This bill modifies Vermont's unemployment insurance system to help employers and employees affected by disasters and administrative errors. It extends the time period during which employers are exempt from experience-rating charges when employees lose jobs due to federally declared major disasters, increasing the maximum relief from four weeks to ten weeks. Additionally, the bill requires the Commissioner of Labor to waive unemployment benefit overpayments when they occur without the recipient's fault and when collecting the money would be unfair, while also improving notification and appeal processes for overpayment cases. These changes take effect on July 1, 2024, and apply to both state and federal unemployment benefits.
This bill modifies Vermont's Open Meeting Law to permit three-person public boards to hold private discussions and deliberations, provided a summary of these conversations is recorded in the minutes of the next meeting. The change directly affects small public bodies that previously could not discuss business privately without violating open meeting requirements. By allowing limited private deliberation for three-member boards, the legislation aims to balance transparency with the practical needs of smaller governing bodies. The bill does not alter the requirement for public meetings but creates an exception for internal discussions among three-person boards.
This bill creates a temporary Working Group on Asynchronous Open Meetings to study how public bodies in Vermont could use technology to hold electronic meetings where participants join at different times rather than live. The group will include representatives from the legislature, state agencies, news media, and municipalities, and will examine available technology, public access, best practices, and costs associated with such meetings. The Working Group must hold its first meeting by September 1, 2024, and submit a written report with findings and recommendations by January 15, 2025, after which the group will dissolve. The bill also provides for per diem compensation and reimbursement for group members attending meetings, with funding appropriated from the General Fund.
This bill would allow individuals in Vermont to exclude certain damages from their state income tax when they win an employment-related lawsuit against their employer. Specifically, it removes from taxable income amounts awarded for emotional distress, mental anguish, lost wages, or lost benefits, but not punitive damages. The change applies to both court-awarded damages and settlement agreements reached in such cases. This provision would take effect retroactively for the 2024 tax year and all subsequent years.
This bill would remove special legal rules that currently govern how Vermont's Congregational churches transfer their property. By repealing specific state statutes, the bill allows these churches to handle property transfers in the same way as other religious organizations. The changes would take effect on July 1, 2024, and do not alter existing property rights or interests held by religious corporations.
This bill requires contractors in Vermont to obtain a state license, following Washington state's model which includes registration, bonding, and insurance requirements. It directly affects construction and service contractors operating within the state by mandating they meet specific licensing standards before working. The legislation also aims to protect consumers by ensuring contractors provide transparent cost estimates. If passed, contractors would need to comply with these new rules to legally operate in Vermont.
This bill creates a new Housing Board of Appeals in Vermont to review zoning decisions related to housing projects. The Board would consist of three full-time members, including at least one attorney and one engineer or land surveyor, who are appointed by the Supreme Court for five-year terms. It gives the Board authority to hear appeals from municipal zoning decisions on housing, including variances, permits, and mixed-use developments, and allows it to affirm, reverse, or modify those decisions. The bill also establishes specific procedures for filing appeals, holding hearings within 90 days, and making decisions within 60 days after a hearing, while requiring a $250 filing fee for most cases.
This bill requires Vermont utilities to provide building owners, tenants, and other authorized parties with access to their energy consumption data while protecting individual privacy through aggregation. It establishes specific rules for how utilities must store data, including a requirement to keep billing records for at least 15 years, and defines which buildings qualify for data access based on the number of utility accounts they contain. The legislation also creates a framework for an energy storage program and sets up a process for the Public Service Commission to develop detailed procedures for implementing these data sharing requirements by October 2024.
This bill would remove a provision in Vermont's Public Records Act that currently allows government agencies to withhold records related to ongoing lawsuits. The change would require agencies to make litigation-related documents available to the public immediately, rather than keeping them hidden until the legal case concludes or a court orders them released. This affects state and local government agencies that handle public records and participate in legal proceedings. The bill would take effect on July 1, 2024, increasing transparency around government litigation activities.
This bill introduces three main safety measures for Vermont drivers, vehicle buyers, and road users. It requires all new driver's license applicants aged 18 and older to complete a driver education course with at least 30 hours of classroom instruction and six hours of driving practice, while also setting new qualifications for driver education instructors including experience and testing requirements. The legislation mandates that new car manufacturers share crash-test data and information about the specific crash-test dummies used with dealers, who must then make this information available to consumers online or in person. Additionally, the bill directs the state transportation agency to update its complete streets guidance to better prioritize the safety of pedestrians, cyclists, and other vulnerable road users.
This bill establishes procedures for obtaining emergency court orders against stalking or sexual assault outside of regular court hours, including weekends and holidays. It allows individuals to file complaints and affidavits electronically or through designated authorized personnel, who can administer oaths over the telephone and communicate requests to judges for immediate review. The bill requires that any issued orders include a hearing date within 14 days for the defendant to contest the order, and it mandates that all orders and affidavits carry specific warnings about criminal penalties for violations or false statements.
This bill prohibits the open carry of firearms at polling places, political debates, and public demonstrations in Vermont. It directly affects individuals who wish to carry visible firearms in these specific locations, while allowing law enforcement officers and government employees to carry firearms for official duties. The legislation defines a public demonstration as gatherings of 25 or more people expressing views or grievances and sets penalties of up to one year in prison or a $1,000 fine for violations. The bill takes effect immediately upon passage and does not regulate firearms carried in motor vehicles.
