Maddy summaryThis bill requires public schools and approved independent schools in Vermont to create seizure action plans for any student with a seizure disorder or who takes seizure medication. The law mandates that schools designate at least one trained staff member to administer seizure rescue medications or operate vagus nerve stimulator magnets, while all employees with direct student contact and students themselves receive seizure recognition and first aid training. Parents must provide written authorization, medical instructions, and unopened medication packages before school staff can administer treatment, and the State Board of Education will establish guidelines for these individualized health plans. The bill also includes liability protections for school employees acting in good faith according to the seizure action plan and takes effect on July 1, 2023.
Sponsored bills
Maddy summaryThis bill prohibits the transfer of Vermont inmates to correctional facilities outside the state, directly affecting the Department of Corrections and incarcerated individuals. It amends existing statutes to remove the Commissioner of Corrections' authority to order inmate transfers to out-of-state facilities and repeals provisions related to using competitive bidding for such placements. The legislation also clarifies the intent to create new work camps within Vermont to reduce reliance on out-of-state housing, while specifying that new work camps should only house nonviolent offenders who have already served part of their sentence in a state facility. These changes take effect on January 1, 2025, aiming to keep inmates within Vermont for oversight, cost, and family visitation reasons.
Maddy summaryThis bill requires postsecondary schools in Vermont to implement several new protections against sexual misconduct, including conducting biannual anonymous campus climate surveys, hiring confidential resource advocates, and establishing formal partnerships with local sexual assault programs. The legislation mandates that schools provide amnesty for good faith reports of sexual misconduct and deliver annual awareness programming and training to students and staff. Additionally, the bill removes the previous expiration date for the Intercollegiate Sexual Harm Prevention Council, ensuring its continued operation. These measures directly affect all postsecondary institutions with Vermont campuses and aim to improve support systems and data collection regarding sexual violence on college campuses.
Maddy summaryThis bill expands Vermont's Fair Employment Practices Act by legally defining "constructive discharge" to include situations where working conditions are so difficult or conduct is so outrageous that a reasonable employee would feel forced to resign. It also updates the state's legislative leave law to ensure all employed legislators can take time off for official duties without losing job status, seniority, or benefits, while requiring employers to maintain insurance and benefits at the same level as if the legislator were working. Employers must provide written notice within 14 days of filing for election or accepting a new position, and may appeal to the State Labor Relations Board if they can demonstrate that granting leave would cause unreasonable hardship. The changes apply to employers with more than five employees and take effect on July 1, 2023.
Maddy summaryThis bill would prohibit individuals from knowingly possessing firearms or deadly weapons on school property, including school buildings and buses. It directly affects students, staff, visitors, and anyone else who might enter school grounds. The law allows exceptions for law enforcement officers performing their duties or when school officials specifically authorize weapon possession for instructional purposes. Violations would result in criminal penalties, with first-time offenders facing up to one year in jail or a $1,000 fine, and repeat offenders facing up to three years in jail or a $5,000 fine. The bill defines school property broadly to include any property owned, leased, controlled, or subcontracted by a school.
Maddy summaryThis bill requires the University of Vermont and State Agricultural College to cap student enrollment at the level recorded on July 1, 2023, until Burlington's rental vacancy rate reaches five percent. It also mandates that the university guarantee each on-campus student at least 93 square feet of living space in all residential buildings, including new construction and repurposed spaces. The university must prioritize current students with insufficient space for relocation before offering compliant housing to new students, while reserving non-compliant two-person spaces for those with documented medical accommodation needs. The changes take effect on July 1, 2023.
Maddy summaryThis bill amends Vermont's workers' compensation laws to improve how injured workers receive benefits and manage their return to work. It allows injured workers to request preauthorization for medical treatment before receiving it, requiring insurers to respond within 14 days or face automatic authorization. The bill also clarifies when employers can require injured workers to search for new jobs, limiting them to contacting no more than three employers per week and exempting those already employed or awaiting surgery. Additionally, it updates the formula for calculating temporary partial disability benefits to better reflect wage differences and adjusts how cost of living increases and dependency payments are applied. Finally, the legislation permits the Workers' Compensation Commissioner to award legal costs to claimants who win their cases.
Maddy summaryThis bill proposes to increase pay and expand benefits for Vermont state legislators by making them eligible for the state employees' health insurance plan at no cost to themselves. It would establish an annual salary equal to half the statewide average wage, with higher amounts for the Speaker of the House and Senate President Pro Tempore, and include reimbursements for child care, dependent care, and overnight parking for those with mobility limitations. The legislation also provides per diem compensation and expense reimbursement for legislators-elect attending pre-session training and meetings, while updating rules for out-of-state committee business to include mileage, lodging, and meal reimbursement. These changes would be implemented through amendments to existing state statutes governing legislative compensation and benefits.
Maddy summaryThis bill modifies how retirement payments are adjusted for teachers in Vermont's State Teachers' Retirement System based on changes in the Consumer Price Index. It establishes new caps on annual increases and decreases, limiting adjustments to five percent for those who retired before July 2022 and four percent for those retiring on or after that date. The legislation also changes how cost-of-living decreases are handled, allowing them to offset future increases rather than immediately reducing benefits. Additionally, the bill appropriates $3.7 million in state funds for the 2024 fiscal year to cover the system's employer contributions.
Maddy summaryThis bill requires Vermont school districts that do not operate their own elementary or high schools to designate up to three eligible schools to serve as the public schools for their students. These designated schools can be public schools in Vermont or other states, or recognized independent schools that meet specific criteria such as serving as regional career centers or being designated as public schools under older laws. The legislation also repeals the definition and approval process for independent schools while keeping the recognized independent school enrollment process intact. Additionally, it creates a new definition for therapeutic schools and adjusts special education tuition provisions. The bill allows school districts to pay tuition to designated schools for their students without requiring a separate vote from the district's electorate, though some existing options for tuition payment remain available.