This Vermont bill (S.256) criminalizes threatening to disclose intimate images without consent to coerce someone into producing more images, engaging in sexual conduct, or providing something of value. It also expands existing voyeurism laws to cover non-consensual disclosure of images showing a person nude or engaged in sexual conduct, extending criminal statute of limitations for such acts and eliminating it for civil lawsuits. Victims can now seek damages for harm caused by intentional disclosure of their intimate images, including recovery for trauma-related disorders. The law directly affects individuals whose private images are exploited and those who threaten or disclose such images without consent.
H.691 requires health insurance plans to cover breastfeeding equipment, education, and counseling (including lactation support) without cost-sharing like deductibles or copays. It also mandates hospitals with maternity units to adopt infant-feeding policies promoting breastfeeding, aligned with the Baby-Friendly Hospital Initiative, and to communicate these policies to staff and patients. The bill directly affects mothers and newborns by improving access to breastfeeding support through insurance and hospital practices. Key provisions include eliminating out-of-pocket costs for breastfeeding services and requiring hospitals to implement evidence-based feeding policies. The law takes effect January 1, 2027.
This bill expands Vermont's Bill of Rights for Sexual Assault Survivors by guaranteeing specific protections during medical exams and criminal investigations. It directly affects survivors who report sexual assault to law enforcement, hospitals, or victim advocates, granting them the right to have a chosen support person present during exams and interviews, retain private counsel throughout proceedings, shower immediately after medical evaluations, and request a same-gender law enforcement officer for interviews. The bill also prohibits using evidence from medical exams to prosecute survivors for minor offenses like drug crimes or misdemeanors. These changes take effect July 1, 2026, and apply to all sexual assault cases reported under Vermont law.
This bill requires individuals with license suspensions or revocations due to serious speeding violations (such as driving 100+ mph or multiple excess-speed offenses) to obtain a restricted license or certificate. To operate a vehicle during their suspension/revocation period, they must install and maintain an approved aftermarket GPS-based speed-limiting device on their vehicle and pay a $125 application fee. The device must actively prevent speeding above posted limits, and the holder must cover all costs for installation, maintenance, and data retrieval. This applies only to non-commercial vehicles and creates a new "intelligent speed assistance restricted operator’s license" (ROL) with annual renewal requirements.
This bill requires members of the public to maintain a 25-foot distance from first responders (including police, firefighters, and EMTs) during active public safety emergencies. It applies when a first responder has verbally identified themselves or issued a warning to avoid approaching. The law prohibits intentionally coming within 25 feet to obstruct duties, threaten harm, or harass responders. Violations carry penalties of up to 60 days in jail or a $500 fine. The law takes effect January 1, 2027.
This bill eliminates Vermont's current limits on tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) potency for cannabis products sold by licensed retailers. It removes the 30% THC cap for cannabis flower and increases the maximum THC per serving in edibles from 5 milligrams to 10 milligrams. The changes aim to align Vermont's regulations with other legal cannabis states and address concerns that current limits restrict consumer choice and encourage underreporting of potency. The bill takes effect July 1, 2026, directly affecting licensed cannabis retailers and consumers purchasing these products.
H.704 extends and expands Vermont's Tenant Representation Pilot Program, providing free legal representation to eligible tenants facing eviction in Lamoille and Windsor counties. It targets tenants with household income at or below 120% of the state median, rent consuming 30% or more of income, or expenses exceeding income. The program offers full legal representation specifically for eviction cases (not counterclaims) and requires Vermont Legal Aid to report on outcomes, including resolutions through rental assistance programs. Implementation depends on state funding approval for fiscal year 2025.
This bill (H.689) requires service providers to adjust financial aid applications for housing, hospital, and surgical care so that only the income of an individual with a disability - not their entire household - is used to determine eligibility and benefit levels. It directly affects Vermont residents with disabilities who apply for these specific types of financial assistance. The key change is modifying how income is calculated during the application process, focusing solely on the applicant's earnings rather than household income. This aims to ensure fairer access to aid by accounting for the individual's personal financial situation.
This bill (H.698) revises Vermont's 2025 education funding and policy framework. It removes provisions requiring schools to maintain minimum class sizes, eliminates a rule allowing receiving districts to charge sending districts extra fees for high school students, and reverts unused funds from a school district voting group back to the state General Fund. The bill also updates the state's education funding formula to add a "secondary student weight" for high school students and removes recent changes to property tax classifications affecting schools. These changes directly impact school districts, state education funding calculations, and the administration of public school tuition payments.
This bill, S.248 (Genetic Information Privacy Act), requires direct-to-consumer genetic testing companies operating in Vermont to protect the genetic data of Vermont residents. Companies must obtain explicit consumer consent before sharing data (prohibiting "dark patterns" like deceptive interfaces), allow consumers to access their own genetic data, and limit data sharing without permission. The law defines "genetic data" broadly to include DNA, RNA, SNPs, and derived information, but excludes de-identified data and data used in federally compliant research. It directly affects Vermont residents using genetic testing services and the companies providing those services within the state.
This bill appropriates $143,000 from the General Fund for fiscal year 2027 to the Agency of Natural Resources, which will grant the funds to the Green Mountain Economic Development Corporation (GMEDC). The money specifically covers GMEDC's costs for a probate proceeding to obtain a Court Appointed Administrator, enabling the transfer of the Upper Valley Regional Landfill site in Post Mills, Thetford, to new ownership. This step is required to redevelop the brownfields site, which is a contaminated or underused industrial property. The bill directly affects GMEDC and the redevelopment plans for the landfill site.
H.684 gives Vermont owners of noncommercial cars, motorcycles, and light trucks (under 10,000 pounds gross weight) the right to choose whether to repair safety issues found during annual inspections. Instead of automatically failing a vehicle for non-critical safety concerns, inspection stations must now notify owners about potential dangers, list necessary repairs, and provide cost estimates. The bill does not change requirements for emissions or OBD system failures, which still require repairs before passing inspection. This directly affects vehicle owners by shifting inspection outcomes from mandatory failure to mandatory notification for non-critical safety items. The policy change applies to all noncommercial vehicles under 10,000 pounds and takes effect July 1, 2026.
