Vermont's Legislative Preview for Week 4

January 22 – January 26, 2024

There will be a Joint Assembly to hear the Governor’s Budget Message, Tuesday, January 23, 2024, at 1:00 P.M. The assembly will be livestreamed.

Note: Legislative Committee Agendas are updated frequently throughout each day. The latest committee schedule can be found on this link. A list of weekly hearings for all committees can be found here.

House Committee Work

Agriculture, Food Resiliency, & Forestry – will continue their work on H.603, an act relating to poultry slaughter inspection and H.550, an act expanding eligibility under the local foods grant program.

Appropriations – may vote the Budget Adjustment Act out of their committee on Monday. They will receive a walk-through of the Governor’s budget on Wednesday with the rest of the week’s work yet to be announced.

Commerce and Economic Development – On Tuesday the committee will hear from the Vermont Production Collective and receive a Better Places Report. They will also receive a new draft of S.30, an act relating to creating a Sister State Program. On Wednesday they will take up H.707, an act relating to revising the delivery and governance of the Vermont workforce system, and hear from nonprofits on Nonprofit Advocacy Day. On Thursday the committee will once again take up H.121, an act relating to enhancing consumer privacy, receiving a walk-through of a new draft. The committee will possibly vote on H.666, an act relating to escrow deposit bonds.

Education – will receive walk-throughs of the following: H.739, an act relating to raising awareness of military-related postsecondary opportunities; H.763, an act relating to the creation of the Youth Participatory Action Research Project; H.682, an act relating to the education equity team pilot project; H.717, an act relating to supports to help students experiencing homelessness and students exiting the foster care system; H.630, an act relating to boards of cooperative education services; H.807, an act relating to a school library material selection; H.716, an act relating to career and technical education. In between these discussions there will be a hearing on School Construction on Wednesday afternoon.

Environment and Energy – will receive introductions to the following bills: H.652, an act relating to updates to the HOME act; H.673, an act relating to Vermont’s outdoor recreation economy; H.715, an act relating climate change resilience under Act 250; H.719, an act relating to housing development and unit rehabilitation; H.760; an act relating to Act 250 transparency; and H.289, an act relating to the Renewable Energy Standard. They will continue work on H.687, an act relating to community resilience and biodiversity protection through land use—i.e. the committee’s Act 250 bill.

General and Housing – will receive a walk-through of H.751, an act relating to expanding equal pay protections and possibly vote on H.363, an act relating to prohibiting discrimination based on certain hair types and styles. They will continue work on H.132, an act relating to establishing a homeless bill of rights and prohibiting discrimination against persons without homes. The committee will also consider S.102, an act relating to expanding employment protections and collective bargaining rights.

Transportation – will devote the week to the Governor’s proposed FY2025 budget.

Ways & Means – will hold a revenue discussion on Tuesday following the Governor’s budget address. There will be a hearing on H.629, an act relating to changes to property tax abatement and sales tax on Wednesday. On Thursday there will be a potential vote on S.160, an act relating to state education property taxes and flood-related damage that passed the Senate last week. They will also receive an overview of long-term funding options for the Vermont universal services fund and discuss H.657, an act relating to the modernization of Vermont’s communications taxes and fees. Thursday afternoon the committee will hold a joint hearing with Senate Finance, House and Senate Education to discuss Education Finance as it relates to the current 5% spending cap issue. They will close out the week with a discussion on corporate taxes.

Senate Committee Work

Agriculture – will discuss various state food programs and on Friday they will hold a joint hearing with Senate Health and Welfare regarding S.197, an act relating to PFAS.

Appropriations – will spend the week on the Budget Adjustment Act.

Economic Development, Housing and General Affairs – TBA. 

Education – will receive a walk-through of S.202, an act relating to the approval of independent schools and S.207, an act relating to revising the funding for and governance of career technical education. On Friday the committee will receive a walk-through of S.284, an act relating to the use of electronic devices and digital and online products in schools.

Finance – On Wednesday the committee will receive testimony on S.181, an act relating to the community media public benefit fund; S.236, an act relating to amending the criteria for Act 248; and S.164, an act relating to the health insurance coverage for obesity care.

Government Operations – will take testimony on S.55, an act relating to authorizing public bodies to meet electronically under Vermont’s open meeting law. They will receive introductions to the following: S.255, an act relating to equity and public access at the PUC; S.96, an act relating to privatization contracts; S.161, an act relating to the meeting of presidential electors; and, S.159, an act relating to the county governance study committee.

Natural Resources – will hold a joint meeting with Senate Economic Development on Wednesday and will hear from ISO New England on Thursday.