Rep. Esme Cole

Maddy summaryThis bill would ban advertisements for Vermont's state-run gambling operations, including the state lottery and sports wagering. It directly affects the Department of Liquor and Lottery, sports wagering operators, and any entities that currently advertise these services. The law would require the department to remove existing gambling advertisements and prevent new ones from appearing in the future. This change would modify the current advertising plan agreement between the state and its gambling partners. The bill aims to reduce the visibility of state gambling promotions without altering the operations themselves.

Maddy summaryThis House resolution honors Vermont television journalist Stewart Ledbetter for his 40 years of news reporting. The bill formally recognizes his career achievements, including his work as a news director, political campaign moderator, and recipient of multiple broadcast awards. It directs the House Clerk to send a copy of the resolution to Ledbetter and WPTZ, the television station where he worked.

Maddy summaryThis bill would require annual mental health screenings for anxiety, depression, and suicide risk among school-aged youth in Vermont. The screenings would be implemented as part of existing school health services, directly affecting students and school districts. The legislation mandates that these assessments occur regularly to identify mental health concerns early, without specifying additional funding or enforcement details.

Maddy summaryThis bill creates a two-part pilot program to improve health outcomes for people involved with the justice system in Vermont. The first part provides $50,000 to train all correctional facility staff, contractors, and grant recipients in health equity practices, starting at the Chittenden Regional Correctional Facility. The second part allocates $1 million to fund community-based mental health and substance use disorder services for detained or incarcerated individuals, including telehealth visits, on-site case management, and support for reentry into the community. The pilot will run for three years with a required report submitted by October 1, 2025, to evaluate progress and recommend potential expansion.

Maddy summaryThis bill creates a new Climate Infrastructure and Resilience Fund to provide loans and financing for projects that help communities adapt to climate change and protect against flooding. The fund will be managed by a board including state officials and appointed representatives, with money drawn from state cash balances, donations, and future legislative appropriations. It also adjusts how the Clean Water Fund distributes money, prioritizing projects that improve water quality, build climate resilience, and support ecological health. Additionally, the bill authorizes new staff positions across several state agencies to administer these programs and requires clean water service providers to prioritize projects that create climate-resilient communities.

Maddy summaryThis bill would remove the mandatory retirement age requirement for certain Vermont state law enforcement officers. It directly affects state employees who work in law enforcement roles that currently have a set age limit for retirement. The key provision eliminates the specific age threshold that forces these officers to retire, allowing them to continue working past that age if they meet other employment requirements. This change would apply only to the specified law enforcement positions within the state system, leaving other state employees' retirement rules unchanged.

Maddy summaryThis bill creates an earned allowance program for incarcerated individuals in Vermont's correctional facilities, allowing them to earn money through compliant behavior and participation in programs to cover educational costs, medication, housing, and work-related expenses. The program uses a contingency management approach that rewards positive behavior rather than punishing rule violations, with allowances calculated based on successful drug screenings and months without disciplinary infractions. It also expands workforce development opportunities by enabling partnerships with nonprofit and for-profit businesses to provide vocational training in Vermont's most needed industries such as healthcare, construction, and agriculture. The Department of Corrections must establish rules for the program by September 2025, with implementation beginning January 1, 2026.

Maddy summaryThis bill would give Vermont's Attorney General new authority to regulate social media platforms in the state, specifically to protect the health and safety of users under 18. It establishes a new legal framework called the Vermont Social Media Safety Act and creates a funding structure to support enforcement efforts. The legislation is based on findings that social media design features can contribute to youth mental health issues and addiction, and it applies consumer protection principles to social media companies. The bill does not specify particular platform requirements but instead empowers regulators to oversee how these platforms operate and impact child users.

Maddy summaryThis bill creates the Vermont Olympics Task Force to study the feasibility of hosting the Olympic Games in Vermont. The task force would be composed of state officials, elected representatives, tourism industry experts, and an Olympic athlete, with members receiving per diem compensation for up to 20 meetings. Its duties include reviewing Olympic hosting requirements, developing a proposal that aligns with Vermont's regional development plans and climate resilience goals, and presenting findings to the International Olympic Committee. The task force must submit progress reports by December 2024 and March 2025, with a final report due by December 2025. The legislation takes effect on July 1, 2024, and focuses on creating a sustainable, equitable proposal rather than committing to hosting the Games.

Maddy summaryThis bill directs Vermont state agencies to create a pilot program for a 16-bed secure recovery residence designed for justice-involved individuals with co-occurring mental health and substance use disorders. It requires the Agency of Human Services to partner with stakeholders who have lived experience in the criminal justice system to design this facility and integrate community-based services. By January 15, 2025, the agencies must submit a comprehensive report assessing current and future needs for secure residential recovery facilities across Vermont, including cost-benefit analyses comparing these facilities to traditional correctional centers. Additionally, the Coordinated Justice Reform Advisory Council is tasked with examining how to replace existing correctional facilities with a continuum of short-term and long-term residential options that use evidence-based rehabilitation approaches. The legislation takes effect on July 1, 2024, and aims to improve recovery outcomes while reducing recidivism through specialized care in secure settings.