Vermont Bills

introduced · Vermont · House Feb 7, 2025

H 164: An act relating to the distribution of local option tax revenue and the PILOT Special Fund

H.164 would change how Vermont distributes local option tax revenue to municipalities, increasing the share from 70% to 80% for the communities generating that revenue. It also requires that any surplus in the PILOT Special Fund (a fund for payments in lieu of taxes from state-owned properties) be distributed proportionally to the municipalities that contributed to the surplus. The bill directs the Joint Fiscal Office to prepare a report on transitioning to a system where the state retains only the minimal amount needed to administer the fund, aiming to eliminate future surpluses. This bill directly affects all Vermont municipalities receiving local option tax revenue and those contributing to the PILOT Special Fund.

Topics ✓ Budget & Taxes

Gayle Pezzo (D) Emilie Krasnow (D) Tom Stevens (D) Chloe Tomlinson (D) Barbara Rachelson (D)

introduced · Vermont · House Feb 7, 2025

H 163: An act relating to workers' compensation

This bill updates Vermont's workers' compensation system by expanding wage definitions to include health insurance benefits, requiring employers to cover translation services for non-English speaking injured workers, and creating a process for requesting medical case management services. Insurers must approve or deny medical case management requests within 14 days, with injured workers able to seek Department intervention if denied. It also increases penalties for late payments, charging 5% of the benefit amount for the first late payment, escalating to 25% for fifth or subsequent late payments. The changes directly affect injured workers (especially non-English speakers), employers, and insurance carriers, aiming to improve access to care and timely compensation.

Topics ✓ Healthcare ✓ Labor & Employment

introduced · Vermont · House Feb 7, 2025

H 169: An act relating to amending the prohibitions against discrimination in public accommodations and housing

H 169 amends Vermont's anti-discrimination laws to prohibit landlords from requesting Social Security numbers on residential rental applications and requires them to accept all government-issued identification. It also adds "citizenship and immigration status" to the list of protected characteristics in housing and public accommodations, expanding existing protections against discrimination. The bill directly affects landlords, renters, and businesses serving the public by banning specific discriminatory practices in housing applications and services. Key provisions include banning SSN requests for rentals (§ 4456a) and updating definitions to include immigration status in housing (§ 4501, § 4503) and public accommodations (§ 4502). These changes aim to reduce barriers for renters, particularly immigrants and non-citizens, while clarifying prohibited discrimination.

Topics ✓ Housing ✓ Immigration

introduced · Vermont · House Feb 6, 2025

H 150: An act relating to reinstating the waiting period exemption for firearms transfers at gun shows

This bill (H.150) reinstates an exemption allowing firearm transfers at gun shows to bypass Vermont's standard 72-hour waiting period. It directly affects gun show organizers, vendors, and attendees participating in firearm transactions at events sponsored by firearm-focused organizations (like competitive shooting clubs or collector groups). The key mechanism adds a specific exemption to Vermont law, stating that firearm transfers at qualifying gun shows are not subject to the 72-hour waiting period requirement. This policy change reverses a prior removal of this exemption, returning to a previous regulatory approach for gun show transactions.

introduced · Vermont · House Feb 6, 2025

H 156: An act relating to prohibiting pharmacy benefit managers from owning or operating a pharmacy in Vermont

This bill prohibits pharmacy benefit managers (PBMs) from owning or operating pharmacies within Vermont. It directly affects PBMs and pharmacies by preventing PBMs from having financial or operational control over pharmacy locations. The key provision would amend Vermont law to ban such ownership or operation arrangements, aiming to separate pharmacy management from benefit management. This change applies specifically to pharmacies licensed in Vermont and would take effect if the bill is enacted. The bill was referred to the Health Care Committee for review in February 2025.

Topics ✓ Healthcare

introduced · Vermont · House Feb 6, 2025

H 158: An act relating to prohibiting municipal regulation of the use of hygienic face masks

H 158 prohibits Vermont towns, cities, and counties from passing rules that limit or ban the use of face masks. It directly affects all local governments and residents who might have faced restrictions on mask use. The bill adds a new law (24 V.S.A. § 2295a) stating municipalities cannot regulate mask use through ordinances or rules, and overrides any conflicting local charter provisions. This law takes effect on July 1, 2025.

introduced · Vermont · House Feb 6, 2025

H 157: An act relating to Act 250 exemptions and delegation of stormwater permitting

This bill allows qualifying Vermont towns with approved local plans to designate certain areas (Tier 1A and Tier 1B) as exempt from Act 250 land use regulations until December 31, 2029. It also shifts stormwater permitting authority from the state to certified professional engineers, who would design and permit projects themselves under state oversight. Towns meeting specific zoning and planning requirements could use these exemptions for development projects. The state would periodically review engineers' work and could revoke certification if standards aren't met.

Topics ✗ Environment ✓ Housing

introduced · Vermont · House Feb 6, 2025

H 155: An act relating to the Standard Offer Program

Vermont's H.155 reauthorizes the state's Standard Offer Program, which provides long-term contracts for new renewable energy projects. It sets a 227.5 MW cumulative capacity limit for new projects (primarily solar and wind), with annual capacity increases phased from 5 MW to 20 MW starting in 2013. The program reserves specific portions of annual capacity for utility-owned projects (10-20%) and independent developers, while also allowing exceptions for agricultural methane projects and grid-benefiting installations. This directly affects renewable energy developers and Vermont utilities by creating a structured pathway for new clean energy generation.

Topics ✓ Energy ✓ Environment

introduced · Vermont · Senate Feb 6, 2025

S 52: An act relating to consolidation pathways

S 52 requires Vermont's Agency of Education to create a detailed framework for school districts considering mergers or closures. The framework must address cultural differences in course offerings, community impacts of school closures, student transition support, building repurposing (including maintenance costs), and transportation logistics. The bill also establishes new funding sources to help districts cover operational costs after closure, repurpose buildings, and manage cultural differences during transitions. This directly affects school districts planning mergers or closures and the Agency of Education, which must develop and implement the guidance.

Topics ✓ Budget & Taxes ✓ Education

introduced · Vermont · House Feb 6, 2025

H 151: An act relating to implementing the Restaurant Meals Program

This bill would allow Vermont SNAP (food assistance) recipients to use their benefits at participating restaurants instead of purchasing groceries. It directly affects SNAP recipients (including seniors, people with disabilities, and low-income households) and restaurants that choose to join the program. Key provisions require restaurants to be licensed, promote locally sourced and culturally diverse food options, and be located in areas with many eligible participants. The bill also authorizes $100,000 for a new coordinator position and $75,000 for restaurant start-up costs, with implementation starting July 1, 2025.

introduced · Vermont · House Feb 6, 2025

H 159: An act relating to repealing the Renewable Energy Standard

H 159 proposes to repeal Vermont's Renewable Energy Standard (RES), which required electricity providers to source increasing percentages of renewable energy. If passed, this bill would eliminate the legal requirement for Vermont's electricity providers to meet specific renewable energy procurement targets. The repeal would remove provisions mandating that providers purchase renewable energy to meet the RES, effectively ending the state's mandatory renewable energy goals. This directly affects all Vermont electricity providers subject to the RES, though it does not address existing renewable energy projects or contracts.

Topics ✗ Energy ✗ Environment

introduced · Vermont · House Feb 6, 2025

H 153: An act relating to expanding family access to certified copies of birth and death certificates

This bill (H 153) amends Vermont law to expand who can request certified copies of birth and death certificates. It adds aunts, uncles, nieces, and nephews to the existing list of eligible family members, which previously included parents, siblings, grandparents, and other close relatives. The change directly affects these extended family members seeking official records for personal, legal, or medical purposes. The amendment to 18 V.S.A. § 5016 takes effect on July 1, 2025.

Bill results