Senate also considers transgender support resolution

By Guy Page

The Vermont Senate is meeting this morning with a robust agenda encompassing Crossover survivors and a proposed resolution supporting Vermont’s transgender and non-binary residents.

Among the items carried over as unfinished business from March 14, 2025, is S. 45, an act concerning protection from nuisance suits for agricultural activities, which has received a favorable report from the Judiciary Committee.

The Senate will also consider J.R.S. 15, a joint resolution supporting Vermont’s transgender and non-binary community and declaring the state’s commitment to fighting discrimination and treating all citizens with respect and dignity, up for its third reading. The resolution is sponsored by: Sens. Ruth Hardy , Philip Baruth , Scott Beck , Seth Bongartz , Patrick Brennan , Thomas Chittenden, Alison Clarkson, Brian Collamore , Ann Cummings, Samuel Douglass, Martine Gulick , Wendy Harrison , Nader Hashim, Virginia Lyons , Joseph Major, Christopher Mattos , Andrew Perchlik , Robert Plunkett , Kesha Ram Hinsdale , Tanya Vyhovsky, Anne Watson , Sen. Rebecca White , and Sen. Terry Williams.

A copy of the resolution can be read here.

Bills that are survivors of the Friday, March 14 Crossover date were reported out of their committees to the Senate floor, making them (with every other bill previously reported out of committee) eligible to proceed towards passage through the Senate and the House. They include:

S. 59, amendments to Vermont’s Open Meeting Law, covers the right to attend meetings, hybrid meeting requirements for state nonadvisory public bodies, electronic recording of meetings, designated electronic platforms, local nonadvisory public body meeting recordings, and meeting agendas.

Notably, the definition of “undue hardship” for municipalities seeking exemption from recording requirements is revised. The amendment also details requirements for hybrid meetings, including both a physical and electronic location, electronic recording, and public access to the electronic platform. 

S. 66, motor vehicle noise, exhaust modifications, and engine compression brakes, regulations concerning excessive vehicle noise, making it a condition for failing inspection if a vehicle is equipped or modified to produce excessive noise. It also adds new requirements for engine compression brake devices, mandating the use of a muffler to prevent excessive noise, except in emergencies. The bill tasks the Department of Motor Vehicles with rulemaking, public outreach, and submitting a report by December 15, 2025, with proposals for motor vehicle noise limits and enforcement procedures.

S. 87, extradition procedures, would modify the time a person can be committed to jail awaiting extradition, changing it from 30 to 90 days, with a possible extension of up to three business days to determine probable cause. The time for recommitting a person if not arrested under a warrant is also changed from 60 to 30 days. The bill also updates language regarding written waivers of extradition proceedings and allows for the immediate delivery of a person who has violated probation, parole, or bail in another state if a prior waiver and identifying documents have been received. The timeframe for awaiting an extradition warrant after a lawful arrest by an officer of another state is set at 90.

S. 23, use of synthetic media in elections, defines “deceptive and fraudulent synthetic media” and “synthetic media” and outlines disclosure requirements for publishing deceptive synthetic media of a candidate within 90 days before an election. It also includes exemptions for certain media outlets and providers and establishes penalties for violations, as well as allowing candidates to seek injunctive relief. The Attorney General or State’s Attorney can also institute actions to prevent violations.

S. 27, medical debt relief and excluding medical debt from credit reports. 

S. 36, Medicaid coverage of long-term residential treatment for co-occurring substance use disorder and mental health condition, mandates Medicaid coverage for high-intensity and low-intensity residential treatment for beneficiaries with co-occurring substance use disorder and mental health conditions when prescribed by a healthcare professional in a participating program. It also requires the Agency of Human Services to review the Medicaid payment model for these services and submit a report with recommendations by December 1, 2025.

S. 46, taxation of vehicles used for forestry operations, would exempt from taxation for specific motor vehicles and their repair parts used for timber cutting, removal, and processing.

S. 51, Vermont unpaid caregiver tax credit, modifies the statutory purpose of the unpaid caregiver tax credit and adds a new section detailing the requirements for claiming the credit. This act will take effect retroactively on January 1, 2025. 

S. 53, certification of community-based perinatal doulas and Medicaid coverage for doula services, adds a new section appropriating $25,000 to the Office of Professional Regulation in fiscal year 2026 to establish the doula certification program.

S. 60, establishing the Farm Security Special Fund to provide grants for farm losses due to weather conditions, establishes findings regarding climate-fueled disasters impacting Vermont farms and creates the Farm Security Special Fund to provide grants for losses due to eligible weather conditions, defines eligible weather conditions, farming, and outlines the administration, funding, and grant awarding process. A Farm Security Special Fund Review Board is also created. An appropriation of $7,500,000 from the General Fund in fiscal year 2026 is proposed.

S. 63, modifying the regulatory duties of the Green Mountain Care Board, modifies the timeline for the Green Mountain Care Board to establish budgets for general and psychiatric hospitals. 

S. 65, energy efficiency utility jurisdiction, revises the jurisdiction and scope of energy efficiency programs to prioritize carbon reduction goals and the repeal of the Clean Heat Standard. (For more information, see news & commentary in today’s VDC).   

S. 71, consumer data privacy and online surveillance, establishes consumer rights including the rights to confirm processing, access, correct, delete, and obtain a copy of personal data, as well as the right to opt out of processing for targeted advertising, sale of personal data, and profiling. 

Enforcement is the exclusive authority of the Attorney General. There is no private right of action. 

S. 109, miscellaneous judiciary procedures, modifies the Adult Court Diversion Program, the number and term of Superior Judges, the jurisdiction of the Judicial Bureau, and procedures for voiding or amending complaints. It changes the penalty for misrepresenting age to purchase tobacco products to a civil penalty, restricts public internet access to electronic case records, and addresses zip guns and switchblade knives, including the expungement of certain prior convictions.

The notice calendar (setting a vote for tomorrow) also includes S.R. 10, a Senate resolution relating to the disapproval of Executive Order 01-25, 

Also Proposed Amendment to the Vermont Constitution, Prop 3, concerning the Declaration of Rights and the right to collectively bargain, is scheduled for its third reading. This proposal would add a new article to the Vermont Constitution guaranteeing employees the right to organize and collectively bargain and is slated for a ratification vote by the people in November 2026 if approved by the legislature.

The Senate will also consider the confirmation of several appointments, including Andrew Collier as Commissioner of the Department of Motor Vehicles, Anson Tebbetts as Secretary of Agriculture, and William Shouldice, IV as Commissioner of the Department of Taxes. 

Finally, the calendar provides notice of a Joint Assembly on March 20, for the retention of seven Superior Court Judges.

Bills already passed by the Senate include: