This bill establishes Vermont's fiscal year 2025 Transportation Program and includes various amendments to transportation-related laws. It authorizes specific funding allocations for multiple transportation initiatives, including park-and-ride facilities, bike and pedestrian infrastructure, public transit services, and rail operations. The legislation defines key project categories such as candidate projects, development and evaluation projects, and front-of-book projects to guide how state funds are distributed. Additionally, it incorporates provisions for electric vehicle infrastructure, transportation alternatives, and greenhouse gas reduction efforts while setting up mechanisms to track project expenditures and funding sources.
This bill establishes a new Facilities Master Plan Grant Program to help Vermont's supervisory unions and independent career and technical education districts create comprehensive plans for their school buildings. The program provides grant funding to assist these districts in evaluating existing facilities, projecting enrollment needs, and identifying renovation or construction requirements to meet 21st-century educational goals. Grant awards are prioritized based on facility condition and poverty levels, with funds potentially used to hire consultants for plan development. Additionally, the bill creates a working group to study and recommend improvements to the statewide school construction aid program, including governance structures and eligibility criteria. The Facilities Master Plan Grant Program is set to expire on June 30, 2029, and the bill also requires the state to develop a list of prequalified architecture and engineering firms specializing in school design.
This bill updates Vermont's agricultural laws to strengthen regulations on animals running at large and clarify definitions for hemp products. It gives towns and cities expanded authority to create local ordinances controlling livestock on public lands and private property without permission. The law also increases fines for allowing cattle, horses, sheep, goats, or swine to run loose in public areas, with penalties ranging from $50 to $100 per animal depending on the location. Additionally, the bill refines the definition of hemp products to exclude items containing more than 0.3 percent THC and clarifies that small cannabis cultivation facilities with fewer than 10 non-family employees do not count as public buildings. These changes take effect on July 1, 2024.
This bill establishes new policies and procedures for Vermont's public libraries and school libraries to ensure compliance with free speech principles, civil rights laws, and the state's diverse population. It requires library boards to adopt material selection and reconsideration policies that reflect diversity in race, ethnicity, gender identity, sexual orientation, religion, and political beliefs while protecting intellectual freedom. The legislation also clarifies confidentiality rules for library records, expands protections against criminal threats at public libraries, and updates the role of the Department of Libraries to include developing model policies and professional development programs for librarians.
This bill updates Vermont's financial disclosure requirements for candidates running for state and legislative office, requiring them to submit detailed information about their income, assets, and business interests to the State Ethics Commission. The law mandates disclosure of income sources, ownership stakes in companies, leases with state entities, and specific investment holdings valued at $25,000 or more, while allowing candidates to redact sensitive personal information like Social Security numbers from their tax returns. Candidates must also disclose if their spouse or domestic partner works as a lobbyist and provide full names of their spouses or domestic partners. Once filed, these disclosure forms and redacted tax returns are made publicly available on the Secretary of State's website until the next primary election cycle.
This bill establishes a temporary Vermont Sister State Program Working Group to develop a state program that would create partnerships between Vermont and other countries or provinces. The Working Group includes representatives from state agencies such as Commerce, Education, and Agriculture, along with leaders from the Vermont Arts Council and Council on World Affairs. The group will study existing sister state programs, gather stakeholder input, and make recommendations on how to fund, administer, and structure the program, with goals including fostering cultural exchange, supporting immigrant communities, and maintaining connections with military and aid organizations. The Working Group must submit an initial report by February 2025 and a final report with recommendations by November 2025, and it will dissolve on March 31, 2026.
This bill changes how communications union districts in Vermont handle mergers and internal governance. It allows these districts to approve mergers through their governing boards instead of requiring a vote from all residents in the affected areas. The legislation also gives districts more flexibility to set their own annual meeting dates, fiscal years, and report approval schedules through their bylaws. Additionally, it permits treasurers to delegate some duties while keeping oversight responsibility and defines certain business information as confidential to protect competitive information about broadband operations.
This bill establishes a funding and reporting framework for testing schools in Vermont for polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) and covering the costs of any necessary cleanup. It requires the Agency of Natural Resources to either conduct PCB testing at schools or pay for testing done by schools, while also seeking to hold PCB manufacturers financially liable for remediation costs when possible. The legislation includes monthly reporting requirements to track available funds and authorizes the Emergency Board to transfer money from the Environmental Contingency Fund if state resources become insufficient to continue testing. Additionally, the bill clarifies that the state will not pay for PCB cleanup costs when remediation is part of a planned renovation or construction project, except for a specific reservation for the Burlington School District.
This bill creates a new Joint Government Oversight and Accountability Committee within the Vermont legislature to systematically evaluate how well state laws achieve their intended goals. The committee will consist of eight members from both chambers, with powers to investigate issues of significant public concern, issue subpoenas, and require agencies to submit performance reports. It aims to shift accountability from individual legislators to a structured, fact-based process that examines government performance and provides recommendations to prevent future failures. Additionally, the bill modifies how agency reports are distributed to the legislature, requiring them to be submitted by a specific deadline and limiting general mailings to individual members who request them.
This bill authorizes salary increases for Vermont State employees and state officials for fiscal years 2025 and 2026. It fully funds collective bargaining agreements for classified employees, providing a total 6.4 percent raise in 2025 and a 5.4 percent raise in 2026. The legislation also sets specific annual salary amounts for elected executive officers and department heads, establishing base salaries and maximum salary limits for various state positions. Additionally, it allows branch heads to extend these pay increases to exempt employees not covered by collective bargaining agreements.
This bill establishes an Emergency Temporary Shelter Program within Vermont's Department for Children and Families to provide interim housing for households experiencing homelessness, prioritizing community-based shelter options over hotel rooms. The program creates an advisory committee that includes individuals with lived experience of homelessness to guide implementation, ensuring diverse representation across race, disability, and other demographics. Key provisions require immediate access to shelter without housing readiness requirements, limit unnecessary relocations between shelter sites, and establish accountability measures for hotel and motel operators receiving state funding. The bill also mandates that shelter services incorporate Housing First principles and trauma-informed practices while increasing accessibility for individuals with disabilities.
This bill, titled the Medicaid Expansion Act of 2024, expands eligibility for Vermont's Dr. Dynasaur children's health insurance program to include young adults up to age 26, in addition to the current age limit of 21. The expansion applies to residents whose family income is at or below 312 percent of the federal poverty level, and it also extends coverage to pregnant individuals of any age. The legislation authorizes the state to charge monthly premiums for pregnant women and young adults whose family income exceeds 195 percent of the federal poverty level, with collected fees directed toward offsetting program costs. By aligning Dr. Dynasaur eligibility with federal Medicaid standards for young adults, the bill aims to reduce the number of uninsured and underinsured Vermonters in this age group.
