Rep. Casey Toof

Maddy summaryThis bill requires Vermont public middle and secondary schools to offer computer science courses and establishes standards for these programs, with options for remote learning through virtual platforms. It creates a Computer Science Education Task Force to develop a statewide strategic plan for expanding computer science education and sets up a grant program to help teachers earn computer science teaching endorsements. Additionally, the bill mandates a report on the effectiveness of a proposed state virtual school system that would allow students to attend school online without enrolling in a local school.

Maddy summaryThis bill expands workers' compensation benefits for Vermont firefighters who develop specific types of cancer. It creates a legal presumption that these cancers resulted from job-related exposures if the firefighter had clean cancer screening results before or within two years of starting their career, has at least five years of firefighting service in Vermont, is under 65 years old, and does not have a history of tobacco use within 10 years of diagnosis. The law covers leukemia, lymphoma, multiple myeloma, and cancers of the bladder, brain, colon, gastrointestinal tract, kidney, liver, pancreas, skin, or testicles, and applies to firefighters diagnosed within 10 years of their last active duty. The bill also recommends that fire departments keep incident reports for at least 10 years to support these claims.

Maddy summaryThis bill requires Vermont's Agency of Education to create a model curriculum that teaches students about hate speech, hateful imagery, and discrimination, along with training for school staff on these topics. It also mandates that all school districts adopt a racial equity policy that meets or exceeds the state's model policy, with districts that fail to do so automatically being considered to have adopted the model policy. The legislation directs the Agency to develop these resources by July 1, 2024, while working with community stakeholders and advisory groups. The bill affects elementary and secondary schools across Vermont by establishing new requirements for curriculum development, staff training, and district-level policy adoption.

Maddy summaryThis bill modifies Vermont's home study program regulations by removing the requirement for home study programs to submit annual reports to the Agency of Education and eliminating the Agency's ability to request a hearing when questioning whether a program meets minimum course requirements. The legislation primarily affects families using home study programs and the educational agencies that oversee them by simplifying administrative processes. Key provisions include maintaining requirements for enrollment notices, progress assessments through various methods like standardized tests or portfolios, and detailed course outlines for enrolled students. The bill also preserves the ability for parents to provide assessments and requires programs to notify the Secretary when students withdraw from the program.

Maddy summaryThis bill requires Vermont's Medicaid program to provide coverage for one breast pump per child born to Medicaid beneficiaries. It allows pregnant Medicaid recipients to order and receive a breast pump before the baby is born, but only after reaching 27 weeks of pregnancy. The legislation directs the Agency of Human Services to seek necessary federal approval from the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services to implement this coverage change. If federal approval is not needed, the coverage provisions would take effect on July 1, 2023.

Maddy summaryThis bill directs the Vermont Agency of Education to form a working group to study whether licensed athletic trainers should be required at all secondary school athletic events and practices. The proposed group would include representatives from various education organizations and explore cost-effective ways to share athletic trainers between school districts. The legislation does not mandate immediate changes but instead establishes a study process to evaluate the need and resources for this requirement.

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 expands eligibility for Vermont's Child Care Financial Assistance Program by adjusting income thresholds and co-payment rules to help more families access subsidized child care. Under the new provisions, families earning up to 400 percent of the federal poverty level would qualify for subsidies, while those earning 150 percent or less would pay no co-payment regardless of family size. The bill also changes how child care providers are paid by decoupling reimbursement rates from the Step Ahead Recognition System (STARS) and instead tying them to market rates from the Vermont Child Care Market Rate Survey with tiered caps based on provider ratings. These changes would take effect on July 1, 2023, and directly impact families seeking employment or training and the child care providers serving them.

Maddy summaryThis bill requires Vermont State Colleges and the University of Vermont to give admission preference to in-state students who have completed career technical education programs in fields that the institutions offer. The law applies to eligible residents who have finished relevant CTE training and seeks to create a direct pathway for these students into postsecondary programs aligned with their technical background. The preference would be implemented starting July 1, 2023, and applies specifically to both the state college system and the University of Vermont and State Agricultural College.

Maddy summaryThis bill creates a pilot program to help middle schools in Vermont establish career and technical education programs for grades eight and nine. It provides $5.5 million in grant funding to eligible schools located more than 15 miles from existing career centers, with requirements that schools match the funding through in-kind contributions and commit to maintaining the programs for five years. The grants cover one full-time teacher and equipment costs for two years, after which schools must fund their own operations. The Agency of Education will report annually on student participation and program sustainability to the state legislature.