This bill allows members of Vermont's joint legislative committees to vote remotely for up to three days through the end of 2026. To use this option, a member must inform the committee chair and clerk, and the clerk will record the vote and track the usage. Additionally, the bill ensures that members with disabilities who cannot access a meeting room due to physical barriers can vote remotely without using one of their allotted remote days, provided the meeting cannot be moved to an accessible location.
This Vermont House joint resolution urges the U.S. Congress to pass H.R. 5356, a bill establishing a National Infrastructure Bank to fund critical public projects. The proposed bank would provide up to $5 trillion in direct loans and financing for initiatives such as repairing roads and bridges, upgrading water systems, expanding broadband, and building affordable housing. Modeled after historical federal financing institutions, the bank is designed to support projects that pay prevailing wages, prioritize American-made materials, and offer financial assistance to minority and women-owned businesses. While the resolution highlights Vermont's specific infrastructure challenges and rising homelessness as context, its primary function is to formally request federal action rather than create new state laws. The measure directs the Secretary of State to send copies of the resolution to the Governor, the President, and Vermont's congressional representatives.
This bill (H.875) amends Vermont law to criminalize the possession and promotion of computer-generated images that appear indistinguishable from real child sexual abuse material. It specifically targets AI-created images depicting minors engaging in sexual conduct if an ordinary person would believe they show actual children. The law includes limited exceptions for medical, academic, law enforcement, and AI safety testing (e.g., developers testing systems to prevent such content). It explicitly excludes paintings, drawings, and nonvisual descriptions from the ban. The bill directly affects individuals creating, sharing, or possessing such AI-generated images that meet the "indistinguishable" standard.
H.898 requires Vermont telecommunications carriers transitioning from copper-based phone networks to fiber-based VoIP service to provide clear, timely notice to customers. Specifically, carriers must mail and email written notices 120, 60, and 30 days before the transition, detailing service changes, backup power options (including battery systems for power outages), and emergency service impacts. The bill also mandates annual reports from VoIP providers to the state about customer adoption of backup power systems and any E-911 service interruptions due to power loss. This directly affects residential customers, particularly vulnerable groups like elderly or medically dependent users who rely on consistent emergency call access during outages. The law aims to ensure reliable service continuity during network modernization by strengthening consumer disclosures and state oversight.
Vermont's H 855 prohibits defendants in civil lawsuits from claiming that autonomous artificial intelligence (AI) independently caused harm to a plaintiff. It directly affects companies or individuals who develop, modify, or use AI systems that result in injury. The bill bans this specific defense while allowing other legal arguments, such as negligence or foreseeability. It defines AI broadly as systems that generate outputs to influence environments based on input, without altering other defenses under the law.
H.897 requires social media platforms to block Vermont residents under 18 from creating accounts. It directly affects minors under 18 living in Vermont who would be unable to sign up for new social media profiles. The key provision mandates platforms to prohibit account creation for this age group, rather than restricting usage of existing accounts. The bill focuses on preventing new account creation for underage users, not on content moderation or parental controls. This is a direct restriction on platform access for minors under 18 within Vermont.
Vermont's H.783 requires businesses to clearly disclose when consumers interact with a chatbot during commercial transactions, preventing reasonable confusion about speaking with a human. It directly affects companies using AI chatbots for customer service, sales, or other commercial interactions. The law mandates a "clear and conspicuous" notice before or during the conversation, defining chatbots broadly to include AI agents, avatars, and automated systems simulating human dialogue. Violations would be treated as unfair trade practices under existing consumer protection law, effective July 1, 2026.
This Vermont bill (H.822) requires providers of generative AI systems (like chatbots or image generators) to give consumers a tool to detect if content was created or altered by AI, and to offer users an option to add a watermark to AI-generated media. It directly affects AI companies and their users within Vermont. The key provisions are mandatory content detection tools and optional watermarks to identify AI-generated content, aiming to increase transparency for consumers.
H.630 requires businesses selling connected devices (like smart home gadgets or wearables) in Vermont to meet specific security standards. Key provisions include mandating encrypted communications, automatic security updates enabled by default, strong password requirements with no default passwords, vulnerability management systems, and clear privacy policies with consumer data deletion options. The bill directly affects device manufacturers and sellers operating in Vermont, prohibiting sales of non-compliant products. Violations would be treated as unfair trade practices under Vermont law, with the requirements taking effect July 1, 2026.
This bill, H.639 (Genetic Information Privacy Act), requires direct-to-consumer genetic testing companies to protect the genetic data of Vermont residents. It mandates that companies obtain clear "express consent" from consumers before collecting or sharing their genetic data (defined as information from DNA analysis, including SNPs and inferred data), prohibits using "dark patterns" to manipulate consent, and limits data sharing without permission. Consumers gain the right to access their own genetic data and must actively authorize its use. The law applies specifically to companies offering genetic testing directly to Vermont residents, excluding deidentified data and research conducted under federal human subjects protections.
