This week and next are the two most crucial times in the legislative calendar as all bills voted in the House and Senate must make crossover so that the other body has sufficient time to deliberate and iterate with further amendments.
Investing federal stimulus funds has been a central focus to undergird the economy. Workforce development, child care and housing shortages are being addressed. Pension liability fair to teachers, state employees and taxpayers was proposed, and strategies to combat our climate crisis outlined. Broadband buildout was implemented. Balancing budgets, both in the mid-year January adjustment and the proposed fiscal year 2023 budget is a priority.
In my committee, the House Committee on General, Housing and Military Affairs, we are making progress on Vermont’s housing shortage and are focused on multiple issues relating to housing Vermonters. A few statistics:
• Federal relief funds totaling more than $57 million have helped Vermont renters stay in their homes and helped make landlords whole.
• Federal relief and general Fund dollars have enabled the Vermont Housing and Conservation Board to develop 475 new units of rental housing and to bring several projects online that will result in over 1,100 new rental units by 2023.
• Federal dollars allowed 1,300 households to exit homelessness in 2021, with continued work to be appropriated in the months ahead.
This year in the annual budget adjustment, the House included $50 million to support more mixed-income units, multi-family rentals and to increase shelter capacity, with priority given to populations who may be displaced from the motel voucher program or are currently without housing.
Between now and the end of the session in May, we expect to allocate up to $25 million to rehabilitate 400 existing units that are offline because of code violations as well as a pilot for middle-income buyers.
Consumer, worker protections
Other committee bills focused on consumer and worker protections. H.157 created a “light-touch” registry for construction contractors, along with requiring a contract for work over $3,500. The governor vetoed this bill, but we hope to find a compromise.
Worker protection bills included S.78, streamlining the arbitration process for employees of the Vermont judiciary; H.320, prohibiting agreements that prevent an employee from working for an employer following the settlement of a discrimination case; and H.477, enabling employees to take crime victim leave and expanding to family members who also qualify for this leave from work.
National Guard, liquor laws, human remains
The committee also worked on various bills concerning the Vermont National Guard, the Department of Liquor and Lottery and an alternative method for the final disposition of human remains.
H. 571 extends the National Guard tuition benefit program as an enhanced recruitment tool supporting members seeking a master’s degree, a second baccalaureate degree or appropriate certificate training.
H.244 allows a new method of organic reduction giving Vermonters another option for their permanent disposition choices.
The commissioner of liquor and lottery requested technical corrections and updates of statutes which will be developed along with other liquor bills.
These are expected to pass out of committee and onto to the House floor this week.
Racial and social justice
As I mentioned in last month’s column, the committee also took extensive testimony on H.96, which establishes a truth and reconciliation process, and H.273, which promotes equity in land and home ownership. Details are still in development, but hopefully these two important bills will also make cross-over in the next two weeks.
To catch up on what bills finally did make cross-over, join me and your other elected legislators at South Burlington Library’s legislative forum on Monday, March 28, 6:30 p.m., in the community room on the second floor of the library. It will be great to meet in person once again.