This bill directs Vermont state agencies to create a pilot program for a 16-bed secure recovery residence designed for justice-involved individuals with co-occurring mental health and substance use disorders. It requires the Agency of Human Services to partner with stakeholders who have lived experience in the criminal justice system to design this facility and integrate community-based services. By January 15, 2025, the agencies must submit a comprehensive report assessing current and future needs for secure residential recovery facilities across Vermont, including cost-benefit analyses comparing these facilities to traditional correctional centers. Additionally, the Coordinated Justice Reform Advisory Council is tasked with examining how to replace existing correctional facilities with a continuum of short-term and long-term residential options that use evidence-based rehabilitation approaches. The legislation takes effect on July 1, 2024, and aims to improve recovery outcomes while reducing recidivism through specialized care in secure settings.
This bill would remove the expiration date on the current rule that allows hunters in Vermont to use gun suppressors, also known as silencers, during hunting seasons. By repealing the sunset provision, the law would permit individuals to use these devices legally in 2024 and all future hunting seasons without needing additional authorization. The change directly affects hunters who wish to use suppressors to reduce noise and disturbance while pursuing game. No new restrictions are added; the bill simply extends an existing permission that was previously set to expire.
This bill allocates $2.8 million in state funding to expand supportive and transitional housing for justice-involved individuals in Vermont, with a focus on those who are homeless or at risk of homelessness. The funds are distributed to three agencies to provide housing grants, prioritize women and transgender individuals, and support community-based services using the Housing First model. Additionally, the bill requires state agencies to submit a report by January 2025 recommending strategies to integrate housing into new developments and expand peer-based services. The legislation aims to address recidivism by reinvesting incarceration funds into community care and assessing future housing needs.
This bill modifies Vermont's Use Value Appraisal Program by reducing tax benefits for land that is posted against hunting, fishing, or trapping. It directly affects landowners who have enrolled their property in the program while also restricting public access for outdoor recreation. The key provision requires a 25 percent reduction in the tax benefit for each category of enrollment where the land is posted. This change aims to lower the financial advantage of using the program on restricted land by calculating the reduction based on the difference between the property's use value and its grand list value. The legislation would apply to existing and future enrollments of posted land within the state's conservation tax system.
This bill requires Vermont's Agency of Education to contract with a virtual learning provider to offer online education options to state students. It establishes eligibility criteria for full-time virtual learning, including enrollment in public middle or high school, approval through a personalized learning plan, and meeting minimum academic standards set by the agency. Additionally, the bill mandates that school districts count eligible virtual learning students toward their average daily membership for funding purposes. The legislation takes effect on July 1, 2024, and allows the agency to adopt necessary rules to implement these provisions.
This bill would change how Vermont towns without their own public schools use education funds by requiring them to designate up to five specific public or approved independent schools as eligible to receive public tuition payments. The legislation establishes new criteria that independent schools must meet to qualify for public funding and allows school districts to close existing schools and pay tuition to designated schools only with voter approval. It also sets spending limits on private school tuition, capping payments for nonprofit independent schools at the average tuition of Vermont union elementary schools. The bill aims to ensure public funds support schools that serve all children while keeping tax dollars within the state.
This bill restricts Vermont Student Assistance Corporation grants and scholarships to students attending schools within Vermont, including the University of Vermont, Vermont State Colleges, and independent colleges. It requires the corporation to issue a written report detailing how much funding was used at out-of-state schools over the past five years. The legislation also establishes minimum award amounts for Vermont Honor Scholarships at $1,000 and allows for proration of grants based on enrollment status. Additionally, it creates a new advancement grant program for residents pursuing nondegree training opportunities at Vermont-based institutions. The bill takes effect on July 1, 2024, and directs the General Assembly to consider using the reported out-of-state funding amounts to support Vermont State Colleges.
This bill establishes eight-year term limits for both trustees and the chancellor of the Vermont State Colleges Corporation. It directly affects the 15-member Board of Trustees and the chancellor, who currently serve without fixed term limits. The legislation amends state law to prevent individuals from serving more than eight consecutive years in either role, with specific transition rules for those already serving long terms. Current trustees who have served eight or more years can finish their current terms but cannot be reappointed, while the chancellor's term ends September 1, 2024 if they have already served eight years. The changes take effect on July 1, 2024.
This bill requires Vermont state agencies to create a report on why college graduates are leaving the state and how to keep them. It mandates that the Agencies of Education, Commerce and Community Development, and the Department of Labor work with colleges to analyze retention rates and develop a plan to improve them. The plan must include strategies like better connections between schools and employers, expanded career counseling focused on local industries, stronger campus-community ties, and streamlined licensing pathways for graduates. The report is due by July 1, 2025, and the act takes effect on July 1, 2024.
This bill authorizes Vermont municipalities to remove sediment, rocks, and debris from waterways without needing a state permit, provided the work meets specific federal exemption criteria. The law defines "maintenance" as repairing structures like dams and dikes, and allows municipalities to proceed without state approval when the work is exempt from federal Corps of Engineers permitting, qualifies for self-verification, or occurs in non-navigable waters. The legislation also clarifies definitions for terms like "instream material" and "watercourse" to establish clear boundaries for when permits are required versus when they are not. Additionally, the bill specifically authorizes the City of Barre to remove material from the Stevens Branch of the Winooski River for maintenance purposes without a permit.
This bill requires all licensed Vermont educators to complete professional learning on evidence-based literacy instruction, with current teachers finishing by January 2025 and new teachers completing it within their second year of teaching. It also mandates that educator preparation programs be reviewed and updated to ensure they teach evidence-based literacy practices, including the development of a standardized examination to test candidates' knowledge in this area. Additionally, the bill extends the Advisory Council on Literacy through 2027 and requires state agencies to produce a report on college student retention in Vermont, proposing initiatives to improve career pipelines and community connections for graduates. The legislation also transfers rulemaking authority over educator licensing from the Standards Board for Professional Educators to the Agency of Education.
This bill proposes a new Vermont personal income tax on unrealized gains for wealthy individuals, requiring those with net worths of $10 million or more to pay tax on 50% of the increase in value of their assets each year. The tax applies only to the portion of gains up to 10% of the taxpayer's net assets exceeding $10 million, and losses from these deemed sales can be carried forward indefinitely but may be refunded after two consecutive years of losses. The legislation establishes specific rules for adjusting the basis of assets to reflect gains and losses, including provisions for related-party transactions and temporary residents with substantial presence in Vermont.
