Vermont Legislative Committee Weekly Preview

April 15–19, 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 discuss agricultural property transfers, and receive more testimony on H.567, an act relating to the sale of dogs, cats and wolf-hybrids by pet shops, and on S.301, the Senate’s act relating to miscellaneous agricultural subjects.

Appropriations – will possibly vote on H.626, an act relating to animal welfare on Tuesday, with the rest of the week TBA.

Commerce and Economic Development – will continue work on S.289, an act relating to age-appropriate design code on Tuesday, and S.150, an act relating to automobile insurance.

Corrections and Institutions – will consider an act relating to how a defendant’s criminal record is considered in imposing conditions of release. They will receive an update on the Corrections Investigative Unit.

Education – TBA.

Environment and Energy – will work on a number of bills including: S.213, an act relating to the regulation of wetlands, river corridor development and dam safety; S.305, an act relating to miscellaneous changes related to the Public Utility Commission; S.259, an act relating to climate change cost recovery; and S.258, an act relating to the management of fish and wildlife.

General and Housing – will continue work on Prop 3 – Declaration of Rights; right to collectively bargain, and S.102, an act relating to expanding employment protections and collective bargaining rights.

Government Operations and Military Affairs – will continue work on an number of bills including: S.55, an act relating to authorizing public bodies to meet electronically under Vermont’s Open Meeting Law; S.310, an act relating to natural disaster government response, recovery, and resiliency; and S.42, an act relating to divestment of State pension funds of investments in the fossil fuel industry.

Health Care – will take testimony on S.98, an act relating to Green Mountain Care Board authority over prescription drug costs. On Thursday they will receive an overview of the All-Payer Health Equity Approaches and Development (AHEAD) Model.

Human Services – will devote a few days to S.192, an act relating to forensic facility admissions criteria and processes. They will take testimony on Conflict-Free Case Management on Thursday, and Friday will be spent on S.186, an act relating to the systemic evaluation of recovery residences and recovery communities.

Judiciary – will take up S.209, an act relating to prohibiting unserialized firearms, frames and receivers, for a vote on Tuesday and will devote much of their remaining week on S.58, an act relating to public safety.

Transportation – will continue work on S.184, an act relating to the temporary use of automated traffic law enforcement (ATLE), and review a fiscal note on H.868, the transportation bill as recommended by the Senate Committee on Transportation. They will also have a discussion regarding railroad leases.

Ways & Means – On Monday the committee will continue their work on their committee property tax bill (an expanded Yield bill) and try to complete work on that bill by Tuesday. The remaining schedule is TBA.

Senate Committee Work

Agriculture – will spend the week on H.706, an act relating to banning the use of neonicotinoid pesticides, and H.614, an act relating to land improvement and timber trespass. Thursday morning the committee will consider H.81, an act relating to the fair repair of agricultural equipment.

Appropriations – will hold general discussions regarding the FY 2025 budget bill, without details noted.

Economic Development, Housing and General Affairs – will take testimony on the following bills: H.639, an act relating to flood risk disclosure; H.10, an act relating to VEGI (with a possible vote on Tuesday); H.121, an act relating to enhancing consumer privacy; H.687, an act relating to community resilience and biodiversity protection through land use; H.707, an act relating to revising the delivery and governance of the VT workforce system; H.867, an act relating to miscellaneous amendments to laws governing alcoholic beverages and the Board of Liquor and Lottery; and H.612, an act relating to miscellaneous cannabis amendments. 

Education – will continue 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. Throughout the week, the committee will consider questions related to the process of confirming a new Secretary of Education and hear from the State Board of Education about the hiring process.

Finance – will continue work on H.657, an act relating to the modernization of Vermont’s communications taxes and fees, and H.659, an act relating to captive insurance. The remainder of the week is TBA.

Government Operations – TBA.

Health and Welfare – will consider the following bills: H.721, an act relating to expanding access to Medicaid and Dr. Dynasaur; H.233, an act relating to licensure and regulation of pharmacy benefit managers; H.72, an act relating to a harm-reduction criminal justice response to drug use; H.879, an act relating to the Emergency Temporary Shelter Program; H.766, an act relating to prior authorization and step therapy requirements, health insurance claims, and provider contracts; and H.661, an act relating to child abuse and neglect investigation and substantiation standards.

Institutions – will review H.822, an act relating to a report on the postgraduation career and settlement behaviors of students attending Vermont colleges and universities, and continue work on H.882, an act relating to capital construction and State bonding budget adjustment.

Judiciary – will receive a walkthrough of H.350, an act relating to the Uniform Directed Trust Act, and H.279, an act relating to the Uniform Trust Decanting Act. They will also continue work on H.27, an act relating to coercive controlling behavior and abuse prevention orders.

Natural Resources and Energy – TBA.

Transportation – will continue work on H.868, the FY 2025 Transportation Budget.