Rep. Dave Templeman

Maddy summaryThis bill directs Vermont's Agency of Agriculture, Food and Markets to create a pilot program offering financial assistance to farmers who adopt year-round agricultural practices across different regions of the state. It requires the Secretary of Agriculture to develop specific standards and criteria for what qualifies as year-round agriculture and allocates funding to support the program's implementation. The legislation affects farmers and agricultural agencies by establishing a formal mechanism to encourage continuous farming activities throughout all seasons.

Maddy summaryThis bill amends the Vermont Working Lands Enterprise Board's duties to include providing financial and technical assistance specifically to new farmers, veteran farmers, and disadvantaged farmers. The legislation defines these groups as farmers with low household income, those who have not farmed in Vermont for over three years in the last decade, and military veterans who meet specific service criteria. The Board will be authorized to create application processes, set eligibility criteria, and award grants, loans, and other investments to help these farmers enter and operate farms in the state. Key provisions include establishing performance contracts for technical assistance, market development, and business planning, as well as identifying workforce training needs for the agriculture sector. The changes take effect on July 1, 2023, and require administrative support from the Agency of Agriculture, Food and Markets.

Maddy summaryThis bill would remove criminal penalties for possessing, dispensing, or selling psilocybin in Vermont and create a Psychedelic Therapy Advisory Working Group to study the potential for regulated therapeutic use. The legislation cites research suggesting psilocybin may help treat mental health conditions like depression, PTSD, and substance use disorders, and it amends state law to exclude psilocybin from the definition of hallucinogenic drugs. The newly formed working group would include legislators, medical professionals, researchers, and community members to review evidence, examine programs in other states, and recommend whether Vermont should establish a regulated system for healthcare providers to administer psychedelics therapeutically. The group must submit its findings and recommendations by November 15, 2024, to relevant legislative committees.

Maddy summaryThis bill creates the Vermont Rental Housing Improvement Program to provide grants and forgivable loans to private landlords for rehabilitating rental housing units, with a focus on non-code-compliant or newly created units. The program is administered by the Department of Housing and Community Development through statewide or regional nonprofit housing organizations, which distribute funds to eligible landlords who must contribute at least 20 percent in matching funds or in-kind services. Recipients cannot use assisted units for short-term rentals and must prioritize leasing to households exiting homelessness or refugee resettlement programs for five years, with alternative income-based tenant requirements if qualifying households are unavailable. The bill also establishes transparency requirements, mandating that recipient identities and award amounts be published quarterly online, and limits individual grants or loans to a maximum of $50,000 per unit.

Maddy summaryThis bill creates a new income tax deduction in Vermont for parents who pay for home study programs for their dependents. It allows taxpayers to deduct up to $1,000 of qualified expenses per dependent, covering costs for educational instruction, materials, equipment, software, and computer hardware used during normal school hours. The deduction applies to expenses incurred for students who are claimed as dependents on the taxpayer's return and are not dependents of another taxpayer. The bill would take effect retroactively starting January 1, 2023, and applies to taxable years beginning on or after that date.

Maddy summaryThis bill directs the Vermont Agency of Human Services to update specific administrative rules to use respectful language and reflect current practices. It requires the agency to submit a plan by January 1, 2024, to amend rules governing intermediate care facilities, guardianship for mentally retarded persons, Medicaid regulations, long-term care services, and vocational rehabilitation. The agency must prioritize updating the rules related to intermediate care facilities and guardianship. The legislation takes effect on July 1, 2023, and applies to the agency's rulemaking processes rather than directly changing how services are delivered to individuals.

Maddy summaryThis bill requires Vermont's Agency of Education to work with the Agency of Agriculture, Food and Markets to create a statewide curriculum covering food cultivation, farming practices, and nutrition for elementary and secondary schools. It also mandates that the State Board of Education and supervisory unions include agriculture and nutrition education in their quality standards and union-wide curricula. Additionally, the bill adds agriculture and nutrition education to the list of required natural sciences fields in the state's minimum course of study. These changes would affect all public schools in Vermont starting July 1, 2023.

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.

Maddy summaryThis bill establishes a legal framework for recovery residences in Vermont, which are shared living spaces designed to support individuals recovering from substance use disorders. It requires these residences to be certified by recognized organizations and mandates written rental agreements that outline policies, consequences for noncompliance, and alternative housing options for temporary removals. The legislation also directs municipalities to treat recovery residences as single-family homes for zoning purposes and requires the Department of Corrections to report on furloughed individuals residing in such facilities. Additionally, the bill creates a Recovery Stabilization Study Committee to further examine recovery housing needs and the bill aims to reduce homelessness and overdose deaths by expanding access to these supportive living environments.