Vermont Bills | MyRepTracker

signed · Vermont · House May 19, 2026

H 534: An act relating to community action agencies

H.534 renames Vermont's "community service agencies" to "community action agencies" and updates their governance and planning requirements. The bill requires these agencies to create community service plans every three years and ensures at least one-third of their boards consist of low-income residents they serve. It clarifies that these agencies must provide services addressing poverty, including job training, housing assistance, and access to health care. The Office of Economic Opportunity will continue managing funding for these agencies under the revised statutory framework.

Topics ✓ Housing

signed · Vermont · House May 19, 2026

H 46: An act relating to the Rare Disease Advisory Council

H 46 establishes the Rare Disease Advisory Council within the Department of Health to address the needs of individuals living with rare diseases in Vermont. This council will conduct needs assessments to identify service gaps for patients and caregivers, and develop policy recommendations to improve diagnosis, treatment access, and care quality. It will also provide testimony on legislation impacting the rare disease community and maintain a public resource webpage. Comprised of patients, caregivers, medical professionals, and state officials, the Council aims to offer guidance to the public, the General Assembly, and other government agencies.

Topics ✓ Healthcare

signed · Vermont · House May 14, 2026

H 940: An act relating to miscellaneous public utility subjects

This bill modifies how Vermont's energy efficiency utility can use existing funds to support greenhouse gas reduction projects, allowing the use of thermal energy and process fuel funds for programs that reduce fossil fuel use regardless of a customer's current fuel source. It also requires regional planning commissions to submit draft regional plans to the Department of Public Service for enhanced energy compliance reviews and changes the telecommunications planning cycle from every three years to every five years. Additionally, the bill abolishes the Telecommunications and Connectivity Advisory Board. These changes aim to expand funding flexibility for energy efficiency programs, streamline regional planning processes, and adjust telecommunications oversight structures.

Topics ✓ Energy ✓ Environment

signed · Vermont · House May 14, 2026

H 762: An act relating to the County and Regional Governance Study Committee

H 762 extends the deadline for the County and Regional Governance Study Committee to submit its final report from November 1, 2025, to December 15, 2026, and prolongs the committee’s existence until July 1, 2027. The committee, composed of six legislators (three from each chamber), studies county governance structures and makes recommendations on public safety, regional collaboration, resource allocation, and climate resilience. This procedural bill does not change the committee’s study focus or create new policies - it only adjusts timing for an existing oversight body. The committee’s work directly affects Vermont’s county and municipal governments by shaping future governance recommendations.

signed · Vermont · House May 12, 2026

H 410: An act relating to the calculation of recidivism and other related criminology measures

This bill redefines how Vermont calculates recidivism - reoffending after a criminal conviction - by creating a four-tier classification system based on the time between offenses. It establishes categories where offenders are classified as "Class 1" (reoffending after 1+ year), "Class 2" (3+ years), "Class 3" (5+ years), or "Class 4" (10+ years) after release. The Department of Corrections must use this system to track repeat offenders, including those convicted of violent crimes, and report recidivism rates. This directly affects the state’s corrections system and individuals who reoffend, but does not change sentencing laws.

Topics ✓ Criminal Justice

signed · Vermont · House May 12, 2026

H 519: An act relating to Vermont State Employees' Retirement System Group G membership

H 519 proposes to authorize law enforcement officers employed by the Town of Randolph Police Department to enroll in Group C of the Vermont State Employees' Retirement System. This bill directly affects Randolph police officers by allowing them to access the specific benefits and provisions of this state retirement plan. The key mechanism is to grant these municipal officers the option to participate in a state-level retirement system.

Topics ✓ Labor & Employment

signed · Vermont · Senate May 7, 2026

S 181: An act relating to eliminating the requirement for a presentence investigation for imposition of a deferred sentence

This bill (S.181) eliminates the requirement for a presentence investigation report to be filed before a Vermont court can impose a deferred sentence. It directly affects defendants eligible for deferred sentencing under Vermont law, removing a procedural step that currently must be completed before a judge can place someone on probation instead of imposing an immediate sentence. The amendment revises 13 V.S.A. § 7041 to remove the requirement for the court to order a presentence investigation, while maintaining other conditions like victim impact statements and court review of available information. The change takes effect July 1, 2026, and does not apply to certain serious sex offenses against children.

Topics ✓ Criminal Justice

signed · Vermont · Senate May 7, 2026

S 163: An act relating to the role of advanced practice providers in hospital care

This bill (S.163) amends Vermont law to explicitly allow advanced practice registered nurses (APRNs) to serve as the primary health care coordinator for hospital patients, alongside physicians. It updates the "Patient’s Bill of Rights" to state that patients have the right to know the identity and professional status of the provider primarily responsible for their care - including an APRN - and to receive information from that provider. Hospitals must now clearly communicate this information to patients upon admission and post it at nurse stations, including the option to contact licensing agencies for complaints. The bill directly affects Vermont hospitals, patients receiving inpatient care, and APRNs practicing in hospital settings. It clarifies existing practice without imposing new requirements on APRNs or hospitals.

Topics ✓ Healthcare

signed · Vermont · House May 1, 2026

H 927: An act relating to technical corrections for the 2026 legislative session

This bill makes technical corrections to the Vermont Statutes Annotated for the 2026 legislative session, updating various state laws without changing their core policies. It amends provisions related to a joint carbon emissions committee, highway safety programs, spouse abuse and sexual assault victim funding, internship program retirement credits, professional licensing procedures, and privatization contract reviews. The changes primarily involve clarifying language, correcting numbering errors, and updating administrative details across multiple state agencies and programs.

signed · Vermont · House May 1, 2026

H 723: An act relating to posting of land

This bill clarifies that "posting annually" for land restrictions on hunting and fishing means placing signs once every 12 months, not multiple times within a year. It directly affects landowners who restrict access to their property, requiring them to maintain dated signs at boundaries (corner posts every 400 feet) and record annual postings with their town clerk for a $5 fee. The key provision updates Vermont law to eliminate ambiguity about the timing of required postings while keeping existing sign requirements and recording procedures unchanged. The bill takes effect July 1, 2026.

signed · Vermont · House Apr 30, 2026

H 626: An act relating to sexual extortion, voyeurism, and disclosure of sexually explicit images without consent

This bill (H.626) strengthens Vermont's laws against voyeurism and non-consensual sharing of intimate images. It criminalizes threatening to disclose nude or sexually explicit images to force someone to produce more images, engage in sexual conduct, or provide something of value. The bill extends time limits for prosecuting voyeurism and non-consensual image disclosure crimes, and removes time limits for civil lawsuits when disclosure causes harm. It also allows victims to seek damages for trauma-related disorders resulting from such disclosures. These changes directly affect individuals who experience non-consensual image sharing and those who commit such acts.

signed · Vermont · House Apr 29, 2026

H 849: An act relating to a civil action for damages for deprivation of federal constitutional rights by any government official

This bill (H.849) would allow any individual to file a civil lawsuit seeking monetary damages against federal, state, or local government officials who interfere with or violate their State or federal constitutional rights. It directly affects people whose constitutional rights - such as free speech, due process, or equal protection - are allegedly violated by officials acting in their government capacity. The key provision creates a legal pathway for victims to pursue compensation through the court system rather than relying solely on other remedies. The bill focuses on clarifying and enabling this specific civil action process without altering constitutional rights themselves.

Topics ✓ Criminal Justice