H.663 exempts Vermont municipalities from Act 250's requirement to protect prime farmland when developing land they own. It allows municipalities to avoid mitigation if they prove no reasonable alternative locations exist and the development serves specific public purposes like infrastructure, public safety facilities, or recreation/welfare projects open to residents. The exemption applies only to municipal-owned land and does not affect private development. This bill modifies Act 250's soil protection rules to simplify land-use for local government projects. The law takes effect July 1, 2026.
This Vermont bill (S 247) bans specific plastic-related practices starting in 2029 or 2030. It prohibits chemical conversion of plastics (like turning plastic into fuel via pyrolysis or gasification) and bans the sale of personal care/cleaning products containing plastic microbeads beginning January 1, 2029. It also bans medical solution containers with a common plasticizer (DEHP) from sale starting January 1, 2030, and medical tubing containing DEHP starting January 1, 2035. The bill directly affects manufacturers, distributors, and sellers of these products within Vermont.
This bill authorizes Vermont's Lottery Board to sell lottery tickets, products, and subscriptions through mobile apps, mobile devices, or the internet, effective July 1, 2026. It requires all such purchases to be initiated and received within Vermont, prohibiting intentional routing outside state lines. The bill also creates confidentiality exemptions under Vermont's Public Records Act for customer financial data, business records, and security systems related to online sales. It mandates public hearings for sales procedures but bypasses standard rulemaking processes for these rules. The policy change directly affects Vermont residents who purchase lottery tickets online and the Lottery Board as the operator.
This bill adds noncommercial aircraft (like private planes used for personal travel) to Vermont's existing sales and use tax exemption currently available to commercial aircraft. It also creates a new business personal property tax for noncommercial aircraft owners, while requiring a study on sharing tax revenue generated from air commerce with Vermont airports. The study, due by December 2026, will assess how to identify and distribute sales/use tax and property tax revenue from airports and air commerce operations. The tax changes and study will take effect on July 1, 2026.
This bill waives the $30 criminal history record check fee for volunteers working with organizations that provide free home-delivered meals to elderly Vermonters through the Department of Disabilities, Aging, and Independent Living (DAIL). It directly affects meal program organizations and their volunteers by removing a $30 fee for background checks required for these volunteers. The key provision adds a new exemption to Vermont law (§ 2063) specifically for "no-cost home-delivered meals for elderly Vermonters" administered in connection with DAIL. The fee waiver applies to all such organizations and their volunteers starting July 1, 2026.
H.681 requires Vermont school districts to obtain voter approval from the town where a school is located before closing any school serving prekindergarten through 12th grade, or specific grades within that range. The bill mandates a townwide vote for closures or relocations of school facilities, directly affecting school districts and local voters in communities with public schools. It amends state law to override existing school district agreements that might allow board decisions without voter input. The policy change takes effect July 1, 2026, ensuring community approval is required for school closure decisions.
This bill (S.251) requires health insurance plans in Vermont to cover the medically necessary diagnosis and treatment of PANDAS (Pediatric Autoimmune Neuropsychiatric Disorders Associated with Streptococcal Infections) and PANS (Pediatric Acute-onset Neuropsychiatric Syndrome) for children. It mandates coverage for specific treatments like antibiotics, mental health services, and immune-related therapies, without higher cost-sharing than for other conditions. Insurers must follow current clinical guidelines for these treatments and temporarily use "autoimmune encephalitis" as a billing code until specific PANDAS/PANS codes are created. The law takes effect January 1, 2027, applying to all new or renewed health insurance plans after that date.
This bill requires Vermont's Department of Housing and Community Development to provide free, online resources to help the public establish collective homeownership models. It mandates the department to create and share practical materials - including guides for organization and conflict resolution, standard templates for cooperative housing articles of incorporation, and templates for tenants-in-common agreements. These resources will be made available in a user-friendly format at no cost to residents, community groups, or potential cooperative housing developers. The bill directly affects anyone seeking to form or manage collective ownership housing arrangements under Vermont law. The requirement takes effect July 1, 2026.
H.678 creates a pilot program to finance 250 new housing units in Washington and Lamoille Counties using municipal debt. The program would be funded by dedicating 100% of property tax increments from municipal or education properties within those counties. This aims to lower rental costs or make homeownership more affordable for new developments. The bill directly affects residents and developers in these two counties by providing a new funding mechanism for housing projects.
This bill requires Vermont school districts to publicly disclose in their annual budgets the names of schools they pay tuition to, the number of students attending each school, and the total tuition paid to each. It also sets new requirements for independent schools seeking or maintaining state approval to receive public tuition funds, including annual reporting of student data and written disclosure to parents about their approval status. These provisions aim to increase transparency around public funding for student placements at independent schools, directly affecting school districts, independent schools, and families receiving tuition-based education services.
This bill expands Vermont's existing survivors benefits program to include law enforcement officers. It amends Chapter 181 of state law to explicitly define "emergency personnel" to cover law enforcement officers, granting their survivors the same monetary benefits currently available to firefighters and emergency medical personnel. Survivors (spouses, children, or parents) of law enforcement officers who die "in the line of duty" or from an occupation-related illness may request benefits through the Emergency Personnel Survivors Benefit Review Board within 24 months of death. The bill does not change benefit amounts or eligibility criteria but extends existing protections to law enforcement officers.
This bill establishes a primary care access reform program where participating primary care providers would receive monthly payments from health insurers for each patient covered, eliminating out-of-pocket costs for routine primary care services. It directly affects primary care providers (who would receive guaranteed payments) and patients (who gain cost-free access to routine care). Key provisions include requiring the Agency of Human Services to report on program expansion and the Green Mountain Care Board to report on standardized payment rates, while also allocating funds for primary care workforce development in fiscal year 2027 and extending a physician scholarship program. The program aims to address Vermont’s primary care access crisis by reducing administrative burdens and increasing investment in primary care, which currently represents only 10.2% of total health care spending.
