Rep. Tiff Bluemle

Maddy summaryH.214 establishes Vermont's Safe Harbor Award Program to cover travel, lodging, and meal costs (but not the care itself) for Vermont residents and out-of-state patients receiving reproductive or gender-affirming health care services in Vermont. Funds will be awarded directly to Vermont health care providers or qualifying nonprofit organizations that support these services, with priority given to those serving patients with the greatest financial need or from states with limited access to such care. The program prohibits collecting patient-identifiable data and requires the State Treasurer to manage a dedicated fund using state appropriations, grants, or other public/private sources. The program takes effect upon passage and is currently pending referral to the Health Care Committee.

Maddy summaryH.193 creates a 15-member working group to study and recommend improvements to legal representation for children and parents in Vermont's child protection system (specifically CHINS proceedings). The group, including court officials, legislators, child welfare advocates, and individuals with lived experience, will examine funding, staffing, and administrative structures for separate legal representation for children and parents. They must submit a report by December 2025 with proposals for funding sources, Title IV-E federal fund utilization, and whether to establish dedicated offices for child and parent representation. This bill does not enact policy changes but establishes a process to inform future legislation.

Maddy summaryH.181 extends the Building Energy Code Working Group's term and directs Vermont's Public Service Department to create a framework for measuring energy savings from building code compliance. It requires the Department to develop an annual methodology for calculating and reporting greenhouse gas reductions linked to energy-efficient construction. The bill also updates the Residential Builder Registry and addresses inconsistent enforcement of energy codes across residential (up to three stories) and commercial buildings. These changes aim to improve compliance with Vermont's energy standards, which currently apply to 54% of residential and 87% of commercial projects, supporting the state's goal of "net zero ready" buildings by 2030.

Maddy summaryThis bill limits University of Vermont (UVM) enrollment when Burlington's housing vacancy rate falls below 5%, requiring UVM to cap enrollment at the previous fall semester's level. It mandates that all UVM-owned or affiliated housing meet Burlington's municipal housing codes and rental safety standards by July 2025, with current students in non-compliant housing offered compliant alternatives first. The bill also creates a UVM Housing Task Force (including city officials, UVM representatives, and legislators) to monitor compliance, review housing strategies, and submit annual reports to the state legislature. These provisions directly affect UVM’s enrollment decisions, housing management, and Burlington residents experiencing housing market pressures.

Maddy summaryThis House Concurrent Resolution (HCR 12) is a non-binding ceremonial resolution expressing legislative congratulations to the University of Vermont (UVM) men's soccer team for winning their first NCAA Division I men's soccer championship (College Cup) in 2024. It formally recognizes the team's achievement, including their "Cardiac Cats" nickname and championship victory over Marshall University. The resolution directs the Secretary of State to send a copy to UVM Athletics but does not create any new policy, funding, or legal obligations. It is purely symbolic recognition of the team's athletic accomplishment.

Maddy summaryH.164 would change how Vermont distributes local option tax revenue to municipalities, increasing the share from 70% to 80% for the communities generating that revenue. It also requires that any surplus in the PILOT Special Fund (a fund for payments in lieu of taxes from state-owned properties) be distributed proportionally to the municipalities that contributed to the surplus. The bill directs the Joint Fiscal Office to prepare a report on transitioning to a system where the state retains only the minimal amount needed to administer the fund, aiming to eliminate future surpluses. This bill directly affects all Vermont municipalities receiving local option tax revenue and those contributing to the PILOT Special Fund.

Maddy summaryH 169 amends Vermont's anti-discrimination laws to prohibit landlords from requesting Social Security numbers on residential rental applications and requires them to accept all government-issued identification. It also adds "citizenship and immigration status" to the list of protected characteristics in housing and public accommodations, expanding existing protections against discrimination. The bill directly affects landlords, renters, and businesses serving the public by banning specific discriminatory practices in housing applications and services. Key provisions include banning SSN requests for rentals (§ 4456a) and updating definitions to include immigration status in housing (§ 4501, § 4503) and public accommodations (§ 4502). These changes aim to reduce barriers for renters, particularly immigrants and non-citizens, while clarifying prohibited discrimination.

Maddy summaryH 97 prohibits firearms and deadly weapons in Vermont schools, school property, and childcare centers, with limited exceptions. It directly affects students, staff, and visitors at these locations by making unauthorized possession a crime punishable by fines or jail time (up to 1 year for first offense, 3 years for repeat offenses). Key exceptions include law enforcement officers on duty, authorized school personnel for specific purposes (like instruction), and firearms at childcare centers located in a person’s home. The bill defines "school property" broadly to include leased or controlled areas and clarifies it doesn’t prevent other charges like assault.

Maddy summaryH.112 provides medical debt relief for Vermont residents by appropriating $1 million to contract with a nonprofit to purchase and erase qualifying medical debt. It directly affects Vermonters with household incomes at or below 400% of the federal poverty level or those owing medical debt equal to 5% or more of their household income. The bill prohibits credit bureaus from reporting medical debt on credit reports and bans healthcare providers from submitting such debt to credit agencies. It requires debt relief contractors to remove adverse credit information after debt abolition, ensuring no cost or tax impact for affected residents.

Maddy summaryThis bill requires Vermont's Office of Veterans Affairs to create and maintain a database of state veterans, collecting personal information from state agencies. It mandates that all state agencies provide veteran data "to the maximum extent practicable" while keeping all personally identifying details exempt from public records requests under Vermont law. The database will be confidential, with information protected from public inspection or copying, even overriding standard public records exemptions. The law takes effect on July 1, 2025, and directly affects Vermont veterans whose personal details are collected, as well as state agencies responsible for sharing that data.