The following are bills recently introduced that might be of interest to Vermont employers. Text and other information about a bill’s status are available by clicking on the linked bill number. Note that official statements of purpose might not fully reflect the purpose or effect of the bill. If “SHORT FORM” is noted, the text of the bill is still pending. If you have any questions about the bills listed below, please contact us at info@aivt.org. If you are interested in other legislation introduced during this Legislature or during past sessions, you can click here.
House Bills
Subject: Conservation and development; extended producer responsibility; packaging; paper products
Statement of purpose of bill as introduced: This bill proposes to require parties responsible for the production or distribution of packaging and paper products to implement or participate in a plan for the collection and management of recyclable packaging and paper products.
Introduced by Representative Sheldon of Middlebury
Subject: Labor; workers’ compensation; wages; prevention of retaliation
Statement of purpose of bill as introduced: This bill proposes to include employer contributions to health insurance in the amount of wages used to determine an injured worker’s weekly benefit and to prohibit an employer from terminating an employee because the employee is absent from work while the employee is receiving temporary total disability benefits
Introduced by Representatives Cordes of Lincoln, Anthony of Barre City, Burrows of West Windsor, Christie of Hartford, Cina of Burlington, Elder of Starksboro, Masland of Thetford, Mulvaney-Stanak of Burlington, Small of Winooski, Surprenant of Barnard, and Yantachka of Charlotte
Subject: Labor; employment practices; paid family and medical leave
Statement of purpose of bill as introduced: This bill proposes to create a Paid Family and Medical Leave Insurance Program within the Departments of Labor and of Taxes.
Introduced by Representatives Scheu of Middlebury, Kornheiser of Brattleboro, Anthony of Barre City, Arrison of Weathersfield, Austin of Colchester, Bartholomew of Hartland, Birong of Vergennes, Black of Essex, Bluemle of Burlington, Bos-Lun of Westminster, Brady of Williston, Briglin of Thetford, Brown of Richmond, Brumsted of Shelburne, Burke of Brattleboro, Burrows of West Windsor, Campbell of St. Johnsbury, Chase of Colchester, Christie of Hartford, Cina of Burlington, Colburn of Burlington, Colston of Winooski, Conlon of Cornwall, Copeland Hanzas of Bradford, Cordes of Lincoln, Dolan of Essex, Dolan of Waitsfield, Donnally of Hyde Park, Durfee of Shaftsbury, Elder of Starksboro, Emmons of Springfield, Grad of Moretown, Houghton of Essex, Howard of Rutland City, Jerome of Brandon, Jessup of Middlesex, Killacky of South Burlington, LaLonde of South Burlington, Lanpher of Vergennes, Lippert of Hinesburg, Long of Newfane, Masland of Thetford, McCarthy of St. Albans City, Mrowicki of Putney, Mulvaney-Stanak of Burlington, Nicoll of Ludlow, Noyes of Wolcott, Ode of Burlington, Partridge of Windham, Patt of Worcester, Pugh of South Burlington, Rachelson of Burlington, Redmond of Essex, Satcowitz of Randolph, Sheldon of Middlebury, Sims of Craftsbury, Small of Winooski, Squirrell of Underhill, Stebbins of Burlington, Stevens of Waterbury, Surprenant of Barnard, Till of Jericho, Toleno of Brattleboro, Townsend of South Burlington, Troiano of Stannard, Vyhovsky of Essex, Webb of Shelburne, White of Bethel, Wood of Waterbury, Yacovone of Morristown, and Yantachka of Charlotte
Subject: Taxation; economic development; tax increment financing; project based tax increment financing
Statement of purpose of bill as introduced: This bill proposes to authorize the Vermont Economic Progress Council to establish a project-based tax increment financing pilot program.
Introduced by Representatives Marcotte of Coventry, Jerome of Brandon, Kimbell of Woodstock, Kitzmiller of Montpelier, Martin of Franklin, Nicoll of Ludlow, Seymour of Sutton, and White of Bethel
Subject: Commerce and trade; economic development
Statement of purpose of bill as introduced: This bill proposes to amend the Vermont Employment Growth Incentive Program.
Introduced by Representatives Ancel of Calais, Kornheiser of Brattleboro, Anthony of Barre City, Bluemle of Burlington, Brumsted of Shelburne, Coffey of Guilford, Colburn of Burlington, Conlon of Cornwall, Cordes of Lincoln, Hooper of Burlington, Howard of Rutland City, Masland of Thetford, Mrowicki of Putney, Mulvaney-Stanak of Burlington, Ode of Burlington, Patt of Worcester, Squirrell of Underhill, Stebbins of Burlington, Stevens of Waterbury, Surprenant of Barnard, Townsend of South Burlington, and White of Bethel
Subject: Conservation and development; land use; climate change; Act 250
Statement of purpose of bill as introduced: This bill proposes to make multiple changes to the State land use laws, including Act 250, to incorporate strategies to address and mitigate climate change.
Introduced by Representatives Sheldon of Middlebury, McCullough of Williston, and Dolan of Waitsfield
Subject: Conservation and development; hazardous waste; consumer products; household products containing hazardous substances
Statement of purpose of bill as introduced: This program would require that manufacturers of household products containing a hazardous substance participate in a stewardship organization and implement a plan to collect household products containing a hazardous substance free of charge to the public.
Introduced by Representatives Stebbins of Burlington, Cordes of Lincoln, Ode of Burlington, Patt of Worcester, Squirrell of Underhill, Townsend of South Burlington, Walz of Barre City, White of Hartford, and Yantachka of Charlotte
Subject: Conservation and development; water quality; water quality standards; certification
Statement of purpose of bill as introduced: This bill proposes to amend the Vermont Water Quality Standards (VWQS) to clarify that the standards apply to wetlands and discharges to wetlands. The bill also would amend the VWQS to require that any federal Clean Water Act (CWA) section 401 certification issued by the State for waters or for wetlands shall include: an evaluation of water quality impacts on waters and wetlands and an evaluation of alternative means of accomplishing the proposed action for which certification is sought. The bill would require that the State conduct a cumulative impacts analysis of the water quality impacts on waters and wetlands of an activity subject to the CWA section 401 certification. A CWA section 401 certification would not be granted unless the Secretary of Natural Resources determines that the proposed activity meets the VWQS.
Introduced by Representatives Cordes of Lincoln, Dolan of Waitsfield, Sheldon of Middlebury, and Squirrell of Underhill
Subject: Labor; unemployment insurance; payment of benefits; appeals; disqualification; notification of ineligibility for benefits
Statement of purpose of bill as introduced: This bill proposes to permit the Commissioner of Labor to reduce or cancel a period of disqualification imposed for an intentional misrepresentation of facts material to an unemployment claim and to provide that such a period of disqualification will expire three years after it is imposed. This bill also proposes to prevent individuals from having to repay unemployment benefits that were paid because of the Department of Labor’s error, to temporarily extend the time to appeal an unemployment insurance determination from 30 to 90 days, to require the Department to record communications related to an unemployment insurance determination, to require the Department to provide unemployment insurance claimants with confirmation that their claim has been submitted and with an explanation of the benefits the claimant is receiving, to require employers that are exempt from the unemployment insurance system to inform their prospective employees of that fact, to temporarily extend COVID-19-related experience rating relief and good cause reasons for quitting employment, and to require the Commissioner of Labor to report to the General Assembly regarding opportunities to improve the Department’s ability to process unemployment claims in a timely and transparent manner.
Introduced by Representatives Jessup of Middlesex, Kornheiser of Brattleboro, Ode of Burlington, Bluemle of Burlington, Brumsted of Shelburne, Burrows of West Windsor, Christie of Hartford, Cina of Burlington, Coffey of Guilford, Colston of Winooski, Cordes of Lincoln, Hooper of Burlington, Houghton of Essex, Howard of Rutland City, James of Manchester, Masland of Thetford, Mrowicki of Putney, Mulvaney-Stanak of Burlington, Patt of Worcester, Scheu of Middlebury, Squirrell of Underhill, Surprenant of Barnard, Toleno of Brattleboro, Townsend of South Burlington, Vyhovsky of Essex, Wood of Waterbury, and Yantachka of Charlotte
Subject: Transportation; climate; carbon emissions; plug-in electric vehicles (PEV); New PEV Incentive Program; MileageSmart; Replace Your Ride Program; motor-assisted bicycle incentives; buses; electric vehicle supply equipment (EVSE); level 2 chargers; Residential Building Energy Standards; transportation demand management (TDM); public transit; Mobility and Transportation Innovation Grant Program; sprawl; complete streets; Act 250 criterion 5; bicycles; On Road Bicycle Plan; roundabouts; State transit authority; Public Transit Advisory Council
Statement of purpose of bill as introduced: This bill proposes to: (1) appropriate money for the New PEV Incentive Program, MileageSmart, the Downtown and Employer Level 2 Charging Stations Grant Programs, fare-free public transit, and the Mobility and Transportation Innovation Grant Program; (2) establish and appropriate money for expansions of the New PEV Incentive Program to also include the Replace Your Ride Program and incentives for motor-assisted bicycles; (3) require that new buses be plug-in electric vehicles; (4) require certain employers to provide level 2 chargers; (5) require certain employers to establish a transportation demand management plan; (6) update what is required under the Residential Building Standards with respect to electric vehicle supply equipment; (7) require that complete streets principles be followed in more instances; (8) update the Act 250 criterion addressing transportation; (9) require improvements to high-use corridor segments identified in the On-Road Bicycle Plan; (10) require updates on the installation of roundabouts in the annual Transportation Program; and (11) commission a report on the use of transit authorities in the State.
Introduced by Representatives McCormack of Burlington, Burke of Brattleboro, White of Hartford, Stebbins of Burlington, Bartholomew of Hartland, Long of Newfane, McCarthy of St. Albans City, Redmond of Essex, LaLonde of South Burlington, Colburn of Burlington, Anthony of Barre City, Arrison of Weathersfield, Austin of Colchester, Birong of Vergennes, Bluemle of Burlington, Bongartz of Manchester, Bos-Lun of Westminster, Brady of Williston, Briglin of Thetford, Brown of Richmond, Brumsted of Shelburne, Burrows of West Windsor, Campbell of St. Johnsbury, Chase of Colchester, Christie of Hartford, Cina of Burlington, Coffey of Guilford, Colston of Winooski, Conlon of Cornwall, Copeland Hanzas of Bradford, Cordes of Lincoln, Dolan of Waitsfield, Donnally of Hyde Park, Durfee of Shaftsbury, Elder of Starksboro, Goldman of Rockingham, Grad of Moretown, Hooper of Randolph, Hooper of Burlington, Houghton of Essex, Howard of Rutland City, James of Manchester, Jerome of Brandon, Jessup of Middlesex, Killacky of South Burlington, Lippert of Hinesburg, Masland of Thetford, McCullough of Williston, Morris of Springfield, Mrowicki of Putney, Mulvaney-Stanak of Burlington, Nicoll of Ludlow, Ode of Burlington, Patt of Worcester, Rachelson of Burlington, Scheu of Middlebury, Sheldon of Middlebury, Sims of Craftsbury, Small of Winooski, Squirrell of Underhill, Surprenant of Barnard, Till of Jericho, Toleno of Brattleboro, Townsend of South Burlington, Vyhovsky of Essex, Walz of Barre City, Webb of Shelburne, White of Bethel, Yacovone of Morristown, and Yantachka of Charlotte
Senate Bills
Subject: Taxation; income taxes; natural resources; climate change; Green New Deal
Statement of purpose of bill as introduced: This bill proposes to create a Vermont Green New Deal to invest in actions that curb climate change. The Vermont Climate Council would implement and oversee the Vermont Green New Deal to fund energy conservation programs, prioritizing weatherization, renewable energy, regenerative agriculture, and the use of electric vehicles. This bill would also create a new income tax surcharge on high incomes that would be deposited into a Vermont Green New Deal Fund to be administered by the State Treasurer.
Introduced by Senators Pollina, Perchlik and White
Subject: Labor; commerce and trade; fair employment practices; public accommodations; discrimination; hair; weight
Statement of purpose of bill as introduced: This bill proposes to prohibit discrimination on the basis of hair types and styles associated with a particular race and on the basis of weight.
Introduced by Senators Hardy, Perchlik and Ram