This bill imposes a 2% surcharge on hotel room rentals, taxable meals, and alcoholic beverages in Vermont. Businesses selling these items must collect the surcharge in addition to existing taxes and clearly label it as funding the School Construction Aid Special Fund. Revenue from this surcharge will be deposited directly into the School Construction Aid Special Fund, which supports public school construction projects. The surcharge applies to the same tax base as Vermont's current meals and rooms tax, effective August 1, 2026.
This bill (S 314) adds a $1.00 annual fee per acre for land enrolled in Vermont's Use Value Appraisal Program that is posted against hunting, fishing, or trapping. It directly affects landowners who participate in the program and choose to restrict public access for recreation. The fee, collected when land is posted under 10 V.S.A. § 5201, must be deposited into the Fish and Wildlife Fund. The bill amends existing law to require this surcharge and clarifies reporting requirements for landowners who post their land after enrollment. The change takes effect January 1, 2027.
This bill adjusts Vermont's special education funding to keep pace with inflation. It requires the state to calculate annual funding for each supervisory union (school district group) using a base amount adjusted each year by the official inflation rate for government spending. Starting in fiscal year 2027, funding will be determined by multiplying this inflation-adjusted base amount by the union's long-term student enrollment average. The change ensures special education funding maintains its real value over time, directly affecting all Vermont school districts providing federally mandated special education services.
H 567 updates Vermont's unclaimed property rules, requiring holders to report property valued at $50+ with owner details and increasing the threshold for property sent to the Retirement Security Fund from $100 to $150 after 10 years. It adds a 1% monthly penalty for employers missing retirement contribution deadlines (30 days past due) and creates a Pension and Benefits Funding Task Force. The bill transitions oversight of post-employment benefits for state employees and teachers to the Vermont Pension Investment Commission and raises the claim threshold for unclaimed property from $250 to $1,000 for certain cases. These changes primarily affect employers contributing to retirement systems, individuals claiming unclaimed funds, and the state retirement systems themselves.
This bill narrows Vermont's sales tax exemption for fuel used in homes by removing the exemption for second homes, short-term rentals, and other nonhomestead residential properties. It amends tax code to define "residence" as only properties not listed as "nonhomestead residential" on an annual July 1 list published by the Commissioner. Sellers can rely on this published list to avoid tax liability if they mistakenly exempt fuel sales to nonhomestead properties. The change takes effect July 1, 2029, directly affecting property owners of secondary or rental homes who previously qualified for the tax exemption.
This bill requires large real estate companies (defined as entities owning 10+ single- or two-family homes with $30 million+ in assets) to wait 90 days after a home is listed for public sale before purchasing it. It also eliminates tax deductions for depreciation and interest on these properties for institutional investors. The law applies to commercial real estate firms but excludes nonprofits, community land trusts, and government-funded housing. These changes aim to slow rapid buying by large investors in residential markets.
This bill repeals most provisions of 2025 Acts and Resolves No. 73, which was a major education and tax reform package. It specifically retains changes to tuition eligibility for approved independent schools, State Board of Education appointment rules, and the creation of regional assessment districts. The bill also creates new property tax classifications: a higher rate for second homes/short-term rentals and a separate classification for seasonal residential properties taxed like nonhomestead nonresidential properties. These changes directly affect Vermont school districts, property taxpayers, and the administration of education funding. The repeal does not alter the foundation formula or other core education finance mechanisms established by the 2025 law.
This bill appropriates $150,000 from the Vermont General Fund to the Department of Health for the Vermont Language Justice Project. The funds will be used to create multilingual informational materials about disease outbreaks or public health emergencies, specifically for Vermonters who speak languages other than English. The materials must be ready for distribution during health crises, such as pandemics or outbreaks. The bill takes effect July 1, 2026, and directly affects non-English speaking Vermonters during public health emergencies.
This Vermont bill (S.211) changes vehicle inspection requirements from annual to biennial (every two years) for most registered vehicles. It directly affects Vermont vehicle owners by altering inspection frequency, with exceptions for school buses (inspected as prescribed) and motor buses (inspected twice yearly). Key provisions include increasing the inspection fee from $8 to $16 (with half the revenue funding bridge maintenance) and setting an effective date of July 1, 2026. The bill modifies existing law to require safety and emissions inspections every two years instead of annually for standard vehicles.
This bill requires Vermont hospitals and health insurers to adopt reference-based pricing for services, setting payment limits based on Medicare rates starting in 2027. It mandates hospitals to report all outsourced clinical services (like emergency medicine or radiology) in budget reviews, closing loopholes where outsourced revenue bypassed oversight. Hospitals must display pricing both as a percentage of Medicare rates and in dollars, and use unique identifiers for off-campus services. The goal is to ensure price transparency, apply cost controls across all hospital services, and prevent surprise bills for patients receiving outsourced care.
