Sen. Thomas Chittenden

Maddy summaryThis bill honors South Burlington City Clerk Donna Kinville for her dedicated public service. It recognizes her achievements, including her leadership in digitizing the city's land records and her election as Vermont Municipal Clerk of the Year. The resolution directs the Secretary of State to send a copy of the honor to Kinville and her office. This is a commemorative measure that does not change laws or policies.

Maddy summaryThis legislative bill is a House concurrent resolution that formally congratulates Shawna Wakeham-Smith on the tenth anniversary of her role as Director of Wish Granting at Make-A-Wish Vermont. The resolution recognizes her decade of leadership in facilitating life-changing wishes for children facing major health challenges and acknowledges her work as a liaison between families and organizations. It directs the Secretary of State to send a copy of the resolution to both Wakeham-Smith and Make-A-Wish Vermont to honor her contributions.

Maddy summaryThis bill creates a new Chloride Contamination Reduction Program within Vermont's Agency of Natural Resources to address water quality concerns caused by road salt and salt alternatives. The program requires the Secretary of Natural Resources to develop training and certification for commercial and municipal salt applicators, establishing best management practices that promote efficient salt use and prevent runoff into state waters. Key provisions include creating a public database to track salt purchases and applications, setting reduction targets for chloride levels in water, and providing liability protections for certified applicators who follow established practices. The bill also mandates record-keeping requirements for salt applications and gives the Secretary authority to revoke certifications for violations of the program's rules.

Maddy summaryThis bill extends existing civil penalties to GPS navigation providers if their systems fail to warn drivers about prohibited vehicle restrictions on the Smugglers' Notch segment of Vermont Route 108. It directly affects companies that sell, subscribe to, or offer free GPS navigation services, including software and route planning tools. Under the new provisions, providers could face a $2,000 fine if their systems do not explicitly notify users of the route's closure restrictions for large vehicles during winter. The bill also requires the Vermont Agency of Transportation to provide notice of these restrictions to GPS providers and install appropriate signage. These changes take effect on July 1, 2023.

Maddy summaryThis bill is a ceremonial resolution honoring the memory of James McNamara, a former Vermont state representative and environmental commissioner from Burlington. It expresses the General Assembly's sincere sympathies to McNamara's family following his death in November 2022. The resolution directs the Secretary of State to send a copy of the document to McNamara's family and to the District 4 Act 250 Environmental Commission. This type of commemorative measure does not create new laws or policies but serves to acknowledge McNamara's public service contributions.

Maddy summaryThis bill requires state agencies to install renewable heating systems and non-fossil fuel cooking appliances when replacing existing equipment in buildings they own or control. It applies to the Department of Buildings and General Services, the Department of Forests, Parks, and Recreation, and the Agency of Transportation, mandating that new primary heating and cooking systems use non-fossil fuel sources starting in fiscal year 2024. Agencies may request written exemptions if installing renewable systems is deemed financially impracticable, and they must report any exemptions or continued use of fossil fuel systems to legislative committees annually. The legislation also permits fossil fuel systems to serve as backup heating during peak periods if non-fossil fuel backup options are unavailable.

Maddy summaryThis bill establishes the Genetic Information Privacy Act to protect consumers' genetic data and biological samples collected by direct-to-consumer genetic testing companies. It requires these companies to obtain clear, separate consent for each specific use of genetic information, including sharing data for research, marketing, or transferring to third parties. The law also mandates strong security measures, gives consumers the right to access or delete their data and biological samples, and prohibits companies from sharing genetic information with health insurers, life insurers, or employers without written consent. Companies violating these rules would face penalties under Vermont's unfair and deceptive trade practices law, while data already covered by federal health privacy regulations remains unaffected.

Maddy summaryThis bill designates January 23-27, 2023, as the first annual Holocaust Education Week in Vermont. It directly affects Vermont schools and educational institutions by establishing a formal period for Holocaust education activities. The resolution directs the Secretary of State to send copies of the document to the Vermont Holocaust Memorial and the Agency of Education to facilitate the event. This commemorative measure recognizes the historical significance of the Holocaust and aims to increase awareness through organized educational programming during the designated week.

Maddy summaryThis bill allows municipalities in Vermont to apply for special permits that streamline development in designated downtown areas and neighborhood development zones. Under the new provisions, towns can request a master plan permit from the District Commission to pre-approve development projects that meet specific environmental and community standards, reducing the need for individual permit applications for each project. The legislation also creates a Municipal and Regional Planning Fund that would provide competitive grants to municipalities for planning work and development initiatives. These grants would be funded through a portion of property transfer tax revenue and could be used for studies, conservation easements, and other planning purposes. The bill affects local governments and developers by offering a more efficient path for approving projects in designated downtown districts while maintaining oversight through the District Commission.

Maddy summaryThis bill modifies Vermont's kindergarten enrollment age requirements to ensure students cannot be denied enrollment based on their age if they turn five on or before January 1 of the upcoming school year. The legislation amends state law to define a "legal pupil" as a child who has reached five years of age by that January 1 deadline, while allowing districts to recommend deferred admission for children turning five between August 31 and January 1. School districts must provide written reasons if they recommend deferring kindergarten for children in that August to January window, but they cannot refuse enrollment to any child who meets the January 1 age requirement if a parent or guardian requests it. The changes take effect on July 1, 2023, and apply to all public school districts in Vermont.