This bill creates the Cybersecurity Advisory Council to advise Vermont on protecting its digital infrastructure and systems from cyberattacks. The Council will include representatives from government agencies, critical infrastructure sectors like utilities and hospitals, private businesses, and cybersecurity professionals. Its main duties include developing a state cybersecurity strategy, evaluating readiness levels, sharing best practices with businesses and local governments, and recommending ways to improve cybersecurity standards and workforce development. The Council will meet at least quarterly, submit annual reports to legislative committees, and can hold closed sessions to discuss sensitive cybersecurity information that could compromise public safety if disclosed.
This bill establishes an unused drug repository program in Vermont to collect and distribute unused medications to patients who cannot afford them. The Agency of Human Services will manage the program, accepting donations from sources like pharmacies, hospitals, and individuals, while setting rules for drug safety and eligibility. Priority is given to low-income, uninsured, or underinsured patients, as well as those facing high out-of-pocket costs for prescriptions. The legislation also provides liability protection for donors, recipients, and healthcare providers involved in the program, and requires the agency to report on rulemaking progress during the 2024 budget process.
This bill approves the merger of the Village of Lyndonville with the Town of Lyndon in Vermont, creating a single unified municipality. The legislation amends the Town of Lyndon's governing laws to allow the town attorney to review and make technical corrections to proposed ordinances before they are voted on at town meetings, ensuring legal accuracy without changing the ordinance's meaning. It also updates terminology by replacing "ballot boxes" with "polling places" in town meeting procedures and makes minor grammatical adjustments to the Board of Electric Commissioners section. These changes streamline local governance processes and formalize the administrative structure of the newly merged town.
This bill authorizes approximately $122.7 million in state funding for capital construction and building projects across Vermont, primarily affecting the Department of Buildings and General Services. The legislation allocates specific amounts for maintenance, security upgrades, and renovations at state facilities including courthouses, correctional centers, and the State House, with funding distributed over two fiscal years. Key provisions include replacing HVAC systems in correctional facilities to improve conditions, upgrading security measures, and preserving historic sites and buildings. The bill establishes a process for adjusting appropriations in the second year through a separate adjustment bill and requires notification to legislative committee chairs before canceling correctional facility projects.
This bill makes technical and administrative updates to Vermont's tax laws, primarily clarifying how federal tax rules are adopted into state law and adjusting definitions for alcoholic beverages and meals. It updates the state's adoption of federal income tax statutes to reflect changes through December 31, 2022, and revises definitions to specify when alcoholic beverages sold by restaurants are taxable versus exempt. The legislation also modifies refund procedures for overpaid taxes, allowing both operators and purchasers to request refunds when taxes are collected incorrectly, and requires the Department of Taxes to report on whether to mandate that businesses notify customers about tax errors. Additionally, it adjusts how local option taxes are collected and administered, including a fee structure to cover administrative costs and clarifies refund processes for taxes collected in unauthorized jurisdictions.
This bill updates Vermont law enforcement training requirements and misconduct policies to better address domestic violence situations. It mandates that all state, county, and municipal law enforcement agencies, as well as certified constables, adopt a domestic violence model policy by July 1, 2024, and requires the Vermont Law Enforcement Advisory Board to issue an updated version by January 1, 2024 that includes provisions for survivor needs, officer support, and privacy protections. The legislation also clarifies that causing physical harm to family members or violating the domestic violence policy constitutes serious misconduct subject to disciplinary action, while requiring officers subject to abuse orders to immediately surrender their service weapons. Additionally, the bill directs the Vermont Criminal Justice Council to report on whether current misconduct statutes should apply to off-duty officer conduct and expands data collection requirements for domestic and sexual violence complaints.
This bill approves Vermont's Fiscal Year 2024 Transportation Program and adjusts funding for various transportation projects and initiatives. It authorizes investments in public transit, including zero-fare and tiered-fare services, and expands grant programs for rail trails, electric vehicle incentives, and micromobility safety improvements. The legislation also modifies funding sources for specific projects like the St. Albans District Maintenance Facility and Rail Trail Community Connectivity Grants, while reducing Highway Maintenance authorization by $850,000 with conditions for restoration. Additionally, it authorizes the sale or lease of the Caledonia County State Airport through a competitive process and cancels the Bennington Bypass project while adding a new bridge project in Sheldon.
This bill amends Vermont's alcoholic beverage laws to update definitions, licensing fees, and permit requirements for various alcohol-related events and sales. It clarifies the definition of hard cider, sets specific fees for different license types and permits, and establishes rules for how much alcohol can be sold or sampled at farmers markets, tasting rooms, and special events. The legislation also creates new permit categories for educational sampling events and festival sampling, outlining application deadlines, serving limits, and tax obligations for alcohol distributed at these gatherings.
This bill updates Vermont law enforcement training requirements to prioritize competency-based fair and impartial policing over fixed minimum hours. It mandates that officers receive approved anti-bias training and refresher courses every odd-numbered year, while also requiring Advanced Roadside Impaired Driving Enforcement training. The legislation requires law enforcement agencies to collect detailed data on roadside stops including demographic information and outcomes, and establishes a hiring process where agencies must obtain performance evaluations from current or former employers. Additionally, the Vermont Criminal Justice Council must report on its efforts to implement these competency-based training standards and adopt new certification rules by specified deadlines.
This bill makes three main changes to Vermont education laws: it pauses the mandatory implementation of a shared financial data management system for school districts until July 1, 2023, while allowing districts to continue using or leave the system during this period; it creates a tuition benefit program for Vermont National Guard members to attend state colleges, private institutions, or approved training programs at in-state tuition rates; and it updates requirements for home study programs by clarifying enrollment notice procedures, assessment methods, and curriculum documentation standards. The first provision directly affects supervisory unions, school districts, and technical center districts by temporarily suspending a previously mandated financial system. The second provision establishes tuition benefits for National Guard members and their dependents at various postsecondary institutions. The third provision ensures home study programs follow specific enrollment and assessment procedures to maintain educational standards.
This bill amends Vermont's agricultural laws to remove the word "or" from specific sections regarding the Secretary of Agriculture's authority. It also repeals the sales tax exemption for advanced wood boilers, which previously allowed these heating systems to be purchased without sales tax. The changes take effect on July 1, 2024, except for the sales tax repeal, which begins on June 30, 2023. The legislation directly affects Vermont residents and businesses that use or sell advanced wood boilers for heating purposes.
This bill establishes a statewide system for reappraising property values to ensure fair and consistent property taxation across Vermont municipalities. It requires the Director of Property Valuation and Review to order reappraisals when a municipality's property valuations fall outside acceptable ranges or when properties have not been reappraised within six years. The legislation allocates funding for assessment education programs and scholarships for municipal assessors, while also directing the Department of Taxes to develop a phased implementation plan for statewide reappraisals beginning in 2027. The bill includes provisions for implicit bias reduction training for assessors and requires the department to study property data to improve valuation accuracy and consistency.
