Sen. Martine Gulick

Maddy summaryThis bill requires second-generation anticoagulant rodenticides to be registered as restricted-use pesticides in Vermont, meaning they can only be applied by certified pesticide professionals. It specifically targets products containing active ingredients like brodifacoum, bromadiolone, difenacoum, and difethialone, which are currently available for broader use. The legislation directs the Secretary of Agriculture, Food and Markets to create rules ensuring these rodenticides do not cause significant harm to non-target wildlife populations or their habitats. Additionally, the bill mandates a report by January 1, 2026, to assess the environmental and health impacts of regulating these substances as restricted-use pesticides. The changes take effect on July 1, 2024.

Maddy summaryThis bill requires Vermont school districts and independent schools to create written cardiac emergency response plans to improve safety during sudden cardiac arrest incidents. The plans must include specific steps for using school personnel, placing automated external defibrillators, conducting CPR and AED training, and coordinating with local emergency medical services. All schools must have these plans ready by the 2024-2025 school year, with high-needs schools defined as those where at least 50% of students qualify for free or reduced-price meals. The legislation applies to both regular school settings and athletic events, ensuring consistent emergency preparedness across all school activities.

Maddy summaryThis bill would ban the sale, lease, or operation of motor vehicles with tinted windows on the windshield, vent windows, or side windows located immediately to the left and right of the driver in Vermont. It requires dealers to stop selling or leasing vehicles with these tinted windows and mandates that vehicles with such tint fail the annual safety inspection. The law includes exemptions for medical reasons, emergency vehicles, and specific areas on the windshield for stickers and toll transponders, allowing tint only on side and rear windows if the vehicle has proper mirrors. Dealers and vehicle owners would face administrative penalties for violations, and the Department of Motor Vehicles must update inspection procedures to enforce these rules starting January 1, 2025.

Maddy summaryThis bill creates a working group to explore ways to bring more international medical school graduates into Vermont's healthcare workforce. The group will examine models like Tennessee's temporary licensing system and develop proposals for an expedited licensure process that prioritizes patient safety. Additionally, the bill appropriates $50,000 in fiscal year 2025 to reimburse international medical school graduates for study materials and books needed to obtain Vermont medical licenses. The working group must submit its findings and recommendations by January 15, 2025, and the license reimbursement funds will be distributed on a first-come, first-served basis until depleted.

Maddy summaryThis bill requires Vermont's Motor Vehicles Commissioner to design and issue special license plates for veterans and active military members who have received specific military decorations, including the Distinguished Flying Cross or Silver Star. The legislation codifies existing special plate programs for veterans and expands eligibility to include recipients of various military awards, Pearl Harbor survivors, former prisoners of war, and veterans from specific conflicts. Eligible applicants must submit an application certified by the Office of Veterans' Affairs, and plates can only be transferred to the original holder or their surviving spouse. The bill mandates that new plate designs for decorated recipients be implemented by January 1, 2025, while maintaining all currently available veteran and military plates.

Maddy summaryThis bill authorizes municipal stormwater utilities in Vermont to form cooperative agreements with other municipalities to share financial resources and establish joint ratemaking structures. It allows these utilities to collaborate on administrative matters and develop rates based on equivalent residential units calculated from impervious surface areas. The legislation also creates a grant program providing up to $100,000 to groups of cooperating municipalities outside Chittenden County for technical assistance in establishing utility governance and ratemaking. A total of $400,000 is appropriated in fiscal year 2025 to fund these grants, with the act taking effect on July 1, 2024.

Maddy summaryThis bill proposes changes to compensation and benefits for Vermont state legislators, including allowing them to participate in flexible spending accounts for health and dependent care expenses. It establishes specific salary amounts for leadership roles like the Speaker and Senate President Pro Tempore, ties future pay adjustments to the mean Vermont wage, and provides compensation for up to 20 days of work during legislative adjournments. The legislation also expands leave of absence rules to permit members to take time off from any job, creates a working group to review legislative staffing and session length, and offers orientation stipends for newly elected members.

Maddy summaryThis bill modifies Vermont's public utility commission rules for approving new gas and electric facilities by narrowing the criteria that adjoining landowners can use to challenge projects. Under the proposed changes, neighbors living near proposed facilities would only be allowed to intervene in public hearings if they can prove the project would negatively impact public health and safety or traffic, removing their ability to raise concerns about aesthetics. The legislation also eliminates aesthetics as a formal criterion for the commission's final decision on whether a facility serves the public good, while retaining protections for public health, safety, traffic, and environmental factors. These amendments would take effect on July 1, 2024, and apply to all new energy purchases, investments, and facility constructions in the state.

Maddy summaryThis bill requires municipalities in Vermont to publicly post notices for all employment vacancies. The law mandates that job postings be displayed in the municipal clerk's office, on the municipal website or through an online recruiting service, and in the state Department of Labor's job bank. Each posting must include the job title, required skills or experience, salary range, and application dates with a minimum 10-day application period. The changes take effect on July 1, 2024, and apply to all municipal and county government positions.

Maddy summaryThis bill prohibits credit reporting agencies from including medical debt in consumer credit files, directly affecting individuals with unpaid medical bills and the agencies that compile credit reports. It prevents hospitals, outpatient clinics, surgical centers, and medical debt collectors from reporting or selling medical debt information to credit reporting agencies. The law defines medical debt according to existing state statutes and applies to large healthcare facilities and their associated debt collection activities. If passed, these restrictions would take effect on July 1, 2024, ensuring medical debt does not appear on credit reports.