Here’s a snapshot of what we accomplished in the General, Housing, and Military Affairs Committee.
Expanding Safe and Affordable Housing
Given Vermont’s critical housing needs, bolstering our housing stock is a top priority. Through federal COVID relief funds, over $42 million was earmarked this year in S.210 and S. 226 to help Vermont renters and homeowners. With this funding, we were able to:
● Dedicate $20 million toward forgivable loans to property owners to bring rental properties not up to code back online, plus incentivize the construction of new Accessory Dwelling Units to expand Vermont’s rental housing stock.
● Direct $22 million to subsidize new construction to lower costs for middle-income homebuyers, plus $1 million to the Vermont Housing Finance Agency (VHFA) for down payment grants for first-generation homebuyers. Repair and improvement grants will also be available for manufactured homes.
● Reform zoning laws, expand tax credits, and create pilot projects to encourage denser development and more vibrant town centers.
● Create an Advisory Land Access Board, composed of representatives of groups that have faced historic discrimination in land and home ownership. The new board will work with the Vermont Housing and Conservation Board and its partners to reduce current disparities as a result of that discrimination.
● Extend additional protections from discrimination and harassment for renters and homebuyers.
● Create a statewide contractor registry to protect against consumer fraud in residential construction projects with a value of over $10,000.
● Use federal relief money to increase the capacity of the Department of Fire Safety to conduct rental inspections.
Establishing a Truth and Reconciliation Commission
In May 2021, the legislature passed J.R.H.2, apologizing and expressing sorrow and regret to all Vermonters and their families and descendants who were harmed because of state-sanctioned eugenics policies and practices. As a follow-up,H.96 creates a Truth and Reconciliation Commission to research and investigate systemic discrimination caused or permitted by state laws and policies, and to propose action to the Legislature or governor to remedy the impacts on affected communities.
The charge is to listen, research, learn, acknowledge and propose remedies. The work is expected to take three years, delivering detailed findings and recommendations for actions to eliminate and to address harm caused or permitted by state laws. Public input is integral to the entire process.
Supporting our National Guard and Military Members
Vermont is the only state that elects its National Guard’s Adjutant and Inspector General. After many years of debate in the General Assembly, H.517 defined the eligibility criteria for candidates. To enhance recruitment and better support our military families, we also developed several programs, including enhanced tuition benefits for Guard members seeking additional academic training, allowing remote registration of student for families being relocated to Vermont under military orders, and securing in-state students will not lose these benefits if a family member is transferred on military orders or retires. Also, the Agency of Education may now designate a school district as a “Purple Star Campus” to support military-connected students and connect them to resources.
Expanding Burial Options
To provide Vermonters another option to burial and cremation, H. 244 allows for the natural organic reduction of human remains, a method in which an unembalmed body is broken down with organic materials like wood chips and straw for several weeks inside of an enclosure until it becomes soil. Washington, Oregon, and Colorado permit these kinds of processing facilities.
Expanding Worker Protections
S.81 streamlined the arbitration process for employees of the Vermont judiciary and H.477 extended unpaid leave to the family members of crime victims.
Ready-to-Drink (RTD) Beverages
The General Assembly passed H.730, which defines Ready-to-Drink Beverages as a specific category of alcoholic beverage and moves the sale and distribution of RTDs under 12% Alcohol by Volume (ABV) from the Department of Liquor and Lottery to the private sector. It also doubled the tax on RTDs from 55 cents to $1.10 per gallon. Fortified wines will remain in DLL/802 Outlets. The bill also added a refined definition of cider, with a tax adjustment scheduled to take effect in the next fiscal year.
To learn about what bills passed this session, join me and representatives Maida Townsend and Martin LaLonde, along with Sen. Tom Chittenden at this season’s final legislative forum on Monday, May 23, at 6:30 p.m. in the community room on the second floor of the South Burlington Public Library. To attend the meeting on Zoom, find the link at the library’s event page.