2019-2020 Biennium

Act 46

• H. 39 - An Act Relating to the Extension of the Deadline of School District Mergers Required by the State Board of Education
  • A bill to delay the forced merger deadline by one year.
    • Passed both the House and the Senate, but ultimately died.

Child Care

• H. 194 - An Act Relating to Establishing Incentives for Early Learning Professionals and Improving Access to Child Care
  • A bill to enhance the capacity and affordability of the child care and early learning system and support the retention, growth, and professional development of its workforce; and investments and initiatives set forth in this act are meant to compliment the anticipated redesign of the Child Care Financial Assistance Program, which shall be monitored by the General Assembly.
    • Committee bill, H. 531, progressed and passed with overwhelming support.
    • Significant increased investments included in FY 2020 Budget too.

Economic Development

• H. 291 - An Act Relating to Excluding Reinvested Capital Gains from Vermont's Income Tax
  • A bill to exclude a percentage of capital gains from Vermont's income tax if those gains are reinvested in a Vermont company

Education

• H. 665 - An Act Relating to Making Proficiency-Based Learning and Proficiency-Based Graduation Voluntary
  
  • A bill to permit schools to choose whether to offer proficiency-based learning and proficiency based graduation 

• H. 690 - An Act Relating to State Aid for School Construction of Merged School Districts
  • A bill to require for the period between July 1, 2021 and June 30, 2028 the State to provide to school districts that were required to merge by the “Final Report of the Decisions and Order on Statewide School District Merger Decisions Pursuant to Act 46, Sections 8(b) and 10” issued by the State Board of Education on November 28, 2018 State aid in the amount of 75 percent of the construction costs of a school building if a new school is necessary for ensuring equity and quality throughout the newly merged district. 

Energy

• H. 133 - An Act Relating to Miscellaneous Energy Subjects
  • Legislative Council Act Summary
    • Consolidates multiple reports from the Department of Public Service into the Annual Energy Report.
    • Makes the Secretary of Transportation a voting member on the Connectivity Advisory Board. It also changes the dates for the accounting of the fund and its submission to the Board.
    • Makes multiple amendments to the Dig Safe chapter.
    • Allows thermal energy and process fuel efficiency funds to be used for design and engineering of a district heating system, as well as construction.
    • Amends the formula for the Standard Offer Program contract price for existing hydroelectric power.
    • Extends the Department of Public Service’s existing Public Records Act exemption for consumer complaint information to the Public Utility Commission.
    • Makes multiple changes to the Public Utility Commission’s certificate of public good hearing process and rate change hearing process.
    • Creates the position of Deputy Clerk at the Public Utility Commission.
    • Requires energy storage facilities greater than 500 kW to receive a certificate of public good.
    • Makes changes to the Standard Offer Program exemption.
  • Became Law

• H. 711 - An Act Relating to Energy Audits
  • A bill to require energy audits for all State buildings and all buildings owned or operated by organizations that receive State funding. 

 

Family and Medical Leave

• H. 395 An Act Relating to Voluntary Family and Medical Leave Insurance
  • A bill to enable the Governor to enter into a contract with a private insurance carrier to provide family and medical leave insurance benefits to State employees, which shall also be available to other employers and individuals who elect to enroll in the insurance program.

Tourism

• H. 101 - An Act Relating to Creating an Event Marketing Fund
  • A bill to create fund that will help support marketing efforts for special events in Vermont

• H. 298 - An Act Relating to the Creation of the Tourism Marketing Promotion Fund
  • A bill to create a dedicated fund using 2% of the revenues generated by the rooms and meals tax

• H. 705 - An Act Relating to Promoting Tourism and Marketing
  • A bill to provide additional funding to the Department of Tourism and Marketing for its marketing efforts

 

2017-2018 Biennium

Child Care and Benefits Cliff

• H. 326 - An Act Relating to Eligibility and Calculation of Grant or Subsidy Amount for Reach Up, Reach Ahead, and the Child Care Services Program
  • A bill to encourage savings by participants in Reach Up and the Child Care Financial Services Program
    • Was passed by the House and Senate and signed into law on May 10, 2017 

Economic Development

• H. 110 - An Act Relating to Excluding Reinvested Capital Gains from Vermont's Income Tax
  • A bill to exclude a percentage of capital gains from Vermont's income tax if those gains are reinvested in a Vermont company

• H. 119 - An Act Relating to the Classification of Employees and Independent Contractors
  • A bill to establish a common definition of "independent contractor" for the workers' compensation and unemployment insurance statutes
    • In June 2017, the Vermont Supreme Court unanimously ruled that a single-member LLC would not be classified as an employee for the purposes of Unemployment Insurance.  After discussions with the VT Department of Labor, it was determined that while this case was limited to Unemployment Insurance, the arguments used by the Court in making the determination would hold true in the Workers' Compensation program as well.  The Department, therefore, released a Guidance Document in late 2017 regarding he hiring of independent contractors that opens the door to allow for greater flexibility to do so.

• H. 665 - An Act Relating to Changes to Act 250
  
  • A bill to ensure predictability and efficiency in making determinations in Act 250 applications

•  H. 710 - An Act Relating to Beer FranchisesA 
  • A bill to create an exception to the beer and wine franchise law for small manufacturers of malt beverages
    • Passed by the House and Senate and signed into law on May 21, 2018 (See Here)
• H. 811 - An Act Relating to Promoting and Expanding Workforce Development and Recruitment
  • A bill to implement multiple workforce development and recruitment strategies
    • Various provisions included in other legislation that became law
• H. 841 - An Act Relating to Miscellaneous Economic Development Provisions
  • A bill to (1) increase the amounts available under the downtown and village tax credit program; (2) expand access to the Vermont Employment Growth Incentive Program for small businesses; (3) create the ThinkVermont Innovation Initiative to provide flexible funding for economic development grants; (4) create a homeowner's rehabilitation tax credit pilot program; (5) expand assistance for repairing failing or failed wastewater or water supply systems; (6) increase the amounts available under the first-time homebuyer down payment assistance program; (7) expand eligible uses of energy efficiency funds in self-administered energy efficiency programs; (8) make 50 percent of the research and development tax credit refundable; (9) create a framework for public-private partnerships; and (10) increase the frequency for reviewing a village center designation to once every eight years and adopt miscellaneous amendments to enable municipal electronic filings.
    • Various provisions included in other legislation that became law

Education

• Act 46
  • H. 7 - An Act Relating to Amendments to Act 46 Time Frames
  • H. 15 - An Act Relating to Amendments to Act 46 to Facilitate the Approval of Alternative Governance Structures and Extend Time Frames
    • Neither of these bills progressed, but my work was focused on ensuring the Secretary of Education would see the wisdom in the EMUU-Stowe proposal for an Alternative Structure under Act 46, and recommend to the State Board of Education that it be approved as part of the State Education Plan.  Happy to report that the Secretary has recommended just that.

• H. 72 - An Act Relating to the Vermont National Guard Educational Assistance Program
  • A bill to create the Vermont National Guard Educational Assistance Program to enable members of the Vermont National Guard to take courses tuition free at Vermont colleges.
    • Was incorporated into the Fiscal Year 2019 State Budget

• H. 304 - An Act Relating to Making Changes to the Calculation of the Statewide Education Property Tax
  • A bill to make several changes to the state education funding system: (1) removes the excess spending penalty starting in Fiscal Year 2018; (2) creates a new system for calculating spending-adjusted tax rates that will allow towns to raise more than the base amount on an equalized basis, or allow towns that raise less than the base amount to lower their spending-adjusted tax rates.
    • Still no progress on any meaningful reform to our education funding system

Ethics

• H. 113 - An Act Relating to Establishing Ethics Rules for the General Assembly and the Executive Branch of Government and Creating the Vermont Ethics Commission
  • After years of fighting for the creation of an independent Ethics Commission and the creation of a code of conduct for members of the House and Senate, statewide elected officials, and members of the Executive Branch, legislation did finally progress this biennium and became law. (See Here)

Seniors

• H. 96 - An Act Relating to the Phased-In Exemption from State Income Taxation of Social Security Payments for Certain Taxpayers
  • A bill to exempt Social Security benefits from State income taxation for taxpayers with less than $90,000 in federal adjusted gross income
    • A version of this was passed by the House and Senate and is expected to be signed into law

 

2015-2016 Biennium

Economic Development

• H. 83 - An Act Relating to Economic Development and Marketing Vermont: Innovative by Nature

  • Economic Development Marketing Plan included in Economic Development Bill of 2015 (See Here)

• H. 378 - An Act Relating to Independent Contractors

  • Independent Contractor Bill passed unanimously out of House Economic Development Committee, but Big Labor (labor unions) opposed it and had ear of Speaker of House and House Leadership.  House Speaker and Leadership refused to allow bill to progress. (See Here)

• H. 396 - An Act Relating to Various Reforms of the Environmental Permitting Process

• H. 721 - An Act Relating to Extending the First Time Homebuyer Assistance Program

  • Included in final passage of tax legislation in 2016

 

Education

• H. 380 - An Act Relating to the Changing the Structure of Education Governance and Funding Through the Creation of 15 Consolidated Administrative Districts

• H. 393 - An Act Relating to Creating Financial Literacy Commission

  • Financial Literacy Commission included in Economic Development Bill of 2015 (See Here)

 

Ethics

• H. 215 - An Act Relating to Establishing Ethics Rules for the General Assembly and the Executive Branch of Government and Creating the Vermont Ethics Commission

  • Amid pressure from legislation I introduced in the previous session, the Vermont House established its first ever Ethics Commission.  It didn't go far enough, as it only covered the members of the House.  My proposals include members of House and Senate, statewide elected officials, and appointed officials in the Executive Branch.  (See Here)

  • In 2016, the Senate worked on Ethics legislation, but it did so too late for it to be considered by the House and progress to the finish line.

     

Health Care

• H. 60 - An Act Relating to Developing a Supported State-Based Marketplace Exchange

• H. 188 - An Act Relating to Making Health Insurance Plans Available Outside of the Exchange

• H. 189 - An Act Relating to Direct Enrollment in Exchange Plans

  • Under significant pressure from many, the legislative majority finally agreed to allow Vermonters to enroll and manage their insurance coverage directly with the insurance companies.  While still required to purchase insurance products only offered inside the Health Insurance Exchange, Vermonters can now manage them without having to go to Vermont Health Connect.

 

Taxes

• H. 146 - An Act Relating to Exempting Software as a Service from Vermont Sales Tax

  • Elimination of Cloud Tax Included in Comprehensive Economic Development Bill of 2015 (See Here)

• H. 218 - An Act Relating to Creating an Angel Investor Tax Credit

• H. 707 - An Act Relating to Excluding Reinvested Capital Gains from Vermont's Income Tax

• H. 729 - An Act Relating to a Tax Deduction for Education Loan Payments