This bill creates a pilot program to support antiracism and diversity work in Vermont schools by funding up to five Equity Teams in supervisory unions or school districts. The program would provide each team with a $10,000 stipend to review equity-related policies and curriculum, with team members including administrators, teachers, and students. An Equity Team Commission would oversee the pilot, select participating districts, and submit a report by September 2025 on the program's outcomes and potential for expansion. The initiative is funded through a $50,000 appropriation from the state General Fund and is scheduled to begin on July 1, 2024.
This bill requires all licensed Vermont educators to complete professional learning on evidence-based literacy instruction, with current teachers finishing by January 2025 and new teachers completing it within their second year of teaching. It also mandates that educator preparation programs be reviewed to ensure they teach evidence-based literacy practices and incorporates a new examination to test candidates on literacy fundamentals. Additionally, the bill extends the Advisory Council on Literacy through 2027 and transfers rulemaking authority for educator licensing from the Standards Board for Professional Educators to the Agency of Education. These changes aim to improve literacy outcomes for Vermont students by updating teacher training and oversight requirements.
This bill exempts accessory on-farm businesses from development permit requirements under Vermont's Act 250, allowing farmers to expand their operations without seeking state-level approval. The legislation defines accessory on-farm businesses as activities like processing and selling farm products, hosting educational events, or offering farm stays, provided more than 50% of sales come from products grown on-site. To qualify, the farm must follow required agricultural practices, the business must be operated by the farm owner or residents, and improvements cannot alter more than one acre of land. Municipalities retain the ability to adopt less restrictive rules, and the Secretary of Agriculture will provide training to help farms understand permit requirements for water and wastewater systems.
This bill establishes a new Vermont Data Privacy Act to protect the personal information of Vermont residents by creating clear rules for how businesses collect, use, and share consumer data. It defines key terms like personal data, consent, and profiling while explicitly excluding employees and commercial transactions from coverage. The law requires businesses to obtain clear affirmative consent from consumers, prohibits deceptive design practices known as dark patterns, and grants consumers specific rights over their data including access, deletion, and opt-out options. Companies must also implement reasonable security measures to protect personal information and provide mechanisms for consumers to exercise their privacy rights.
This bill establishes a legal right for tenants and homeowners in Vermont to install electric vehicle charging equipment at their residence, affecting landlords, property managers, and residents of rental properties and common interest communities. The law requires landlords to approve written tenant requests for charging equipment installation, provided the property already has at least 10% of parking spaces equipped with chargers, offers parking as part of the lease, or has fewer than five parking spaces. Tenants must cover installation costs, pay for electricity usage, and maintain liability insurance, while landlords cannot be forced to create new parking spaces or provide additional infrastructure beyond existing property rules.
This bill requires second-generation anticoagulant rodenticides to be registered as restricted-use pesticides in Vermont, meaning they can only be applied by certified pesticide professionals. It specifically targets products containing active ingredients like brodifacoum, bromadiolone, difenacoum, and difethialone, which are currently available for broader use. The legislation directs the Secretary of Agriculture, Food and Markets to create rules ensuring these rodenticides do not cause significant harm to non-target wildlife populations or their habitats. Additionally, the bill mandates a report by January 1, 2026, to assess the environmental and health impacts of regulating these substances as restricted-use pesticides. The changes take effect on July 1, 2024.
This bill requires Vermont school districts and independent schools to create written cardiac emergency response plans to improve safety during sudden cardiac arrest incidents. The plans must include specific steps for using school personnel, placing automated external defibrillators, conducting CPR and AED training, and coordinating with local emergency medical services. All schools must have these plans ready by the 2024-2025 school year, with high-needs schools defined as those where at least 50% of students qualify for free or reduced-price meals. The legislation applies to both regular school settings and athletic events, ensuring consistent emergency preparedness across all school activities.
This bill would ban the sale, lease, or operation of motor vehicles with tinted windows on the windshield, vent windows, or side windows located immediately to the left and right of the driver in Vermont. It requires dealers to stop selling or leasing vehicles with these tinted windows and mandates that vehicles with such tint fail the annual safety inspection. The law includes exemptions for medical reasons, emergency vehicles, and specific areas on the windshield for stickers and toll transponders, allowing tint only on side and rear windows if the vehicle has proper mirrors. Dealers and vehicle owners would face administrative penalties for violations, and the Department of Motor Vehicles must update inspection procedures to enforce these rules starting January 1, 2025.
This bill modifies Vermont's theft laws to allow prosecutors to combine the value of multiple thefts occurring within 180 days to determine if a crime meets the $900 threshold for more serious charges. It directly affects individuals accused of grand larceny and retail theft by changing how the value of stolen property is calculated in certain cases. The key provision permits adding up the value of separate theft incidents within a six-month period to decide whether a case is charged as a felony rather than a misdemeanor. If the combined value of these related thefts exceeds $900, the charges could be elevated to grand larceny or felony retail theft, which carry heavier penalties. The law takes effect immediately upon passage.
This bill delays the July 1, 2024 start date for expanded juvenile court jurisdiction in Vermont until the state confirms it has adequate resources to handle the increased caseload. The delay is contingent on the Secretary of Human Services notifying legislative committees that five specific conditions are met, including operating a permanent crisis stabilization program, hiring additional family services workers, expanding the Balanced and Restorative Justice budget, ensuring residential program access, and securing funding for a child welfare information system. Additionally, the bill requires that certain serious charges against youth aged 14 to 21, such as human trafficking, drug trafficking, and domestic assault, begin in the Criminal Division of the Superior Court rather than the Family Division, unless the prosecutor chooses to file directly as a youthful offender petition. These changes affect how juvenile cases are processed and which court divisions handle them, while ensuring support systems are in place before expanded jurisdiction takes effect.
This bill modifies Vermont's voting rules for unified union school districts by adding a new exception to the requirement that Australian ballots be commingled. Under current law, votes from all towns within a unified union school district must be combined and counted together rather than separately by town. The proposed change would allow a district to keep ballots separate if voters explicitly rejected commingling at an annual meeting held on or before July 1, 2019, provided the district's governing articles do not specify a different counting method. The bill applies to elections for school board members, district officers, budget proposals, and other public questions within these districts. It would take effect on July 1, 2024.
This bill strengthens penalties for unemployment insurance fraud in Vermont by requiring individuals who falsely obtain benefits to repay the overpaid amount, pay a 15% penalty, and face an additional administrative fine of up to $5,000. It also imposes a five-year ban on receiving unemployment benefits for those found to have intentionally made false statements or misrepresented material facts during their claims process. The legislation allows the state commissioner to pursue unpaid fines through civil court and provides opportunities for affected individuals to appeal penalties through existing procedures. These measures take effect on July 1, 2024, and apply to anyone who willfully provides false information to increase or initiate unemployment benefits.
