Rep. Barbara Rachelson

Maddy summaryThis is a commemorative resolution (HCR 175), not a substantive bill. It honors the late Venerable J. Stannard Baker of Shelburne, recognizing his pivotal role in Vermont's marriage equality history. The resolution commemorates his leadership in the landmark 1999 *Baker v. State* case that established marriage equality under the Vermont Constitution, leading to civil unions and later marriage rights. It expresses the legislature's condolences to his family and directs the Secretary of State to share the resolution with his family and the Episcopal Diocese of Vermont.

Maddy summaryHCR 177 is a ceremonial resolution honoring Twin Valley High School's Athletic Director and boys' soccer coach Buddy Hayford for achieving 500 career coaching victories. It recognizes his 43-year coaching career, including 10 divisional titles, two state basketball titles, and his status as Vermont's first high school soccer coach to reach 500 wins. This resolution, offered by all House members and sponsoring senators, formally congratulates Hayford and directs the Secretary of State to send a copy to him and his school - **it is not a law but a symbolic gesture of appreciation**.

Maddy summaryH.846 requires high-traffic online platforms to block materially deceptive election content and label inauthentic or synthetic AI-generated content during specific periods before and after Vermont elections. It prohibits knowingly distributing deceptive election ads with malice within 120 days of an election. The bill also mandates that political advertisements created or altered using AI include a clear disclosure statement. These provisions directly affect online platforms, political advertisers, and election participants in Vermont.

Maddy summaryH.829 requires businesses or organizations making robocalls with artificial voices (generated or altered using AI) to first play a natural, unrecorded voice announcement before delivering any prerecorded message. This announcement must state the call’s purpose, the caller’s name/address/phone number, ask if the recipient consents to hear the message, and disclose that an artificial voice will be used. The law applies to all robocallers in Vermont using AI-generated voices and imposes civil penalties of $500 for a first violation (rising to $1,000 for repeat offenses), plus potential criminal penalties of up to 90 days in jail or $1,000 per call for willful violations. It directly affects telemarketers, debt collectors, and other entities using automated calls with artificial voices within Vermont.

Maddy summaryThis 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.

Maddy summaryH.821 establishes an updated Artificial Intelligence Advisory Council in Vermont, requiring it to study AI's impacts on education, finance, and public health. The bill mandates that businesses using generative AI in consumer services must disclose this usage to customers. The Council must submit a report by January 15, 2027, with recommendations for ethical AI use in public services and pilot projects for public finance engagement. The bill also specifies the Council's membership composition, including state agency representatives and experts in ethics, health, and education. This legislation directly affects Vermont state agencies, healthcare providers, educational institutions, and businesses offering consumer services using AI tools.

Maddy summaryH 813 requires approved independent schools receiving public funding to meet the same education quality standards, transparency rules, and accountability measures as Vermont public schools. It mandates these schools to develop annual improvement plans, publicly report student performance data (including graduation rates and cost-per-pupil), maintain safe facilities, employ licensed special educators, follow open meeting and public records laws, and not charge extra fees to publicly funded students. The bill directly affects independent schools that accept state tuition payments, ensuring they operate with comparable standards to public schools. Key provisions include standardized reporting formats, safety regulations, and prohibitions on charging additional fees beyond state funding. This extends Vermont’s public school accountability framework to all schools using public funds.

Maddy summaryThis is a symbolic House resolution (HR 12), not a policy bill. It expresses Vermont's support for Governor Philip B. Scott's statement criticizing federal immigration enforcement actions in Minnesota. The resolution specifically endorses the governor's call for halting "Operation Metro Surge" (the federal deployment of ICE/CBP agents), condemning the fatal shooting of a protester, and demanding adherence to constitutional rights. As a resolution, it has no legal effect or policy changes - it solely conveys legislative support for the governor's position.

Maddy summaryThis bill establishes liability standards for developers and deployers of high-impact artificial intelligence systems in Vermont. It directly affects companies (excluding small businesses with <20 employees or <10,000 users) that create or operate AI systems making consequential decisions - such as in criminal justice, housing, employment, healthcare, or critical infrastructure. Key provisions require developers to ensure systems are safe for foreseeable use and deployers to guarantee systems don’t harm individual rights, with specific definitions for "high-impact AI" and "harm" (including physical, financial, reputational, or psychological injury). The law applies only to systems meeting the defined high-impact criteria, not general AI tools.

Maddy summaryH.791 establishes the "Vermont Government Data Practices Act," setting privacy standards for how state agencies handle personal information. It requires all Vermont state agencies (including departments, boards, and commissions) to only collect and store necessary personal data - such as health records, biometrics, location data, or financial details - directly from individuals when possible, and to maintain accuracy and relevance. The bill prohibits agencies from disclosing personal information without justification and mandates that contractors handling state data follow the same rules. This directly affects how Vermont's government manages citizen data across all executive branch operations.