This bill proposes to gradually reduce how much energy from large hydroelectric plants counts as renewable energy in Vermont. It directly affects utility companies and energy providers that sell power from hydroelectric facilities with a capacity greater than 200 megawatts. Under the bill, the amount of large hydroelectric energy eligible to meet renewable energy obligations would decrease by 10 percent each year starting in 2024, eventually reaching zero. The legislation amends state law to clarify that energy from plants exceeding 200 MW is not renewable, with a phased reduction schedule applied to compliance calculations.
This bill proposes to increase criminal penalties for selling cannabis to people under 21 and for selling or possessing cocaine, LSD, heroin, and fentanyl in Vermont. It directly affects individuals who dispense or sell these substances, as well as those who knowingly enable underage cannabis consumption. The legislation establishes stricter sentencing guidelines, including longer prison terms and higher fines, with particularly severe penalties for repeat offenders and cases involving deaths or serious injuries caused by impaired driving. The bill also clarifies that licensed dispensaries providing cannabis to registered patients or caregivers are exempt from these new restrictions.
This bill directs Vermont's Public Utility Commission to create rules for how electric grid upgrade costs are shared among customers. The commission must establish a process by July 1, 2024, to spread these costs fairly across all customers within each utility service area. A second deadline requires the commission to develop statewide cost-sharing rules by July 1, 2029, ensuring upgrades are distributed equitably across the entire state. The legislation affects electric utility customers and the Public Utility Commission, aiming to make grid improvements more transparent and balanced.
This bill directs Vermont's Department for Children and Families to investigate whether regulated child care providers face unequal access to state grants. If disparities are found, the department must create a plan to address these inequities and report it to the General Assembly. The legislation focuses on ensuring fair distribution of child care funding among providers without specifying particular grant amounts or eligibility criteria. It applies to the state's child care grant program and the oversight body responsible for administering it.
This bill creates the Vermont Teacher Forgivable Loan Incentive Program, which offers interest-free loans to students enrolled in teacher training programs who agree to work as public school teachers in Vermont for a minimum of one year for each year of loan received. It also establishes a Peer Review Support Grant Program to provide funding for mentoring, professional development, and exam support for prospective educators seeking licensure through the state's peer review process. Additionally, the bill suspends teacher licensure fees from fiscal year 2024 through 2029 and requires the Agency of Education to assess the costs and benefits of teacher licensure reciprocity agreements and compacts. These measures aim to address teacher workforce development and retention by reducing financial barriers and supporting educator training.
This bill proposes to raise Vermont's minimum wage to $19.45 per hour starting July 1, 2023, and removes several exemptions that currently allow certain workers, such as taxi drivers and outside salespeople, to be paid less than the standard minimum wage. It also establishes a grant program for small businesses with 20 or fewer employees to offset payroll costs resulting from the wage increase, requiring applicants to demonstrate that their business revenue would decline due to the higher wages. Additionally, the legislation directs the Joint Fiscal Office to conduct a study comparing Vermont's wage policies to those of countries with high minimum wages and high standards of living, with the goal of identifying successful practices that could be adopted in the state.
This bill proposes to decriminalize the possession of a personal supply of regulated drugs in Vermont, changing penalties from criminal charges to a civil offense with a $50 fee. The legislation would establish a Drug Use Standards Advisory Board to set benchmarks for what constitutes a personal use supply and allow individuals with prior possession convictions to have their criminal records sealed if their amounts fall below these benchmarks. It also authorizes pilot drug-checking programs that let individuals test substances for chemical composition and contaminants to reduce overdose risks. The bill aims to shift Vermont's approach from criminal prosecution to public health strategies, redirecting resources toward prevention, treatment, and harm reduction services.
This bill allows manufacturers of spirits and fortified wines to obtain a special license to ship their products directly to consumers in Vermont. The legislation requires license holders to register each product, sell at state-set retail prices, and limit shipments to 12 cases of fortified wine or four cases of spirits per resident annually. Revenue from sales tax on these direct shipments will fund a special state fund to offset any revenue losses for the Department of Liquor and Lottery. The law takes effect on July 1, 2023, and applies to both in-state and out-of-state manufacturers meeting existing licensing requirements.
This bill increases Vermont's minimum wage to $15.00 per hour by January 1, 2025, with annual adjustments thereafter based on inflation or a five percent increase, whichever is smaller. It also establishes a study committee to examine whether to eliminate certain exemptions from minimum wage coverage, including for tipped workers, and to investigate paying inmates at least the minimum wage. The committee will analyze impacts on jobs, prices, worker welfare, and correctional budgets, and must submit its findings and recommendations by November 15, 2023.
This bill would restrict trapping of fur-bearing animals in Vermont to only those authorized for property defense or conducted by licensed nuisance wildlife control operators. It establishes a new nuisance wildlife trapping license and requires anyone setting traps on another person's property to provide prior notice and obtain permission. The law allows landowners, their employees, and government officials to trap animals threatening domestic animals, property, agricultural crops, or public infrastructure, but mandates that traps be checked every 24 hours and that trapped animals be released if uninjured or humanely killed. Anyone taking animals for compensation must hold a valid nuisance wildlife trapping license, and all pelts taken under these provisions must be inspected and certified before storage, sale, or transfer.
This bill expands protections for Medicaid beneficiaries' estates by limiting when the state can recover medical costs from their assets after death. It directly affects families of deceased Medicaid recipients in Vermont, particularly those with low income or caregiving contributions to the decedent. The law prohibits estate recovery against homesteads that pass to heirs with income below 300% of the federal poverty level or to siblings who financially supported the decedent to avoid nursing home placement. It also protects sole income-producing assets of heirs and homesteads belonging to refugees. The changes apply immediately upon passage and require state funding to cover certain homestead recoveries that would otherwise be owed to the federal government.
This bill would prevent health insurers from listing specific mental health or substance use treatment services on explanation of benefits forms for adult dependents. It directly affects young adults aged 18 to 26 who are covered under their parents' health insurance plans and are unmarried with no dependents of their own. The law requires the Department of Financial Regulation to define which services count as mental health or substance use treatment, while consulting with health and mental health experts. The bill also clarifies that "adult dependent" includes full-time students at out-of-state colleges and those living in Vermont. These changes would take effect immediately upon passage.
