Rep. Dennis LaBounty

Maddy summaryThis bill officially recognizes March 2023 as Social Work Month in Vermont to honor the contributions of social workers to improving human well-being and addressing social issues. The resolution highlights the profession's role in various settings including schools, hospitals, and government agencies, as well as its work supporting diverse communities and addressing challenges like the opioid crisis. It marks the 60th anniversary of Social Work Month and directs the Secretary of State to send a copy of the resolution to the National Association of Social Workers Vermont Chapter.

Maddy summaryThis bill is a ceremonial resolution honoring Marshall Webb, a nonprofit cofounder and environmental advocate who passed away in 2022. It recognizes his contributions to Shelburne Farms, a Vermont center for sustainability education, and acknowledges his personal connection to the organization and the state. The resolution directs the Secretary of State to send a copy to Webb's family and Shelburne Farms as a formal expression of appreciation. This measure does not change laws or policies but serves to publicly acknowledge Webb's legacy and impact on the community.

Maddy summaryThis bill prohibits courts and agencies from denying or restricting parental, prospective parental, foster parent, or guardian rights solely because a person has a disability. It requires that any such restrictions be based only on what is in the best interests of the child, not on the parent's disability status. The law directly affects parents with disabilities who may face barriers in maintaining custody or guardianship of their children. By establishing this standard, the bill aims to prevent discrimination while still allowing decisions that prioritize child welfare.

Maddy summaryThis bill extends the grace period for paying overdue premiums on life and long-term care insurance policies in Vermont, giving policyholders more time before a policy can be cancelled for nonpayment. Under the new rules, insurers must allow at least 90 days from when a premium is due before cancelling a policy, with some flexibility for industrial life insurance policies. The bill also requires insurers to provide a secondary notice of cancellation at least 60 days after a premium becomes due and unpaid, following a national model rule. These changes apply to all life and long-term care insurance policies issued or renewed after the bill takes effect.

Maddy summaryThis bill requires Vermont's Departments of Health and Disabilities, Aging, and Independent Living to expand their public education efforts on Alzheimer's disease to also include information about brain health and reducing dementia risks. The Departments must work with the Commission on Alzheimer's Disease and Related Disorders to create accessible educational materials in electronic, print, and in-person formats for the public, patients, families, caregivers, and healthcare providers. These resources will include information about the State Plan on Aging as well as programs focused on prevention, care, and support for individuals and communities. The changes take effect on July 1, 2023.

Maddy summaryThis bill proposes to raise Vermont's minimum wage to $19.45 per hour starting July 1, 2023, and removes several exemptions that currently allow certain workers, such as taxi drivers and outside salespeople, to be paid less than the standard minimum wage. It also establishes a grant program for small businesses with 20 or fewer employees to offset payroll costs resulting from the wage increase, requiring applicants to demonstrate that their business revenue would decline due to the higher wages. Additionally, the legislation directs the Joint Fiscal Office to conduct a study comparing Vermont's wage policies to those of countries with high minimum wages and high standards of living, with the goal of identifying successful practices that could be adopted in the state.

Maddy summaryThis bill expands workers' compensation benefits for Vermont firefighters who develop specific types of cancer. It creates a legal presumption that these cancers resulted from job-related exposures if the firefighter had clean cancer screening results before or within two years of starting their career, has at least five years of firefighting service in Vermont, is under 65 years old, and does not have a history of tobacco use within 10 years of diagnosis. The law covers leukemia, lymphoma, multiple myeloma, and cancers of the bladder, brain, colon, gastrointestinal tract, kidney, liver, pancreas, skin, or testicles, and applies to firefighters diagnosed within 10 years of their last active duty. The bill also recommends that fire departments keep incident reports for at least 10 years to support these claims.

Maddy summaryThis bill would remove criminal penalties for possessing, dispensing, or selling psilocybin in Vermont and create a Psychedelic Therapy Advisory Working Group to study the potential for regulated therapeutic use. The legislation cites research suggesting psilocybin may help treat mental health conditions like depression, PTSD, and substance use disorders, and it amends state law to exclude psilocybin from the definition of hallucinogenic drugs. The newly formed working group would include legislators, medical professionals, researchers, and community members to review evidence, examine programs in other states, and recommend whether Vermont should establish a regulated system for healthcare providers to administer psychedelics therapeutically. The group must submit its findings and recommendations by November 15, 2024, to relevant legislative committees.

Maddy summaryThis bill creates the Vermont Rental Housing Improvement Program to provide grants and forgivable loans to private landlords for rehabilitating rental housing units, with a focus on non-code-compliant or newly created units. The program is administered by the Department of Housing and Community Development through statewide or regional nonprofit housing organizations, which distribute funds to eligible landlords who must contribute at least 20 percent in matching funds or in-kind services. Recipients cannot use assisted units for short-term rentals and must prioritize leasing to households exiting homelessness or refugee resettlement programs for five years, with alternative income-based tenant requirements if qualifying households are unavailable. The bill also establishes transparency requirements, mandating that recipient identities and award amounts be published quarterly online, and limits individual grants or loans to a maximum of $50,000 per unit.

Maddy summaryThis bill requires Vermont's Medicaid program to provide coverage for one breast pump per child born to Medicaid beneficiaries. It allows pregnant Medicaid recipients to order and receive a breast pump before the baby is born, but only after reaching 27 weeks of pregnancy. The legislation directs the Agency of Human Services to seek necessary federal approval from the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services to implement this coverage change. If federal approval is not needed, the coverage provisions would take effect on July 1, 2023.