Rep. Elizabeth Burrows

Maddy summaryH.901 requires all Vermont municipal, regional, and state emergency management plans to include disability expertise and use a framework (C-MIST) to identify and address the needs of people with disabilities during emergencies. It mandates that emergency planning include people with lived disability experience, partner with disability-led organizations, and update plan templates to ensure accessible shelters, communications, and evacuation routes. The bill also requires schools to develop disability-inclusive emergency plans, prohibits disability-specific disaster registries, and mandates state agencies to inspect emergency shelters for ADA compliance. This directly affects local governments, emergency management organizations, schools, and state agencies responsible for emergency planning and response.

Maddy summaryThis House Concurrent Resolution designates February 11, 2026, as "Disability Advocacy Day" at the Vermont State House. It recognizes the work of disability rights groups like the Vermont Coalition for Disability Rights (VCDR) and highlights ongoing challenges such as educational disparities and barriers in employment, housing, and transportation faced by Vermonters with disabilities. The resolution does not create new laws or funding but formally acknowledges these issues and the contributions of people with disabilities. It directs the Secretary of State to send a copy to VCDR.

Maddy summaryThis bill would define the number of absences that count as chronic absenteeism and raise the compulsory school attendance age from 16 to 18 years in Vermont. It directly affects students aged 16-17 and Vermont school districts, requiring them to enforce attendance until age 18. The key provisions are establishing a clear threshold for chronic absenteeism (e.g., a specific number of missed days) and extending mandatory attendance. This would amend current law to update school attendance requirements for older students.

Maddy summaryH.891 proposes to update Vermont's legal definition of harassment in Title 16 to explicitly include conduct that creates a hostile environment. This change would directly affect school districts, students, and educators by expanding the scope of behavior classified as harassment under state law. The key provision adds "conduct that creates a hostile environment" to the existing definition, clarifying that such behavior - like severe or pervasive actions interfering with a student's education - would now be covered. The bill aims to strengthen protections against bullying and harassment in school settings without altering existing enforcement mechanisms. This is a substantive policy change focused on clarifying legal standards for school safety.

Maddy summaryThis bill allows Vermont municipalities to acquire abandoned residential and commercial properties in designated downtown or village areas through purchase, foreclosure, or fines, then use them for public purposes like medical housing or youth facilities. It also empowers municipalities to enforce housing habitability standards and limit annual rent increases, while restructuring state housing funding to prioritize individual property repairs, first-time homebuyers needing repairs, and senior housing developments with specific features (like housing for medical staff). Additionally, all state-funded housing developments must incorporate universal design, include ADA-compliant units, and give priority to people exiting homelessness for designated units. The bill directly affects local governments, property owners in designated zones, renters, and housing developers seeking state funding.

Maddy summaryThis is a commemorative resolution (HCR 175), not a substantive bill. It honors the late Venerable J. Stannard Baker of Shelburne, recognizing his pivotal role in Vermont's marriage equality history. The resolution commemorates his leadership in the landmark 1999 *Baker v. State* case that established marriage equality under the Vermont Constitution, leading to civil unions and later marriage rights. It expresses the legislature's condolences to his family and directs the Secretary of State to share the resolution with his family and the Episcopal Diocese of Vermont.

Maddy summaryHCR 177 is a ceremonial resolution honoring Twin Valley High School's Athletic Director and boys' soccer coach Buddy Hayford for achieving 500 career coaching victories. It recognizes his 43-year coaching career, including 10 divisional titles, two state basketball titles, and his status as Vermont's first high school soccer coach to reach 500 wins. This resolution, offered by all House members and sponsoring senators, formally congratulates Hayford and directs the Secretary of State to send a copy to him and his school - **it is not a law but a symbolic gesture of appreciation**.

Maddy summaryH.846 requires high-traffic online platforms to block materially deceptive election content and label inauthentic or synthetic AI-generated content during specific periods before and after Vermont elections. It prohibits knowingly distributing deceptive election ads with malice within 120 days of an election. The bill also mandates that political advertisements created or altered using AI include a clear disclosure statement. These provisions directly affect online platforms, political advertisers, and election participants in Vermont.

Maddy summaryThis bill prohibits Vermont's state, county, and local law enforcement agencies from receiving military-grade weapons transferred from the U.S. Department of Defense, military branches, or other federal agencies. It directly affects all Vermont law enforcement entities by blocking these specific federal transfers. The key mechanism is a clear ban on accepting such weapons from federal sources, preventing their acquisition through existing federal programs. The bill does not address weapons already in possession by law enforcement or restrict local purchases. It focuses solely on halting new transfers of military-grade equipment from federal entities to Vermont agencies.

Maddy summaryH.829 requires businesses or organizations making robocalls with artificial voices (generated or altered using AI) to first play a natural, unrecorded voice announcement before delivering any prerecorded message. This announcement must state the call’s purpose, the caller’s name/address/phone number, ask if the recipient consents to hear the message, and disclose that an artificial voice will be used. The law applies to all robocallers in Vermont using AI-generated voices and imposes civil penalties of $500 for a first violation (rising to $1,000 for repeat offenses), plus potential criminal penalties of up to 90 days in jail or $1,000 per call for willful violations. It directly affects telemarketers, debt collectors, and other entities using automated calls with artificial voices within Vermont.