Rep. Dara Torre

Maddy summaryThis House resolution honors Vermont television journalist Stewart Ledbetter for his 40 years of news reporting. The bill formally recognizes his career achievements, including his work as a news director, political campaign moderator, and recipient of multiple broadcast awards. It directs the House Clerk to send a copy of the resolution to Ledbetter and WPTZ, the television station where he worked.

Maddy summaryThis House concurrent resolution honors the organizations and individuals working to improve rural broadband access in Vermont through Communications Union Districts. It recognizes the ten regional districts that have formed to build fiber optic networks in areas where other providers struggle to reach. The resolution acknowledges the progress these districts have made in 2023, including new construction and customer additions. This formal acknowledgment does not create new laws or funding but serves to publicly recognize the efforts of these broadband initiatives.

Maddy summaryThis bill creates a new Climate Infrastructure and Resilience Fund to provide loans and financing for projects that help communities adapt to climate change and protect against flooding. The fund will be managed by a board including state officials and appointed representatives, with money drawn from state cash balances, donations, and future legislative appropriations. It also adjusts how the Clean Water Fund distributes money, prioritizing projects that improve water quality, build climate resilience, and support ecological health. Additionally, the bill authorizes new staff positions across several state agencies to administer these programs and requires clean water service providers to prioritize projects that create climate-resilient communities.

Maddy summaryThis bill would modify Vermont's beverage container redemption system by allowing retailers and manufacturers operating in locations smaller than 5,000 square feet to refuse to redeem containers once a producer responsibility organization implements a public need stewardship plan. It also establishes annual reporting requirements for beverage container redemption rates across three categories and mandates a systems analysis to evaluate the costs, environmental impacts, and operational effects of expanding the redemption system. Additionally, the bill requires the Secretary of Natural Resources to submit a status report on the state's recycling infrastructure before any expansion occurs, ensuring adequate access and processing capacity for all Vermonters.

Maddy summaryThis bill would give Vermont's Attorney General new authority to regulate social media platforms in the state, specifically to protect the health and safety of users under 18. It establishes a new legal framework called the Vermont Social Media Safety Act and creates a funding structure to support enforcement efforts. The legislation is based on findings that social media design features can contribute to youth mental health issues and addiction, and it applies consumer protection principles to social media companies. The bill does not specify particular platform requirements but instead empowers regulators to oversee how these platforms operate and impact child users.

Maddy summaryThis bill creates a study committee to examine whether Vermont should adopt a statewide residential building code, specifically the International Residential Code, to address the current lack of uniform construction standards for single-family homes. The committee will include representatives from government agencies, construction industry groups, housing organizations, and insurance associations who will assess how a standardized code would impact safety, compliance, disaster resilience, sustainability, and housing affordability. The group must submit a written report with its findings and recommendations to the General Assembly by December 15, 2024, after holding meetings starting by July 15, 2024, and will cease to exist on January 1, 2025.

Maddy summaryThis bill reorganizes building safety oversight in Vermont by renaming the Division of Fire Safety to the Division of Fire and Building Safety and transferring authority over residential and commercial building energy standards from the Department of Public Service to this new division. The legislation also requires the Office of Professional Regulation to update its building contractor registry with more detailed information and mandates that energy code compliance certificates be issued before buildings can receive occupancy permits. Additionally, the bill directs the Department of Public Service to create an online application and certification tool for small residential projects and calls for the adoption of a statewide residential building construction code to improve enforcement and compliance with energy standards.

Maddy summaryThis bill prohibits public and school libraries in Vermont from banning or removing books and other library materials based on partisan or doctrinal disapproval. It requires the State Librarian to create rules that protect library collections, aligning with the American Library Association's Library Bill of Rights, and mandates that each library adopt a materials retention policy complying with these rules. Libraries that violate these retention rules would lose eligibility for state grants and funding, as they must submit an affidavit confirming compliance before receiving any state financial support. The legislation applies to both public and school libraries and takes effect on July 1, 2024.

Maddy summaryThis bill creates the Climate Superfund Cost Recovery Program, which would require fossil fuel companies that operated in Vermont between 2000 and 2019 to pay for their share of climate change costs. The program targets entities involved in extracting coal, oil, or natural gas, charging them based on how much greenhouse gas their products contributed to global emissions. Money collected from these payments would go into a dedicated fund to finance climate resilience projects like flood protections, upgraded infrastructure, and health programs addressing climate-related health risks. The law defines specific types of infrastructure projects eligible for funding and establishes rules for determining which companies must pay and how much they owe.

Maddy summaryThis bill requires Vermont school districts and approved independent schools to create and enforce policies for selecting library materials, guided by the First Amendment and established intellectual freedom standards. The legislation specifically prohibits removing library materials based on partisan politics, author or character demographics, personal discomfort, or content addressing sexual health and student educational needs. School library staff will be responsible for curating collections that match students' developmental levels while protecting students' First Amendment rights. The policy must be made available to the public and takes effect on July 1, 2024.