Vermont Bills

introduced · Vermont · House Feb 11, 2025

H 174: An act relating to the Vermont Labor Relations Board

H.174 changes Vermont's grievance process for state employees by requiring union contracts to use binding arbitration as the final step instead of the Vermont Labor Relations Board. This directly affects state employees, their unions, and state agencies handling workplace disputes, shifting resolution from the Board to independent arbitrators. The bill mandates that collective bargaining agreements include binding arbitration for grievances, sets deadlines for unfair labor practice cases, and specifies that arbitrators cannot alter union contracts. It exempts only certain grievances from the University of Vermont's retired employees, which remain subject to Board review. The change aims to reduce the Board's caseload while providing a standardized final step for workplace disputes.

Topics ✗ Labor & Employment

introduced · Vermont · Senate Feb 11, 2025

S 58: An act relating to requirements for the pay plans of certain law enforcement officers and firefighters employed by the State

This bill requires that law enforcement officers in Vermont's Department of Fish and Wildlife, Department of Liquor and Lottery, and Department of Motor Vehicles, plus State firefighters, be placed on step pay plans allowing them to reach the highest pay step after 18 years and six months of service. It permits collective bargaining agreements to set the number of steps, time in each step, or advancement conditions, while ensuring current employees transition to the new plan by July 1, 2025 - starting one step higher than their current placement. The bill applies to all new collective bargaining agreements for these roles effective July 1, 2025, or later. It does not change existing pay structures but mandates a standardized timeline for reaching maximum pay.

Topics ✓ Labor & Employment

introduced · Vermont · House Feb 11, 2025

H 181: An act relating to Residential and Commercial Building Energy Standards

H.181 extends the Building Energy Code Working Group's term and directs Vermont's Public Service Department to create a framework for measuring energy savings from building code compliance. It requires the Department to develop an annual methodology for calculating and reporting greenhouse gas reductions linked to energy-efficient construction. The bill also updates the Residential Builder Registry and addresses inconsistent enforcement of energy codes across residential (up to three stories) and commercial buildings. These changes aim to improve compliance with Vermont's energy standards, which currently apply to 54% of residential and 87% of commercial projects, supporting the state's goal of "net zero ready" buildings by 2030.

Topics ✓ Energy ✓ Environment

introduced · Vermont · House Feb 11, 2025

H 178: An act relating to refunding property tax overpayments to the City of Barre and to the Town of Milton

This bill directs the state to refund $437,028 to the City of Barre and $184,451 to the Town of Milton for overpaid education property taxes. The refunds correct miscalculations from 2016-2020 (Barre) and 2017-2023 (Milton) related to how much tax increment each municipality retained from their local tax districts. The funds will come from the state’s Education Fund and must be transferred by fiscal year 2026. The bill specifically addresses past overpayments, not new tax policies.

introduced · Vermont · House Feb 11, 2025

H 180: An act relating to the closure of an elementary school

H 180 creates a structured process for Vermont school districts to close elementary schools, directly affecting districts, students, parents, and communities. It requires districts to publish a detailed closure report at least 9 months before a decision, demonstrating how the closure would impact student outcomes (especially for at-risk and marginalized students), comparing financial savings to alternatives like staff consolidation or regional collaboration, and evaluating transportation feasibility. The report must include specific data on educational effects, credible financial analysis, and a plan for student placement and building use. This ensures communities have meaningful input and decisions are based on evidence, not just cost savings. The bill is currently under review by the Education Committee.

introduced · Vermont · House Feb 11, 2025

H 173: An act relating to granting public higher education employees the right to strike

H 173 would amend Vermont law to grant employees at public colleges and universities (including the Vermont State Colleges and University of Vermont) the right to strike, removing their current exemption from the general prohibition on state employee strikes. The bill specifically changes Section 903 to eliminate the existing exception and updates Section 962 to clarify that encouraging strikes by these employees is not an unfair labor practice. This change applies only to public higher education employees, not all state workers, and would take effect on July 1, 2025. The bill directly affects faculty, staff, and other employees at Vermont's public higher education institutions.

Topics ✓ Education ✓ Labor & Employment

introduced · Vermont · House Feb 11, 2025

H 190: An act relating to voluntary engagement in sex work

H.190 repeals Vermont's century-old laws that criminalized consensual sex work between adults and "indiscriminate sexual intercourse," while maintaining strict felony penalties for human trafficking involving force, fraud, or coercion. The bill directly affects adult sex workers engaging in voluntary, consensual transactions by removing criminal penalties for their work. Key provisions include repealing Chapter 59 of Vermont law (prostitution statutes) and preserving existing trafficking laws under 13 V.S.A. chapter 60, which define coercion broadly to include debt bondage, threats, and exploitation of immigration documents. This policy change aims to reduce health and safety risks for sex workers by ending criminalization, based on evidence linking such laws to increased violence and reduced access to healthcare.

Topics ✓ Criminal Justice

introduced · Vermont · House Feb 11, 2025

H 187: An act relating to requiring the use of personal flotation devices during cold weather

This Vermont bill (H.187) requires all individuals aboard non-commercial vessels to wear a U.S. Coast Guard-approved personal flotation device (PFD) while on an open deck and the vessel is moving between November 1 and May 1 each year. It directly affects recreational boaters and vessel passengers during cold-weather months, excluding U.S. Coast Guard-inspected commercial vessels. The law mandates that PFDs be properly secured and meet federal approval standards, applying to all individuals on open decks while underway. The requirement becomes effective July 1, 2025.

introduced · Vermont · House Feb 11, 2025

H 177: An act relating to income-based education funding

H 177 proposes replacing Vermont’s education property tax with a new education income tax starting in fiscal year 2027. It would tax all Vermont residents’ income (both homeowners and renters) using progressive rates based on income brackets, with rates adjusted per school district according to local education spending. The bill eliminates the homestead property tax benefit for homeowners while continuing the renter credit and updating property tax credits to provide broader relief for taxpayers by 2026. This directly affects all Vermont residents through their state income tax filings, shifting the funding mechanism for public education from property-based to income-based.

Topics ✓ Budget & Taxes ✓ Education

introduced · Vermont · House Feb 11, 2025

H 179: An act relating to the membership of the State Board of Education and the reestablishment of the Vermont Department of Education

This bill transforms Vermont's Agency of Education into a Department of Education, eliminating the Secretary of Education position and creating a Commissioner of Education appointed by the State Board of Education (with Governor approval). The State Board gains direct management authority over the Department and must establish a strategic vision, oversee budgets, and produce annual public reports on educational equity, student performance, and safety data. Key provisions include requiring the Board to report on achievement gaps, bullying incidents (with demographic breakdowns), and resource distribution, while the Commissioner serves as the Department's chief executive. The changes aim to increase accountability and align Vermont's education governance with historical norms and best practices.

introduced · Vermont · House Feb 11, 2025

H 176: An act relating to developing the Department of Corrections’ community restitution program

H 176 requires Vermont's Department of Corrections to reinstate its community work program (called "work crew") by July 1, 2025, after it was discontinued in 2023. The bill mandates reinstating prior policies and sets minimum requirements: offenders must be assigned at least 20 work crew days per court order, or 60 days total across multiple orders. This directly affects individuals sentenced to community restitution and the Department of Corrections, which must implement the program by the deadline. The law takes effect upon passage.

Topics ✓ Criminal Justice

introduced · Vermont · Senate Feb 11, 2025

S 62: An act relating to privatization contracts

This bill establishes new requirements for Vermont state agencies when entering contracts to outsource services previously performed by state employees (called "privatization contracts"). It requires agencies to provide 35 days of notice to employee unions before bidding begins, during which alternatives to outsourcing can be discussed. Contracts must save the state at least 20% in costs compared to using state employees, guarantee private contractors pay at least the average wage for comparable state positions, and provide health insurance benefits equal to those offered to state workers. The bill also mandates quality standards, non-discrimination protections, and a review panel to ensure compliance before contracts are finalized.

Topics ✓ Budget & Taxes ✓ Labor & Employment

Bill results