Rep. Katherine Sims

Maddy summaryThis bill directs Vermont's Public Utility Commission to create rules for how electric grid upgrade costs are shared among customers. The commission must establish a process by July 1, 2024, to spread these costs fairly across all customers within each utility service area. A second deadline requires the commission to develop statewide cost-sharing rules by July 1, 2029, ensuring upgrades are distributed equitably across the entire state. The legislation affects electric utility customers and the Public Utility Commission, aiming to make grid improvements more transparent and balanced.

Maddy summaryThis bill proposes to decriminalize the possession of a personal supply of regulated drugs in Vermont, changing penalties from criminal charges to a civil offense with a $50 fee. The legislation would establish a Drug Use Standards Advisory Board to set benchmarks for what constitutes a personal use supply and allow individuals with prior possession convictions to have their criminal records sealed if their amounts fall below these benchmarks. It also authorizes pilot drug-checking programs that let individuals test substances for chemical composition and contaminants to reduce overdose risks. The bill aims to shift Vermont's approach from criminal prosecution to public health strategies, redirecting resources toward prevention, treatment, and harm reduction services.

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 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 creates a new Office of the Housing Advocate within the Vermont Department of Housing and Community Development to assist landlords, tenants, and homeowners with housing-related questions and concerns. The office would be run by a nonprofit organization under contract and led by a Chief Housing Advocate who can provide information, referrals, and help with complaints or appeals related to housing services. Key provisions include educating residents on their rights, investigating housing problems, monitoring housing laws, and ensuring confidential handling of complaints while preventing conflicts of interest among staff. The office must submit annual reports to state legislators and other agencies, and all state agencies are required to cooperate with its reasonable requests for information.

Maddy summaryThis bill requires the State of Vermont to cover all costs for public schools that need remediation, mitigation, reconstruction, or new construction due to polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) contamination. It applies to public schools tested by the Agency of Natural Resources after 2015 that show PCB levels exceeding the state's action threshold. The legislation defines "public school" according to existing state law and ensures eligible schools receive funding or reimbursement for necessary cleanup and rebuilding expenses.

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 requires law enforcement officers to detain a driver for a primary violation before issuing a ticket for specific secondary motor vehicle violations. The changes directly affect drivers in Vermont who may be stopped for issues like expired registration, driving without a license, or broken taillights. Under the new rules, officers must have a valid reason to stop a vehicle first, such as a safety concern or another suspected offense, before addressing these secondary violations. The legislation takes effect on July 1, 2023, and applies to ten specific categories of violations listed in the bill text.

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.