Vermont Legislature SmartTranscripts:

[Representative Jill Krowinski (Speaker of the House)]: Will the house please come to order and members kindly take their seats? Good afternoon. The devotional today will be led by representative Greer of Bennington.

[Representative William "Will" Greer (Bennington)]: Thank you. Good afternoon members. Good afternoon. Come on. Let's a little more energetic. Come on. Good afternoon. There we go. There we go. There we go. Love it. So today's devotional, I'm going to be dedicating to looking at perspective because perspective always changes. And we gain perspective when we undergo a series of ordeals or a continuum of moments that shape our views on the world around us. Most people will think though that perspective is shaped by age or time, but the best perspective happens in little spurts, quick events that change our trajectory forever. And so I wrote up a few ideas that have changed my perspective, and I thought about for a while, you know, what would I choose to write about because, obviously, you can't pinpoint just one thing. And the one story that resonated with me the most, I'm gonna tell you guys today because I think it's most applicable to us as an elected body. It was my junior year of high school. And as you can imagine, all good things happen in junior year of high school. But it was our class president elections, and it was going down. We were gonna we were gonna have a tough election, and I was running for class president again. And I actually did probably the most politically cordial thing that any high schooler running for an office would do, which is that I went around and asked the people that might run if they wanted to run because I would be willing to step aside. I thought that was the most gracious thing to do at that moment in time. Until one day, we were sitting in English class, and I found out that one of my good friends, and I should mention that she was not my good friend when all this happened or before that, but now we're great friends, that I found out she was gonna run against me. And I hope she's watching this right now because I love her. But, Katie, girl, I'm gonna call you out on this one. So I walked up to her when I found this out, and I asked her why was she running now after, you know, again, I thought I had so generously asked, you know, her and others if they wanted to run. And she said and I just remember it was the facial expressions, the lips, the tilt of the head, and it was just kind of this rage almost in her eyes. And she said, I deserve this. And you can imagine my reaction after she said that and after class ended. But instead of letting the anger consume me in that moment in time, I told myself, I'm gonna get out there. And instead of thinking I deserve this, I'm gonna earn it. I did not win. Just FYI. Just go throw that out there. But from that moment on, I did believe that you had to earn things such as that. And by changing my perspective to you earned something rather than you deserved something, it changed my attitude and my outlook, my perspective on things. But, of course, most people would say, well, how can you say that someone doesn't deserve kindness, happiness, love, etcetera, etcetera? You can fill in the blank with that. But think about when you say and you change it to someone earns those things. Why do they earn it? How do they earn it? They earn it because they are human. Because they are of the same flesh and blood as I. We are neighbors and we are friends, and they have earned my love. They have earned to be happy by bringing peace to those around them simply by being who they are. They have earned my whole world to be kind to you because we feed each other's energy. So rather than begrudgingly say, well, I have to be nice to you because you deserve respect. You deserve my love and all this. They've earned it in all the ways possible. So as we sit in our seats in

[Representative William "Will" Greer (Bennington)]: this chamber today, in our committees, in any other place that our power holds meaning and weight, I want you to ask, what did I do to earn to be in this place, in this moment, not why you should deserve to be in this place at that moment. If you can change your perspective, it will change you in all the

[Representative William "Will" Greer (Bennington)]: best ways possible to members. Thank you.

[Representative Jill Krowinski (Speaker of the House)]: Members, we have 17 house bills for introduction today. With that member from Pultely, can you please offer us a motion to suspend rules to introduce bills by number only?

[Representative Patricia McCoy (Poultney)]: Madam speaker, I make a motion to suspend rules in order to introduce bills by number only.

[Representative Jill Krowinski (Speaker of the House)]: The member from POLTENAY moves that we suspend our rules to introduce bills by number only. Are you ready for the question? If so, all those in favor, please say aye. Aye. All those opposed, please say nay. The ayes appear to have it. The ayes do have it and you have suspended rules to introduce bills by number only. Please listen to the first reading of bills by number only. H six eighty eight. To general and housing.

[House Reading Clerk (staff, unidentified)]: H six eighty nine.

[Representative Jill Krowinski (Speaker of the House)]: To human services.

[House Reading Clerk (staff, unidentified)]: H six ninety.

[Representative Jill Krowinski (Speaker of the House)]: To transportation.

[House Reading Clerk (staff, unidentified)]: H six ninety one.

[Representative Jill Krowinski (Speaker of the House)]: To health care.

[House Reading Clerk (staff, unidentified)]: H six ninety two.

[Representative Jill Krowinski (Speaker of the House)]: To education.

[House Reading Clerk (staff, unidentified)]: H six ninety three.

[Representative Jill Krowinski (Speaker of the House)]: To government operations and military affairs.

[House Reading Clerk (staff, unidentified)]: H six ninety four.

[Representative Jill Krowinski (Speaker of the House)]: To government operations and military affairs. H

[House Reading Clerk (staff, unidentified)]: six ninety five.

[Representative Jill Krowinski (Speaker of the House)]: To government operations and military affairs.

[House Reading Clerk (staff, unidentified)]: H six ninety six.

[Representative Jill Krowinski (Speaker of the House)]: To government operations and military affairs.

[House Reading Clerk (staff, unidentified)]: H six ninety seven.

[Representative Jill Krowinski (Speaker of the House)]: To government operations and military affairs. H 698. To education. H 699. To commerce and economic development.

[House Reading Clerk (staff, unidentified)]: H 700.

[Representative Jill Krowinski (Speaker of the House)]: To government operations and military affairs.

[House Reading Clerk (staff, unidentified)]: H seven zero one.

[Representative Jill Krowinski (Speaker of the House)]: To education.

[House Reading Clerk (staff, unidentified)]: H seven zero two.

[Representative Jill Krowinski (Speaker of the House)]: To judiciary. H seven zero three. To judiciary. And h seven zero four. To general and housing. Members, we have a joint senate resolution to take up at this time. JRS 33 is a joint resolution to provide for a joint assembly to hear the budget message of the governor. It was offered by senator Perchlich and was read and adopted on the part of the senate. Please listen to the reading of the resolution.

[House Reading Clerk (staff, unidentified)]: Resolved by the senate and house of representatives that the two houses meet in joint assembly on Tuesday, 01/20/2026 at 01:00 in the afternoon to receive the budget message of the governor. Now

[Representative Jill Krowinski (Speaker of the House)]: you have heard the reading of the resolution, and the question is, shall the house adopt the resolution in concurrence? Are you ready for the question? If so, all those in favor, please say aye. Aye. All those opposed, please say nay. The ayes appear to have it. The ayes do have it and the resolution is adopted in concurrence. Are there any announcements? Member from Fairfield.

[Unidentified Member from Fairfield]: Thank you, madam speaker. A little over five and a half million years ago, the Messinian salinity crisis occurred resulting in the Mediterranean Sea going completely dry for hundreds of thousands of years. The Zanclean flood then refilled the entirety of the sea in over a period of just mere months. And I know what you're thinking. Why is this dude giving me a history and geology lesson on a random Thursday at the legislative session? And that's a great question. The reason is because I need to give you a visual of something so grand and amazing. Such a powerful force of nature that it seems unfathomable to our minds. It

[Representative Kirk White (Bethel)]: might

[Unidentified Member from Fairfield]: be challenging for some to truly visualize this massive amount of water flying in from the Atlantic over the Straits Of Gibraltar. But I think we can all agree that it would have been quite the sight to see. I mean, seriously, an entire sea belt, basin filled in a matter of months. So now that you have this visual in mind, this powerful event with millions upon millions upon millions upon millions of gallons of water filling the mighty Mediterranean in what amounts to mere moments, I want you to take that image and multiply it by a 100. Hard to imagine? Not really. Because right here, we have excuse me. Well, not really because though more of a whirlwind than a catastrophic flood, we have a force right here in our presence that dwarves this major geological event, and today is his birthday. Madam Speaker, would you thank you for some laughs. I I I worked hard on this. Madam Speaker, would the body help me wish a happy birthday to my good friend and our very own force of nature, the youngest member from Bennington. We love you, buddy.

[Representative Jill Krowinski (Speaker of the House)]: Happy birthday, member. Member from Derby.

[Unidentified Member from Derby]: Thank you, madam speaker. My announcement won't be near as exciting as a member from Fairfield. And happy birthday, member. Appreciate you. Last night, the long work of our senator Peter Welch was finally codified, and the president signed into law whole milk for schools. And so I wanna stand here and thank senator Welch for remembering his Vermont farmers and working hard for us. And to show a bipartisanship, the president said, let's let a democrat speak first. Is there one in the room? And he looked over, and it was senator Welch who did a great job speaking to Vermont farmers. So I appreciate that, and I wanted to mention it here on the floor. Thank you.

[Representative Jill Krowinski (Speaker of the House)]: Thank you, member. Are there any further announcements? Member from Rutland City.

[Representative Mary E. Howard (Rutland City)]: Thank you, madam chair. I'd like to introduce Chad BJ. He's the executive director of Recovery House, which provides substance use treatment services for Vermont statewide. The residential services include both high intensity treatment at Serenity House and low intensity treatment at Grace House and McGee House. Their mission is to provide adults suffering from addiction a residential treatment setting that is oriented around recognizing addiction as a treatable chronic disease. Recovery House is one of the tools in our toolbox to reduce costly incarceration and emergency room overcrowding. I would like to ask this body to welcome Chad BJ to the house of the people. Getting right on over here.

[Representative Jill Krowinski (Speaker of the House)]: Will the guest, the member from Rutland City, please rise and be recognized. Member from Bennington.

[Representative William "Will" Greer (Bennington)]: Well, I have to thank the member from Fairfield for that lovely, and I did not know where that was going, but wonderful speech. I have to say though that there's another member of this incredible body who has a birthday today. We are birthday twins. She is one of my favorite people in this chamber and I hope that we can wish her a happy birthday. Her name also and I will not talk about characters of members. Her name also happens to start with the w, and she's the member from Colchester. So can we please wish her a happy birthday as well?

[Representative Jill Krowinski (Speaker of the House)]: Happy birthday, ma'am. Member from Cornwall.

[Representative Peter Conlon (Cornwall)]: Madam speaker, I move that the house education committee be relieved of h three ninety three, an act relating to the prohibition of requiring face masks in schools, and that it be committed to the committee on health care.

[Representative Jill Krowinski (Speaker of the House)]: The member from Cornwall moves that the committee on education be relieved of house bill three ninety three, which is an act relating to the prohibition of requiring face mask in schools and that the same be committed to the committee on healthcare. Are you ready for the question? If so, all those in favor, please say aye. Aye. All those opposed, please say nay. The ayes appear to have it. The ayes do have it and you have relieved the committee on education of house bill three ninety three and committed the same to the committee on health care. Member from Barrie City. Town. My apologies.

[Representative Francis McFaun (Barre Town)]: No worries. Thank you, madam speaker. The legislative sportsman's caucus will meet tonight at 04:30 in Room 10. All are welcome, and we will have Jason Boutch elder for the commissioner of fish and wildlife, speaking with us. Thanks.

[Representative Jill Krowinski (Speaker of the House)]: Are there any further announcements? Member from Berkshire.

[Representative Lisa Hango (Berkshire)]: Thank you. Really mundane announcement, but it came to our attention after the caucus of the hall yesterday that we had run out of copies of the National Guard mobilization chart, so there are more copies on the front table.

[Representative Jill Krowinski (Speaker of the House)]: Member from Kjellberg.

[Unidentified Member (district unclear due to transcription)]: Thank you, madam speaker. I invite the body to come to the first meeting of the caucus for Vermont's economy. We will meet tomorrow, Friday at noon in Room 10. Hope to see you there.

[Representative Jill Krowinski (Speaker of the House)]: Member from Callis.

[Representative Marc Mihaly (Calais)]: Madam speaker, I move that the committee on general and housing be relieved of house bill three three four, which is an act relating to limiting employer restrictions on individuals separating from employment and that the same be committed to the committee on commerce and economic development.

[Representative Jill Krowinski (Speaker of the House)]: The member from CALUS moves that the committee on general and housing be relieved of House Bill three thirty four which is an act relating to limiting employer restrictions on individuals separating from employment and that the same be committed to the committee on commerce and economic development. Are you ready for the question? If so, all those in favor, please say aye. Aye. All those opposed, please say nay. The ayes appear to have it. The ayes do have it. And you have relieved the committee on general and housing of house bill three thirty four and committed the same to the committee on commerce and economic development member from Thetford.

[Representative Jim Masland (Thetford)]: Thank you, madam speaker. We have a guest here today, Haley Steinbeck, who is a UVM senior majoring in poli sci, who is my internship this year. She'll be in and around the building from time to time trying to figure out what we do well here. And she's a fine student. She's gonna be working very hard, and hopefully, I think this is gonna be a mutually supportive experience as she learns from us and we learn from her. Thank you, madam speaker.

[Representative Jill Krowinski (Speaker of the House)]: Will the guests and the member from Thetford please rise and be recognized? Are there any further announcements? Seeing none, orders of the day. Members, we will begin with House Bill six forty nine which is an act relating to captive insurance companies. The bill was referred to the committee on commerce and economic development which recommends that the bill be amended as printed in today's calendar. The member from Bethel, representative White will speak for the committee. Please listen to the second reading of the bill.

[House Reading Clerk (staff, unidentified)]: Page six forty nine, an act relating to captive insurance companies.

[Representative Jill Krowinski (Speaker of the House)]: Member from Bethel.

[Representative Kirk White (Bethel)]: Madam speaker, members can find this bill on page 36 of today's action calendar. H six forty nine pertains to captive insurance. It reflects proposals recommended by the commissioner of financial regulation. The committee on commerce and economic development supports these proposals and amended in as amended in the committee strike all amendment. In general, a pure captive insurance company is a subsidiary corporation established to provide insurance to its parent company and affiliates. It is a form of self insurance. There are several different types of captive insurance companies categorized by their ownership structure and the scope of the risks that they cover. This bill pertains to two types of captives, risk retention groups and sponsored captive insurance companies as will be further explained. Now, to the bill, section one and two pertain to risk retention groups. A risk retention group is a liability insurance company owned directly by its members. It specializes in providing commercial liability insurance. They are authorized under federal law, the liability risk retention act. This allows them to provide affordable coverage, allows them to pool their risks and operate across states with a single license, and gives them more control over their policies. Members typically belong to the same or similar industries sharing common liability risks. For example, health care, trucking, construction, those kind of things. They yep. So as I was saying, the members of a risk retention group are businesses in similar industries, and thus they share similar risk profiles. The group structure enables members to manage their own liability risks collectively. Types of liability insurance typically covered include professional liability, product liability, general liability, and directors and officers liability. They do not offer workers' comp or personal lines of insurance or such as auto insurance or anything like that. The proposed amendment in section one pertains to the lending and investing authority of a risk retention group. Specifically, it prohibits a risk retention group from lending to or investing in its members or the affiliates of its members. Under current law, a risk retention group has such authority, but any loan or investment is subject to the commissioner's approval. Such loans and investments are not common. The department testified that only one risk retention group currently has an investment in a member, and this investment was previously approved by the commissioner. That investment would not be affected by this amendment because the language specifies that the prohibition would not apply to any loan or investment in effect prior to 01/01/2026. Risk retention groups are not subject to state insurance insolvency guarantee funds. As explained by the department, preventing the drawing off of capital out from the group to a member protects against potential conflicts of interest, preserves the financial integrity and solvency of the group, safeguards policyholder funds, and ensures there is sufficient capital to cover the future claims of its members. The proposed amendment in section two also pertains to risk retention groups. The amendment is to an existing captive insurance law concerning the filing of annual reports and statements with the department. Existing law requires risk retention groups, unlike other captive insurance companies, to report their annual statements pursuant to Vermont law that pertains to insurance companies generally. The proposed amendment instead requires risk retention groups to file annual and quarterly statements in the NAIC, National Association of Insurance Commissioners, report form, annual statement convention blank. And include a signed jurat page. There's a word for our members. If you don't know what a jurat page is, it's a notarial certificate on a document. It's when you have the notary certify your your copy saying that you were personally there. So it includes a signed jurat page and actuarial certificate. It also includes specific due dates for the filing of the quarterly returns. Current law does not require the filing of quarterly statements. However, the department testified that that is in fact its current practice. Therefore, the proposal here essentially codifies current departmental practice. As in current law, but in a different subsection of the statute, the proposed amendment in subsection I specifies that a risk retention group's regulatory financial filings are not confidential and must be filed with the National Association of Insurance Commissioners. This is because risk retention groups operate across state lines, and such transparency is required under federal law for the benefit of all regulate state regulators and interested parties. Section two section three, sorry, pertains to sponsored captive insurance companies and their protected cells. A sponsored captive insurance company is a specialized entity established by a sponsor, such as a commercial insurer, insurance broker, or trade organization. And it provides captive insurance benefits to unrelated businesses known as participants. The sponsor provides the initial capital and surplus required by DFR and handles administrative, underwriting, and compliance functions. The participants pay a fee and premiums to the sponsor in exchange for customized coverage. Sponsored captives typically use a segregated cell called protective cell structure. This legally separates the assets and liabilities of each participant from the general account and from other participants cells. Risks and liabilities are not shared among the participants. To give you an analogy, the sponsored captive insurance company is like the owner of an apartment building who maintains it and make sure every apartment is safe and secure. And then each of the protected cells is the the people who live in the various apartments. And the apartment owner, the sponsor captive insurance, make sure that each cell is secure and safe so that if your neighbor decides to set their apartment on fire, the whole building doesn't burn down, and your assets are also not ruined through that. Again, so that risk and liabilities are not shared amongst participants. Proposed amendment would enact a new statute that requires that each protected cell must file within thirty days of commencing business a statement under oath or affirmation certifying that the cell possess the requisite funding prior to commencing business, including any required collateral in accordance with the cell's approved plan of operation. In addition, the proposal requires that the statements are signed by the cell's president and secretary or by two individuals authorized by the governing board depending on how the cell is organized. This amendment is similar to what is currently required of licensed captains. The requisite funding and collateral requirements would be in the business plan of a CELS application filed with the department. So the certifying statement basically confirms that the CELS is doing what it said it would do in its application. Section four makes the bill effective 07/01/2026. The committee heard testimony from the interim deputy commissioner of captive insurance, Department of Financial Regulation, the president of the Vermont Captive Insurance Association, legislative council, and the commissioner from the Department of Financial Regulation. Madam speaker, the committee vote was eleven zero zero, and we respectfully ask for your support.

[Representative Jill Krowinski (Speaker of the House)]: The question is, shall the bill be amended as recommended by the Committee on Commerce and Economic Development? Are you ready for the question? If so, all those in favor, please say aye. Aye. All those opposed, please say nay. The ayes appear to have it. The ayes do have it, and you have amended the bill. Now the question is, shall the bill be read a third time? Are you ready for that question? If so, all those in favor, please say aye. Aye. All those opposed, please say nay. The ayes appear to have it. The ayes do have it and third reading is ordered. Next is senate bill 60 which is an act relating to establishing the farm security special fund to provide grants to farms to for farm losses due to weather conditions. The bill was referred to the committee on agriculture, food resiliency, and forestry which recommends that the house proposed to the senate to amend the bill as printed in today's calendar. The member from Westminster, representative Bosch, will speak for the committee and carrying an appropriation, the bill was then referred to the committee on appropriations, which recommends that the report of the committee on agriculture, food resiliency, and forestry be amended as printed in today's calendar. The member from Waterbury, representative Stevens, will speak for that committee. Please listen to the second reading of the bill.

[House Reading Clerk (staff, unidentified)]: S 60, an act relating to establishing the Farm Security Special Fund to provide grants for farm losses due to weather conditions.

[Representative Jill Krowinski (Speaker of the House)]: Member from Westminster.

[Representative David "Dave" Bosch (Westminster)]: Thank you, madam speaker. The Farm and Forestry Operations Special sorry. Security Special Fund is something that that we've been working on for a long time. We actually passed it out of our committee in April, and we're very happy to see it coming to the floor at this time. Vermont's ability to thrive in these times of changing climate depend on our farm's ability to grow local food. After the second round of devastating flooding two years in a row that occurred in 2024, a group of farmer organizations began working on a permanent and predictable system for providing farmers with financial support to recover from weather related losses. Federal disaster programs like crop insurance and disaster assistance aren't designated for farms like ours in Vermont, and funding support from congress arrives extremely slowly if at all. Vermont's farms are falling through the federal gaps, leaving our farms shouldering significant losses year after year. Farm and forest sector losses due to extreme weather from 02/2023 to 2025 are estimated at 94,000,000. This includes losses from the late spring freeze in May 2023, flooding in twenty twenty two three, and twenty twenty four estimated forest sector losses reported by forest parks and recreation, and farmers drought related losses in 2025 as reported to the agency of agriculture, food, and markets. This figure doesn't include the losses from other extreme weather events like frosts, freezes, and high winds. The committee for agriculture, food, and forestry heard testimony recently that 2025 was a difficult year for drought with all 14 Vermont counties being impacted, continuing the trend of extreme weather causing substantial losses to farmers and forestry businesses. Many of the organizations supporting s sixty have provided direct services or or support to farms in times of emergencies and use those lessons to propose a program that is responsive to farmers' specific needs, equitably distributed, easily accessible, and provides meaningful and immediate financial support. The farm and for forestry appropriation sorry. The farm and forestry operations security special fund was designed based on the experiences of an input from all types of farmers and the forest sector. Conversations with community members in all corners of the state and through conversation with folks within the agency of agriculture who helped administer the BGAP program for farms. It's been fine tuned by the senate ag committee and passed with passed with unanimous support from the senate, both out of committee and on the floor. The house committee on agriculture, food resiliency, and forestry have added forestry, a component of the house version of the bill that was not in the senate's version, and that is an essential part of our working landscapes. S 60 will establish a farm and forestry operations security special fund to provide payments for farm and forest business losses due to extreme weather conditions. The fund would be managed by the Vermont Agency of Agriculture Food and Markets. The bill would set up a review board that would review applications for awards, assess the accuracy and validity of the applications, and recommend the secretary up and recommend to the secretary applicants who could receive payments within fifteen days of application. The secretary of agriculture will award payments of up to 50% of uncovered losses to farms or forestry operations that have incurred financial losses or expenses due to eligible weather conditions. Payments are capped at 5% of funds appropriated in a given year up to 150,000 per application. S60 sets up this program. There is a separate appropriation request for funding it. The amount of funding it the amount of funding it will receive will be determined later this session during budget review. The state has substantial interest in securing the future of our working lands and supporting the people who care for them. S 60 is not only about providing farms and forestry businesses with immediate disaster relief, but about investing in and protecting Vermont's food security, rural economies, and climate resiliency. We're encouraged by the support that s 60 has earned so far and ask for the house's continued support. I'm now going to walk you through the bill, which you can find on page 38 of the calendar. As I said in my floor speech, our version is almost identical to the, the Senate with only two small changes, not that small. One of them was we added forestry and we also changed, grants to payments to make it less cumbersome for farmers to receive them. All right. So if you look at section one, section one starts out recognizing that Vermont farms and forestry operations have experienced frequent crop losses due to severe weather related disasters. It acknowledges that existing state and federal programs do not adequately serve farmers and forestry operators, especially small scaled and diversified farms or operators. Because many small farmers do not grow the kind of crops that are covered by insurance, they suffer great losses with no insurance possible. The state should establish a permanent funding supporting a program to maintain the viability of farms and forestry operations and provide a source of relief funds to farms and forestry operations impacted by severe weather related events. Section two, creation of farm and forestry operations security special fund. In section two, it amends the existing number VSA chapter two zero seven related description that says it relates to promotion of Vermont food and products to add a new sub chapter and this is related to the support of Vermont Farms and Forestry Operations. And then the new sub chapter is entitled Farm and Forestry Operations Security Special Fund. The subchapter begins with the definition section SVSA four six thirty one, and they define key terms. So they define what is an eligible weather condition? What is an abnormal freeze condition? What is a farm? What is a forestry operation? After the definitions, the bill creates the farm and forestry operations special fund, and says that it will be administered by the agency of agriculture, food, and markets. The bill then specifies in SVSA four six thirty three how assistance will be made from the fund. Under four six thirty three a, the secretary of agriculture will award payments from the fund to form to farms and forestry operations that have incurred financial losses due to eligible weather conditions. And this was actually in this section is where we amended it in the House Agriculture Committee to make it payments rather than grants because this is less cumbersome in terms of the requirements on the farmers and would get the funds to them more quickly. The payments shall be made in amounts of up to 50% of the uninsured or uncovered losses due to eligible weather conditions up to a maximum of 5% of the undesignated unreserved monies in the fund up to a maximum of $150,000 per year, per farm, or forestry operation. The secretary may verify claimed losses through site visits or reliance on available weather data. And losses are reimbursable I'll say losses that are reimbursable under the program are listed in four six thirty three a four and include wages, lost income from destroyed crops or timber, debt payments, replanting costs, feed replacement costs, equipment repair, and forest and farm road repair. Under forty six thirty three b, the secretary shall develop an application for fund awards, including a required year end report of farm of farm and forestry operations income, and also losses due to weather conditions. Applications for awards will be open until all funds are exhausted. All applications will be reviewed for eligibility within fifteen days of receipt of a complete application. The Farm and Forestry Operations Security Special Fund Review Board shall recommend to the secretary whether an applicant should receive an award. If there is a recommendation, the secretary shall issue the award within fifteen days of the receipt of the recommendation. One of the reasons we want this we want this to pass is so that farmers can get the money in a timely way because we are still looking at weather related events from 2023 and 2024 that the farmers haven't gotten the funds to replace them for. So this timeliness of it is very important. The farm okay. The house agriculture committee authorized the secretary of agriculture to use up to 67,500 from the fund for administering awards. That is a half time salary for an administrator if that is needed. The bill creates the Farm and Forestry Operations Security Special Fund Review Board in '6 VSA 04/06/1934. The board is attached to the agency and is comprised of the secretary of agriculture or a designee, the commissioner of forests and parks or a designee, the chief the state chief recovery officer or a designee, three representatives of three agricultural organizations who can demonstrate expertise in dealing with all sizes and types of farm in Vermont, two farmers who have received relief funding, and two forestry operators. The bill provides that the non ex officio members shall serve three year terms, but the terms will be staggered to begin with. Under forty six thirty four d, the board is directed to review applications for assistance, recommend awards, and annually review the application process. When our committee originally passed this, it was with the effective date 07/01/2025. We, voted this out of our committee in April with a vote of eight zero zero. We took testimony from, 17 different people. Hang on one second. Oh, here we go. The owner of Tamarack Hollow Farm, the executive director of professional logging contractors of the Northeast, chief operations officer of the agency of food and markets, the president of the Vermont Farm Bureau, vegetable and berry specialist from UVM extension, farmer from Maple Wind Farm, risk management outreach specialist and farm teams adviser from the White River Natural Resource Conservation District, policy director from NOFA, Vermont, Diggers Mirth Collective Farm, deputy chief counsel of the office of legislative council, state forester and director of the forest division, department of forest rec parks and recreation, forest economy program manager, department of forest parks and recreation, farm business specialist Intervale Center, executive director, Connecticut River Watershed Farmers Alliance, policy director, rural Vermont, and farm and crop insurance agency vice president from the Vermont Farm Bureau.

[Representative Jill Krowinski (Speaker of the House)]: And now speaking for the committee on appropriations, member from Waterbury.

[Representative Thomas Stevens (Waterbury)]: Thank you, madam speaker. I'll be reporting out an amendment by the appropriations committee to s 60. We would like to thank the agriculture for food resiliency and forestry committee for meeting with us in December to get up to speed on this bill as it passed last session and to legislative council for helping us to craft this amendment. There are 10 instances of amendment which appear in today's calendar. The first in section one findings in subdivision one after the words and other and before disasters by striking out the phrase climate fueled and inserting in lieu thereof weather based. We decided to change this after a long discussion last December acknowledging that the word climate is a target for the federal government in different policies throughout the country. And in defense of this program, which we viewed as incredibly essential for our farmers, we decided to change that or we're proposing to change that to weather based. And in subdivision four, capital a, after food security and before resilience, rural economic, and by striking out the word climate. And in subdivision four c, after operations impacted by and before the period by striking out climate emergencies and extreme weather and inserting in lieu thereof weather based emergencies. Second instance of amendment in section two six VSA chapter two zero seven in a new subchapter heading by striking out subchapter four and inserting in lieu thereof subchapter five, which corrects the fact that that that's a reference to this program. Sub instance of amendment the third in section two six VSA chapter two zero seven in section forty six thirty one in the section heading by striking out forty six thirty one and inserting in lieu thereof forty six forty one. This is a result of legislation that passed last year that took those sections that are that are being changed in the next several instances and just renumbering them from the original draft and the bill that passed last April. In the fourth instance, section two six VSA chapter two zero seven in section forty six thirty one in subdivision three by striking out forty six thirty four and inserting it in lieu thereof forty six forty four. Fifth instance in the same section in section forty six thirty two in the section heading by striking out forty six thirty two and inserting in lieu forty six forty two. And in the sixth instance in the of amendment in section two six VSA chapter two zero seven and section forty six thirty three in the section heading by striking out forty six thirty three and inserting in lieu thereof forty six forty three. Also in this sixth instance, by striking out subsection b in its entirety and inserting in lieu thereof the following, and actually most of this language appears in the original bill with the exception of of of number three, which is but I'll read the whole thing. The secretary shall develop a streamlined application for awards under this section that shall include a brief description of the damage that occurred. That's number one. Number two, attestation of an eligible weather condition or event. Section three, and this is the new language, a list of any state grants or loans received for the purposes of the farm and or forestry operation business in the past five years to include amount, source, and purposes of the funding received. And this this language was taken from an amendment that passed unanimously in the agricultural committee. We just decided to add it to this one as long as we were making these other amendments. Section number four, an an estimate of losses, and five, a year end report of farm or forestry operation income and expenses. And by striking out subsection f in its entirety and inserting a loop thereof the following, f, the secretary of agriculture, food, and markets may pay reasonable administrative expenses from the fund for purposes of administering the requirements of this subchapter. As the appropriations committee, we tend to remove financial numbers or monetary amounts that appeared in the earlier bill as the presenter of the bill said earlier. This will be determined later on this session. Seventh, in section two six v s a chapter two zero seven in section forty six thirty four in the section heading by striking out forty six thirty four and inserting in lieu thereof forty six forty four. The eighth instance of amendment in section two six v s a chapter two zero seven in section forty six thirty four in subdivision c one in the first sentence by striking out subdivision b three and inserting in lieu thereof subdivision b four. And this was subdivision b three refers to the state recovery officer as an ex officio member who is not part of the staggered terms. And in subdivision c one, in the third sentence by striking out subdivision b four and inserting in lieu thereof subdivision b five, which just takes into account the earlier change. And in subdivision c one, in the fourth sentence by striking out subdivision b five and inserting in lieu thereof subdivision b six, which is the forestry member of the committee. And in ninth instance of amendment by adding a section two a to read as follows. Section two a contingency of funding. Again, as we do in the appropriations committee, the duty to implement section two of this act, Farm and Forestry Operations Security Special Fund, is contingent upon an appropriation of funds in fiscal year 2027 or subsequent fiscal years from the general fund to the agency of agriculture, food, and markets for the specific purposes described in section two of this act. Just a clarification, if the bodies decide to not fund it due to fiscal restraint, this year we added the phrase or subsequent fiscal years so that when money if and when money is available, that we will be able to fund this this special fund. In the tenth instance, section three effective date by striking out 2025 and inserting in lieu thereof 2026, and after that and that after passage, the title of the bill shall be amended to read an act relating to establishing the farm and forestry operations security special fund to provide payments for farm and forestry operation losses due to weather conditions. Madam speaker, your appropriations committee enthusiastically voted ten zero one to support this amendment and ten zero one to support the fine work of the agriculture for food resiliency and forestry committee in passing their amendment to s 60.

[Representative Jill Krowinski (Speaker of the House)]: And now for the committee on agriculture, food resiliency, and forestry, member from Westminster.

[Representative David "Dave" Bosch (Westminster)]: Thank you, madam speaker. We thank the committee on appropriations for hearing our hearing our bill and for offering this amendment. We voted on it today, and the vote was seven zero one.

[Representative Jill Krowinski (Speaker of the House)]: Members, the first question is shall the report of the committee on agriculture, food resiliency and forestry be amended as recommended by the committee on appropriations? Are you ready for the question? If so, all those in favor please say aye. Aye. All those opposed please say nay. The ayes appear to have it. The ayes do have it. And you have amended the report of the committee on agriculture, food resiliency, and forestry. Now the question is, shall the house propose to the senate to amend the bill as recommended by the committee on agriculture, food resiliency, and forestry as amended. Are you ready for the question? If so, all those in favor, please say aye. Aye. All those opposed, please say nay. The ayes appear to have it. The ayes do have it, and you have proposed to the senate to amend the bill. Now the question is, shall the bill be read a third time? Are you ready for that question? If so, all those in favor, please say aye. Aye. All those opposed, please say nay. The ayes appear to have it. The ayes do have it. And third reading is ordered. Members, the final item on our action calendar calendar today is house resolution 11, which is a house resolution authorizing limited remote committee voting through the remainder of the calendar year 2026. The resolution has been read and appears in yesterday's journal. The question is, shall the house adopt the resolution? Are you ready for the question? If so, all those in favor, please say aye. Aye. All those opposed, please say nay. The ayes appear to have it. The ayes do have it, and the resolution is adopted. Members, that can that completes the orders of the day. Are there any announcements Seeing none. Member from Pulte, can you please offer us a motion to adjourn until Friday, January 16 at 09:30AM?

[Representative Patricia McCoy (Poultney)]: Madam speaker, I make a motion this body stand in adjournment until Friday, 01/16/2026 at 09:30AM.

[Representative Jill Krowinski (Speaker of the House)]: You have heard the motion. Are you ready for the question? If so, all those in favor, please say aye. Aye. All those opposed, please say nay. The eyes appear to have it. The eyes do have it and this body stands in adjournment until