Sen. Chris Bray

Maddy summaryThis Senate resolution honors the life of Senator Richard Sears, who passed away in June 2024 at age 81. The document formally acknowledges his career as a state senator, his work as a youth counselor, and his leadership on the Judiciary Committee where he helped advance legislation on civil unions, marriage equality, and juvenile justice. It also notes his personal history, including being adopted as an infant and later establishing a mentoring program for boys in the justice system. The resolution expresses the Senate's sadness at his passing and directs that a copy be sent to his family.

Maddy summaryThis Senate resolution honors the public service career of Senator Martha Jane Kitchel, recognizing her work in both the Executive Branch and the Vermont Senate. The document highlights her progression from social work to leadership roles in the Department of Social Welfare and later as Secretary of the Agency of Human Services, followed by her legislative service in the Senate. It specifically acknowledges her contributions as Chair of the Senate Committee on Appropriations, where she led budget analysis and supported infrastructure projects like the Lamoille Valley Rail Trail. The resolution formally recognizes her two decades of service and her recent announcement that she will not seek reelection in 2024.

Maddy summaryThis bill amends Vermont's building energy code requirements and establishes procedures for a working group to oversee compliance. It creates a working group that will receive administrative and legal support from the Department of Public Service to review energy standards and submit reports to state committees by November 2024 and 2025. The legislation also updates the residential building contractor registry to require contractors to acknowledge compliance with state energy standards and mandates website updates to clarify these legal requirements. Additionally, the bill extends a deadline for energy code compliance from February 2030 to July 2026 and requires contract templates to include statements about energy standard compliance.

Maddy summaryThis bill expands Vermont's battery stewardship program to include rechargeable batteries and battery-containing products, requiring retailers to stop selling these items unless the manufacturer has an approved recycling or management plan. The law takes effect on January 1, 2026, and applies to retailers, battery producers, and battery manufacturers who must either join an approved stewardship organization or demonstrate they are exempt from the program. The bill also adds administrative procedures for registering stewardship organizations and establishes a process for requesting administrative use controls at contaminated hazardous material sites.

Maddy summaryThis bill updates Vermont's environmental regulations to strengthen protections for wetlands, river corridors, and flood hazard areas while clarifying municipal authority over development in these zones. It requires the Department of Environmental Conservation to consult with state agencies and regional planning commissions when updating wetland maps, and it allows municipalities to regulate accessory dwelling units in flood hazard areas without requiring separate permits for certain planting projects. The legislation also establishes stricter phosphorus discharge limits for wastewater facilities in Lake Champlain and Lake Memphremagog drainage basins, mandates a cost analysis of the Green River Dam, and directs state officials to study options for waiving permit fees for low-income applicants.

Maddy summaryThis bill modifies Vermont's climate change cost recovery program to allow the state to charge fossil fuel companies for climate adaptation costs without requiring them to be part of a specific support project. It changes how payment schedules work by requiring installments to be paid annually at 10% of the total amount, with interest charges and adjustments based on inflation. The law also extends the time companies have to respond to cost recovery notices from 15 to 30 days and clarifies that existing legal remedies remain available alongside this program. These changes take effect on July 1, 2024, but apply retroactively to costs incurred since January 1, 1995.

Maddy summaryThis Vermont law, known as the "Vermont Ghost Guns Act," prohibits individuals from possessing, transferring, or manufacturing firearms, firearm frames, or receivers without a serial number. The bill requires that any unfinished firearm parts or completed guns be imprinted with a serial number by a federally licensed firearms dealer, importer, or manufacturer before they can be legally owned or sold. Exceptions are made for licensed dealers, law enforcement, antique firearms, permanently inoperable guns, and weapons made before 1968. Violations result in civil penalties for simple possession of unserialized parts and criminal charges including fines and imprisonment for transferring or manufacturing unserialized firearms, with harsher penalties for carrying such weapons during violent crimes.

Maddy summaryThis bill proposes adding a new article to Vermont's state constitution that guarantees equal treatment under the law regardless of race, ethnicity, sex, religion, disability, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, or national origin. The amendment would require the government to ensure all people receive equal protection and prohibit denying rights based on these characteristics. It also explicitly allows for measures designed to help groups that have historically faced discrimination. If voters approve this change in the 2026 election, it would become part of the state's founding legal document.

Maddy summaryThis legislative document is a Senate concurrent resolution that formally honors the nearly 40 years of service by former Vermont Senate Dean Richard T. Mazza. The resolution recognizes his long tenure in the Vermont legislature, including his work on transportation committees and his role in chairing the Transportation Committee. It acknowledges his contributions to Vermont infrastructure, preservation efforts, and his promotion of civility within the Senate. The resolution directs the Secretary of State to send a copy of the document to former Senator Mazza as an official acknowledgment of his service.

Maddy summaryThis Senate concurrent resolution honors Senator Robert A. Starr of the Orleans District for his decades of distinguished public service in Vermont. The document recognizes his long career in local government, including roles on the town zoning board, school board, and civil authority, as well as his extensive legislative service spanning over 45 years. It highlights his leadership on agricultural issues, particularly dairy farming, and his work supporting Vermont's farmland preservation efforts. The resolution directs the Secretary of State to send a copy of the document to Senator Starr as an official acknowledgment of his contributions.