The House Ways and Means Committee is poised to pass out H.66, imposing mandatory paid family leave and expanding unpaid leave mandates to all employers, after the Legislature returns from the upcoming Town Meeting Week break. The Committee leadership appears determined to move the bill after they return on March 14 without fully examining and […]
Clean Heat Standard Nears Key Vote, Impact on Manufacturing Uncertain
As discussed previously, S.5 would create a Clean Heat Standard program, developed by the Public Utility Commission by 2025, under which fossil fuel sellers (those who initially own the fuel imported into Vermont for sale) would have to purchase tradable credits in order to sell non-highway transportation fuels. They could also earn credits through supporting […]
Proposed Expansion of UI Eligibility, Rules for Non-Profits
This week the House Commerce and Economic Development Committee continued testimony on H.55 and H.92, each addressing unemployment insurance. AIV testified on these bills Wednesday. H.92 would create or expand eligibility to qualify for UI benefits if the individual voluntarily quit for reasons related to “urgent, compelling, or necessitous circumstances, as determined by the Commissioner, […]
Mandatory Paid Family and Medical Leave, Other Leave Changes
The House General and Housing Committee took an initial look Wednesday at the newly introduced H.66, which would create a mandatory paid family and medical leave program in the state. The bill actually makes several significant changes to state law – it creates a paid leave program and fund to cover family and medical leave […]
Slow Start to New Legislature but Significant Issues Expected; Employer Engagement will be Critical
The Legislature spent its first full week of the new session and biennium primarily receiving introductions from key legislative staff, administrative agencies and non-governmental stakeholders. However, work on legislation impacting Vermont’s employers and economy is expected to start in the coming week, and employers are strongly encouraged to contact us to provide point persons we […]
UI Tax Reductions for the Coming Year, Better than Expected Trust Fund Recovery and AIV-Led Reforms Help
The Vermont Department of Labor has announced that effective July 1, 2022, employer unemployment insurance taxes will decrease as the UI tax schedule moves from Schedule III to Schedule I. This change is part of an annual statutory calculation performed by the Department based on the Trust Fund’s reserves and historical demands. In addition, taxable […]
Reminder | Review and Feedback, Questions on New Tax Laws Impacting Vermont Manufacturers and Other Businesses
As noted at the end of the session, the Legislature has passed legislation implementing several long standing priorities to improve the tax environment for manufacturers and other businesses in Vermont that AIV has been leading efforts on over recent years. S.53 includes provisions adopting single sales factor apportionment for corporate income tax liability as well […]
Corporate Tax Reform Passes the Legislature and Awaits Governor’s Action, Key Manufacturing Provisions Included
The House and Senate conference committee negotiating a final version of S.53 reached an agreement for the bill addressing corporate income tax reform. Both chambers have now passed the final bill and we are now awaiting the Governor’s action. The bill includes the most impactful provision, adopting single sales factor apportionment, that had been removed […]
Clarification and Expansion of the Sales Tax Exemption for Manufacturing Machinery and Equipment Near Final Passage in the Legislature
Clarification and expansion of Vermont’s sales tax exemption for manufacturing machinery and equipment, another long standing tax priority for AIV, is near final passage in the Legislature. Provisions addressing several shortcomings in Vermont’s current law were included by the Senate Finance Committee in this year’s technical tax bill, H.738. Although this legislation traditionally addresses technical […]
Potential Increases in Fossil Fuel Costs Fails in Close Veto Override Vote, But Issue Won’t Go Away
The House on Tuesday narrowly sustained the Governor’s veto of H.715, which would have directed the Public Utility Commission (PUC) to develop Clean Heat Standard rules. Under the Clean Heat Standard, sellers of heating oil, propane, kerosene, natural gas, and coal would have to reduce greenhouse gas emissions attributable to the Vermont thermal sector by […]