S 161 Vermont Senate · 2025-2026 Regular Session

An act relating to the Governor’s list of scholarship granting organizations

This bill creates a process for Vermont's Governor to maintain an annual list of scholarship organizations eligible for a federal tax credit. It directly affects Vermont taxpayers who donate to qualifying organizations and the scholarship organizations themselves. To be listed, organizations must be nonprofits focused on underprivileged students, provide scholarships only to students at public or eligible private schools, and meet federal criteria. The Governor must submit the list to the U.S. Treasury by December 1 each year, with a presumption that previously listed organizations remain eligible unless the Governor finds noncompliance. This enables Vermont taxpayers to claim the federal qualified education scholarship tax credit (26 U.S.C. § 25F) for donations to these organizations.
Bill status in committee 1 of 4 stages cleared
Introduction
Jan 2026
Committee Review
Floor Vote
Governor
Introduced Jan 6, 2026 Last action Jan 30, 2026
Floor votes

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Full legislative history

Actions timeline

Total actions
4
Key actions
1
Committee
2
Jan 30, 2026
Committee
Referred to Committee on Finance per Senate Rule 31
upper
Jan 30, 2026
Upper · Passed
Favorable report with recommendation of amendment by Committee on Education
upper
Jan 6, 2026
Introduced
Read 1st time & referred to Committee on Education
upper
1 primary · 0 co-sponsors

Sponsors

Role
Legislator
Party
State
District
P
Photo of Seth Bongartz
Seth Bongartz
DDemocratic
VT
Bennington