Rep. Emily Long

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 establishes a public prekindergarten education program in Vermont, making full-day early education available to three- and four-year-old children and five-year-olds not yet in kindergarten. It creates a new Department of Economic Empowerment by reorganizing the Department for Children and Families, adds a second Deputy Secretary to the Agency of Education with specific qualifications, and provides property tax exemptions for child care providers. The legislation also expands eligibility and payment rates for the Child Care Financial Assistance Program, creates a new Noncitizen Child Care Assistance Program, and introduces grants to support child care workforce retention.

Maddy summaryThis bill designates February 2023 as School Board Recognition Month in Vermont to acknowledge the contributions of school board members. It formally recognizes these citizen leaders for their essential role in public education governance and their unique form of civic engagement. The resolution directs the Secretary of State to send a copy of the document to the Vermont School Board Association. This is a ceremonial measure that does not change laws or policies but serves to honor school board members.

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 directs Vermont's Agency of Transportation to develop a funding plan for reducing greenhouse gas emissions and expanding access to efficient, low-cost transportation options. It establishes a working group to study regional climate initiatives and implements a self-funded fee system that charges higher fees for less efficient vehicles while rebating funds to owners of more efficient cars. The legislation also allocates money for electric vehicle incentives, e-bike programs, public transit improvements, and infrastructure updates, while requiring the agency to work with Amtrak and provide training on complete streets design to municipalities.

Maddy summaryThis bill creates the Affordable Heat Act, which establishes a Clean Heat Standard to reduce greenhouse gas emissions from heating in Vermont's residential, commercial, and industrial sectors. The program requires energy companies and heating fuel sellers to earn tradeable clean heat credits by delivering low-carbon heating technologies, efficiency improvements, or weatherization services to customers. The Public Utility Commission will manage the credit system and ensure the program protects low-income households and minimizes costs for all energy users.

Maddy summaryThis bill is a procedural resolution that formally notifies the Vermont Senate that the House of Representatives has completed its organizational process and is ready to begin official business for the session. It requires the House Clerk to send this notification to the Senate as part of standard legislative protocol. The resolution does not create new laws or policy changes but serves as an administrative step to establish the House's operational status. It was adopted by the House on January 4, 2023, following introduction by Representatives Long, McCoy, and Mulvaney-Stanak.

Maddy summaryThis bill amends Vermont House Rule 25 to update the names, membership sizes, and policy jurisdictions of the state's standing committees for the upcoming legislative session. It directly affects the House of Representatives by establishing specific committee structures, such as creating a new Agriculture, Food Resiliency, and Forestry committee and adjusting the scope of existing committees like Environment and Energy and Commerce and Economic Development. The key provision reorganizes how legislative matters are assigned, ensuring each committee has a defined focus on related policies while maintaining the required number of members from both parties. This procedural change streamlines the legislative process by clarifying which committee handles which topics, such as placing climate change mitigation under multiple relevant committees and separating energy consumer protection from the Commerce committee.

Maddy summaryThis bill establishes that the House rules from the 2021-2022 legislative session will remain in effect for the current biennial session until new rules are adopted. It directly affects the Vermont House of Representatives by providing continuity in procedural guidelines without requiring immediate changes. The resolution is a procedural measure that maintains existing rules rather than introducing new policies or substantive changes to legislative operations.