Vermont Senate Bills That Affect Local Government – 2023 Session

S.4

Would amend laws to reduce crimes of violence associated with juveniles and dangerous weapons, establish a grant program for communities suffering from increased violence associated with illegal drug use, gang activity, or human trafficking to obtain financial assistance to support community outreach and intervention, violence prevention, and reducing demand for illegal drugs.

S.5

Would establish the Clean Heat Standard to reduce Vermont’s greenhouse gas emissions from the thermal sector.

S.12

Would permit employees to elect a collective bargaining representative through card check elections.

S.17

Would add subcategories of unprofessional conduct for law enforcement officers reviewable by the Vermont Criminal Justice Council, prohibit sheriffs from collecting compensation for administration of contracts or related services, repeal the penalty for refusal to assist a sheriff, and require the Secretary of State and the Department of State’s Attorneys and Sheriffs to review and report on the number of sheriff’s departments.

S.20

Would establish a Basic Needs Budget Technical Advisory Commission and require the creation of a State and federal assistance calculator.

S.21

Would prohibit the discharge of a firearm within 500 feet of any occupied dwelling house, residence, or other building or camp occupied by human beings or any barn, stable, or other building used in connection with an occupied building.

S.24

Would direct the Commissioner of Environmental Conservation to adopt rules to implement the Clean Fuels Program.

S.31

Would prohibit open carry of loaded firearms in public places; provide that a person may not raise self-defense or defense of others as a defense if the person’s use of defensive force occurred outside the person’s home or dwelling and the person had sufficient and available means of avoiding the use of force; and provide that only law enforcement agencies and federally licensed firearms dealers approved as qualified storage locations by the Department of Public Safety may store firearms relinquished by persons subject to relief from abuse orders.

S.32

Ranked Choice Voting in Presidential Primaries

S.35

Would extend the time period that the Town of Hartford can incur indebtedness for its tax increment financing district for two years and extend the time period that the Town can retain municipal and tax increment for its tax increment financing district until December 31, 2036.

S.38

Would allow a municipality to apply for an Act 250 master plan permit for its designated downtown development districts and neighborhood development areas and provide grants to help with applications.

S.40

Would require a 72-hour waiting period for most firearms transfers; prohibit large capacity ammunition feeding devices from being manufactured in Vermont; require firearms to be locked in a safe storage when not used; provide premium discount on homeowners insurance policies to policyholders who store their firearms in compliance with safe storage requirements; prohibit possession of semiautomatic assault weapons; prohibit three-dimensional printer to manufacture a firearm and prohibit distributing digital instructions for printing; and permit firearms industry members to be held liable for damages in public nuisance lawsuits.

S.55

Would amend the Open Meeting Law to authorize public bodies to meet through electronic means without designating a physical meeting location.

S.57

Would authorize municipalities to adopt ordinances to limit or reduce, but not prohibit, discharge of firearms at a sport shooting range.

S.60

Would enable any town to adopt a local option tax upon a vote of the voters and authorize the Department of Taxes to disclose a municipality’s local option tax data to the town manager or legislative body of that municipality and extend to them the penalties for unauthorized disclosure of confidential tax data.

S.64

Miscellaneous changes to transportation laws including: making all non-limited access highways safe for bicycle and pedestrian use by December 31, 2023; VTrans to lead, assist, and partner in transformation of the transportation sector to meet Vermont emissions requirements; require VTrans notification to abutting landowners and the municipality before taking down a public street tree more than 6 inches in diameter at breast height; require VTrans to develop a tree landscaping, streetscaping, tree policy; study allowing motor vehicles over 99,000 pounds to operate on Vermont highways and to report by January 15, 2024.

S.69

Would establish a property tax surcharge on nonhomestead properties that are dwellings weatherized for year-round use, not long-term rental units, and not rented or occupied by a resident individual as their domicile.

S.73

Would add breast cancer, thyroid cancer, and cancers originating in the reproductive system to the cancers for which a firefighter may be eligible to receive workers’ compensation.

S.75

Would authorize municipalities to create civilian oversight boards to oversee local law enforcement. A board could manage police departments in the same manner as a legislative body, town manager, or police chief, and have power to receive, investigate, and adjudicate complaints of misconduct against law enforcement officers.

S.80

Would make amendments to various environmental laws including clean water and pollution control state revolving loan funds and stormwater permits related to emergency construction activities.

S.82

Would create a study committee to evaluate the impacts of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances leachate on natural resources from landfills in the state.

S.83

Would establish a tax increment financing project development program, administered by the Vermont Economic Progress Council, to allow a municipality to apply to use statewide education property tax and municipal property tax increment to pay for infrastructure projects.

S.88

Would enact the charter of the Town of South Hero to authorize the Town to adopt a local option tax.

S.90

Would establish regulations for the issuance and execution of search warrants, prohibit use of no-knock warrants by law enforcement officers absent a threat of serious bodily harm, and require a law enforcement officer to provide notice of their identity and purpose to the occupant of a premises before they enter the premises to execute a warrant.

S.94

Would extend the time period Barre City can incur indebtedness for its tax increment financing district for two years, beginning March 31, 2024, and extend the time period the City can retain municipal and education property tax increment until December 31, 2039.

S.99

Motor Vehicles miscellaneous bill including study of gross weight limits and speed limits

S.100

Omnibus Housing Bill – Housing Opportunities Made for Everyone (HOME)

S.101

Various amendments to unemployment and workers’ compensation insurance

S.103

Would amend laws prohibiting discrimination in employment and places of public accommodation to say harassment need not be severe or pervasive to constitute unlawful discrimination; disallow agreements settling employment discrimination claims that prohibit the employee from working for the employer or an affiliate of the employer; prohibit pay discrimination based on an employee’s race, national origin, or physical or mental condition; restrict agreements that prohibit individuals from competing with their former employers

S.115

Miscellaneous agriculture bill including exemption of farms and forestry operations from municipal stormwater bylaws and fees

S.124

Would establish the School Construction Aid Task Force to examine, evaluate, and report on issues relating to school construction aid; and by January 15, 2024, require the Task Force to submit a written report with its findings and recommendations for legislative action.

S.130

Would provide two hours of paid leave so employees may vote in elections; establish good cause standard for termination;  prohibit employers from taking adverse actions against an employee because of  exercise of free speech rights; prohibit employers from inquiring about employment status on a job application or interfering with efforts to seek employment with another employer; make interference with an employee’s efforts to seek alternate employment an unfair labor practice for public employers.

S.136

Would extend the deadlines by which the state needs to reduce greenhouse gas emissions

PR.1

Would amend the Constitution of the State of Vermont to allow the General Assembly to establish by law qualifications for individuals to be elected to and hold the office of sheriff.