VAR monitored this issue at great length during the 2019 legislative session. The House Committee on Natural Resources was unable to finalize an appropriate re-write, and the issue was never assigned a bill number. There has been a great deal of work between staff from the governor’s office, lawmakers in both chambers, and stakeholders from the environmental sector, the business sector, and the economic development sector throughout the summer and fall.

Governor Scott plans to introduce a more palatable bill in January, 2020 that would give more local control to municipalities. The governor’s plan also proposes to lift some or all Act 250 restrictions and keep permitting requests at the local level, particularly in Designated Centers.