Rep. Tiff Bluemle

Maddy summaryThis bill requires candidates for local, county, legislative, and statewide offices in Vermont to provide specific contact and demographic information to election officials. The key provisions mandate that town and county clerks collect details such as name, gender, age, race or ethnicity, street address, and email address from candidates, then file this information with the Secretary of State within three days after petition filing deadlines. Candidates who do not provide this information may still appear on the ballot as long as they meet all other requirements, and clerks must also report petition status and any rejected petitions to the Secretary of State. The changes take effect on July 1, 2023.

Maddy summaryThis bill is a ceremonial resolution honoring the memory of James McNamara, a former Vermont state representative and environmental commissioner from Burlington. It expresses the General Assembly's sincere sympathies to McNamara's family following his death in November 2022. The resolution directs the Secretary of State to send a copy of the document to McNamara's family and to the District 4 Act 250 Environmental Commission. This type of commemorative measure does not create new laws or policies but serves to acknowledge McNamara's public service contributions.

Maddy summaryThis bill allows Vermont state legislators to take temporary or partial leave from their full-time or part-time jobs while serving in the General Assembly. It directly affects employees who must leave their current positions to take legislative office. The key provision ensures that taking this leave does not result in loss of job status, seniority, or eligibility for insurance and other employee benefits. The changes would take effect on July 1, 2023.

Maddy summaryThis bill would create a legal exception to Vermont's tobacco possession laws, allowing people under 21 to hold tobacco products when participating in Indigenous cultural practices. It amends existing statutes to add a specific provision that permits minors to possess tobacco in connection with Indigenous cultural tobacco practices, while maintaining the general rule that individuals under 21 cannot possess, purchase, or attempt to purchase tobacco products. The law would take effect immediately upon passage and applies specifically to Indigenous cultural contexts rather than general tobacco use.

Maddy summaryThis bill establishes a public prekindergarten education program in Vermont, making full-day early education available to three- and four-year-old children and five-year-olds not yet in kindergarten. It creates a new Department of Economic Empowerment by reorganizing the Department for Children and Families, adds a second Deputy Secretary to the Agency of Education with specific qualifications, and provides property tax exemptions for child care providers. The legislation also expands eligibility and payment rates for the Child Care Financial Assistance Program, creates a new Noncitizen Child Care Assistance Program, and introduces grants to support child care workforce retention.

Maddy summaryThis bill creates a new Legislative Office of Government Accountability and Strategic Planning within Vermont's Legislative Branch to help the General Assembly oversee state government operations. The office would evaluate how well state agencies and programs work, develop strategies for investing in people, businesses, the economy, the environment, and infrastructure, assess staffing levels, and ensure public funds are used as intended. Sponsored by five state representatives, the bill aims to provide the legislature with dedicated resources for monitoring government performance and strategic planning.

Maddy summaryThis bill allows rental property owners to perform their own renovation, repair, painting, and maintenance work without needing a professional license, provided they complete an accredited training program. Instead of requiring a commercial license, the bill establishes a certification process for owners who work on their own rental properties without compensation. The change would take effect on July 1, 2023, and applies specifically to owners conducting work on their own rental housing rather than contractors or third parties.

Maddy summaryThis bill restricts trapping of fur-bearing animals in Vermont to specific situations, allowing it only for property defense, agricultural crop protection, or by licensed nuisance wildlife control operators. It establishes a new nuisance wildlife trapping license and requires property owners to notify neighbors before setting traps on their land. The law also mandates that traps be checked every 24 hours, requires reporting of trapped animals within 12 hours, and limits pelt possession to personal noncommercial use when taken for property protection. Additionally, the bill requires trapping education certification for new license holders and gives the Department of Fish and Wildlife authority to inspect pelts and investigate trapping reports.

Maddy summaryThis bill proposes to standardize the opening time for all polling places across Vermont, which currently have a uniform closing time of 7:00 p.m. The legislation would establish a specific opening hour that all polling locations must follow, ensuring consistency statewide. It directly affects election officials and voters who rely on polling place hours for planning. The bill would require all polling places to open at the same designated time, creating uniformity in election day procedures.

Maddy summaryThis bill proposes changes to Vermont's child abuse and neglect investigation and substantiation standards, as well as procedures for placing individuals on the Child Protection Registry. It establishes a tiered registry system that considers different degrees of abuse or neglect and aims to balance child protection with employment consequences for those substantiated for abuse. The legislation also defines specific types of harm and risk, clarifies investigation procedures including mandatory recording of interviews, and sets standards for determining whether reports are substantiated based on a preponderance of evidence. Additionally, the bill maintains immunity for good faith reporters while allowing for liability if multiple reports are found to lack a good faith basis.