Sen. Anne Watson

Maddy summaryThis bill expands Vermont's Medicaid and Dr. Dynasaur programs to include income-eligible young adults up to age 26, aligning Medicaid eligibility thresholds with the Dr. Dynasaur program over time. It requires higher reimbursement rates for providers delivering primary care, mental health, substance use disorder treatment, long-term care, and dental services to Medicaid beneficiaries. The legislation also modifies the duties of the Clinical Utilization Review Board, increases income eligibility for Medicare Savings Programs, and mandates coverage for mental health services for children and young adults who have experienced adverse life events without a specific diagnosis. Additionally, the bill directs the Agency of Human Services to develop a public option proposal for small business health coverage and requires proposals for sliding-scale cost-sharing in Medicaid.

Maddy summaryThis bill creates a new Community Care, Health, and Safety Fund to provide grants for community-based services that reduce harm from drug use and support people with substance use disorders. It eliminates misdemeanor criminal penalties for possessing or dispensing a personal use supply of regulated drugs, requiring instead that individuals be offered information about available services and access to needs assessments. The legislation designates 40 percent of cannabis excise tax revenue and a portion of opioid abatement funds to finance these services, while establishing an advisory board to determine what constitutes a benchmark personal use supply. The bill also authorizes monetary incentives for participation in needs assessments and aims to shift resources from prosecution toward prevention, treatment, and harm reduction strategies.

Maddy summaryThis bill creates a new Division of Animal Welfare within Vermont's Department of Public Safety to centralize and improve enforcement of state animal welfare laws. It establishes a Director position with specific qualifications to oversee investigations, develop standardized procedures for handling cruelty complaints, and coordinate care for seized animals. The legislation also creates an Animal Welfare Advisory Council with 15 appointed members representing various stakeholders including shelters, veterinarians, law enforcement, and the public. Additionally, the bill sets standards for animal shelters and rescue organizations and addresses requirements for importing and transporting animals into the state.

Maddy summaryThis bill establishes a new Vermont Data Privacy Act to protect the personal information of Vermont residents by creating clear rules for how businesses collect, use, and share consumer data. It defines key terms like personal data, consent, and profiling while explicitly excluding employees and commercial transactions from coverage. The law requires businesses to obtain clear affirmative consent from consumers, prohibits deceptive design practices known as dark patterns, and grants consumers specific rights over their data including access, deletion, and opt-out options. Companies must also implement reasonable security measures to protect personal information and provide mechanisms for consumers to exercise their privacy rights.

Maddy summaryThis bill establishes a legal right for tenants and homeowners in Vermont to install electric vehicle charging equipment at their residence, affecting landlords, property managers, and residents of rental properties and common interest communities. The law requires landlords to approve written tenant requests for charging equipment installation, provided the property already has at least 10% of parking spaces equipped with chargers, offers parking as part of the lease, or has fewer than five parking spaces. Tenants must cover installation costs, pay for electricity usage, and maintain liability insurance, while landlords cannot be forced to create new parking spaces or provide additional infrastructure beyond existing property rules.

Maddy summaryThis bill establishes the Vermont Baby Bond Trust, a state-administered program that provides $3,200 in savings accounts to children born on or after July 1, 2024, who qualify for Medicaid or SCHIP coverage at birth. The funds are intended for eligible expenses including education, purchasing a home or property in Vermont, starting a business, or contributing to retirement or education savings accounts. The program requires beneficiaries to complete a financial literacy course before age 18 to access their funds, and they must claim the money by their 30th birthday if they are still Vermont residents. The bill also ensures that money in the trust is not counted as income or assets for determining eligibility for government assistance programs.

Maddy summaryThis bill requires the State of Vermont to replace impervious surfaces like pavement and roofs with permeable surfaces or green infrastructure when redeveloping or repaving State-owned land in floodplains. The law defines impervious surfaces as manmade areas where water cannot soak in, and it specifically applies to State agencies managing land in areas prone to flooding. State agencies must complete these replacements by July 1, 2039, ensuring that new construction or repaving projects in floodplains reduce stormwater runoff rather than increase it. The bill does not apply to routine road maintenance activities like crack sealing or resurfacing that do not substantially alter the existing impervious area.

Maddy summaryThis bill requires the Vermont Agency of Transportation to use only non-fossil fuel heating systems as the primary heat source in all newly constructed buildings and when replacing existing fossil fuel heating systems. The legislation defines non-fossil fuel systems as those that do not use fossil fuels or exclusively use renewable liquid fuels, with provisions allowing fossil fuel systems only as backup during peak heating periods. While the bill mandates these changes, it includes an exemption mechanism that permits the Secretary to approve fossil fuel replacements if they are deemed financially impracticable, with annual reporting requirements for any exemptions granted. The law takes effect on July 1, 2024, and aims to support Vermont's renewable energy goals while potentially reducing heating costs and supporting the local wood heating industry.

Maddy summaryThis bill defines emergency management personnel to include a broad range of state, county, and local government and nongovernmental workers such as firefighters, law enforcement, emergency medical personnel, and public health staff. It requires local emergency management organizations and planning committees to incorporate information about how these personnel are utilized into their emergency management plans. The legislation also establishes regional emergency management committees with voting members from local governments and nonvoting representatives from various emergency service organizations. Additionally, it mandates that local emergency planning committees include representatives from fire departments, emergency medical services, law enforcement, hospitals, and other relevant entities to coordinate emergency response efforts.

Maddy summaryThis bill establishes the Thermal Energy Network Act to bring thermal energy distribution systems under the oversight of Vermont's Public Utility Commission. It defines thermal energy networks as infrastructure that transfers heat from noncombustion sources to buildings for heating, cooling, and hot water, and grants the Commission authority to regulate companies operating these systems. The legislation requires a certificate of public good before any private provider can build a network serving more than 20 customers, while municipalities retain the ability to operate such networks without Commission approval. The Public Utility Commission must develop permitting rules by July 2025 that prioritize serving low and moderate-income customers, ensure simple and expeditious approval processes, and allow pilot projects.