Legislatures weigh mandates, funding and regulatory changes across multiple committees
Lawmakers across several House and Senate committees on Feb. 27 discussed a slate of bills and budget items that would create new mandates, direct state spending, expand regulatory authority and adjust tax and program structures.
Appropriations (House, 10:15)
At a House Appropriations meeting, legislative counsel and fiscal staff reviewed multiple bills and amendments addressing regulatory authority, program mandates and appropriations. Michael Grady of Legislative Council outlined oversight of dams tied to S.74, noting the agencies that regulate dams and the state’s hazard classifications for dams. The committee discussed a pilot project to develop emergency operation plans for high-hazard dams; presenters said the pilot would require $250,000 for the Vermont Emergency Management role and $125,000 for the Department of Environmental Conservation.
Committee staff also reviewed proposals related to the Sister State Program and an amendment affecting the Vermont Ireland Trade Commission that would increase commission membership and add bookkeeping requirements with the state treasurer. The Joint Fiscal Office estimated per diem costs for the Sister State Program committee at about $9,500 if eight meetings occur and flagged language on which entity pays per diems.
Appropriations staff outlined election-related funding requests. They identified a $650,000 federal-grant backfill and a separate $450,000 state general fund request tied to the secretary of state’s office, and noted an additional $450,000 state general fund appropriation for elections administration. Committee discussion also addressed the placement of items in special funds, including proposals to use opioid abatement and substance misuse prevention funds for initiatives and the budget implications of ongoing positions proposed to be funded from limited-time settlement dollars.
Commerce & Economic Development (House, 09:00 and 11:20)
The House Commerce & Economic Development committee discussed housing, tax credits and workforce programs. Members reviewed proposals to extend a down payment assistance tax credit for five years with a possible $100,000 increase in allocation and considered creation of a Vermont Housing Special Fund that would use interest on loans to bulk purchase off-site constructed housing. Committee testimony referenced an existing economic development credit program and a change in the percentage of the state’s cash balance directed to those credits.
The committee also received testimony on workforce and education funding mechanisms tied to Career and Technical Education and reviewed Act 127 materials. In a later session, the committee took testimony on H.211 and H.385 and heard about data broker regulation and consumer privacy reforms tied to H.674. Witnesses described proposed requirements on brokers’ acquisition and use of brokered personal information, noted use-specification concepts, and discussed enforcement and penalty provisions as part of expanded authority to regulate broker activity.
Natural Resources & Energy (Senate, 09:15)
Senate Natural Resources & Energy reviewed S.219, the Energy Navigator Program, which would require the Department of Public Service to contract a third-party consultant to design a community-based home energy navigator and coaching program. Testimony described mandates to provide guidance to residential consumers—particularly low- and moderate-income households—about energy efficiency, grants, rebates and contractor selection, and to provide ongoing state funding to support community-based energy coaching programs. Committee remarks addressed contingent funding language and the role of appropriations.
The committee also discussed provisions in other draft sections that would restrict certain permits and require departmental authorization and notices to municipal legislative bodies for specified projects, and included language aimed at protecting surface water source protection areas by prohibiting or conditioning permits for fishing tournaments within defined zones.
Health & Welfare (Senate, 09:00)
The Senate Health & Welfare committee walked through proposals affecting special education advocacy and health insurance mandates. Staff summarized S.233, a two-year special education family advocacy pilot that would carry a $250,000 general fund appropriation to AHS to fund grants for organizations to train advocates and provide in-person support for K–12 IEP processes.
Office of Legislative Council staff reviewed S.154, which would add health insurance coverage requirements for biomarker testing to both commercial insurance and Medicaid statutes. Testimony described definitions for biomarkers and biomarker testing and discussed federal approval processes for Medicaid coverage. Witnesses offered data on potential cost implications and clinical utility for certain conditions.
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The committee also considered licensure provisions that create staged licensing pathways for physicians, including provisional and limited licenses tied to participation in facility-based assessment programs and supervision requirements.
Education (House, 11:15)
House Education reviewed statutory language and existing acts on school district organization and funding. Counsel discussed legacy statutory language dating to 1949 governing town and incorporated school districts and how it interfaces with current district structures and Act 46-created consolidations. The committee examined Act 73 provisions on small and sparse school support grants, focusing on the statutory delegation to the state board to make annual determinations of schools that are "small by necessity" or "sparse by necessity," and noted the policy choices inherent in defining those terms and delegating rulemaking authority.
Members discussed potential criteria for the "by necessity" determination, including travel-time impacts of consolidation, capacity of nearby schools, capital cost implications, and projected enrollment, and emphasized the need for specificity if the legislature delegates rulemaking to the state board.
Corrections & Institutions (House, 11:20)
House Corrections & Institutions heard from the sponsor of H.410, who described the bill as creating a new chapter defining crimemetrics and a standardized measure of recidivism. The bill would place reporting responsibilities with the Statistical Analysis Center and include definitions and reporting structures for recidivism that committee members examined in detail, including how the new definitions interact with existing statutory recidivism measures and reporting requirements.
Transportation (Senate, 08:45)
The Senate Transportation committee received presentations on mileage-based user fees and motor vehicle tax changes. Presenters discussed policy context for mileage-based user fees for electric vehicles, noting declining gas-tax purchasing power and pilot-program experiences in other states. Committee fiscal staff described proposed clarifications to the motor vehicle purchase and use tax, including explicit treatment of trailers and maximum taxable values, and flagged potential revenue implications and enrollment concerns for pilot programs.
Agriculture (Senate, 09:00)
The Senate Agriculture committee received extensive testimony on a multi-part bill addressing farm classifications, current use, accessory structures, consolidation of agricultural credit programs and other statutory changes. Witnesses proposed updating income eligibility definitions to include equine businesses, discussed thresholds tied to sales for permitting exemptions, and outlined proposals to consolidate the Vermont Agricultural Credit Program into an existing authority, including new board and administrative structures.
Judiciary (Senate and House)
Senate and House judiciary panels discussed criminal justice measures including competency restoration evaluations, definitions related to forensic facility commitments, and criminal penalties. Committee members examined provisions for periodic evaluations, notification procedures to prosecutors when competency restoration is possible, and the scope of the commissioner of corrections’ role in monitoring compliance with release conditions.
Conclusion
This article covers committee hearings held on Feb. 27 before House and Senate panels, including House Appropriations, Commerce & Economic Development, Corrections & Institutions, and Education, and Senate Natural Resources & Energy, Health & Welfare, Transportation, Agriculture, and Judiciary. Committees discussed multiple bills and budget items that involve appropriations, mandates, regulatory authority changes, tax and fund proposals, and reporting or measurement requirements across energy, housing, education, health, agriculture and justice policy areas.
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