An act relating to the creation of the Vermont Sister State Program

The program's stated purpose no longer includes 'diplomatic collaboration,' narrowing the scope of what the Sister State Program is meant to achieve.

The memorandum of understanding between the State and a partner must now include a termination date, and a new catch-all provision allows the Agency to set other program parameters including the length of time for partner agreements.

The annual report no longer requires a section with 'recommendations for new sister state agreements, along with the rationale for the recommendations and how they align with Vermont's strategic interests and capacity.'

The Committee no longer submits disapproval recommendations to the Governor. It only sends applications it recommends approving. Previously the Committee was required to submit a final recommendation that could be either approval or disapproval, and the Governor was explicitly barred from reviewing disapproved applications. Now disapproved applications simply never reach the Governor.

Per diem compensation for legislative members of the Committee is now paid from monies appropriated to the General Assembly rather than from monies appropriated to the Agency of Commerce and Community Development. Non-legislative members continue to be paid from Agency funds.

The bill no longer repeals the Vermont-Ireland Trade Commission. Instead, it amends the Commission to expand membership from seven to nine members, add staggered four-year terms, limit General Assembly representation to two members, and require detailed annual financial reporting including donor names, countries of residence, and amounts.

The Vermont-Ireland Trade Commission is now explicitly authorized to raise funds through direct solicitation, fundraising events, donations, grants, and bequests from individuals, corporations, foundations, and governmental agencies. Funds must be deposited in a bank account managed by the State Treasurer's office and used only for administrative expenses.

Compensation for Sister State Program Committee members was restructured. Legislative members now receive per diem from General Assembly appropriations (capped at eight meetings per year), while other members receive per diem from Agency of Commerce and Community Development appropriations (also capped at eight meetings per year). The introduced version had a single funding source provision.

A new Section 2a requires the Vermont-Ireland Trade Commission to submit a written report by December 1, 2029 to legislative committees summarizing its accomplishments, analyzing how it has served its legislative purposes, and providing an accounting of all funds raised and gifts received since inception.

The purpose of the Vermont Sister State Program was narrowed by removing 'diplomatic collaboration' from the list of goals. The program now focuses on cultural exchange, economic development, and educational cooperation only.

The annual report requirements for the Sister State Program Committee were adjusted. The introduced version required 'recommendations for new sister state agreements, along with the rationale and how they align with Vermont's strategic interests.' The passed version replaced this with broader 'updates on the Program' including evaluation of applications, new partners, metrics of success, and challenges, plus a description of stakeholder engagement.

Page headers updated from 'BILL AS PASSED BY THE HOUSE' to 'BILL AS PASSED BY THE HOUSE AND SENATE' on all 21 pages to reflect final legislative status.