Video & Transcript Research : '926'
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Vermont 2025-2026 Regular Session
House Caucus of the Whole - 2026-05-29 - 11:15AM
Vermont House Floor Meeting
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Summary:
The House began with several announcements and recognitions, including a lengthy tribute to Representative Carolyn Brangan of Georgia on her retirement and years of service, followed by remarks from Brangan explaining that she is leaving to care for her husband during cancer treatment. Additional members offered brief reflections, including one on the end of the session and another welcoming students from Founders Memorial School to the gallery, and a member from Brattleboro highlighted a collaborative mural in the card room titled “These Green Hills, Vermont State Symbols and Personal Reflections.”
The body then took up its calendar. It adopted Joint House Resolution 12, authorizing limited remote voting in joint committees through the remainder of the calendar year, with an ADA-related accommodation for members physically present but unable to access a meeting room. The House also suspended rules to take up and concur in the Senate amendment to House Bill 935 on emergency management. The committee report described grant programs for emergency response and technical rescue, new definitions and shelter-planning language centered on “whole community,” a wildland fire response task force, and an emergency rulemaking provision requested by the Agency of Natural Resources; the committee approved the Senate proposal on an 8-3 straw poll, and the House concurred.
The House next adopted the conference committee report on House Bill 952, the capital construction and state bonding budget adjustment bill. The report explained changes made in conference, including shifting funds to cover a higher-than-expected bid for the St. Johnsbury facility, restoring some funding for maintenance at the women’s correctional facility in Chittenden County, and setting aside $750,000 toward planning for Wi-Fi installation in correctional facilities. It also noted a lease-related language change for a Vermont Huts project at Little River State Park, with notification to the institutions committee chairs. The House then took up Senate Bill 64 on optometrists’ scope of practice; the committee presentation supported allowing specially credentialed optometrists to perform certain minor surgical, laser, and injection procedures, citing improved access, safety, cost, and workforce development, and the bill was read for second reading with committee recommendations for concurrence.
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The House took up two committee of conference reports. On House Bill 639, relating to genetic data privacy, members suspended the rules for immediate consideration and adopted the conference report. The conference compromise settled a dispute over cure periods by allowing a 30-day cure period for business activities of genetic data privacy businesses, effective January 1, 2027, with the cure period lasting 18 months and then repealing on June 30, 2028. A House member explained the House had sought a narrower cure period than the Senate, and the final report was adopted by voice vote.
The House then suspended the rules to take up House Bill 710, relating to defining electricity generating facilities, and also adopted that conference report by voice vote. The bill updates the definition of a “single plant” to focus on facilities using the same point of interconnection, clarifies the change is not retroactive and applies only to new permit and certificate applications, and adds a Department of Public Service report on farmland conversion to solar by January 15, 2027. It also expands Public Utility Commission hiring authority for complex renewable energy cases, creates a decommissioning fund for abandoned clean energy facilities, requires the PUC to report on the decommissioning fee formula, and sets an effective date of July 1, 2026. The conference committee reported unanimous support.
After the two reports were adopted, the House stood at ease, then returned briefly for announcements. Members offered remarks thanking the Speaker for her service after news she would not run again, invited members to view an end-of-year legislative slideshow, and wished a member from Randolph a happy birthday. The House then adjourned until the next day at 10:00 a.m.
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The House took up the Committee of Conference report on House Bill 944, the fiscal year 2027 transportation program and related transportation law changes. The Speaker first suspended the rules to consider the report immediately. A member from Swanton then outlined the conference committee’s main agreements, saying the House Transportation Committee was pleased with the result.
The report’s major provisions included a mileage-based user fee for battery electric vehicles beginning January 1, 2027, at 1.4 cents per mile, with multiple payment options and a directive for the Agency of Transportation to return with recommendations on eventually adding plug-in hybrid vehicles. The member also highlighted shifting $1.7 million from town highway aid to state paving, an additional $300,000 from the general fund for volunteer driver and mobility programs, a recommendation to study bonding as a way to advance transportation projects, consumer-protection style rules for EV charging price transparency, and changes to dates related to the Caledonia airport sale. The member noted the conference committee accepted the Senate’s position on making obsolete Connecticut River log-drive rules obsolete.
After brief remarks, the House voted on the conference report. The chair called for a voice vote, the ayes appeared to have it, and the report of the committee of conference was adopted. The House then noted that additional Senate bills might come over later and recessed until 4:00 p.m.
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The House took up several Senate proposals of amendment and, by voice vote, concurred in each. On House Bill 928, technical corrections to fish and wildlife statutes, the House suspended the rules, heard a section-by-section explanation of changes to hunting violation points, license expiration dates, license fees, and Champion Lands reporting, and then concurred after both the committee and Ways and Means reported favorable straw polls of 11-0. On House Bill 915, the extended producer responsibility program for beverage containers, the House also suspended the rules and heard a detailed summary of Senate changes affecting handling fees, redemption requirements, PRO administration, collection-site standards, reporting, and effective dates; Environment reported a favorable straw poll and Ways and Means noted a modest fiscal impact from higher liquor bottle handling fees, after which the House concurred.
The House then took up Senate Bill 328 on housing and common interest communities. The General and Housing Committee explained the Senate’s further amendments, including changes to the treasurer’s housing credit facility, consultation requirements, VHIP funding provisions, municipal housing planning, duplex and accessory dwelling unit rules, temporary multi-unit provisions, downtown and village center benefits, and common-interest-community reporting on vegetable gardens. Appropriations and Environment both reported no additional fiscal concerns and favorable straw polls, and the House concurred in the Senate proposal of amendment.
Finally, the House considered House Bill 542 on PCB testing in Vermont schools. The Senate strike-all amendment would extend the testing deadline to 2035, create a future special fund for testing and remediation, require PCB testing before major renovation projects using state construction dollars, and direct ANR to report on remaining costs and funding options. After questions about how the amendment would affect schools that had already tested or completed remediation, Education explained that existing remediation reimbursements would continue and that the amendment mainly delays the mandate and sets up a future funding mechanism. The House concurred, then recessed until 5:20 p.m. to prepare for additional Senate bills.
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The House first announced that House Bill 915 would be moved to a later time block at 4:00. The chamber then turned to House Bill 928, an act relating to technical corrections to fish and wildlife statutes, which was on the notice calendar with a Senate proposal of amendment.
A member from Poultney moved to suspend the rules so the House could take up H. 928 immediately. The motion was put to a voice vote and the ayes prevailed, so the House suspended the rules and brought the bill up for immediate consideration.
The presiding member noted that H. 928 had passed the Senate in concurrence with a proposal of amendment printed in the day’s calendar. After that announcement, the House was asked to stand at ease and then entered a brief recess of about 10 minutes.
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The House took up Senate Bill 313, relating to transforming Vermont’s career technical education system. The Committee on Commerce and Economic Development described the bill as part of a broader effort to integrate CTE more fully into Vermont’s education system, with goals including universal access, more consistent admissions and credit policies, better transportation access, updated rules and procedures, and stronger alignment with workforce needs. The committee emphasized that CTE should be treated as a core part of education, not a stand-alone track, and reported the bill favorably 11-0-0 after hearing from education, labor, workforce, fiscal, and CTE stakeholders.
The Committee on Education recommended a few changes, including a typo correction and removal of a legislative working group, explaining that broader education reform work already underway would make a separate working group duplicative. It added a task for the Agency of Education to study how to serve adult diploma students in CTE programs amid federal funding changes, and it supported the bill with an amendment vote of 10-0-1. The Committee on Appropriations said the fiscal impact could not yet be estimated because it depends on future rulemaking, and it recommended the bill ought to pass in concurrence as amended by a vote of 10-0-1.
The House adopted the Education Committee amendment, then adopted a further amendment offered by Representative Bartley and others that incorporated language from S. 230 while removing a solicitation provision related to Department of Corrections property. The House then agreed to propose the amended bill to the Senate, ordered third reading, suspended rules to place the bill in all remaining stages of passage, passed S. 313 in concurrence with proposal of amendment, and suspended rules again to message its action to the Senate forthwith. The House then recessed until 1:00 p.m.
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The House was called to order, but the chamber was then informed that House Bill 928 needed additional preparation time. As a result, the House recessed until 4:00 p.m., when it would resume consideration of HB 928 from where it left off.
The presiding member also indicated that House Bill 915 would be taken up during the afternoon session, along with potentially other bills. Members were advised to monitor their email for updates. No votes or substantive debate occurred before the recess.
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The House opened with a moment of silence and the Pledge of Allegiance, then read HCR 307 honoring Representative Kevin “Coach” Christie of Hartford for his civic leadership, long career in education and public service, work on equity and human rights, and his vocal performances. Several members offered remarks praising Christie’s service and announcing that he would not seek another term, while expressing appreciation for his contributions and wishing him well amid recent health challenges.
During announcements, members recognized a visiting guest, shared caucus notices, and one member spoke about the connection between military appreciation month and mental health awareness month, citing high suicide rates among service members and urging attention to veterans’ mental health. The House then moved to the day’s orders and took up two bills related to mental health.
On H. 817, concerning mental health literacy and peer-to-peer supports in schools, the House suspended rules to consider the Senate’s proposal of amendment. A member from Winooski explained that the Senate strike-all amendment directed the Department of Mental Health and the Agency of Education to inventory related work, recommend integration of peer-to-peer youth mental health programming and school/after-school literacy efforts, and consider grant support beginning in July 2028, with funding recommendations to be included in the FY28 budget. The House concurred in the Senate amendment.
The House then suspended rules to take up H. 816, relating to regulating the use of artificial intelligence in the provision of mental health services, and adopted the Committee of Conference report. Supporters said the conference changes addressed concerns from mental health clinicians about digital therapeutics, clarified where clinical guidance is needed, aligned definitions, allowed research and development to continue through universities such as Dartmouth, and added the Board of Medical Providers and the Office of Professional Regulation to the AI Advisory Council. The House adopted the report and then recessed until 1:00 p.m.
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The House took up House Bill 527, which extends the sunset of 30 V.S.A. Chapter 248A governing telecommunications siting. The House Energy and Digital Infrastructure Committee explained that the House version would have extended the process through 2030 and required a Public Utility Commission stakeholder process, but the Senate instead shortened the extension to July 1, 2029 and added immediate statutory changes: written notice to municipalities and regional planning commissions, a required public meeting before filing applications, attendance by the applicant and the Department of Public Service, and other transparency measures. The committee recommended concurrence with the Senate amendment on a 6-3 straw poll.
Representative Pritchard of Poultney then offered a further amendment to shorten the sunset further, from July 1, 2029 to July 1, 2027. He argued that the Section 248A process has long-standing problems, that rural towns lack resources to participate effectively, and that the legislature should address the issue sooner rather than continue extending the sunset. He cited concerns from Tinmouth and the Westmore tower case, and requested a roll-call vote. Supporters of the Senate position responded that the Senate changes would provide immediate improvements and that a shorter sunset could create risks by expediting more permits and worsening the situation.
The committee reported its view that the Pritchard amendment was unfavorable by a 6-3 vote and asked the House to vote no on it. After that exchange, the House stood at ease and then went into recess for a caucus.
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The House first returned to Senate Bill 71, a consumer data privacy and online surveillance bill. Members debated a proposed amendment that would have removed language allowing companies to rely on consumer consent to sell certain sensitive data. Supporters argued consent pop-ups and terms-of-service notices are not meaningful consent and that sensitive data should be categorically protected, citing Maryland and other states. Opponents, including the committee presenter, said the bill was a carefully negotiated compromise needed to establish Vermont’s first data privacy framework and warned that adopting the amendment could jeopardize passage in the Senate or with the governor. The committee reported the amendment unfavorable on a 9-0 straw poll, the House rejected the amendment, and then approved the committee’s recommended proposal of amendment by roll call vote, 129-3.
During questioning on S. 71, members discussed the bill’s applicability thresholds, with the presenter explaining that the 35,000-consumer threshold was modeled on Connecticut, while lower 3,000 thresholds for sensitive data and data sales were based on business testimony and intended to capture smaller entities such as accountants, lawyers, nonprofits, and trade associations that share or sell lists. Members also asked about the bill’s many exemptions, which were described as covering entities already regulated by state or federal law, including health care entities under HIPAA and banking and insurance sectors. The presenter and supporters emphasized that the bill still requires clear privacy notices, limits data collection to what is reasonable and disclosed, and gives consumers rights to opt out, correct, and delete data. After the roll call vote, the House ordered third reading, suspended rules to place S. 71 in all remaining stages, passed it in concurrence with proposal of amendment, and suspended rules to message the action to the Senate forthwith.
The House then moved to Senate Bill 193, relating to establishing a forensic facility for certain criminal justice-involved persons. The committee presenter from South Burlington previewed that the bill would create a permanent forensic facility, with a separate amendment expected to address interim arrangements while the facility is being developed. The transcript ends as the House begins second reading of S. 193 and the committee reports are introduced, with further debate not shown.
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The House first debated House Bill 527, extending the sunset of 30 V.S.A. chapter 248A, which governs telecom tower siting. Members discussed a Senate proposal of amendment that would require a mandatory local hearing with the developer and the Department of Public Service present. Supporters said the change would improve public participation and local control, especially for rural towns, while opponents argued it could either stall telecom development or speed it up with less input. Several members also raised concerns about health effects of RF radiation and cited scientific studies and court actions, while others said they had not seen evidence of the harms claimed and emphasized the importance of connectivity. A proposed further amendment to shorten the sunset to one year was defeated by roll call, 52-89, and the House then concurred in the Senate proposal of amendment by roll call, 122-14.
The House then took up House Bill 686, relating to expanding identification of certain lobbying advertisements. After suspending rules, members heard a summary of the Senate’s strike-all amendment, which broadened the definition of lobbying communications and required clearer identification and reporting for paid lobbying ads, while avoiding duplicate reporting where campaign finance disclosures already apply. The Government Operations and Military Affairs Committee reported a 10-1-1 straw poll in favor, and the House concurred in the Senate proposal of amendment.
Next, the House considered Senate Bill 326, miscellaneous amendments to motor vehicle laws. The Transportation Committee described the changes as largely technical, including provisions related to hands-free cell phone use for commercial drivers and to mufflers, motorcycles, and annual inspections. After testimony from Legislative Council and the Department of Motor Vehicles, the committee recommended concurrence on a 9-1-1 straw poll, and the House concurred and then voted to message its action to the Senate forthwith. The chamber also took up the conference report on House Bill 642, youthful offender proceedings, with the conference committee restoring House language allowing victims to attend and present impact statements at both hearings and making several technical cross-reference corrections; the report was presented for House consideration.
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The House first took up House Bill 955, relating to next steps in transforming Vermont’s education system. The chamber suspended rules to consider the Senate proposal of amendment immediately, and the House Education Committee reported that while it appreciated the Senate’s work, differences remained on issues including the timing of class size minimums, possible tuition or fees under the foundation formula, school construction details, and merger committee groupings. The committee voted 11-0-0 to refuse concurrence and request a committee of conference.
After a brief correction on the committee straw poll, the House voted to refuse concurrence in the Senate amendment and appointed Representatives Conlin, Kornheiser, and Quimby as the House conferees. The House then suspended rules to message its action to the Senate forthwith.
The House next took up Senate Bill 71, the consumer data privacy and online surveillance bill. The Commerce and Economic Development Committee recommended amendment, and the floor report described the bill as creating a comprehensive Vermont data privacy law effective January 1, 2028. The report outlined consumer rights to know, access, correct, delete, and port personal data, and to opt out of targeted advertising and sale of data; duties for controllers and processors; limits on sensitive data use; special protections for minors and health-related geofencing; Attorney General enforcement; and an 18-month cure period. The committee heard extensive testimony from a broad range of advocates, industry representatives, privacy experts, and other stakeholders, and it reported the bill out favorably with amendment on a vote of 11-0-0 before the House recessed for dinner.
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