Closing out Week 17 of the 2023 Legislative Session -
All eyes are on the calendar as adjournment looms. The hopeful have pegged the date at May 12, though with large disparities in the budget between the Senate and...more
Closing out Week 16 of the 2023 Legislative Session -
S.5, the Clean Heat Standard bill was approved by the House this past week.
The bill sets up a marketplace for credits that would provide a system of carrots and...more
Closing out Week 15 of the 2023 Legislative Session -
The front door of the state house was opened wide at the end of this past week, signaling the advent of warm weather and the quickly approaching end of the legislative...more
Closing out Week 12 of the 2023 Legislative Session -
This past week the House passed H.230, an act relating to implementing mechanisms to reduce suicide. The bill requires a 72-hour waiting period to purchase a gun,...more
Closing out Week 11 of the 2023 Legislative Session -
There are a significant number of bills on this week’s schedule for brief introductions. This doesn’t necessarily mean they will receive further attention this...more
Closing out Week 10 of the 2023 Legislative Session -
Legislators spent the past week in their home districts for Town Meetings, taking a break from the State House, connecting with constituents and preparing for this...more
Closing out Week 7 of the 2023 Legislative Session -
The House Committee on General and Housing passed out H.66 Thursday, which would create the most generous paid family and medical leave program in the United States....more
General Government -
Governor proposes $7.7 billion budget – Governor Phil Scott unveiled his proposed $7.7 billion budget for FY2023 in a virtual budget address to the legislature last week. Scott’s proposal reflects the...more
Lawmaking in the COVID Era -
The legislature adjourned on June 26 at 8:41 p.m. Sort of. After holding what was nearly the longest and certainly the strangest session in history, the legislature has really only recessed,...more
7/7/2020
/ Broadband ,
CARES Act ,
Cloud Storage ,
Colleges ,
Coronavirus/COVID-19 ,
Data Privacy ,
Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) ,
Global Warming ,
Healthcare Workers ,
Internet Taxation ,
Legislative Agendas ,
Medical Monitoring ,
Minimum Wage ,
Misclassification ,
Paid Leave ,
PFAS ,
Proposed Legislation ,
Public Schools ,
State and Local Government ,
State Budgets ,
State Funding ,
State Grants ,
State Legislatures ,
Tobacco Regulations ,
Universities
When the legislature moved from the State House to the cloud eight weeks ago, it was anyone’s guess as to how that would work. The answer, it turns out, was about as well as one could expect. Small committees have functioned...more
5/8/2020
/ Child Care ,
Coronavirus/COVID-19 ,
Governor Scott ,
Legislative Agendas ,
Proposed Legislation ,
Public Schools ,
Re-Opening Guidelines ,
State and Local Government ,
State Budgets ,
State Legislatures ,
State Taxes
News about severe financial difficulties at the Brattleboro Retreat quickly spread throughout the State House this week, and just as quickly legislators rallied to throw their support behind the venerable institution....more
1/14/2020
/ Hospitals ,
Land-Use Permits ,
Legislative Agendas ,
Medicaid ,
Medical Monitoring ,
Mental Health ,
Minimum Wage ,
Non-Compete Agreements ,
Paid Family Leave Law ,
Proposed Legislation ,
Public Records ,
State and Local Government ,
Wage and Hour
Early in the session, the House Commerce and Economic Development Committee established workforce development as its priority. The committee took weeks of extensive testimony on the workforce issues facing Vermont. ...more
5/31/2019
/ Agribusiness ,
Cannabis Products ,
Conservation ,
Contract Renewal ,
Data Privacy ,
Deregulation ,
Economic Development ,
Farms ,
Insurance Industry ,
Insurance Regulations ,
Job Creation ,
Legislative Agendas ,
Marijuana ,
Proposed Legislation ,
State and Local Government ,
Tax Rates
The Senate Economic Development, Housing, and General Affairs Committee plans to vote Monday on H.107, the paid family leave bill. Committee Chair Michael Sirotkin, D-Chittenden, made it clear he is looking to significantly...more
The House Committee on Judiciary heard vastly different views this week on a new version of S.37, legislation passed by the Senate last month that would have adopted a strict liability standard for harm caused by toxic...more
4/26/2019
/ Ambulatory Surgery Centers ,
Healthcare ,
Legislative Agendas ,
Medicaid ,
Medical Monitoring ,
Minimum Wage ,
Proposed Legislation ,
Rural Health Care Program ,
State and Local Government ,
Tobacco Regulations ,
Wage and Hour ,
Water ,
Ways and Means Committee
Final push on clean water governance bill -
The House Committee on Natural Resources continued its work this week on S.96, a bill that would adopt a clean water investment and governance proposal promoted by the Agency of...more
House passes budget bill -
The House approved a $6.1 billion FY 2020 budget this week. The bill, H.542, provides for a 3.1 percent growth in spending over FY 2019....more
4/2/2019
/ ACOs ,
Association Health Plans ,
Certificate of Need ,
Child Care ,
Construction Project ,
Critical Infrastructure Sectors ,
Health Insurance ,
Home Health Agencies ,
Individual Mandate ,
Legislative Agendas ,
Low-Income Issues ,
Medicaid ,
Moratorium ,
Proposed Legislation ,
Public Projects ,
Revenue ,
State and Local Government ,
State Funding
A workgroup report reviewed in the House Human Services Committee this week recommended that Vermont consider implementing an unused drug repository program....more
3/25/2019
/ Contract Renewal ,
Decriminalization of Marijuana ,
Deregulation ,
Health Insurance ,
Healthcare ,
Individual Mandate ,
Insurance Regulations ,
Legislative Agendas ,
Marijuana Related Businesses ,
Prescription Drugs ,
Proposed Legislation ,
Senate Finance Committee ,
State and Local Government ,
Subscription Services ,
Substance Abuse ,
Working Groups
The Senate this week passed a bill imposing strict liability and medical monitoring obligations on commercial users of toxic substances on a 21-8 vote. Given the recent and intense focus on toxic releases of chemicals such as...more
3/18/2019
/ Child Care ,
Comprehensive Primary Care (CPC+) ,
Economic Development ,
Health Insurance ,
Healthcare ,
Hospitals ,
Legislative Agendas ,
Medical Monitoring ,
Proposed Legislation ,
Rural Health Care Providers ,
Social Services ,
Strict Liability ,
Transparency
Paid family and medical leave legislation, H.107, passed the House General, Housing, and Military Affairs Committee on Wednesday on an 8-1-1 vote. Rep. Marianna Gamache, R-Swanton, a lone but passionate dissenter, raised...more
2/22/2019
/ Broadband ,
Environmental Policies ,
Health Insurance ,
Healthcare Workers ,
Legislative Agendas ,
Non-Compete Agreements ,
Paid Family Leave Law ,
Proposed Legislation ,
Strict Liability ,
Tobacco Regulations ,
Water Supplies ,
Wireless Industry
Paid family leave moves into the spotlight -
The House General, Housing, and Military Affairs Committee dedicated most of its time this week to the issue of paid family leave. The committee heard from administration...more
2/13/2019
/ Decriminalization of Marijuana ,
Emergency Rooms ,
Health Information Technologies ,
Health Insurance ,
Legislative Agendas ,
Paid Family Leave Law ,
Proposed Legislation ,
State and Local Government ,
State Labor Laws ,
Toxic Chemicals ,
Wage and Hour
House Commerce pauses bill to ban non-compete agreements -
After hearing limited opposition from the business community to a bill that would ban virtually all non-compete agreements, the House Commerce and Economic...more
2/6/2019
/ Broadband ,
Certificate of Need ,
Decriminalization of Marijuana ,
Employment Contract ,
Home Health Agencies ,
Legislative Agendas ,
Mergers ,
Moratorium ,
Non-Compete Agreements ,
Proposed Legislation ,
Restrictive Covenants ,
School Districts ,
State and Local Government
Bill imposing strict liability for chemical management receives first Senate hearing -
The Senate Judiciary Committee held a hearing this week on S.37, a bill that would impose strict liability on a person who releases a...more
1/28/2019
/ Chemicals ,
Health Care Providers ,
Home Health Care ,
Legislative Agendas ,
Minimum Wage ,
Pharmacy Benefit Manager (PBM) ,
Prescription Drugs ,
Proposed Legislation ,
State and Local Government ,
Strict Liability ,
Wage and Hour
Utilities, DPS Raise Concerns about Electric Grid Congestion -
A surplus of renewable electric generation, coupled with low demand, in northern Vermont has created constraints on the electric grid and caused ripple effects...more
4/12/2018
/ Credentialing ,
Dams ,
Electric Generation Suppliers ,
Inland Waterways ,
Legislative Agendas ,
Medical License ,
Medicare Part D ,
Mental Health ,
Net Neutrality ,
Paid Family Leave Law ,
Prescription Drugs ,
Proposed Legislation ,
Ridesharing ,
Strict Liability ,
Unemployment ,
Utilities Sector
Trial Bar Proposes Anti-Ride-Sharing Amendments to Insurance Bill -
The Senate Judiciary Committee considered amendments this week proposed by the Vermont Trial Lawyers Association that would likely force Uber out of...more
4/11/2017
/ Affordable Housing ,
Auto Insurance ,
Consumer Lenders ,
Electricity ,
Energy Sector ,
Energy Storage ,
Health Insurance ,
Independent Contractors ,
Insurance Industry ,
Insurance Regulations ,
Legislative Agendas ,
Licensing Rules ,
Low Income Housing ,
Low-Income Issues ,
Medicaid ,
Mental Health ,
Mortgage Loan Originators ,
Power Grid ,
Private Right of Action ,
Proposed Legislation ,
Renewable Energy ,
Sharing Economy ,
Telemedicine ,
Uber ,
Workers' Compensation Claim
The House Ways and Means Committee is considering a proposal from the Vermont Department of Taxes to reduce the amount of use tax a person can pay without providing records to prove his or her tax liability. The rate would...more
3/21/2017
/ ACOs ,
Ambulance Providers ,
Economic Development ,
Emergency Response ,
Firemen ,
Health Care Providers ,
Independent Contractors ,
Legislative Agendas ,
Lifeline Program ,
Low-Income Issues ,
Mental Health ,
Misclassification ,
Nurses ,
Paid Family Leave Law ,
Police ,
Proposed Legislation ,
PTSD ,
Sales & Use Tax ,
Sexual Assault ,
Social Media Policy ,
Tax Liability ,
Telecommunications ,
Tobacco Regulations ,
Toxic Chemicals ,
Ways and Means Committee ,
Workers' Compensation Claim