Maddy summaryThis bill prohibits the manufacture, sale, and distribution of specific products containing PFAS chemicals in Vermont, with different deadlines for different product categories. It immediately bans PFAS in pesticides, apparel, cookware, and paper products by January 1, 2024, while also restricting certain cosmetic products by 2026 and aiming for a complete PFAS ban across all products by 2030. The law requires manufacturers to submit confidential formula statements and mandates testing for pesticides packaged in fluorinated containers to detect chemical leaching. These provisions directly affect manufacturers, distributors, and retailers of the listed products while establishing clear compliance timelines and reporting requirements.
Sponsored bills
Maddy summaryThis bill establishes a default maximum speed limit of 35 miles per hour for unposted and unpaved town highways in Vermont. It directly affects municipalities that maintain these roads, which are currently mapped under state law but lack posted speed limits. The law would apply automatically to these roads unless towns choose to post different limits, standardizing speed regulations for unpaved municipal routes across the state. This change aims to provide clear guidance for drivers on rural town roads that do not currently have visible speed limit signs.
Maddy summaryThis bill requires Vermont's Secretary of Natural Resources to manage all biosolids and domestic septage within the state as Class B materials, prohibiting their classification or use as higher-quality Class A or exceptional quality biosolids. The legislation establishes a testing program that facilities must follow before using or selling these waste products on land, with results made available to the public upon request. Rules developed under the bill will determine testing frequencies and parameters based on facility size, service area characteristics, and existing data, while also considering soil conditions when applying waste to fields. The changes take effect on January 1, 2024, with a one-year transition period allowing existing exceptional quality biosolids to be used or sold until July 1, 2024.
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 creates the Rural Infrastructure Assistance Program to help Vermont's small towns access and manage federal and state funding for projects like clean water, housing, broadband, and climate resilience. The program provides direct support services including community needs assessments, funding application assistance, and project management help, with priority given to municipalities with the highest administrative capacity needs. An initial $3 million appropriation in 2024 funds the program, while the bill also directs remaining federal relief funds to prioritize communities with the greatest need based on a new administrative capacity index. Additionally, the legislation amends the Municipal and Regional Planning Fund to allocate 20 percent of its revenue directly to municipalities for planning purposes.
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 proposes changes to Vermont's housing programs to increase funding and expand eligibility for rental housing improvements, primarily affecting private landlords and nonprofit housing organizations. It would amend existing programs to allow grants and forgivable loans for rehabilitating non-compliant units, building new accessory dwelling units, and creating new rental units, with a cap of $50,000 per unit and a requirement for landlords to contribute at least 20% in matching funds or services. The legislation also creates a new Middle-Income Rental Housing Revolving Loan Program to provide subsidized loans for rental developments serving middle-income households, while exempting smaller municipalities from certain zoning requirements and allowing towns to register with state agencies to issue wastewater permits without full state permits. Additionally, it would reduce the number of residents who can appeal zoning decisions from 10 to a lower threshold and exempt certain downtown housing projects from state environmental review requirements.
Maddy summaryThis bill aims to reduce the use of cash bail in Vermont by prohibiting it for most misdemeanor cases charged through a citation or eligible for expungement, while allowing courts to set bail up to $200 only when flight risk is a concern. It requires multiple criminal justice agencies to collaborate and submit recommendations by December 2023 on how to eliminate cash bail entirely for mitigating flight risk. The legislation also mandates the Department of Corrections to collect and report racial data on pretrial detainees and directs the Judiciary to create an electronic notification system for court hearings by July 2025 to reduce missed appearances.
Maddy summaryThis bill allows municipalities surrounding oligotrophic lakes in Vermont to prohibit wake boats on those lakes. It creates a modified process for the state's Department of Environmental Conservation to update public water rules when such local bans are enacted. The legislation aims to help protect these nutrient-poor lakes from aquatic invasive species that wake boats might spread. Only the towns bordering these specific lakes would have the authority to implement these restrictions.