Maddy summaryThis bill establishes state regulations prohibiting the intentional addition of specific harmful chemicals to cosmetic and menstrual products, including substances like PFAS, phthalates, and formaldehyde-releasing agents. It also bans the sale of products containing lead above ten parts per million and restricts 1,4-dioxane to no more than 10 parts per million. The legislation further regulates PFAS in consumer products such as apparel, mattresses, cookware, and artificial turf fields, while allowing for trace chemical contamination that results from manufacturing processes or packaging. Manufacturers must comply with these restrictions when selling products within the state, and the Department of Health is authorized to adopt additional rules regarding formaldehyde-releasing agents if safer alternatives are available.
Sponsored bills
Maddy summaryThis bill updates Vermont's Open Meeting Law to require most state and local government meetings to be held in a hybrid format, allowing participants to attend both in person and online. It applies to state boards, councils, and commissions, as well as local government bodies, while exempting advisory groups that do not have decision-making power. The law mandates that these meetings be electronically recorded and made publicly available for at least 30 days after minutes are posted, and requires public bodies to designate accessible physical locations for in-person attendance. Local municipalities may request exemptions from recording requirements if they can prove compliance would cause undue hardship based on their size, budget, and staffing. The bill also clarifies definitions related to meetings and public participation, ensuring transparency regardless of whether meetings occur in-person, remotely, or in a hybrid arrangement.
Maddy summaryThis bill modifies Vermont's climate change cost recovery program to allow the state to charge fossil fuel companies for climate adaptation costs without requiring them to be part of a specific support project. It changes how payment schedules work by requiring installments to be paid annually at 10% of the total amount, with interest charges and adjustments based on inflation. The law also extends the time companies have to respond to cost recovery notices from 15 to 30 days and clarifies that existing legal remedies remain available alongside this program. These changes take effect on July 1, 2024, but apply retroactively to costs incurred since January 1, 1995.
Maddy summaryThis bill requires public and approved independent schools in Vermont to allow students to bring and apply their own nonaerosolized sunscreen on school property or at school-sponsored events. Students must have written permission from a parent or guardian to carry and use the sunscreen, but they do not need a doctor's note or prescription. The law also removes the requirement for schools to store sunscreen in a specific location. These changes take effect on July 1, 2024.
Maddy summaryThis Vermont law, known as the "Vermont Ghost Guns Act," prohibits individuals from possessing, transferring, or manufacturing firearms, firearm frames, or receivers without a serial number. The bill requires that any unfinished firearm parts or completed guns be imprinted with a serial number by a federally licensed firearms dealer, importer, or manufacturer before they can be legally owned or sold. Exceptions are made for licensed dealers, law enforcement, antique firearms, permanently inoperable guns, and weapons made before 1968. Violations result in civil penalties for simple possession of unserialized parts and criminal charges including fines and imprisonment for transferring or manufacturing unserialized firearms, with harsher penalties for carrying such weapons during violent crimes.
Maddy summaryThis bill requires Vermont schools to use evidence-based reading assessments for all students in kindergarten through third grade and mandates that those who struggle significantly receive extra reading support. It directs the state education agency to create guidance on these assessments, report progress to lawmakers, and establish notification procedures for parents when screening results indicate a need for intervention. The legislation also requires educators to receive professional training on reading assessments and instruction, updates school literacy planning requirements for independent schools, and adjusts the structure and timeline of the state's literacy advisory council.
Maddy summaryThis bill proposes adding a new article to Vermont's state constitution that guarantees equal treatment under the law regardless of race, ethnicity, sex, religion, disability, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, or national origin. The amendment would require the government to ensure all people receive equal protection and prohibit denying rights based on these characteristics. It also explicitly allows for measures designed to help groups that have historically faced discrimination. If voters approve this change in the 2026 election, it would become part of the state's founding legal document.
Maddy summaryThis bill establishes new policies and procedures for Vermont's public libraries and school libraries to ensure compliance with free speech principles, civil rights laws, and the state's diverse population. It requires library boards to adopt material selection and reconsideration policies that reflect diversity in race, ethnicity, gender identity, sexual orientation, religion, and political beliefs while protecting intellectual freedom. The legislation also clarifies confidentiality rules for library records, expands protections against criminal threats at public libraries, and updates the role of the Department of Libraries to include developing model policies and professional development programs for librarians.
Maddy summaryThis legislative document is a Senate concurrent resolution that formally honors the nearly 40 years of service by former Vermont Senate Dean Richard T. Mazza. The resolution recognizes his long tenure in the Vermont legislature, including his work on transportation committees and his role in chairing the Transportation Committee. It acknowledges his contributions to Vermont infrastructure, preservation efforts, and his promotion of civility within the Senate. The resolution directs the Secretary of State to send a copy of the document to former Senator Mazza as an official acknowledgment of his service.
Maddy summaryThis Senate concurrent resolution honors Senator Robert A. Starr of the Orleans District for his decades of distinguished public service in Vermont. The document recognizes his long career in local government, including roles on the town zoning board, school board, and civil authority, as well as his extensive legislative service spanning over 45 years. It highlights his leadership on agricultural issues, particularly dairy farming, and his work supporting Vermont's farmland preservation efforts. The resolution directs the Secretary of State to send a copy of the document to Senator Starr as an official acknowledgment of his contributions.