Environment

introduced · Vermont · Senate Jan 6, 2026

S 177: An act relating to the collection and recycling of waste motor vehicle tires

S.177 establishes an extended producer responsibility (EPR) program for waste motor vehicle tires in Vermont, requiring manufacturers to cover collection and recycling costs. It directly affects tire manufacturers, retailers, and waste tire collection facilities by mandating annual collection rates based on prior sales data. Key provisions include defining "waste tires," setting minimum collection targets (calculated by dividing collected tires by average prior sales), and addressing "legacy waste tire piles" (50+ tires accumulating on non-farm property). The law also clarifies definitions for terms like "covered entity" and excludes certain vehicles (e.g., e-bikes, farm equipment) from the scope.

Topics ✓ EnvironmentSupports EnvironmentMandates tire recycling via EPR program, reducing landfill waste and pollution while requiring manufacturers to cover collection costs, directly advancing environmental protection.95% confidence

Sub-Topics Recycling

Track

introduced · Vermont · House Jan 6, 2026

H 579: An act relating to establishing criteria for the application of alum to Vermont waters

This bill requires permits for applying alum (a chemical treatment used to reduce harmful algae blooms) to Vermont lakes, ponds, and other waterbodies. It directly affects municipalities or entities seeking to treat water quality issues caused by cyanobacteria blooms. The permit process mandates applicants to prove the water quality damage is severe, demonstrate they've explored alternatives to alum, commit to reducing phosphorus runoff sources (the root cause of blooms), and conduct pre- and post-treatment environmental monitoring. The Secretary of Natural Resources must establish these permit criteria by December 2026, ensuring alum use is temporary and does not harm aquatic ecosystems.

Topics ✓ EnvironmentSupports EnvironmentRequires permits for alum use, mandates phosphorus runoff reduction (root cause of blooms), and explores alternatives to protect water quality.95% confidence

Sub-Topics Water Quality

Track

introduced · Vermont · House Jan 20, 2026

H 722: An act relating to authorizing municipalities to regulate the surface water use of public waters used as drinking water supplies

This bill authorizes Vermont towns and cities to adopt local regulations governing surface water use for public drinking water supplies, but only when the municipality owns all land adjacent to the water source. It specifically applies to public water systems serving the municipality, excludes transboundary lakes or ponds, and allows local ordinances to override state rules from the Secretary of Natural Resources if conflicts arise. The law amends existing state statute (24 V.S.A. § 2291) to add this new municipal power, directly affecting local governments managing drinking water sources within their owned watersheds. This change provides towns with greater control over water use impacting their public water systems.

Topics ✓ EnvironmentSupports EnvironmentAuthorizes municipalities to regulate surface water use for drinking water sources, strengthening local environmental safeguards and protecting public water supplies per bill's intent.85% confidence

Sub-Topics Drinking Water Water Quality

Track

introduced · Vermont · House Jan 22, 2026

H 749: An act relating to land use and conservation

This bill sets new conservation targets for Vermont: requiring 30% of the state's land to be conserved by 2030 and 50% by 2050, including public, private, and federal lands. It replaces previous conservation goals with these specific targets and mandates biennial updates to a public land conservation inventory. Key mechanisms include requiring resource mapping of forest blocks and habitat connectors to guide development decisions, and updating rules to minimize forest fragmentation while supporting agricultural and historic land uses. The bill directly affects landowners, developers, and conservation groups by changing how land use permits are reviewed and how conservation progress is tracked. These changes aim to align development with ecological goals under Vermont's Act 250 land use framework.

Topics ✓ EnvironmentSupports EnvironmentSets binding conservation targets (30% by 2030, 50% by 2050), mandates habitat protection, and minimizes forest fragmentation - directly advancing conservation.95% confidence

Sub-Topics Conservation Forestry Public Lands

Track

introduced · Vermont · Senate Jan 6, 2026

S 191: An act relating to appliance efficiency

S.191 updates Vermont's appliance efficiency standards to align with recent federal regulations, requiring new products like residential furnaces (with a minimum 90% efficiency for natural gas models), boilers, power supplies, and certain lamps to meet specific energy efficiency benchmarks. The bill applies to manufacturers and sellers of these products in Vermont, with exemptions for low-wattage lamps (e.g., 50 watts or less) and cases where local building codes conflict with compliance. This ensures Vermont's rules consistently match federal energy efficiency standards without creating new requirements.

Topics ✓ EnergySupports EnergyBill mandates higher efficiency standards for appliances (e.g., 90% efficient furnaces), directly advancing energy efficiency benchmarks per federal alignment.95% confidence ✓ EnvironmentSupports EnvironmentBill mandates higher appliance efficiency standards (e.g., 90% furnace efficiency), reducing energy consumption and emissions per federal alignment, directly advancing environmental protection goals.92% confidence

Sub-Topics Energy Efficiency Oil & Gas

Track

passed · Vermont · House Mar 27, 2026

H 718: An act relating to building energy efficiency

H.718 establishes a new residential building code (based on the International Residential Code) for Vermont, effective January 1, 2028, to be administered by the Division of Fire Safety. It requires contractors to disclose criminal records, creates a task force to improve the contractor registry and develop voluntary energy certifications, and grants municipalities authority to enforce both residential and commercial building energy standards. This bill directly affects homeowners (through updated construction standards), contractors (via registry changes and disclosure requirements), and local governments (with new enforcement powers). The key changes aim to improve consistency, compliance, and transparency in building energy efficiency standards across Vermont.

Topics ✓ EnergySupports EnergyEstablishes stricter energy efficiency standards for buildings, mandates voluntary certifications, and empowers municipalities to enforce compliance, directly advancing energy efficiency goals.92% confidence ✓ EnvironmentSupports EnvironmentMandates energy efficiency standards for buildings, reducing emissions and promoting sustainable construction through enforceable codes and certifications.95% confidence

Sub-Topics Energy Efficiency

Track

introduced · Vermont · Senate Jan 22, 2026

S 290: An act relating to no net loss of State lands used for hunting and fishing

S.290 requires Vermont's Secretary of Natural Resources to ensure no net loss of state-owned or controlled lands available for hunting or fishing by July 1, 2026. If lands are closed to these activities (except for management, safety, or legal reasons), the Secretary must acquire replacement land within 25 miles that allows the same uses. The bill mandates annual reports to legislative committees detailing acreage closed, opened for replacement, and total available land. This directly affects state land management agencies and public access for hunters and anglers. (Effective July 1, 2026)

Topics ✓ EnvironmentSupports EnvironmentBill mandates no net loss of state lands for hunting/fishing, requiring replacement land acquisition and conservation reporting, directly protecting natural resource access and recreational conservation.92% confidence

Sub-Topics Conservation Public Lands

Track

introduced · Vermont · Senate Jan 8, 2026

S 224: An act relating to the management of the State’s lakes

This bill allows municipalities that own or control all land around a public water source (used as a drinking water supply) to regulate that water's use through approved local bylaws. It also requires wakeboat owners to designate a single "home lake" for the calendar year, restricting operation to that lake unless the boat is decontaminated before moving to another water body. These provisions aim to protect water quality and prevent the spread of invasive species. The bill directly affects local governments managing public water systems and wakeboat operators.

Topics ✓ EnvironmentSupports EnvironmentBill explicitly aims to protect water quality and prevent invasive species spread through municipal regulation and wakeboat restrictions, directly aligning with environmental protection indicators.95% confidence

Sub-Topics Drinking Water Water Quality

Track

introduced · Vermont · Senate Jan 14, 2026

S 247: An act relating to the regulation of the disposal of plastics and the sale of consumer products containing microplastics

This Vermont bill (S 247) bans specific plastic-related practices starting in 2029 or 2030. It prohibits chemical conversion of plastics (like turning plastic into fuel via pyrolysis or gasification) and bans the sale of personal care/cleaning products containing plastic microbeads beginning January 1, 2029. It also bans medical solution containers with a common plasticizer (DEHP) from sale starting January 1, 2030, and medical tubing containing DEHP starting January 1, 2035. The bill directly affects manufacturers, distributors, and sellers of these products within Vermont.

Topics ✓ EnvironmentSupports EnvironmentBans microplastics in products and plastic conversion methods to reduce pollution, directly protecting environmental health per bill's explicit restrictions on plastic waste sources.95% confidence ✓ HealthcareSupports HealthcareBans DEHP in medical containers/tubing (2030/2035), directly reducing patient exposure to harmful chemicals and protecting health safety in medical products.90% confidence

Sub-Topics Recycling

Track

introduced · Vermont · Senate Jan 6, 2026

S 165: An act relating to grand list values of parcels with wetlands

This bill requires Vermont property assessors to consider development restrictions on wetlands when calculating the grand list value (taxable value) of affected parcels. It specifically applies to properties containing Class I wetlands (as defined by state rules), Class II wetlands (from the Vermont Significant Wetlands Inventory), or land designated as significant by the Secretary of Natural Resources, including required buffer zones. Assessors must account for any reduced property value caused by these legal restrictions when setting tax assessments. The law takes effect on July 1, 2026.

Topics ✓ Budget & TaxesSupports Budget & TaxesBill lowers taxable value for wetland-affected properties, reducing property taxes - direct tax relief for affected owners.85% confidence ✓ EnvironmentSupports EnvironmentRequires assessors to factor wetland restrictions into property taxes, ensuring conservation value is recognized and protecting wetland ecosystems from development pressures.95% confidence

Track