Rep. Phil Pouech

Maddy summaryVermont's House of Representatives passed JRH 8, a non-binding joint resolution condemning a U.S. military operation in Venezuela on January 3, 2026. The resolution demands the immediate release of Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro and his wife Cilia Flores from U.S. custody, the withdrawal of all U.S. military forces from the Caribbean Sea and eastern Pacific Ocean, and respect for Venezuela's right to political self-determination. It urges the U.S. government to abandon plans for similar interventions that disrupt other nations' sovereignty. As a symbolic resolution, it directs Vermont's Secretary of State to send a copy to President Trump, Secretary of State Rubio, and Defense Secretary Hegseth.

Maddy summaryH.863 imposes a $0.30 fee on retail deliveries (like online orders shipped to Vermont) that are subject to sales tax, collected by vendors and listed separately on receipts. It permits municipalities to levy a local tax on gasoline and diesel fuel sales and allocates funds to transportation programs including electric vehicle incentives, public transit coordination, and creating pollinator habitats along roads. The bill also requires public EV charging stations to accept credit cards and provide real-time availability, and mandates a study on electric bicycle safety. These provisions aim to fund infrastructure improvements, support clean energy transitions, and enhance transportation equity.

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.826 creates the Land Access and Opportunity Board (LAOB) to administer a new Land Access and Opportunity Fund, funded partly by cannabis tax revenue. The bill requires the Department of Taxes to submit an annual affordable housing tax report and establishes a Land Security Working Group. It directs the fund to provide down payment assistance for homeownership (including for farmland access), technical support for BIPOC developers, and grants for community-led housing projects like land trusts. The bill directly affects Vermonters facing housing affordability challenges, particularly disadvantaged communities and people with developmental disabilities, by aiming to expand access to land and housing resources.

Maddy summaryThis bill (H.825) simplifies the process for property owners to install wheelchair ramps by removing the requirement to submit a zoning permit application. It directly affects property owners seeking to make accessibility improvements and the municipal panels that review development projects. The key provision requires these panels to allow ramp construction without permits and mandates they receive training on the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) as it relates to zoning. This change aims to reduce barriers for accessible home modifications while ensuring local officials understand ADA compliance.

Maddy summaryThis bill allows Vermont municipalities to set speed limits below 25 mph in downtowns, village centers, and "thickly settled districts" (areas with closely spaced buildings over a quarter-mile stretch). It prohibits parking within a specific distance of crosswalks but permits vehicle unloading or bicycle/scooter parking nearby. The bill also restricts using center turn lanes to pass vehicles and requires studies on improving bike/pedestrian infrastructure and converting state highways to lower-speed "class 1 town highways." These changes directly affect local governments, drivers, pedestrians, and cyclists in communities with designated village centers or dense development areas.