by Guy Page

Since May 19, Gov. Phil Scott has signed into law the following bills:

May 19:

•  H.137, the regulation of insurance products and services. Insurers may not discriminate against property owners offering affordable housing. Creates studies for financial fraud legislation and legislation limiting insurance company access to genetic information. Makes new regulations for virtual-currency kiosks.
•  H.491, setting the homestead property tax yields and the nonhomestead property tax rate. Using Statement Using a hefty buy-down with state funds, the bill sets the coming year homestead property tax at less than one percent. But it’s just a one-year fix, Gov. Phil Scott warned in a letter attached to the signed bill:

“After last year’s significant property tax increase, we knew it was important to provide Vermonters tax relief. But I want to be clear, buying down rates year after year isn’t good fiscal management and we should only view this as a bridge to the real education transformation our system needs. Before this session adjourns, it’s critical we work together to deliver an education bill that sets us on a path to a better more sustainable funding system, a more efficient and effective governance structure, and a commitment to doing the education quality work needed to make sure all students have access to educational opportunities, at a price Vermonters can afford.”

May 20:

•  H.27, the Domestic Violence Fatality Review. Amends existing law to include assessment ‘near-fatal’ domestic violence and requires LGBTQ+ involvement in the study process.

May 21:

•  H.398, the Vermont Economic Development Authority. Gives VEDA the authority to purchase bonds.
•  H.493, making appropriations for the support of the government. Approves the 2025-26 state budget. Gov. Scott said it spends less than the Senate version, but should have spent even less. Letter: “Specifically, although this budget spends $30 million less in general fund base compared to the Senate version, it still spends $20 million more than my proposal. It also creates roughly 70 unique one-time appropriations. Neither would be sustainable under a more modest – and typical – revenue environment.”
•  S.44, authorization to enter into certain immigration agreements. Require gubernatorial approval for any agency to enter into an agreement with federal immigration agencies.
•  S.56, creating an Office of New Americans to streamline access to government services for immigrants.

May 22:

•  H.41, abuse of the dead body of a person. No person shall, knowingly without legal authorization, intentionally burn, mutilate, disfigure, dismember, or destroy the dead body of a person. No person shall violate subsection (a) of this section for the purpose of concealing a crime or avoiding apprehension, prosecution, or conviction of a crime. No person shall commit sexual conduct upon the dead body of a person. A person who violates subsection (a) of this section shall be imprisoned not more than five years or fined not more than $5,000, or both. A person who violates subsection (b) or (c) shall be imprisoned not more than 15 years or fined not more than $10,000, or both.
•  H.98, confirmatory adoptions and standby guardianships
•  H.461, expanding employee access to unpaid leave to align Vermont’s family leave policies with inclusive and equitable standards, ensuring that LGBTQ families, workers with low income, and individuals in nontraditional family structures have equal access to caregiving leave without undue burden. Unpaid leave can be taken for almost any reason for up to three months.
•  H.494, capital construction and State bonding.