Rep. Mary Howard

Maddy summaryH 128 requires the State's Attorney to request a specific release condition when someone not legally renting a dwelling is charged with unlawful drug activity there. The bill mandates that courts may prohibit such individuals from coming within a fixed distance of the dwelling as part of their release terms. This directly affects people facing drug charges in properties they do not lease or own. The provision applies to arraignment on next business day after citation or arrest for drug activity in non-tenant dwellings. The law takes effect July 1, 2025.

Maddy summaryThis bill (H.115) would allow Vermont's Commissioner of Taxes to forgive income tax debt for individuals who lost income due to fraud. It directly affects victims of fraud who have unpaid tax liabilities tied to stolen funds. The key provision gives the Commissioner authority to waive these specific tax debts upon verification of fraud. The bill does not change tax rates or create new taxes, but provides targeted relief for fraud victims. It was recently referred to the Committee on Ways and Means for review.

Maddy summaryH.117 would prevent candidates who lose a major party primary election from appearing on the general election ballot as independents or for another party for the same office. This rule directly affects candidates who compete in a primary but do not win their party's nomination. The bill amends Vermont election law to explicitly bar such candidates from being listed on the general ballot under any other party or as independents. The change would take effect immediately upon the bill's passage.

Maddy summaryH.112 provides medical debt relief for Vermont residents by appropriating $1 million to contract with a nonprofit to purchase and erase qualifying medical debt. It directly affects Vermonters with household incomes at or below 400% of the federal poverty level or those owing medical debt equal to 5% or more of their household income. The bill prohibits credit bureaus from reporting medical debt on credit reports and bans healthcare providers from submitting such debt to credit agencies. It requires debt relief contractors to remove adverse credit information after debt abolition, ensuring no cost or tax impact for affected residents.

Maddy summaryThis bill (H.83) proposes three specific changes to firearms storage in Vermont. It would create a state fund to subsidize Vermonters purchasing firearm storage devices (like safes or locks), exempt those devices from sales tax, and require firearms dealers to include a trigger lock with every firearm sold. The bill directly affects Vermont firearm owners (through subsidies and tax changes) and firearms dealers (through the trigger lock requirement). These are concrete policy changes focused on promoting safe storage practices, without altering criminal penalties or ownership rights. The bill is currently referred to the Judiciary Committee for further review.

Maddy summaryThis bill requires Vermont's Office of Veterans Affairs to create and maintain a database of state veterans, collecting personal information from state agencies. It mandates that all state agencies provide veteran data "to the maximum extent practicable" while keeping all personally identifying details exempt from public records requests under Vermont law. The database will be confidential, with information protected from public inspection or copying, even overriding standard public records exemptions. The law takes effect on July 1, 2025, and directly affects Vermont veterans whose personal details are collected, as well as state agencies responsible for sharing that data.

Maddy summaryH 81 requires Vermont's Governor to obtain prior approval from the General Assembly before entering into certain federal immigration enforcement agreements (specifically those under 8 U.S.C. § 1357(g) and 19 U.S.C. § 1401(i)). The bill mandates a 60-day notice period before a vote, during which the Governor must provide the full agreement text, an analysis of fiscal/social/legal impacts, and hold public hearings. It also prohibits such agreements if the General Assembly isn't in session and requires annual reporting to legislative committees on related discussions. This directly affects the Governor and state agencies that might enter these agreements, adding a legislative review step to federal immigration partnerships.

Maddy summaryH 74 would phase in full exemption of Social Security benefits from Vermont income tax over eight years. Currently, Vermont partially exempts Social Security benefits for lower-income seniors, but this bill raises the income thresholds where full exemption applies - increasing the single filer threshold from $65,000 to $77,000 and married filer threshold from $80,000 to $92,000. The change applies to all Vermont residents receiving Social Security benefits, with full exemption becoming effective by the eighth year. The bill amends Vermont’s tax code (32 V.S.A. § 5830e) to adjust the income-based exclusion rules. It is currently referred to the Committee on Ways and Means.

Maddy summaryThis bill exempts U.S. military retirement income and survivor benefit payments from Vermont income tax for eligible residents. It adds these income types to Vermont’s list of excluded income in the tax code (specifically amending 32 V.S.A. § 5811), meaning military retirees and surviving spouses won’t pay state tax on these payments. The change applies retroactively to tax years beginning January 1, 2026. It directly affects Vermont taxpayers who receive military retirement or survivor benefits, providing them tax relief on this specific income source.

Maddy summaryH 38 adds six full-time and two part-time staff positions to Vermont's Human Rights Commission, including Communications Coordinators, Intake Specialists, Staff Attorney Investigators, a Paralegal, and part-time Mediators/Social Workers. The bill allocates $794,616 in fiscal year 2026 for salaries and benefits, plus $25,000 for outreach, $18,000 for operations, and $50,000 for office space. These new roles aim to expand the Commission's capacity to handle discrimination complaints and provide support services. The changes take effect July 1, 2025, directly impacting the Commission's operations and the residents it serves.