Sen. Brian Collamore

Maddy summaryThis bill allows municipalities to receive reimbursement for education property taxes owed on properties destroyed by severe storms and floods between July 1, 2023, and October 15, 2023, provided the municipality abated those taxes proportionally. It also excludes disaster relief payments from household income when calculating homestead property tax credits for tax years 2023 and 2024. The legislation directly affects local governments and homeowners in areas declared federal disaster zones during the specified period.

Maddy summaryThis bill allows Vermont residents who are honorably discharged veterans to request a "veteran" designation on their driver's licenses and identification cards by submitting proof of service and status confirmation from the Office of Veterans' Affairs. It also authorizes the Department of Motor Vehicles and the Office of Veterans' Affairs to jointly determine specialty license plates that recognize specific military awards, combat service, or veteran status, including options for Purple Heart recipients, Pearl Harbor survivors, former prisoners of war, and disabled veterans. The legislation requires applicants to provide Department of Defense Form 214 or equivalent documentation to verify their veteran status before the designation is added to their credentials. Additionally, the bill mandates that one side of any veteran specialty plate feature an American flag or a veteran-related emblem selected by the Commissioner and the Office of Veterans' Affairs.

Maddy summaryThis bill proposes to increase penalties for various drug-related offenses in Vermont, directly affecting individuals charged with selling, dispensing, or trafficking regulated drugs. Key provisions include clarifying the legal definition of "knowingly" to include consciously ignoring substantial risks, raising penalties for selling drugs to minors and on school grounds, and imposing stricter mandatory minimum sentences for repeat trafficking offenses and cases where drug sales result in death. The legislation also prevents defendants from using the presence of multiple drugs as a defense when a single substance causes death and requires courts to make written findings before allowing alternative sentences for serious offenses.

Maddy summaryThis bill proposes to create a single, unified process for sealing criminal history records in Vermont, replacing the current system where records could be either expunged (destroyed) or sealed. It directly affects individuals with criminal records and the agencies that maintain those records, such as the Vermont Crime Information Center. Under the new system, sealed records would not be destroyed but would be hidden from general public access while allowing specific entities to view them for particular purposes. The bill also removes the requirement for requesters to provide a date of birth when searching criminal records and mandates that the crime information center include a disclaimer warning that name-only searches may return multiple individuals and that requesters are responsible for verifying information.

Maddy summaryThis bill modifies Vermont's theft laws to allow prosecutors to combine the value of multiple thefts occurring within 180 days to determine if a crime meets the $900 threshold for more serious charges. It directly affects individuals accused of grand larceny and retail theft by changing how the value of stolen property is calculated in certain cases. The key provision permits adding up the value of separate theft incidents within a six-month period to decide whether a case is charged as a felony rather than a misdemeanor. If the combined value of these related thefts exceeds $900, the charges could be elevated to grand larceny or felony retail theft, which carry heavier penalties. The law takes effect immediately upon passage.

Maddy summaryThis bill delays the July 1, 2024 start date for expanded juvenile court jurisdiction in Vermont until the state confirms it has adequate resources to handle the increased caseload. The delay is contingent on the Secretary of Human Services notifying legislative committees that five specific conditions are met, including operating a permanent crisis stabilization program, hiring additional family services workers, expanding the Balanced and Restorative Justice budget, ensuring residential program access, and securing funding for a child welfare information system. Additionally, the bill requires that certain serious charges against youth aged 14 to 21, such as human trafficking, drug trafficking, and domestic assault, begin in the Criminal Division of the Superior Court rather than the Family Division, unless the prosecutor chooses to file directly as a youthful offender petition. These changes affect how juvenile cases are processed and which court divisions handle them, while ensuring support systems are in place before expanded jurisdiction takes effect.

Maddy summaryThis bill modifies Vermont's voting rules for unified union school districts by adding a new exception to the requirement that Australian ballots be commingled. Under current law, votes from all towns within a unified union school district must be combined and counted together rather than separately by town. The proposed change would allow a district to keep ballots separate if voters explicitly rejected commingling at an annual meeting held on or before July 1, 2019, provided the district's governing articles do not specify a different counting method. The bill applies to elections for school board members, district officers, budget proposals, and other public questions within these districts. It would take effect on July 1, 2024.

Maddy summaryThis bill strengthens penalties for unemployment insurance fraud in Vermont by requiring individuals who falsely obtain benefits to repay the overpaid amount, pay a 15% penalty, and face an additional administrative fine of up to $5,000. It also imposes a five-year ban on receiving unemployment benefits for those found to have intentionally made false statements or misrepresented material facts during their claims process. The legislation allows the state commissioner to pursue unpaid fines through civil court and provides opportunities for affected individuals to appeal penalties through existing procedures. These measures take effect on July 1, 2024, and apply to anyone who willfully provides false information to increase or initiate unemployment benefits.

Maddy summaryThis bill modifies Vermont's bail and pretrial release laws to increase accountability for individuals who violate court conditions while awaiting trial. It removes the $200 limit on bail amounts for defendants who commit new offenses while on pretrial release and allows courts to consider past compliance with release conditions when setting new terms. The legislation also establishes a faster hearing process for release violations, bars repeat offenders from diversion programs, and requires annual reporting on restorative justice referrals by state agencies.

Maddy summaryThis bill establishes a communication fund for Vermont General Assembly members to use for conveying information about official legislative business to constituents and the public. Under the legislation, each House member would receive $500 annually and each Senator would receive $2,000, with amounts adjusted each January based on the Consumer Price Index. The funds can only be used for official communications and cannot cover personal expenses, campaign activities, or electioneering, and members must report all expenditures to the State Ethics Commission by December 31 each year. Any unspent funds must be returned to the state treasury by March 1 and cannot be carried over to the next fiscal year. The bill would take effect on January 1, 2025.