Happy Spring! This time of year, I am excited to see daffodil greens and robins begin appearing in the backyard, while snow remains at higher elevations for the spring skiing so many of us enjoy. We have been keeping long hours on the House Floor, voting on bills related to issues ranging from the annual state budget to healthcare savings. Following is a sampling of legislative action and notices most pertinent to our district:
Agriculture
The Farm Agronomic Practices (FAP) program, administered by the Vermont Agency of Agriculture, Food, and Markets, supports over 200 Vermont farmers annually in installing conservation practices. FAP provides a per-acre payment rate, up to $10,000 total per year, to any Vermont farm that will install rotational grazing, no-till pasture and hayland seeding, no-till planting, crop rotations, manure injection and/or cover crop in 2026.
Health Care
Last week, in partnership with the state treasurer, the House passed H.577, an act establishing the Vermont Prescription Drug Discount Program. This program joins Vermont with ArrayRx, a multistate collaborative that provides prescription drug programs to states. The program is expected to deliver prescription drug discounts of approximately 80% for generic drugs and 20% for name-brand drugs to all Vermonters, regardless of health insurance status. The bill requires any amounts paid for prescriptions using the discount card to be attributed toward a covered individual’s deductible and out-of-pocket responsibilities. The bill is now in the Senate.
Housing—Landlord/Tenant Legislation
H.772 is an act relating to residential rental agreements. Among other things, the bill reduces the amount of time it takes for an ejectment to take place, limits rent increases to once/year, requires the return of half the security deposit 45 days prior to termination with no-fault ejection, and creates a pathway for landlords to allow residents who are victims of violence by their co-tenant to bifurcate the lease and have time to obtain a new roommate. The bill aimed at finding a fair balance between tenant and landlord rights, finding solutions that ensure landlords are not left unable to meet their own financial obligations when rent goes unpaid, while protecting tenants from the real risk of homelessness when eviction becomes a possibility. The bill is now in the Senate.
Transportation—Town Highway Aid
We passed H.944, the Transportation Bill, last week. Highlights of the bill include an introduction of the mileage-based user fee for electric vehicles, beginning in January 2027; an increase in the FY2027 Transportation Alternatives Grant Program maximum award to $1.2 million, reverting to $600k in subsequent years; and a one-time appropriation of $1.7 million directed to the Town Highway Aid program (in addition to the current year allocation). Our committee has been working to bring attention to the scarcity of funding for municipal road maintenance—this is a step in that direction. The T-Bill is now in the Senate.
Additionally, House Transportation is looking into school transportation funding to better understand how the current system works and identify opportunities. As a state, we spend approximately $26 million on school transportation annually, using that money to reimburse schools for up to half of their transportation spending. The median award is approximately $450K. This subject requires more study.
State Budget
The House passed H-951, the FY2027 budget, last week. The Budget Bill, also called the “Big Bill”, was recommended to the House with a unanimous, bi-partisan vote out of the Appropriations Committee. The bill reflects a proposed $9.3 billion budget, which is a 1.6% increase over last year’s budget (below an approximate 2.6% inflation rate). The budget fills all statutorily-required reserves, meets all pension obligations, and makes essential investments in health care, human services, housing and economic development, education, public safety, and the environment.
Despite the House Appropriations’ unanimous recommendation to the House, the roll-call vote passed 97-40, reflecting support from all political parties. Dissent was focused on any spending above the governor's recommended budget, and a desire to use $105 million to buy down property taxes this year only. The passed House bill reflected spreading the buy-down over two years, and using $9 million of one-time money to support Vermonters who have been especially affected by federal cuts – among them, those who are deaf and blind, without health insurance, hungry, elderly, or whose community was denied FEMA assistance after flooding (Northeast Kingdom).
Upcoming constituent meetings:
Monday, April 13 @ 5:15 PM – 6:15 PM, Big Picture Theater, with Rep. Torre
Monday, April 27 @ noon -- 1 PM on Zoom - email for details.
Candice White
