By VDC staff

Several Vermont House committees met January 21 to advance legislation touching on housing development, emergency shelter policy, and school nutrition, continuing a busy start to the 2026 legislative session.

For more information on Vermont Legislature committee activity, go to Goldendomevt.com and the Vermont General Assembly website.  

Corrections and Institutions amends state-property-to-housing bill with governor’s housing order

The Vermont House Committee on Corrections and Institutions worked to amend H.50, a bill introduced in the 2025 session by Rep. Conor Casey (D–Washington 4), to align the legislation with Section 4.1 of Governor Phil Scott’s executive order, Promoting Housing Construction and Rehabilitation, signed September 17, 2025.

The executive order directed state agencies to conduct a one-time inventory of state-owned un- and underutilized properties to identify sites suitable for affordable housing and related projects, including multifamily housing development, housing infill, mobile home parks, and shelter construction and rehabilitation. Agencies were also instructed to assess feasibility and infrastructure capacity, with recommendations for disposal or long-term lease arrangements to help meet the state’s housing unit generation goals.

Proposed committee amendments would update H.50 to require similar inventories on a recurring annual basis, incorporating the language and intent of the executive order into statute. The committee is scheduled to hear testimony from the Department of Buildings and General Services on its current efforts related to property inventories and housing feasibility.

Human Services continues work on emergency housing

On the same day, the House Committee on Human Services continued work on H.594, an emergency housing bill introduced earlier this month by Rep. Eric Maguire (R–Rutland area). The bill would establish the “Temporary Emergency Housing and Accountability Program,” aiming to transition away from the COVID-era General Assistance and Emergency Housing Program, commonly known as the hotel/motel program.

The existing program has been controversial, drawing criticism over costs, safety concerns, and funding challenges. Disputes over its financing were a central issue in the 2025 Budget Adjustment Act, which Governor Scott vetoed multiple times. The program has also faced scrutiny following reports, including a March 2025 Vermont Daily Chronicle investigation, alleging a total of 135 deaths connected to the program since its inception.

According to the bill’s stated purpose, H.594 is intended to ensure that “narrowly tailored, temporary emergency housing assistance is available to only the most vulnerable Vermonters in crisis through fiscal year 2028,” while encouraging accountable use of taxpayer funds. The legislation would establish clearer eligibility standards and accountability measures for participants.

Introducing the bill, Rep. Maguire emphasized a model centered on wraparound supportive services and temporary assistance rather than long-term emergency shelter use.

“The status quo reflects a belief that the most compassionate response to homelessness is to keep emergency housing available for as long as it’s needed, even when the system cannot offer structured services or a clear path forward,” Maguire said. “H.594 reflects a belief that compassion includes responsibility, structure, and honesty about what works.”

The governor has recommended about $20 million for emergency housing this year. H.594 would continue about $30 million for continuation of care services for unhoused people. 

Lawmakers take aim at school nutrition and food additives

Elsewhere in the Statehouse, the House Committee on Agriculture met January 21, where Rep. Michelle Bos-Lun (D–Windham 3) outlined plans to introduce legislation aimed at eliminating ultra-processed foods from Vermont school lunch programs.

Bos-Lun described the proposal as a work in progress, saying that improving the nutritional quality of school meals is one of the most impactful actions within the committee’s jurisdiction. While acknowledging positive aspects of existing programs, she argued that reliance on heavily processed foods should be reduced in favor of more wholesome options.

At the same time, the Senate Health and Welfare Committee received a walkthrough of S.26, introduced in 2025 by Sen. Virginia Lyons (D–Chittenden Southeast). That bill would ban several artificial food dyes—Blue 1, Blue 2, Green 3, Red 40, Yellow 5, and Yellow 6—from foods and beverages sold or served in Vermont schools.

If enacted, the measures would place Vermont among states such as West Virginia, Arizona, Utah, and New York that have moved to restrict certain food additives in public settings.

The initiatives align with broader national nutrition trends and updated federal guidelines promoted by U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy. Recent changes emphasize whole foods, fruits, vegetables, proteins, and saturated fats, while recommending reductions in ultra-processed foods, added sugars, and synthetic additives.

Over the past year, major food and beverage companies have also announced formula changes, including removing artificial dyes, reducing seed oils, and shifting away from corn-derived sweeteners toward cane sugar, reflecting growing consumer and regulatory pressure.