2024-2025 LEGISLATIVE SESSION
The 2024-25 Legislative session is now closed. The League of Women Voters of Vermont had seven priorities: Elections and Voting, Ethics, Health Care, Housing, Education, Environment, and Gun Safety.
This is a report on the status of the priorities and bills followed by our legislative team. You can find the status of bills, acts, resolutions, and constitutional proposals at Vermont General Assembly Bill, Act & Resolution Search.
ETHICS
Reported by Catherine Rader
H.1 (Act 44). Accepting and Referring Complaints by the State Ethics Commission
League Position: Oppose
Status: Enacted without Governor Scott’s signature on June 5, 2025
The act weakens the requirement that the Legislative, Executive, and Judicial branches consult with the State Ethics Commission after the Commission refers a complaint to a respective branch. Instead of the previously required consultation after referral, the act requires the Commission at the time of referral of the complaint to specify any application of the State Code of Ethics to the alleged complaint and provide a recommended action. The act clarifies that the advice the Commission provided to a referred entity is confidential and nonbinding on the receiving entity.
In addition, the act delays until September 1, 2027 the effective date of the Commission’s enforcement authority, at which time the Commission may have the staff and funding to fully implement enforcement
The League was instrumental in passing legislation establishing the Vermont State Ethics Commission in 2017 and is one of five members of the Commission.
If you are interested in Ethics legislation, contact Kate Rader.
ENVIRONMENT
Reported by Marguerite Adelman
H.238 (Act 54). Phaseout of consumer products containing added perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS)
League Position: Support
Status: Signed into law by Governor Scott on June 12, 2025
In a year marked by little progress in public health or environmental legislation at the state level and regression at the federal level, H.238 addresses further restrictions in Vermont on the use of toxic PFAS in firefighting gear, dental floss, cleaning products, and fluorine-treated containers. The new law builds on earlier legislation adopted in Vermont that addressed PFAS in personal care products, menstrual products, textiles, cookware, rugs and carpets, artificial turf, ski wax, and more. Unfortunately, the law does not address PFAS added to pesticides which end up in water and food.
If you are interested in Environmental/PFAS legislation, contact Marguerite Adelman.
HOUSING
Reported by Lila Richardson
Access to adequate affordable housing is tied to health care needs and ensuring adequate housing is consistent with the League’s position on Meeting Basic Human Needs.
The League joined the Housing & Homelessness Alliance of Vermont (HHAV) in the fall of 2024. HHAV and its 80+ member organizations have the goal of ensuring that all people living in Vermont have safe, stable, affordable homes and, if homelessness occurs, it is brief, rare, and non-recurring.
Much attention during the legislative session focused on homelessness in Vermont. Legislators were concerned about the end-of-winter protections on April 1 for homeless Vermonters covered by the General Assistance (GA) Emergency Housing Program. The House and Senate passed two versions of a Budget Adjustment Act for FY 2025 that would have extended the winter protections through the end of the fiscal year, but Governor Scott vetoed both bills.
The Governor signed Executive Order 03-25 on March 25 to preserve GA Emergency Housing benefits in hotels and motels for a very vulnerable group of homeless Vermonters including families with children and people with serious medical conditions until June 30, after which many of the people housed were ineligible for further benefits due to the 80-day annual cap on GA Emergency Housing benefits. Advocates urged the Governor to extend the Order for the 384 households sheltered under this Order.
Summary of the GA Emergency Housing program for FY2026 prepared by HHAV.
H.91. Vermont Homeless Emergency Assistance and Responsive Transition to Housing Program
League Position: Support
Status: Governor vetoed bill on June 11, 2025
The bill was intended to decrease reliance on hotel and motel rooms for Government Assistance (GA) emergency housing. It would have transitioned responsibility for emergency housing to five regional anti-poverty nonprofits and the statewide domestic violence network. Governor Scott vetoed the bill in June, leaving the current Emergency Housing program in place with no plans to transition to another emergency housing program in future years.
H.493 (Act 27). Making Appropriations for Support of the Government (Housing, Shelter, and Services)
League Position: Support housing appropriations
Status: Governor approved bill on May 21, 2025
The FY26 budget includes many housing and homelessness -elated provisions. Summary of appropriations from HHAV.
S. 127 (Act 69). An act relating to Housing and Housing Development
League Position: Support
Status: Signed into law by Governor Scott on June 12, 2025
Addresses housing shortages and improves housing accessibility, affordability, and infrastructure. Includes a new financial tool for the Community and Housing Infrastructure Program (CHIP) to allow developers, municipalities, or other agencies to borrow money for infrastructure for specific housing projects and use increased tax revenue from the development to pay back the debt. Act 69 also adds new protections to the state fair housing law, protecting Vermonters from discrimination based on citizenship and immigration status.
If you are interested in Housing legislation, contact Lila Richardson.
