By Michael Bielawski

The Crossover deadline for bills with significant money appropriations is March 22, this Friday. That means lawmakers must get these bills voted out of their original committee of jurisdiction by then or these bills will likely see no more action this year.

Committees this week will look at Act 250 reforms concerning land use, expanding health insurance access to young adults, and more. The agenda for all the committees can be seen here and are subject to change.

Act 250 reforms – H. 687 (Tuesday, House Committee on Ways and Means) Sponsored by Rep. Amy Sheldon, D-Middlebury, and Rep. Seth Bongartz, D-Manchester.

Legislative Counsel Ellen Czajkowski and Fiscal Analyst Ted Barnett from the Joint Fiscal Office will speak. This bill deals with “community resilience and biodiversity protection through land use” via Act 250 and zoning.

It cites climate change as one of the policy targets. The bill “provides a regulatory framework that supports the vision for Vermont of human and natural community resilience and biodiversity protection in the face of climate change, as described in 2023 Acts and Resolves No. 59.”

It continues, “It would strengthen the administration of the Act 250 program by changing the structure, function, and name of the Natural Resources Board. It requires that appeals of Act 250 permit decisions be heard by a five-member board called the Environmental Review Board.”

VDC has highlighted some potential new housing construction challenges that this bill, purported to spur housing development. For instance, it “tells regulators to focus on downtown and urban areas, and to build multi-family housing on lots formerly used for single-family homes.”

Urban development without Act 250 approval would require strict adherence to new procedures and guidelines and would not take effect until at least 2027.

It also puts new restrictions on developing elsewhere. The bill states, “A permit will not be granted if it is demonstrated by any party opposing the applicant that a development or subdivision will destroy or significantly imperil necessary wildlife habitat or any endangered species.”

There will be money required for new positions. It states, “$384,000.00 is appropriated to the Environmental Review Board from the General Fund in fiscal year 2025 for the positions established in subsection (a) of this section and for additional operating costs required to implement the appeals process established in this act.”

Dr. Dynasaur for adults? H. 721 (Tuesday, House Committee on Ways and Means) Sponsored by Rep. Lori Houghton, D-Essex Junction and others.

Director and Chief Counsel Jennifer Carbee from the Office of Legislative Counsel as well as Nolan Langweil who is principal fiscal analyst for the Joint Fiscal Office will speak.

This bill expands access to Medicaid and Dr. Dynasaur. It would “increase eligibility for the Dr. Dynasaur program and for Dr. Dynasaur-like coverage to include income-eligible young adults up to 26 years of age. The bill would increase the income eligibility thresholds for adults in the Medicaid program over time until they reach the same level as Dr. Dynasaur.”

There will be a study that will require money. “The sum of $250,000.00 is appropriated from the General Fund to the Agency of Human Services in fiscal year 2025 to carry out the study required by this section.”

Reforms for Sheriff’s pay – H. 585 (Tuesday, House Committee on Ways and Means) Sponsored by Rep. Michael Mrowicki, D-Putney, and Rep. Daniel Noyes, D-Wolcott.

Legislative Counsel Rik Sehgal Office and Chris Rupe, the associate fiscal officer for the Joint Fiscal Office, will speak. There will possibly be a vote.

This deals with “amending the pension system for sheriffs and certain deputy sheriffs.” This allows qualified deputy sheriffs to join Group G of the Vermont State Employees’ Retirement System.

The bill states that “a Group G member shall receive a normal retirement allowance equal to two and one-half of a percent of the member’s average final compensation times years of membership service in Group G. The maximum retirement allowance shall be 50 percent of average final compensation.”

More difficult to evict tenants? – H. 829 (Tuesday, House Committee on Ways and Means) Sponsored by Rep. Thomas Stevens, D-Waterbury.

Legislative counsel Jon Gray and Ted Barnett, the fiscal analyst for the Joint Fiscal Office, will speak.

This bill is to create “permanent upstream eviction protections and enhancing housing stability.” Its purpose includes to create “a rental registry; allocating resources for eviction diversion; modernizing policies on just cause evictions, rent increases, and security deposits; and creating programs for property owners to access funding to remediate damages created during recent tenancies.”

A newly created Environmental Review Board? – H. 687 (Wednesday, House Committee on Ways and Means) Sponsored by Rep. Amy Sheldon, D-Middlebury, and Rep. Seth Bongartz, D-Manchester.

Office of Racial Equity upset over noncompliance? (Wednesday, House Committee on General and Housing)

Xusana Davis who is the executive director for the Office of Racial Equity will speak.

Those who want to read the report now can do so here. Part of its summary expresses frustration that not everyone in Vermont public service has been welcoming her office with open arms.

The report states, “As a result, the Director has been perplexed, disappointed, and at times incensed by some of the continued recalcitrance and hostility to basic principles of equity and justice that have been demonstrated by leaders across state and local government in Vermont. As if justice and inclusion have lost their appeal or trendiness, some leaders appear now to require more pressure to be mission-driven and inclusive than in prior years.”

Vermont Economic Progress Council (Tuesday, House Committee on Commerce and Economic Development)

Jessica Hartleben, the Executive Director for the Vermont Economic Progress Council, and John Russell who is a Council member, will speak.

VEPC is an authorization body for the Vermont Employment Growth Incentive (VEGI) program and the Tax Increment Financing (TIF) District program. TIF programs involve investing in infrastructure intended to support new development, such as water lines for example. If new housing units are to be built in Vermont, this kind of investment would spur that development.

School Budget Discussion (Tuesday, House Committee on Education)

Sue Ceglowski and Jeff Francis who are executive directors for the Vermont School Boards Association are each invited. During the hour before, Austin Davis, the director of government affairs for the Lake Champlain Regional Chamber of Commerce will be talking about the Education Fund.

Education leaders and politicians have been scrambling this legislative session to find ways to mitigate an anticipated 20% rise in property taxes this year. 29 out of 93 school budgets were initially voted down this year on Town Meeting Day.

The author is a writer for the Vermont Daily Chronicle