Rep. Elizabeth Burrows

Maddy summaryH.681 requires Vermont school districts to obtain voter approval from the town where a school is located before closing any school serving prekindergarten through 12th grade, or specific grades within that range. The bill mandates a townwide vote for closures or relocations of school facilities, directly affecting school districts and local voters in communities with public schools. It amends state law to override existing school district agreements that might allow board decisions without voter input. The policy change takes effect July 1, 2026, ensuring community approval is required for school closure decisions.

Maddy summaryH.664 would standardize income eligibility rules for two Vermont Medicaid programs. It requires the same income limits for both the Medicaid for Children and Adults program and the Medicaid for the Aged, Blind, and Disabled program. This change directly affects Vermont residents currently enrolled in either program, ensuring they face identical income thresholds for eligibility. The bill eliminates current differences in income requirements between these two Medicaid categories.

Maddy summaryH 658 requires local, state, and federal elected officials to provide sign language interpretation at public events they host. This directly affects Deaf and hard of hearing individuals by improving their access to participate in governance and civic engagement. The bill mandates interpretation services at all such events, ensuring accessibility without specifying funding mechanisms or enforcement details.

Maddy summaryThis bill would require Vermont school districts providing secondary education to add voting student members for grades 9-12 (one student per grade, totaling four voting members) and nonvoting student members for grades 7-8 (one student per grade, totaling two nonvoting members). Student members must be enrolled in and attending a school within the district during their term, and appointments would be made by the superintendent using a process involving student input. The bill applies to all town, city, and regional school districts operating secondary schools and takes effect July 1, 2026. It does not change the term length for student members, who serve the same term as other board members.

Maddy summaryH.638 establishes a voluntary certification program for recovery residences in Vermont through the Department of Health. It defines recovery residences as peer-support living spaces for people recovering from substance use disorders and sets six standards for certification, including meeting safety/sanitation rules, having a complaint process, and maintaining certification via a Vermont-approved organization. Certified residences must annually report data to the Department (e.g., resident numbers, employment changes) and undergo inspections with 10 days' notice. The bill directly affects recovery residences operating in Vermont, requiring them to meet these standards to participate in the program.

Maddy summaryThis bill expands Vermont's definition of "victim" to include individuals affected by officer-involved shootings when the person shot was experiencing a mental health crisis. It requires the Victims Compensation Board to provide these individuals with access to services and compensation similar to other crime victims. The bill also mandates mental health crisis training for law enforcement officers as part of certification requirements and incorporates de-escalation techniques into the state's use-of-force policy. These changes directly affect victims of such incidents and their families, ensuring they receive support previously available only to traditional crime victims.

Maddy summaryThis bill sets a minimum daily payment rate for members of Vermont's state boards and commissions who are not ex officio or state employees. It requires their per diem compensation to be the greater of $50.00 or Vermont's current livable wage rate per hour, whichever is higher. The policy applies to members attending meetings or performing approved duties related to their board's work. Additionally, it mandates that the Governor's annual budget report include detailed schedules showing current and proposed per diem rates for each board or commission, along with justification for rates exceeding $50 or the livable wage.

Maddy summaryH.581 exempts medications prescribed for reproductive health care or gender-affirming care from being reported to Vermont’s Prescription Monitoring System (PMS), unless the Commissioner of Health determines reporting is necessary for public health. It also prohibits sharing any existing PMS data about these medications with other states’ monitoring systems. This directly affects healthcare providers prescribing these medications in Vermont, removing a reporting requirement for their patients’ care. The changes take effect July 1, 2026, modifying Vermont law (18 V.S.A. §4283 and §4288).

Maddy summaryH 397 updates Vermont's emergency management and flood response systems. It requires the Division of Emergency Management to annually report on mitigation plans to legislative committees and revise the State Emergency Management Plan every five years to cover response coordination, preparedness, and local planning templates. The bill expands grant funding for flood mitigation projects, including voluntary buyouts for flood-affected properties, and mandates new assistance for municipalities to access river monitoring and weather alert systems. It also provides municipalities with greater flexibility to borrow funds for emergency-related expenses and manage unspent budget balances. These changes directly affect state agencies, local governments, and communities in flood-prone areas.

Maddy summaryThis Vermont House resolution (HR 9) urges all state agencies to protect the privacy and medical confidentiality of Vermonters diagnosed with autism, specifically in response to federal plans for an autism research database. It directly affects autistic Vermonters by seeking to prevent their personal health data - like medical records, insurance claims, and wearable device information - from being collected or shared without informed consent. The resolution emphasizes that autism is a neurological difference, not a disease, and highlights concerns about federal data collection practices that lack explicit privacy safeguards. As a non-binding resolution, it directs state officials to uphold privacy rights and has been formally adopted by the House.