by VSC Staff

House Committee on Energy and Digital Infrastructure 

H. 718 – An act relating to building energy efficiency 

This bill makes numerous changes to the contractor registry and requires contractors to disclose any criminal records. 

House Committee on Environment 

H. 723 – An act relating to posting of land 

This bill clarifies that postings on land are only enforceable for one-year. Land posting regulations have been targeted by activists in recent years and this bill may evolve during the legislative process. 

House Committee on Transportation 

H. 766 – An act relating to a local option tax on gasoline and diesel sales 

This bill proposes to create a new $0.01 local option tax for municipalities to receive revenue from sales of gasoline and diesel fuel. 

House Committee on Ways and Means 

H. 732 – An act relating to new income tax brackets 

This bill aims to ease property tax pressure by creating two new income tax brackets which will be taxed 1% higher. The brackets are: $200,000.00 and $400,000.00 of taxable income for individuals and $400,000.00 and $800,000.00 for married filers. These new tax brackets will increase the property tax credits received by households that file for less than $115,000.00 per year. 

Senate Committee on Finance 

S. 315 – An act relating to a homestead property tax exemption for long-term residents who are 65 years of age or older

This bill proposes to exempt from the homestead property tax long-term residents who are 65 years of age or older. This bill proposes to phase in the exemption over a four-year period, with eligible persons fully exempt from the homestead property tax beginning fiscal year 2030. 

S. 282 – An act relating to increasing taxes on higher income earners and creating the School Construction Aid Special Fund 

This bill proposes to create a personal income tax surcharge imposed on taxpayers with more than $250,000.00 of AGI; create a wealth proceeds tax imposed on individuals, estates, and trusts with taxable income over certain thresholds; and create a property tax classification for nonhomestead residential properties with a tax rate that is double the rate paid by homestead taxpayers. It further creates the School Construction Aid Special Fund. The committee is receiving testimony on Thursday February 5 on the tax implications of this legislation. 

Senate Committee on Government Operations 

S. 164 – An act relating to health benefits for members of the General Assembly 

This bill proposes to make members of the General Assembly eligible for the same health benefits offered to State employees. This bill would make an additional 180 Vermonters eligible for health benefits. There is currently no fiscal analysis issued on the financial impacts of this legislation. 

Senate Committee on Health and Welfare 

S. 243 – An act relating to distributing funds to the Vermont Language Justice Project 

This bill proposes to require the Department of Health to distribute $150,000.00 of additional funding to the Vermont Language Justice Project for the creation of non-English informational materials related to a disease outbreak or other public health emergencies.