Rep. Bob Hooper

Maddy summaryH 227 creates a two-bed residential peer respite facility in southern Vermont to provide short-term support for people experiencing mental health crises, avoiding hospitalization. The facility will offer two types of stays: one bed for up to four weeks and another for up to two weeks, operated by a provider selected through a state contract. The bill appropriates $515,000 for fiscal year 2026 to fund this facility, requiring the Department of Mental Health to contract with an eligible provider by January 1, 2026. It aims to expand access to peer-supported care in southern Vermont, reducing reliance on emergency hospital settings for crisis care. The facility will become operational on July 1, 2025.

Maddy summaryH 337 requires Vermont's Commissioner of Labor to publish enforcement actions against employers for violations of wage and hour, prevailing wage, and child labor laws. The bill mandates that this information be made publicly available in a searchable format on a dedicated website. Data published will exclude complainant identities and information older than six years. The requirement takes effect on July 1, 2025, increasing transparency around labor law enforcement.

Maddy summaryThis bill establishes a "good cause" standard for employer terminations in Vermont, requiring employers to have a legitimate, reasonable business reason (such as poor job performance) to fire most employees. It explicitly excludes trivial, arbitrary, or unrelated reasons for termination and creates an exception for employees with less than 90 days of service. Employers must post a notice about this requirement in a conspicuous location at their workplace. The law takes effect on July 1, 2025, directly affecting Vermont employers and their workforce.

Maddy summaryH.347 would raise Vermont's minimum wage to $20.00 per hour starting January 1, 2026, with annual adjustments based on inflation. It eliminates the current exemption for agricultural workers from overtime pay, phasing in overtime requirements over time (from 60 hours/week to 40 hours/week by 2036), and removes the separate "tipped minimum wage," requiring all tipped workers to earn at least the full minimum wage. The bill also sets a new salary threshold of $1,128,000 annually (adjusted yearly) for workers to qualify as exempt from overtime and minimum wage rules, and removes the option for subminimum wages for people with disabilities. It maintains the Attorney General's authority to enforce employee misclassification complaints.

Maddy summaryH 317 prohibits credit card networks and payment processors from charging merchants fees on the tax or tip portion of a transaction. It requires merchants to report tax and gratuity amounts during payment processing, and if they don't, they may face fees on the full transaction amount. Merchants can correct inaccurate reports within 30 days, and payment networks must refund fees on tax/tip amounts if documentation is provided within 180 days. The law applies to all Vermont merchants accepting credit cards and takes effect July 1, 2025. Violations carry $1,000 penalties per transaction.

Maddy summaryThis bill amends Vermont's unemployment compensation law to allow striking workers to receive benefits under specific conditions. It removes disqualifications for workers not participating in a labor dispute, those affected by employer lockouts (not temporary work suspensions), and those unemployed for more than 14 days due to a labor dispute (unless replacement workers were hired during that period). The change directly affects workers involved in labor disputes who meet these criteria, ensuring they can access unemployment benefits during strikes or lockouts. The bill modifies existing disqualification rules in Section 1344 of Vermont law without altering broader eligibility. It is currently before the Committee on Commerce and Economic Development.

Maddy summaryThis bill removes the exclusion of agricultural workers from Vermont's State Labor Relations Act, granting them collective bargaining rights previously denied. It directly affects farm workers across Vermont by amending the definition of "employee" to include them, ending a specific exemption that had kept them outside labor protections. The key mechanism is revising Section 1502 of the law to delete the provision that barred agricultural laborers from being covered under collective bargaining rules. The change takes effect on July 1, 2025.

Maddy summaryThis is a ceremonial resolution (HCR 26) honoring Burlington High School alumna Ilona Maher for winning a bronze medal with the U.S. women's rugby sevens team at the 2024 Paris Olympics. It formally congratulates her on this achievement and directs Vermont's Secretary of State to send a copy of the resolution to her. The resolution has no policy impact - it solely serves to recognize her athletic accomplishment and community ties. It was adopted by the Vermont House and Senate in February 2025 as a symbolic gesture.

Maddy summaryH.310 requires Vermont public schools (K-12) to address antisemitism through updated policies and education. It amends the harassment definition to explicitly include antisemitic harassment - covering slurs, stereotypes, and threats targeting Jewish heritage - and mandates the Secretary of Education to develop a curriculum on antisemitism's evolution, effects, and legal consequences. The bill also requires training for school staff, age-appropriate teaching materials, and technical assistance for implementation. This affects all Vermont public school students and educators, aiming to prevent antisemitic incidents amid rising national hate crime statistics cited in the bill. The proposed curriculum would be developed in coordination with Shalom Alliance of Vermont.

Maddy summaryH.307 establishes Vermont's Community Radio Grant Program to provide funding for nonprofit community radio stations. It directly affects Vermont's seven active community radio stations (eligible for up to $25,000 each) and three upcoming stations (eligible for up to $10,000 each), which serve rural and underserved areas and provide critical emergency information during disasters. The program funds equipment upgrades, backup generators, and operational improvements to enhance emergency broadcasting and station sustainability. Grants require a detailed implementation plan and annual reporting on fund use and impact, with $205,000 appropriated from the General Fund for fiscal year 2026. The bill takes effect July 1, 2025.