Vermont Legislature SmartTranscripts:

[Representative Jill Krowinski (Speaker of the House)]: Will the house please come to order and members kindly take their seats? Good morning. Good morning. In lieu of a devotional today, will you please join me in a moment of silence? Members this morning, the committee on government operations and military affairs reported favorable on house bill nine fifty four which is an act relating to approval of an amendment to the charter of the town of Stowe materially affecting the revenue of a municipality. The bill is referred to the committee on ways and means pursuant to House rule 35 a pending its entry on the notice calendar. We have a joint senate resolution to take up at this time. JRS 54 is a joint resolution relating to weekend adjournment on 05/22/2026. It was offered by senator Bartholomew and was read and adopted on the part of the senate. Please listen to the reading of the resolution.

[BetsyAnn Wrask (House Clerk)]: JRS 54. Joint resolution relating to weekend adjournment on 05/22/2026 or 05/23/2026. Resolved by the senate house of representatives that when the two houses adjourn on Friday, 05/22/2026 or Saturday, 05/23/2026, it'd be to meet again no later than Tuesday, 05/26/2026.

[Representative Jill Krowinski (Speaker of the House)]: Now you've heard the reading of the resolution and the question is, shall the house adopt the resolution and 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 for Milton.

[Representative Michael Morgan (Milton)]: Madam speaker, I stand here today to recognize a solemn, observance that's coming up for us, which is Monday, the federally recognized Memorial Day. While barbecues and days off mark the unofficial start of summer, we are here today to remember that this holiday carries a profound weight. It is not a day for celebrating triumph, but a day of quiet reverence for the more than 1,100,000 Americans who have paid the ultimate sacrifice and service to our nation. These men and women did not give up their lives for politics nor did they step forward seeking medals or accolades. They answered the call of duty to defend the fundamental ideals of liberty, equality, and justice upon which this country was founded. They gave up all their tomorrows so that we might have our today. When we look at the gold star families among us, we're reminded that their loss is a constant reality, not just an annual memory. We carry a collective debt to these families and to the fallen that we can never fully repay. But we can honor their sacrifice. We honor them by working together in this chamber to build the kind of state and country they died for, a place of opportunity, compassion, and unwavering freedom. We honor them by ensuring that the youth of tomorrow understand the true cause of peace and the prosperity that we know and enjoy. As we observe this Memorial Day, let us commit to living the lives that are worthy of their sacrifice. Let us hold their memories in our hearts and let us carry their profound dedication into the work we do every single day.

[Representative Jill Krowinski (Speaker of the House)]: Members in remembrance, will you please join me in a moment of silence? Are there any further announcements? Member from Pultely.

[Representative Patricia McCoy (Poultney)]: Madam speaker, I move that the remarks from the member of Milton be journalized.

[Representative Jill Krowinski (Speaker of the House)]: The member from Pultely moves that we journalize the remarks of the member from Milton. 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 journalized the remarks of the member from Milton. Are there any further announcements? Member from Brattleboro.

[Representative Mollie S. Burke (Brattleboro)]: Thank you, madam speaker. Members may have noticed that there's a art project going on in the card room, and the member from Whitingham and the member from Bennington and I are assembling the collages that people made and pages made in the art social workshops into one big collage that will hang somewhere in the State House. But at the same time, we've set up an adjacent table with some art supplies. And if anybody during free time wants to go and do something, make a collage, watercolor, drawing, whatever, There are some materials there. So we hope you'll come and take advantage of that. Thank you.

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

[Representative Karen (Kari) Dolan (Waitsfield)]: Madam speaker, the member from Moortown, the members from Waterbury, and I are proud to welcome two athletic teams and one individual athlete from our local high school, Harwood Union, to the State House today. For those of you who aren't familiar with Harwood Union Union High School, it is located on Route 100 in Duxbury, approximately 25 drive from here, and it serves the towns of Warren, Wadesfield, Facedon, Moorestown, Duxbury, and Waterbury. These hardwood athletes, the the Highlanders, have achieved the hard earned status of state champions this past school year, and we have invited them today to be recognized by this body. Harwood Union High School varsity boys golf team won the division two championship last fall at Dorset Field Club. This was the fourth such honor in the program's history, last earned eight years ago in 2018. Harwood Union High School varsity boys ice hockey won the division two championship in March of this year, defeating Montpelier's u thirty two high school at UVM's Guterson Fieldhouse. The Highlanders claimed a four to three victory in double overtime. This was the fifth state championship for the program and a repeat of last year's season, which also concluded with a win against u thirty two. And lastly, Harwood Union High School's Nikki Service won the Vermont State Wrestling Championship for his weight category of one hundred and fifty seven pounds. Service is the first wrestling championship for the Highland champions, excuse me, for the Highlanders in over ten years. Madam speaker, athletic success like this is a product of characteristics like commitment, work ethic, and collaboration. Reaching the level of state champions is an achievement for every member of the team, the managers, and not least the coaches. These young men have bright futures ahead and we look forward to watching their success. Madam speaker, could you please help us welcome the Harwood Union Highlanders to the People's House?

[Representative Jill Krowinski (Speaker of the House)]: Will the guest member from Wakefield please rise and be recognized? Are there any further announcements? Member from Rutland City.

[Representative Mary E. Howard (Rutland City)]: Thank you, madam speaker. I have a, I know a special person on the Harwood team. He is a member of the golf championship team and the hockey team. He is the grandson of one of my very best friends, and I have known his mother since she was about two years old. I ask that the body please welcome Chase Ladabush to the People's House.

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

[Representative Lisa Hango (Berkshire)]: Thank you, madam speaker. When the class of 2019 walked into this building, unlike many of us, a few notable members were entirely comfortable in their surroundings and hit the ground running. May merely a year later, we were legislating from home during a global pandemic and all having to learn a new way to communicate with each other without the benefit of those impromptu hallway conversations that we all rely on. An unlikely collaboration grew out of those new and strange committee interactions, one that continues today. A colleague who I've served on committee with since my first day eight years ago will not be returning to this body next session and I want to thank him for his legislative service, friendship, collaboration, and maybe most of all for the awesome meal shared at his collegial family dinners. Madam speaker, would you kindly help us wish the member from Virgin's, the chef boss, all the best in his next chapter and also a very happy birthday tomorrow.

[Representative Jill Krowinski (Speaker of the House)]: Best wishes and happy birthday members. Are there any further announcements? Seeing none, orders of the day. Members, I have an update for you on our calendar here. This morning we hope to take up two to three bills. The first will be House Bill nine thirty two which is an act relating to the regulation of forestry under Act two fifty. Following that, Senate Bill three twenty five and act relating to the regional planning and Act two fifty tier jurisdiction committee of conference report. And then if we have everyone in attendance, we will take up Senate Bill three twenty three which is an act relating to agricultural subjects. So House Bill nine thirty two, Senate Bill three twenty five, and then Senate Bill three twenty three. With that, member from Pulte. On our notice calendar is the senate proposal of amendment on House Bill nine thirty two which is an act relating to the regulation of forestry under Act two fifty. Can you please offer us a motion to suspend rules to take up house bill nine thirty two off the notice calendar for immediate consideration?

[Representative Patricia McCoy (Poultney)]: Madam speaker, I make a motion to suspend rules in order to take up off the notice calendar for immediate consideration h nine thirty two.

[Representative Jill Krowinski (Speaker of the House)]: The member from Pulte new moves that we suspend our rules to take up House Bill nine thirty two off the calendar for immediate consideration. 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 take up House Bill nine thirty two for immediate consideration. House bill nine thirty two is an act relating to the regulation of forestry under act two fifty. The bill passed the senate in concurrence with a proposal of amendment that is printed in today's calendar. Member from Stowe.

[Representative Jed Lipsky (Stowe)]: Madam speaker, just to jog folks memory, I wanna allow that h nine thirty two is the result of statutory language developed by the Land Use Review Board in consultation with the agency of natural resources, forest, parks, and recreation. Madam speaker, the very brief, amendment which was added to the bill following it passing here and from the senate is in section four, and the land use review board has reviewed h nine thirty two. The bill is passed by the house and in consultation with ANR, FBR commissioner, Daniel Fitzsko and respectfully request the following minimal but important changes of language. Proposed to 10 VSA six zero zero one three a f are as follows in page two line 12 to 16 lines 12 to 16. The board request changes as follows. When development is proposed to occur on a parcel or tract of land that is devoted to logging and forestry, only those portions of the parcel or the tract that support the development shall be subject to regulation under this chapter. Permits issued under this chapter shall not impose conditions or apply to or other portions of the parcel on other portions of the parcel on the tract of land that do not support the development. The board seeks to strike the terminology necessary mitigation areas because the language is superfluous due to the clear definition of the jurisdictional lands contained in the first sentence of this section. In addition, the language, quote, portions of the parcel or tract of land that support the development already includes any buffer area or off-site mitigation areas. So the board would recommend avoiding the insertion of undefined terminology, which can cause confusion from the inconsistent use or understanding of that language. With that, madam speaker, that ends my commentary. Thank you.

[Representative Jill Krowinski (Speaker of the House)]: So the question is, shall the house concur in the senate proposal of amendment? 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 concurred in the senate proposal of amendment. Member from can you on our notice calendar is the committee of conference report on senate bill three twenty five, which is an act relating to regional planning and act two fifty tier jurisdiction. You please offer us a motion to suspend our rules to take up senate bill three twenty five off the notice calendar for immediate consideration?

[Representative Patricia McCoy (Poultney)]: Madam speaker, I make a motion to suspend rules in order to take up off the notice calendar for immediate consideration s three two five.

[Representative Jill Krowinski (Speaker of the House)]: The member from Pultely moves that we suspend our rules to take up senate bill three twenty five off the notice calendar for immediate consideration. 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 take up Senate Bill three twenty five for immediate consideration. Senate Bill three twenty five is an act relating to regional planning and Act two fifty tier jurisdiction. The bill was referred to a committee of conference on the disagreeing votes of the two chambers. The committee of conference has met and considered the same and recommends that the house adopt its report which is printed in today's calendar. Member from Middlebury.

[Representative Amy Sheldon (Middlebury)]: Madam speaker, on a vote of six zero, your committee of conference on s three two five agreed to a few minor but important changes to the bill as it passed the house. We spent most of our time on accessory on farm businesses, as neither body had taken testimony on this prior to the amendment that passed on the house floor. We put some guardrails on around it that would mitigate potentially significant unregulated impacts to neighbors. We included examples of the types of events that may be exempted, which would be concerts and farm stays. Excuse me. So this is our first instance of amendment, with five or fewer dwellings. We added limits to the sound from the events as measured from the property boundaries and a time limit of 10PM for events to end. We also clarified that feature agricultural practices or qualifying products means that a host farm's agricultural practices or its qualifying products are a substantial component of any educational, recreational, or social event, the accessory on farm business hosts. Perhaps excuse me. Perhaps the most important change we made in this section was to have it go into effect one year from now on 07/01/2027 to allow for, both the next legislature to consider these changes and recommendations from the accessory on farm business report coming to us from the land use review board and also for towns to prepare for event structures no longer being regulated under act two fifty. Our second instance of amendment is to the outreach process that we included in the bill in the house version of the bill that would ensure the planning process does not presuppose outcomes or take positions on policy and political issues and that it would utilize nonpartisan rather than neutral facilitation. The third instance of amendment is also to the outreach plan that it would look at the causes to the risks to our working lands and that it would also consider the barriers to land stewardship. The fourth instance of amendment is related to the legislative oversight committee. It adds one member from the senate to make representation on the committee equal between the house and the senate at three members each. The fifth instance of amendment is a technical change related to the previous change, to increasing the size of the committee so that a quorum is is four members. The sixth instance of amendment is to the duties of the oversight committee. It changes coordination to interpretation of statute to the duties of that committee. The seventh instance of amendment was clarifying language in the floor amendment to the smart growth principles. That language included homesteading, small scale agricultural and forestry, and and housing. This change clarifies the types of housing that would be supported to housing that supports these activities. The eighth instance of amendment adds clarification to the report back from the community investment program by adding the modifier which municipalities received a designation or a new step. The ninth instance of amendment is to the report back on the types of housing being built in exempt areas. It clarifies that we would like to know the number of affordable units, market rate units, second homes, short term rentals, long term rentals, single unit and multiunit dwellings being built in the exempt areas. And the tenth instance of amendment is a change, the date change for accessory on farm business that it would go into effect 07/01/2027. The remainder of the bill still goes into effect on 07/01/2026. Again, the committee of conference vote was six zero, and we ask for your support.

[Representative Jill Krowinski (Speaker of the House)]: The question is, shall the house adopt the report of the committee of conference on its part? Are you ready for the question? If so oh, member from Burlington.

[Representative Kate Logan (Burlington)]: May may I briefly interrogate the member from from Middlebury?

[Representative Jill Krowinski (Speaker of the House)]: The member from Middlebury is interrogated.

[Representative Kate Logan (Burlington)]: Madam speaker, I I know I noticed the the noise restriction, maybe that's what I put, the noise limit. And and I'm curious, is there a precedent in Vermont already for the state setting restrictions on noise versus municipalities doing it? Madam speaker, sound is one of the

[Representative Amy Sheldon (Middlebury)]: things that act two fifty oversight does regulate.

[Representative Kate Logan (Burlington)]: Thank you. So

[Representative Jill Krowinski (Speaker of the House)]: the question is shall the House adopt the report of the committee of conference on its part? 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 adopted the report of the committee of conference. Member from can you please offer us a motion to suspend our rules to message our action on senate bill three twenty five to the senate forthwith?

[Representative Patricia McCoy (Poultney)]: Madam speaker, I make a motion to suspend rules in order to message our actions to the senate on s three two five forthwith.

[Representative Jill Krowinski (Speaker of the House)]: Member from Pulte moves that we suspend our rules to message our action on senate bill three twenty five to the senate forthwith. 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 our rules to message our action on senate bill three twenty five to the senate forthwith. Members at this time, we're going to bump 03:23, to the afternoon session. So with that, the house will stand in recess until the fall of the gavel at 1PM.