Vermont Legislative Committee Weekly Preview

April 1–5, 2024

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 take up H.596, an act relating to eligibility of reserve forestland for use value appraisal and receive more testimony on H.567, an act relating to the sale of dogs, cats and wolf-hybrids by pet shops, as well as S.301, the Senate’s act relating to miscellaneous agriculture subjects on Wednesday.

Appropriations – TBA.

Commerce and Economic Development – will continue work on H.659, an act relating to captive insurance (which includes new regulation of pet insurance language), and receive a walk-through of S.289, an act relating to age-appropriate design code on Tuesday. Work will continue on S.289 throughout the week. They will review a new draft of S.30, an act relating to creating a Sister State Program on Wednesday. Friday the committee will review S.150, an act relating to automobile insurance.

Corrections and Institutions – will consider an act relating to how a defendant’s criminal records are considered in imposing conditions of release. They will receive an overview of the Three-Acre Stormwater Permitting Rule on Thursday.

Education – TBA.

Environment and Energy – will spend the week working on S.213, an act relating to the regulation of wetlands, river corridor development and dam safety and S.205, an act relating to miscellaneous changes related to the Public Utility Commission.

General and Housing – will receive an overview of Collective Bargaining and Labor Law on Tuesday. It is noted that this is in preparation for related labor subjects coming to the Committee. They will receive walk-throughs of the following bills: S.102, an act relating to expanding employment protections and collective bargaining rights; H.858, an act relating to permitting Assistant Attorneys General to collectively bargain; and H.491, an act relating to requiring mileage reimbursements.

Government Operations and Military Affairs – will consider S.55, an act relating to authorizing public bodies to meet electronically under Vermont’s Open Meeting Law; S.206, an act relating to designating Juneteenth as a legal holiday; S.310, an act relating to natural disaster government response, recovery, and resiliency; and, S.96, an act relating to privatization contracts. They will hear from the Vermont Pension Investment Commission on Friday.

Health Care – will receive a walk-through of S.189, an act relating to mental health response service guidelines and continue their updates with Designated and Specialized Service Agencies and from the Vermont Health Information Exchange.

Human Services – will spend the week on S.25, the PFAS bill.

Judiciary – TBA.

Transportation – will hold discussions regarding non-driver IDs and on S.184, an act relating to the temporary use of automated traffic law enforcement (ATLE).

Ways & Means – TBA.

Senate Committee Work

Agriculture – will possibly vote on H.603, act relating to the poultry slaughter exception to inspection. They will receive introductions to H.614, an act relating to the land improvement fraud and timber trespass and H.706, an act relating to banning the use of neonicotinoid pesticides.

Appropriations – TBA.

Economic Development, Housing and General Affairs – TBA.

Education – will begin work on H.871, an act relating to the development of an updated State aid to school construction program. They will take testimony on H.873, an act relating to PCBs in schools, and H.630, an act relating to boards of cooperative education services.

Finance – TBA.

Government Operations – TBA.

Health and Welfare – TBA.

Institutions – will consider H.883, an act relating to capital construction and State bonding budget adjustment.

Judiciary – will take up H.27, an act relating to coercive controlling behavior and abuse prevention orders; H.173, an act relating to prohibiting manipulating a child for purpose of sexual contact; H.534, an act relating to retail theft; H.270, an act relating to the Uniform Trust Decanting Act; H.350, an act relating to the Uniform Directed Trust Act; and, H.694, an act relating to sexual exploitation.

Natural Resources and Energy – will take testimony on S.311, the BE HOME housing bill. They will also work on H.687, an act relating to community resilience and biodiversity protection through land use (the Act 250 bill).

Transportation – TBA.