Vermont Bills

introduced · Vermont · House Jan 9, 2024

H 683: An act relating to modernizing the State Designated Areas Program

This bill modernizes Vermont's State Designated Areas Program by repealing the existing legal framework and establishing a new chapter to streamline how communities apply for designations. It creates a new State Board composed of state agency representatives, local government officials, and community stakeholders to oversee the program and provide guidance to municipalities. The legislation defines specific area types such as downtowns, commercial cores, and development-ready areas, which can receive benefits like potential Act 250 exemptions and simplified regulatory processes. The program aims to support smart growth principles by encouraging compact, mixed-use development in existing urban and village centers while protecting natural and historic resources.

introduced · Vermont · House Jan 9, 2024

H 688: An act relating to including rechargeable batteries and battery-containing products under the State battery stewardship program

This bill expands Vermont's existing battery stewardship program to include rechargeable batteries and battery-containing products, requiring manufacturers and importers to participate in collection and recycling efforts. The legislation defines covered items as rechargeable batteries weighing under 11 pounds and electronic products with easily removable batteries, while excluding industrial, medical, and non-consumer applications. Producers must either join an approved stewardship organization or establish their own plan to ensure proper collection, transportation, and disposal of covered batteries. The program aims to reduce waste by creating a structured system for managing discarded batteries from consumer electronics and other household devices.

Topics ✓ Energy ✓ Environment

introduced · Vermont · House Jan 9, 2024

H 691: An act relating to exempting veterans from paying town fees for a license to peddle or vend goods

This bill exempts honorably discharged U.S. military veterans from paying town fees required to obtain a license for peddling or vending goods. The change applies to all towns, cities, and incorporated villages in Vermont and overrides any existing local rules that previously charged veterans for these licenses. The exemption takes effect on July 1, 2024, and applies to veterans who are residents of the state.

Topics ✓ Veterans

introduced · Vermont · House Jan 9, 2024

H 686: An act relating to measuring progress toward statewide and regional housing targets

This bill requires Vermont's Housing Division to track and report on progress toward statewide and regional housing targets established in the Statewide Housing Needs Assessment. The legislation mandates the development of specific metrics, including timelines with deadlines and regional measures covering investment rates, price, quality, and zoning compliance. Through 2030, the Division must publish annual reports detailing progress against these targets, assess whether advancement is satisfactory, and provide recommendations to accelerate housing development if needed. The bill affects the Department of Housing and Community Development, regional planning commissions, and housing developers by creating a structured accountability system for meeting housing goals.

Topics ✓ Housing

introduced · Vermont · House Jan 9, 2024

H 692: An act relating to encouraging the sale of homes to buyers who are financing

This bill proposes a tax incentive for homeowners selling their primary residence to buyers who use financing from a financial institution. It would impose a surcharge on sellers transferring their home by deed, but exempt those transactions where the buyer is purchasing with financing. The measure aims to help buyers using loans compete more effectively with cash buyers in the real estate market. The legislation would directly affect sellers of primary residences and buyers in Vermont real estate transactions.

Topics ✓ Budget & Taxes ✓ Housing

introduced · Vermont · House Jan 9, 2024

H 689: An act relating to child abuse and neglect allegations involving military personnel

This bill requires Vermont's Department for Children and Families to create formal agreements with military family advocacy programs to improve how child abuse and neglect cases involving military personnel are handled. The law mandates that the department collect and share military status information when a child abuse report is accepted, and establishes specific protocols for identifying military family members, reporting investigations to military authorities, and maintaining confidentiality. These changes aim to ensure better coordination between state child welfare services and military support systems when investigating abuse allegations in military families.

Topics ✓ Veterans

introduced · Vermont · House Jan 9, 2024

H 711: An act relating to creating oversight and liability standards for developers and deployers of inherently dangerous artificial intelligence systems

This bill establishes oversight and liability standards for developers and deployers of inherently dangerous artificial intelligence systems in Vermont. It requires these entities to submit safety and impact assessments to the state before deploying such systems and every two years thereafter, with additional requirements when significant changes are made. The legislation defines inherently dangerous AI systems as those that pose serious risks to public safety, health, or economic security, including systems that can make consequential decisions affecting critical areas like employment, housing, and healthcare. The state Attorney General is authorized to enforce compliance through legal action, which may include injunctions or revocation of business certificates for noncompliance. Small businesses using off-the-shelf AI products according to their terms of use are explicitly excluded from these requirements.

Topics ✓ Technology

introduced · Vermont · House Jan 9, 2024

H 708: An act relating to the creation of a forgivable loan track within VEGI program and repealing the VEGI sunset

This bill creates a new forgivable loan option within Vermont's existing Economic Growth Incentive program, specifically for businesses with 50 or fewer full-time employees. The legislation also removes the previous deadline that prevented the Vermont Economic Progress Council from accepting new applications for the program. Under the new provisions, eligible small businesses could receive loans that are forgiven if they maintain their workforce levels and meet specific job creation or investment requirements during the loan term. The bill defines qualifying jobs as positions paying at least 60% above the state minimum wage with benefits like health care and paid leave. These changes aim to provide financial support to smaller businesses while maintaining the program's ability to generate new state revenue.

Topics ✓ Budget & Taxes ✓ Labor & Employment

introduced · Vermont · House Jan 9, 2024

H 710: An act relating to regulating developers and deployers of certain artificial intelligence systems

This bill establishes a regulatory framework for developers and deployers of high-risk and generative artificial intelligence systems in Vermont. It requires developers to use reasonable care to prevent algorithmic discrimination and mandates disclosure of system limitations, intended uses, and data collection practices before providing high-risk AI systems to deployers. The legislation also defines key terms such as consequential decisions, synthetic digital content, and social media platforms to clarify which systems fall under the new regulations.

Topics ✓ Technology

introduced · Vermont · House Jan 9, 2024

H 713: An act relating to establishing a 32-hour workweek

This bill proposes to change the standard workweek from 40 hours to 32 hours, requiring employers to pay overtime for any hours worked beyond that threshold. It directly affects employers and employees in Vermont by amending state labor laws to redefine full-time work expectations. Key provisions include adjusting overtime pay calculations, limiting child labor hours to 32 per week, modifying earned sick time accrual rates based on the new 32-hour standard, and updating definitions for short-time compensation programs. The changes would take effect on July 1, 2024.

Topics ✓ Labor & Employment

introduced · Vermont · House Jan 9, 2024

H 699: An act relating to the availability of menstrual products in schools

This bill requires Vermont public schools and approved independent schools to provide free menstrual products in most bathrooms used by students aged eight and older, as well as in school nurse offices. School districts and independent schools must decide which specific bathrooms to stock and which brands to use, working with school nurses to make these decisions. The schools are responsible for covering the cost of these products but may seek grants or partner with nonprofit organizations to help fund the requirement. The law takes effect on July 1, 2024, ensuring students have access to menstrual products without needing to request them.

Topics ✓ Education ✓ Healthcare

introduced · Vermont · House Jan 9, 2024

H 698: An act relating to the governance and transformation of the Vermont State Colleges Corporation

This bill restructures the governance of the Vermont State Colleges Corporation by eliminating the Chancellor position and reducing the number of legislative trustees on the Board of Trustees from two to one, while adding new faculty and staff trustee positions. The changes would shift representation to include one trustee appointed by faculty unions and another by staff unions, alongside a student trustee, to give more direct voice to college employees and students in decision-making. The legislation also proposes reducing required structural deficit reductions for fiscal years 2025 and 2026 and includes related updates to state statutes regarding definitions, management rights, and workforce development board membership. These provisions would take effect by August 1, 2024, with the two longest-serving legislative trustees being replaced by the new faculty and staff representatives.

Topics ✓ Education ✓ Labor & Employment

Bill results