Town Meeting Day
Town meeting week offers a pause in the legislative session, giving legislators the opportunity to engage with their constituents and attend town meetings in their districts. When they reconvene on March 11th, crossover will take place at the end of the week. Although committee approvals have been progressing slowly, several bills are expected to meet the traditional crossover deadline, while others may be granted additional time to advance to the other chamber.

DR 25-0838  
The House Committee on Housing and General Affairs has put forward this committee housing bill. Progress on the bill is nearing completion, with the committee voting late Friday afternoon to advance it—9 in favor, 0 opposed, and 2 absent. After town meeting week, the committee is expected to finalize the remaining details and move the bill forward for consideration by the full House. Previously, we noted that the bill included a rental registry proposal; however, this provision has since been removed.

The bill introduces minor adjustments to the Vermont Housing Improvement Program (VHIP) and establishes the Vermont Infrastructure Sustainability Fund, allocating funds to support infrastructure projects such as water and sewer systems. Additionally, it creates a Universal Design/ADA study group, with Realtors® specifically named as participants. We are seeking a Realtor® with knowledge of Universal Design and ADA compliance who is willing to serve on this study group. The commitment is expected to involve 4-5 meetings over the summer, with a final report due by November 1, 2025.

The committee has considered several changes to the permit appeals process. Under the current proposal, any citizen wishing to appeal a permit must demonstrate a “particularized injury” to have standing. While only one person is needed to initiate an appeal, we have discussed this with Committee Chair Rep. Marc Mihaly, who believes this standard is significantly stricter than current rules and will limit the ability to challenge permit decisions. Additionally, the bill grants municipalities the option to impose a 1% local tax on short-term rentals if they choose.

When the Legislature returns from town meeting week, they will have just one week to advance bills out of committee for consideration by the full House or Senate before the crossover deadline. Progress on bills across all committees has been slow, and it remains uncertain how many will make it through, aside from those related to the budget, education funding, and housing.