acknowledges the growing participation of girls in high school wrestling across the region. It directs the Secretary of State to send a copy of the resolution to Coppins at her school. This type of legislation does not change laws or policies but serves to honor an individual's accomplishment.

Bill results