Rep. Troy Headrick

Maddy summaryThis bill would reinstate community restitution as a sentencing option for people convicted of crimes in Vermont. It directs the Department of Corrections to create rules for this program and ensure it is available across all 14 counties with proper staffing and funding. Under the bill, courts could order offenders to perform structured work for municipalities, state agencies, or local nonprofits as an alternative to other sentencing options like probation or jail time. The program would allow individuals to make amends to their communities through labor while remaining under correctional supervision.

Maddy summaryThis bill requires public schools and approved independent schools in Vermont to include instruction on the history and contributions of marginalized groups in science, arts, and humanities courses. It specifically mandates coverage of Native Americans, LGBTQ+ individuals, people with disabilities, various racial and ethnic backgrounds, different socioeconomic statuses, immigrants, refugees, and diverse religious backgrounds. The State Board of Education must develop specific standards and performance measures for this content by July 1, 2025, and schools must begin implementing these requirements in the 2025-2026 school year. The instruction must be age-appropriate and integrated into existing courses with established student performance standards.

Maddy summaryThis bill modifies Vermont's existing law against sharing nonconsensual sexually explicit images by removing the requirement that the person sharing the image must have intended to harm the person depicted. It directly affects individuals who distribute nude or sexually explicit images of others without their permission, as well as platforms that may profit from removing such content. Under the new provisions, sharing these images without consent would be a crime regardless of whether the sharer intended to cause harm, though exceptions still apply for public interest disclosures, law enforcement activities, and images taken in public settings where there is no reasonable expectation of privacy. The bill also establishes a private right of action allowing victims to seek court orders to stop the distribution of their images and provides for higher penalties if the sharing is done for financial profit.

Maddy summaryThis bill establishes occupancy requirements for short-term rental properties in Vermont, affecting owners who rent out homes or apartments for fewer than 30 consecutive days at least 14 times per year. The law mandates that rental owners must have lived in their property for at least 120 days in the previous year, or 33 percent of the days they owned or leased it if they have held it for less than a year. By adding these rules to existing state statutes, the legislation aims to ensure that short-term rental operators maintain a primary residence connection to their properties. The changes take effect on July 1, 2024, and apply to all short-term rentals meeting the specified rental frequency and duration criteria.

Maddy summaryThis bill allocates $200,000 from the state's General Fund to reimburse the Burlington Fire Department for emergency medical services provided to individuals experiencing drug overdoses. The money is distributed through the Department of Health as a grant to the City of Burlington, with the requirement that these funds supplement rather than replace existing city funding for the fire department. The legislation takes effect on July 1, 2024, and is intended to help cover the costs associated with responding to overdose incidents in Burlington.

Maddy summaryThis bill requires health insurance plans in Vermont, including Medicaid, to provide comprehensive coverage for obesity treatment. It directly affects individuals with obesity and the insurance companies that serve them. The law mandates coverage for FDA-approved anti-obesity medications, lifestyle interventions like nutrition counseling and exercise planning, bariatric surgery, and ensures equal cost-sharing for obesity care compared to other medical conditions. Coverage decisions must be based on medical necessity rather than solely on body mass index calculations, and prior authorization processes should not create unnecessary barriers to care. The changes will take effect for plans issued on or after January 1, 2025.

Maddy summaryThis bill establishes a comprehensive flood recovery and preparedness framework for Vermont municipalities and businesses affected by the 2023 severe storms. It provides financial relief through tax abatement reimbursements for municipalities that lost State education property tax revenue, grants to offset municipal lost revenues, and a new Flood Recovery Assistance Program offering up to $40 million for business losses including physical damage, lost revenue, and employee wages. The legislation also creates a working group to improve emergency management coordination between state agencies and municipalities, while allowing reconsideration of property tax abatement decisions made during the disaster period.

Maddy summaryThis bill requires that juvenile delinquency cases involving youths aged 14 to 22 begin in the Family Division of the Superior Court rather than the Criminal Division, with certain exceptions for specific serious offenses. The law allows the Family Division to transfer cases to the Criminal Division after a hearing if the youth is older or if the offense is particularly severe, and it mandates that prosecutors file felony charges for minors in the Family Division first. The changes apply to both new cases and those involving violations of release conditions, ensuring that all juvenile proceedings initially originate in the Family Division unless specific criteria for transfer are met.

Maddy summaryThis bill establishes civil penalties for social hosts who allow minors under 21 to consume alcohol or cannabis at gatherings on their property. It requires property owners to take reasonable steps to prevent underage consumption of these substances and sets escalating fines of $500, $750, and $1,000 for first, second, and third or subsequent violations respectively. The law applies to any residence or premises under the host's control and takes effect on July 1, 2024. This legislation does not affect existing criminal liability or other civil claims related to social host liability.

Maddy summaryThis bill requires school districts, approved independent schools, and prequalified private prekindergarten providers in Vermont to offer translation services during the school enrollment process for families who do not speak English. The law mandates that all enrollment forms and applications be translated into the primary language of non-English-speaking families and includes alternative proof of residency forms. Schools must provide translation assistance through options such as English learner liaisons, in-person interpreters, or digital translation tools like smartphone applications. The changes take effect on July 1, 2024, ensuring that non-English-speaking families have access to necessary documentation and support when enrolling their children in school.