This bill delays the July 1, 2024 start date for expanded juvenile court jurisdiction in Vermont until the state confirms it has adequate resources to handle the increased caseload. The delay is contingent on the Secretary of Human Services notifying legislative committees that five specific conditions are met, including operating a permanent crisis stabilization program, hiring additional family services workers, expanding the Balanced and Restorative Justice budget, ensuring residential program access, and securing funding for a child welfare information system. Additionally, the bill requires that certain serious charges against youth aged 14 to 21, such as human trafficking, drug trafficking, and domestic assault, begin in the Criminal Division of the Superior Court rather than the Family Division, unless the prosecutor chooses to file directly as a youthful offender petition. These changes affect how juvenile cases are processed and which court divisions handle them, while ensuring support systems are in place before expanded jurisdiction takes effect.
This bill modifies Vermont's voting rules for unified union school districts by adding a new exception to the requirement that Australian ballots be commingled. Under current law, votes from all towns within a unified union school district must be combined and counted together rather than separately by town. The proposed change would allow a district to keep ballots separate if voters explicitly rejected commingling at an annual meeting held on or before July 1, 2019, provided the district's governing articles do not specify a different counting method. The bill applies to elections for school board members, district officers, budget proposals, and other public questions within these districts. It would take effect on July 1, 2024.
This bill strengthens penalties for unemployment insurance fraud in Vermont by requiring individuals who falsely obtain benefits to repay the overpaid amount, pay a 15% penalty, and face an additional administrative fine of up to $5,000. It also imposes a five-year ban on receiving unemployment benefits for those found to have intentionally made false statements or misrepresented material facts during their claims process. The legislation allows the state commissioner to pursue unpaid fines through civil court and provides opportunities for affected individuals to appeal penalties through existing procedures. These measures take effect on July 1, 2024, and apply to anyone who willfully provides false information to increase or initiate unemployment benefits.
This bill modifies Vermont's bail and pretrial release laws to increase accountability for individuals who violate court conditions while awaiting trial. It removes the $200 limit on bail amounts for defendants who commit new offenses while on pretrial release and allows courts to consider past compliance with release conditions when setting new terms. The legislation also establishes a faster hearing process for release violations, bars repeat offenders from diversion programs, and requires annual reporting on restorative justice referrals by state agencies.
This bill creates an earned allowance program for incarcerated individuals in Vermont's correctional facilities, allowing them to earn money through compliant behavior and participation in programs to cover educational costs, medication, housing, and work-related expenses. The program uses a contingency management approach that rewards positive behavior rather than punishing rule violations, with allowances calculated based on successful drug screenings and months without disciplinary infractions. It also expands workforce development opportunities by enabling partnerships with nonprofit and for-profit businesses to provide vocational training in Vermont's most needed industries such as healthcare, construction, and agriculture. The Department of Corrections must establish rules for the program by September 2025, with implementation beginning January 1, 2026.
This bill would give Vermont's Attorney General new authority to regulate social media platforms in the state, specifically to protect the health and safety of users under 18. It establishes a new legal framework called the Vermont Social Media Safety Act and creates a funding structure to support enforcement efforts. The legislation is based on findings that social media design features can contribute to youth mental health issues and addiction, and it applies consumer protection principles to social media companies. The bill does not specify particular platform requirements but instead empowers regulators to oversee how these platforms operate and impact child users.
This bill creates the Vermont Olympics Task Force to study the feasibility of hosting the Olympic Games in Vermont. The task force would be composed of state officials, elected representatives, tourism industry experts, and an Olympic athlete, with members receiving per diem compensation for up to 20 meetings. Its duties include reviewing Olympic hosting requirements, developing a proposal that aligns with Vermont's regional development plans and climate resilience goals, and presenting findings to the International Olympic Committee. The task force must submit progress reports by December 2024 and March 2025, with a final report due by December 2025. The legislation takes effect on July 1, 2024, and focuses on creating a sustainable, equitable proposal rather than committing to hosting the Games.
This bill prohibits the installation of new speed bumps and speed humps on public highways in Vermont unless officials determine no other traffic calming options exist and the devices meet national standards. It applies to both state and town roads, requiring the Agency of Transportation or local selectboards to verify that alternative measures are unavailable before allowing installation. Existing speed bumps and humps installed before July 1, 2024, that comply with current standards may remain in place but cannot be replaced with new ones unless they meet the new requirements. The law takes effect on July 1, 2024, and is intended to standardize traffic calming practices across the state.
This bill requires every city, town, and incorporated village in Vermont to adopt a one percent local option tax on sales, meals, rooms, or alcoholic beverages. The legislation allows municipalities to choose this tax as an alternative revenue source, with specific eligibility criteria based on education property tax rates and property valuations. Municipalities must provide 90 days' notice to the Department of Taxes before implementing the tax, which would become effective the following tax quarter. The act takes effect on July 1, 2024, giving local governments time to prepare for potential implementation.
This bill prohibits modifying a motor vehicle's exhaust system to produce noise levels exceeding 95 decibels, affecting all vehicle owners and operators in Vermont. It establishes a specific measurement standard using SAE International guidelines to determine compliance and allows for dismissal of violations if the operator had reasonable grounds to believe the vehicle was legal. The law includes an exemption for vehicles used in authorized racing or speed demonstrations and takes effect on July 1, 2024.
This bill modifies Vermont's judicial retention process by requiring a single joint legislative vote for all judges seeking retention, establishing procedures for committee members to observe courtrooms in person or remotely, and adding empathy and understanding of equity and bias to the performance evaluation criteria for judges. The legislation also allocates $50,000 to reimburse the Judicial Nominating Board for paralegal services used during judicial nominations. These changes directly affect judges, justices, and magistrates in Vermont who face retention elections, as well as the legislative committee members who evaluate their performance. The bill aims to make the retention process more transparent and comprehensive by expanding how judicial performance is assessed and ensuring all retention votes occur together in one legislative session.
This bill modifies Vermont's rules for registering exhibition and antique vehicles by changing how usage is measured and adjusting fees. It allows owners to qualify for special plates if their vehicle is driven up to 1,000 miles per year, regardless of how often they drive, and raises the registration fee from $26 to $50 for a five-year period. Owners can choose to display plates marked "exhibition" or "antique" if their vehicle is at least 25 years old, and older pre-1968 plates may continue to be used if kept in the vehicle and shown to law enforcement when requested. The changes take effect on July 1, 2024.
