In December, the Vermont Chamber hosted a business roundtable with Senator Ram Hinsdale on the need to make housing the top priority this session. As Chair of the committee tasked with crafting a housing omnibus bill, Ram Hinsdale has since championed the needs of businesses. Over the last eight weeks, the committee took testimony from over 100 Vermonters to craft a bill that would make meaningful progress on Vermont’s housing crisis. The Committee unanimously voted out S.100, the “HOME” bill, which thoughtfully addresses many of the areas that the Vermont Chamber has advocating for. However, the bill is now expected to have an uphill battle in the Senate Natural Resources Committee, which has historically opposed removing the barriers that exist to building housing.

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To address liquor liability insurance concerns, the Vermont Chamber and Vermont Independent Restaurants (VTIR) are advocating for H.288, legislation that would amend the statutes governing liability for the sale of alcoholic beverages. Vermont’s statutes, which have not been amended since 1987, make Vermont an outlier and undesirable state to insure in. VTIR leadership members Chris Karr of the Killington-based Karr Group and Alex Crothers of Higher Ground testified that if this issue is not addressed urgently, their businesses are at risk of becoming inoperable in Vermont.

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A bill passed the Senate Government Operations Committee that would grant the State Auditor access to any of the books, records, and returns of private businesses that contract with state government as it relates to performance. This would be a significant expansion of authority for the political office. The Vermont Chamber will work to support partner organizations such as the Associated General Contractors of Vermont and Vermont Bankers Association, as well as hospitals and other healthcare organizations, to raise concerns. If this legislation passes, it could lead to lengthy and costly interferences with business operations for any of the thousands of businesses contracting with the state of Vermont and will test the willingness of contractors to work on essential contracts such as hospitals, healthcare providers, construction companies, and information technology companies.

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It became clear this week, to the point of legislators reading from Wikipedia, that consensus could not be reached on a path forward to modernize the Vermont Employment Growth Incentive (VEGI) program. The Vermont Chamber advocated for a program analysis by an established and well-respected third-party. Specifically, one with an understanding of best practices in economic development and without emotional ties to, or against, the program. An updated version of H.10 now has a placeholder for a study contracted by the Joint Fiscal Office or conducted by a legislative panel to look at the structure of the Vermont Economic Progress Council and VEGI. The Vermont Chamber will be advocating for a study modeled on the success of other states like Michigan.

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Testimony from the Vermont Principals’ Association in the Senate Education Committee stated there is capacity and infrastructure in place to stand up a high-quality statewide program as outlined in a proposal for universal prekindergarten for 4-year-olds through the public school system. By transitioning an age group to universal public prekindergarten, the proposal could create a significant number of newly available private care provider spots for younger children, addressing availability concerns.

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The Senate Health and Welfare Committee noted cost implications in S.56 where further discussion will be needed. In doing so, the Chair warned that addressing everything at once would be very costly and that the bill could die under its own weight if there is too much money involved. When the Joint Fiscal Office provides a fiscal note on the cost of each proposal, the remaining proposals in the bill will have to be weighed and prioritized.

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Legislators took testimony this week on the funding and governance concerns that have long restricted the ability to engage more students in Career and Technical Education (CTE). With 70% of the jobs in Vermont not requiring a college degree, the Vermont Chamber sent a letter to key committees advocating for solutions to improve student access to CTE programs to train the next generation of workers for the most in-demand careers. 



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• S.5 Affordable Heat - The bill was approved by the Senate Finance Committee. In addition to the expectation of raising heating fuel costs by $.70 per gallon, the act will also cost the State $800,000 in administrative costs in FY24.
• S.45 SALT – The bill was voted out of the Senate Finance Committee and will be considered by the full Senate next week.
• H.66 Paid Family and Medical Leave – The House Ways and Means Committee began taking testimony on potential costs associated with a program that would provide 12 weeks of leave with 100% wage replacement. Of note, 100% wage replacement equates to around 107% of take-home pay meaning people would receive more in wages for staying home than going to work.
• H.121 Consumer Privacy – The House Commerce Committee reviewed a proposed consumer privacy bill. If passed, it would have implications for all Vermont businesses. Testimony on the bill is likely to start next week.
• H.217 Workers’ Comp – Reported favorably by the House Commerce and Economic Development Committee and referred to the House Ways and Means Committee for further consideration. The bill adjusts the annual rate by 1.5%.
• Labor bills - Senate Economic Development reviewed a series of labor proposals including a bill that would raise the minimum wage to $15 by 2025 and create a tipped minimum wage study. Another bill would change Vermont from an at-will State and require just cause for termination. These issues are anticipated to be taken up next week.
• H.276 Rental Registry – The House General and Housing Committee reviewed the language of the bill. The Vermont Chamber will testify on this legislation next week.
• H.145 Budget Adjustment Act – A committee of conference was appointed to negotiate a compromised version of the Senate and House bills. While the Senate version is smaller than House version, both are more expensive than the Governor’s proposal which may prompt the first veto of the session.