Rep. Elizabeth Burrows

Maddy summaryThis bill would require landlords in Vermont to notify tenants before selling a residential rental building, giving tenants the opportunity to purchase the property themselves. The law establishes a 45-day period after notice for tenants to decide if they want to buy the building, during which the landlord cannot accept a final sale offer. If a majority of tenants express interest, the landlord must negotiate in good faith and cannot sell to another buyer for an additional 120 days, and must accept an offer from tenants if it matches the property's appraised value or third-party offers. The bill applies to most residential building sales but excludes foreclosures, family transfers, and certain other exceptions, and it includes penalties for landlords who fail to follow the required procedures.

Maddy summaryThis bill would change how write-in candidates win primary elections in Vermont by requiring them to receive at least half the number of petition signatures needed for their office, unless they get more votes than any printed candidate. It directly affects voters who choose write-in candidates and political parties running primary elections. The law would still allow write-in candidates to win if they receive more votes than any other candidate on the ballot, but otherwise they must meet the signature threshold. The bill also maintains the requirement that a write-in winner must still be determined the official party candidate under existing rules before the general election.

Maddy summaryThis bill requires Vermont's Departments of Health and Disabilities, Aging, and Independent Living to expand their public education efforts on Alzheimer's disease to also include information about brain health and reducing dementia risks. The Departments must work with the Commission on Alzheimer's Disease and Related Disorders to create accessible educational materials in electronic, print, and in-person formats for the public, patients, families, caregivers, and healthcare providers. These resources will include information about the State Plan on Aging as well as programs focused on prevention, care, and support for individuals and communities. The changes take effect on July 1, 2023.

Maddy summaryThis bill creates an Eviction Diversion Program within the Vermont State Housing Authority to help prevent evictions for nonpayment of rent. The program would provide up to $1,600,000 in funding and hire a coordinator to screen eligible tenants and landlords, connect them with financial assistance, and facilitate mediation to resolve disputes. Tenants qualify if they owe three months or less in rent, have income at or below 100% of the area median, and meet specific hardship criteria such as medical emergencies or job loss. If eligible parties agree to participate, the bill suspends legal eviction timelines while they work toward a resolution, and upon successful mediation, funds up to $3,000 can be paid directly to landlords on behalf of tenants. Additionally, the bill requires courts to seal tenant privacy records in eviction cases until a final eviction order is issued.

Maddy summaryThis bill expands protections for Medicaid beneficiaries' estates by limiting when the state can recover medical costs from their assets after death. It directly affects families of deceased Medicaid recipients in Vermont, particularly those with low income or caregiving contributions to the decedent. The law prohibits estate recovery against homesteads that pass to heirs with income below 300% of the federal poverty level or to siblings who financially supported the decedent to avoid nursing home placement. It also protects sole income-producing assets of heirs and homesteads belonging to refugees. The changes apply immediately upon passage and require state funding to cover certain homestead recoveries that would otherwise be owed to the federal government.

Maddy summaryThis bill requires Vermont's Governor to review every federal order deploying the National Guard into armed hostilities to verify it has proper Congressional authorization for war or military force. If the Governor finds the order lacks such authorization, the bill empowers the Governor to block the deployment and mandates legal action by the Attorney General to prevent it. The legislation also establishes a policy that Vermont National Guard members should only serve in military conflicts with specific Congressional approval and requires the Governor to report review findings to state legislative committees within 30 days.

Maddy summaryThis bill creates the Vermont Rental Housing Improvement Program to provide grants and forgivable loans to private landlords for rehabilitating rental housing units, with a focus on non-code-compliant or newly created units. The program is administered by the Department of Housing and Community Development through statewide or regional nonprofit housing organizations, which distribute funds to eligible landlords who must contribute at least 20 percent in matching funds or in-kind services. Recipients cannot use assisted units for short-term rentals and must prioritize leasing to households exiting homelessness or refugee resettlement programs for five years, with alternative income-based tenant requirements if qualifying households are unavailable. The bill also establishes transparency requirements, mandating that recipient identities and award amounts be published quarterly online, and limits individual grants or loans to a maximum of $50,000 per unit.

Maddy summaryThis bill requires Vermont's Medicaid program to provide coverage for one breast pump per child born to Medicaid beneficiaries. It allows pregnant Medicaid recipients to order and receive a breast pump before the baby is born, but only after reaching 27 weeks of pregnancy. The legislation directs the Agency of Human Services to seek necessary federal approval from the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services to implement this coverage change. If federal approval is not needed, the coverage provisions would take effect on July 1, 2023.

Maddy summaryThis bill prohibits settlement agreements in employment discrimination cases from preventing an employee from continuing to work for their employer or any affiliated company. It makes any clause in such agreements that restricts an employee's ability to work void and unenforceable, ensuring that resolving a discrimination claim does not result in the employee being barred from their job. The law applies to agreements entered into after June 30, 2023, while leaving earlier settlements unaffected. Employers and employees affected by discrimination claims will need to ensure settlement terms do not include restrictions on future employment.

Maddy summaryThis bill amends Vermont state laws to lower the threshold for what constitutes unlawful harassment in employment, schools, and public accommodations. It directly affects employers, employees, educational institutions, and businesses by changing how harassment cases are evaluated. The key provision removes the requirement that harassment must be "severe or pervasive" to be illegal, allowing a single incident to potentially qualify as unlawful if it creates an intimidating, hostile, or offensive environment. Additionally, the bill clarifies that harassment can be determined based on the totality of circumstances rather than isolated incidents, and it protects individuals even if they participated in or continued working despite the conduct.