Rep. Edye Graning

Maddy summaryHCR 181 is a ceremonial resolution congratulating 25 Vermont businesses and organizations that won the 2025 Spirit of the ADA Award. It formally recognizes these recipients - such as Walmart Rutland, Copley Hospital, and the Vermont Granite Museum - for their inclusive employment practices that align with the Americans with Disabilities Act. The resolution directs the Secretary of State to send each winner a copy of the resolution, with no policy changes or new requirements for the recipients. This is purely symbolic recognition, not a legislative action affecting laws or regulations.

Maddy summaryThis bill (H.842) revises Vermont’s Commission on Public School Employee Health Benefits by reducing its membership from 10 to 9 members, making the Secretary of Education the chair, and limiting alternate members. It requires the Commission to cap the actuarial value of health benefit plans and consider specific factors when making decisions, while adding new dispute resolution options for negotiations. The bill directly affects public school employees and employers in Vermont, as the Commission manages health benefits for school staff. It also mandates that the Secretary of Education contract with a single third-party provider to oversee health savings accounts for school employees.

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 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.

Maddy summaryH.793 removes Vermont corporations, LLCs, partnerships, and similar business entities' legal authority to spend money on election activities (like supporting candidates) or ballot-issue activities (like funding ballot measures). It amends Vermont's business corporation laws to explicitly revoke any prior broad powers that could be interpreted as allowing such spending, defining these activities clearly to prevent misuse. The bill ensures these entities can only engage in activities necessary for their lawful business, charitable, or organizational purposes - without political spending authority. It preserves natural persons' rights and political parties' activities while applying uniformly across all business entity types.

Maddy summaryH.799 creates the Free Degree Promise Program to provide tuition-free associate's degrees at Vermont's Community College of Vermont (CCV) for eligible high school graduates. It directly affects Vermont students who complete CCV's Early College program (earning 20+ credits) and submit financial aid applications. The program covers tuition/fees after other aid, provides stipends for books and transportation, and includes career advising. Funding comes annually from the Vermont Education Endowment Trust Fund (5% of assets), with the Vermont Student Assistance Corporation designated as a recipient. This codifies an existing initiative to reduce student debt and expand access to postsecondary education.