Vermont Bills | MyRepTracker

signed · Vermont · House May 2, 2025

H 10: An act relating to approval of amendments to the charter of the City of Barre

House Bill 10 is an act designed to approve amendments to the charter of the City of Barre. This bill formally authorizes changes to the city's foundational governing document, allowing them to take effect. During its passage, the bill was amended to clarify a section related to the city's fiscal year. This specific amendment confirms that the City of Barre's fiscal year begins on July 1st and ends on June 30th.

signed · Vermont · House May 2, 2025

H 243: An act relating to the regulation of business organizations

H 243, "An act relating to the regulation of business organizations," standardizes the process for business entities to obtain a "certificate of good standing" from the Secretary of State. The bill defines what these certificates confirm, such as a business's legal existence, payment of required fees, and up-to-date filings. It allows any person to request and receive these certificates for various types of organizations, including limited liability companies, corporations, and mutual benefit enterprises. This clarifies the administrative requirements for businesses operating within the state.

signed · Vermont · House Apr 30, 2025

H 118: An act relating to expanding the scope of hate-motivated crimes

H.118 expands the scope of hate-motivated crimes in Vermont by amending existing law. This bill specifies that a person who commits a crime motivated, in whole or in part, by another person's or a group of persons' actual or perceived membership in a protected category will face enhanced penalties. The penalties vary based on the severity of the underlying crime, with courts considering motivation as a sentencing factor for more serious offenses. "Protected category" includes characteristics like race, religion, gender identity, sexual orientation, and disability.

Topics ✓ Criminal Justice

signed · Vermont · House Apr 30, 2025

H 259: An act relating to preventing workplace violence in hospitals

H 259, "An act relating to preventing workplace violence in hospitals," mandates that hospitals establish and implement security plans to prevent workplace violence and manage aggressive behaviors. These plans must be based on a security risk assessment and developed by a team including healthcare employees and law enforcement representatives. Key provisions include requiring trained de-escalation staff, offering specific employee training on safety techniques, and establishing a workplace violence incident reporting system. The bill also prohibits retaliation against employees for reporting incidents and requires hospitals to post notices about the legal consequences of assaulting staff. Additionally, hospitals must report the costs associated with implementing these security measures.

Topics ✓ Healthcare ✓ Labor & Employment

signed · Vermont · House Apr 24, 2025

H 80: An act relating to the Office of the Health Care Advocate

H.80 strengthens the Office of the Health Care Advocate (OHCA) by clarifying its role as an independent voice for Vermonters promoting access to affordable health care. The bill expands the OHCA's ability to advocate for consumers in health insurance rate reviews and certificate of need applications by allowing it to submit questions, comments, and provide testimony to the Green Mountain Care Board. It also updates the OHCA's duties, which include assisting Vermonters with health insurance plan selection, understanding their rights, filing complaints, and facilitating public input on health care policies.

Topics ✓ Healthcare

signed · Vermont · Senate Apr 24, 2025

S 3: An act relating to the transfer of property to a trust

This Vermont bill (S.3) modifies trust law to preserve creditor immunity for marital property transferred into trusts. It ensures that when married couples transfer property held as tenants by the entirety into a joint revocable or irrevocable trust (meeting specific conditions), the property remains protected from each spouse's individual creditors - just as if it remained held jointly outside the trust. Key conditions include the property staying in trust or being deeded back to the spouses as tenants by the entirety, and the trust structure requiring mutual consent for amendments. The law applies to all existing and future trusts and legal proceedings involving such property.

signed · Vermont · House Apr 16, 2025

H 154: An act relating to designating November as the Vermont Month of the Veteran

H. 154 designates November of each year as the Vermont Month of the Veteran. This act honors U.S. Armed Forces veterans for their military service to the nation. It will take effect on July 1, 2025.

Topics ✓ Veterans

signed · Vermont · House Apr 2, 2025

H 2: An act relating to increasing the minimum age for delinquency proceedings

This bill raises Vermont's minimum age for juvenile delinquency proceedings from 10 to 12 years old. It also increases the age threshold for transferring youth to adult court from 19 to 20 years old, meaning youth aged 16-17 committing offenses will now remain in juvenile court until age 21 (previously 20), and those aged 18 will stay until age 22 (previously 21). The law directly affects youth aged 12-20 involved in delinquency cases, keeping them in the juvenile justice system longer. Implementation requires the Agency of Human Services to report progress on facility and program expansions by 2026, with full implementation effective July 1, 2027.

Topics ✓ Criminal Justice

signed · Vermont · House Mar 11, 2025

H 31: An act relating to claim edit standards and prior authorization requirements

This bill modifies Vermont's health insurance claim processing rules. It specifies that standard claim edit requirements (used to review billing accuracy) don't apply when healthcare services are provided outside Vermont, unless the insurer and out-of-state provider agree otherwise. It also updates the definition of "primary care provider" to align with Vermont Blueprint for Health standards, meaning orders from these providers generally won't require prior authorization for in-network services (except for prescriptions or out-of-network care). The changes to claim edits take effect January 1, 2026, while the primary care provider definition change applies immediately.

Topics ✓ Healthcare

signed · Vermont · House Feb 21, 2025

H 78: An act relating to the use of the Australian ballot system in local elections

H.78 requires Vermont municipalities to use a secret ballot (Australian ballot system) for electing local officers once they adopt it, and specifies the exact ballot language for such votes. It applies to all cities and towns that choose to implement the system for any or all municipal officers. The bill ensures that 2025 municipal elections using the Australian ballot remain valid even if procedural requirements weren't fully met, and prevents legal challenges to prior elections where only some officers were elected by secret ballot. The law takes effect immediately upon signing, with no new requirements for municipalities that haven't yet voted on the system.

signed · Vermont · House Feb 21, 2025

H 35: An act relating to unmerging the individual and small group health insurance markets

Vermont's H.35 unmerges the individual and small group health insurance markets by raising the employee threshold for small employers from 50 to 100 workers. This change, effective January 1, 2016, allows businesses with up to 100 employees to access the Vermont Health Benefit Exchange for coverage, directly affecting small businesses and their employees. The bill updates definitions in Vermont law to reflect this expanded eligibility and permits employers growing beyond 100 employees to maintain Exchange participation if they continue offering Exchange plans. The measure was signed into law by Governor Scott on February 19, 2025.

Topics ✓ Healthcare

signed · Vermont · House Jun 17, 2024

H 55: An act relating to miscellaneous unemployment insurance, workers' compensation, and employment practices amendments and to establishing the Vermont Baby Bond Trust

This bill amends Vermont's unemployment insurance system to improve how employers are charged for benefits, protect workers affected by major disasters, and strengthen protections against benefit fraud. It requires employers to be exempt from experience-rating charges when employees receive unemployment benefits due to federally declared disasters, and it updates rules for handling overpayments by allowing more flexible repayment plans and clearer waiver processes. The legislation also clarifies penalties for individuals who intentionally misrepresent information to claim benefits and mandates that the state provide written notice of rights to appeal overpayment decisions.

Topics ✓ Labor & Employment