Rep. Bill Canfield

Maddy summaryThis bill is a ceremonial resolution honoring Marshall Webb, a nonprofit cofounder and environmental advocate who passed away in 2022. It recognizes his contributions to Shelburne Farms, a Vermont center for sustainability education, and acknowledges his personal connection to the organization and the state. The resolution directs the Secretary of State to send a copy to Webb's family and Shelburne Farms as a formal expression of appreciation. This measure does not change laws or policies but serves to publicly acknowledge Webb's legacy and impact on the community.

Maddy summaryThis bill requires independent schools in Vermont to pay their teachers' retirement contributions and administrative expenses directly, rather than having these costs covered by the state education budget. It also clarifies that "education spending" includes the portion of retirement payments attributable to school districts, while excluding funds from other sources like endowments or federal grants. The changes take effect on July 1, 2024, and include requirements for independent schools to submit annual payment statements and for the state to report on implementation to relevant committees.

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 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 would exempt all U.S. military retirement income and military survivor benefit income from Vermont state income tax. It directly affects active and retired military personnel, as well as the surviving spouses and dependents of deceased service members who receive these benefits. The legislation amends existing tax code sections to remove military retirement and survivor benefits from taxable income, while also clarifying that taxpayers can only choose one income exclusion option if they qualify for multiple types of exemptions. The bill states its purpose is to honor and thank military retirees and their families for their service, and it applies retroactively to taxable years beginning on or after January 1, 2023.

Maddy summaryThis bill proposes multiple changes to Vermont's tax laws, including adjustments to personal income tax, meals and rooms tax, sales and use tax, property valuation, and property transfer tax. It updates the state's adoption of federal income tax laws to reflect changes through December 31, 2022, and expands the definition of taxable income to exclude certain cannabis-related deductions. The legislation also increases the income thresholds for Social Security benefit exclusions, raising limits from $50,000 to $65,000 for single filers and from $65,000 to $80,000 for married couples filing jointly. Additionally, it ensures military retirement income and survivor benefits remain excluded from taxable income. These changes directly affect Vermont residents filing state tax returns and those receiving Social Security or military retirement benefits.

Maddy summaryThis bill is a ceremonial resolution that honors organizations and individuals working to improve rural broadband access in Vermont. It recognizes the Communications Union Districts (CUDs) and related groups like the Vermont Communications Union Districts Association and the Vermont Community Broadband Board for their efforts in building broadband networks. The resolution acknowledges past legislative actions that created funding and oversight structures to support these broadband initiatives. It does not change any laws or policies but serves to formally recognize the achievements of these groups in expanding internet access to over 200 municipalities.

Maddy summaryThis bill designates January 23-27, 2023, as the first annual Holocaust Education Week in Vermont. It directly affects Vermont schools and educational institutions by establishing a formal period for Holocaust education activities. The resolution directs the Secretary of State to send copies of the document to the Vermont Holocaust Memorial and the Agency of Education to facilitate the event. This commemorative measure recognizes the historical significance of the Holocaust and aims to increase awareness through organized educational programming during the designated week.

Maddy summaryThis bill expands the Vermont National Guard Tuition Benefit Program to include courses at out-of-state colleges that offer degree programs not available in Vermont. It directly affects Vermont National Guard members who wish to pursue education at institutions outside the state. The key provision allows eligible service members to use their tuition benefits at these non-Vermont schools approved for federal funding, with benefits calculated at the University of Vermont's in-state tuition rate. The change takes effect on July 1, 2023, and does not alter existing benefits for in-state institutions.