A workgroup report reviewed in the House Human Services Committee this week recommended that Vermont consider implementing an unused drug repository program....more
3/25/2019
/ Contract Renewal ,
Decriminalization of Marijuana ,
Deregulation ,
Health Insurance ,
Healthcare ,
Individual Mandate ,
Insurance Regulations ,
Legislative Agendas ,
Marijuana Related Businesses ,
Prescription Drugs ,
Proposed Legislation ,
Senate Finance Committee ,
State and Local Government ,
Subscription Services ,
Substance Abuse ,
Working Groups
The Senate this week passed a bill imposing strict liability and medical monitoring obligations on commercial users of toxic substances on a 21-8 vote. Given the recent and intense focus on toxic releases of chemicals such as...more
3/18/2019
/ Child Care ,
Comprehensive Primary Care (CPC+) ,
Economic Development ,
Health Insurance ,
Healthcare ,
Hospitals ,
Legislative Agendas ,
Medical Monitoring ,
Proposed Legislation ,
Rural Health Care Providers ,
Social Services ,
Strict Liability ,
Transparency
Paid family and medical leave legislation, H.107, passed the House General, Housing, and Military Affairs Committee on Wednesday on an 8-1-1 vote. Rep. Marianna Gamache, R-Swanton, a lone but passionate dissenter, raised...more
2/22/2019
/ Broadband ,
Environmental Policies ,
Health Insurance ,
Healthcare Workers ,
Legislative Agendas ,
Non-Compete Agreements ,
Paid Family Leave Law ,
Proposed Legislation ,
Strict Liability ,
Tobacco Regulations ,
Water Supplies ,
Wireless Industry
Paid family leave moves into the spotlight -
The House General, Housing, and Military Affairs Committee dedicated most of its time this week to the issue of paid family leave. The committee heard from administration...more
2/13/2019
/ Decriminalization of Marijuana ,
Emergency Rooms ,
Health Information Technologies ,
Health Insurance ,
Legislative Agendas ,
Paid Family Leave Law ,
Proposed Legislation ,
State and Local Government ,
State Labor Laws ,
Toxic Chemicals ,
Wage and Hour
House Commerce pauses bill to ban non-compete agreements -
After hearing limited opposition from the business community to a bill that would ban virtually all non-compete agreements, the House Commerce and Economic...more
2/6/2019
/ Broadband ,
Certificate of Need ,
Decriminalization of Marijuana ,
Employment Contract ,
Home Health Agencies ,
Legislative Agendas ,
Mergers ,
Moratorium ,
Non-Compete Agreements ,
Proposed Legislation ,
Restrictive Covenants ,
School Districts ,
State and Local Government
Bill imposing strict liability for chemical management receives first Senate hearing -
The Senate Judiciary Committee held a hearing this week on S.37, a bill that would impose strict liability on a person who releases a...more
1/28/2019
/ Chemicals ,
Health Care Providers ,
Home Health Care ,
Legislative Agendas ,
Minimum Wage ,
Pharmacy Benefit Manager (PBM) ,
Prescription Drugs ,
Proposed Legislation ,
State and Local Government ,
Strict Liability ,
Wage and Hour
The Senate Health and Welfare Committee reviewed a report Thursday on the state’s progress with health care payment and delivery system reform efforts. Department of Vermont Health Access Deputy Commissioner Michael Costa...more
1/22/2019
/ ACOs ,
Cannabidiol (CBD) oil ,
Decriminalization of Marijuana ,
Excise Tax ,
Health Care Providers ,
Legislative Agendas ,
Manufacturers ,
Marijuana ,
Marijuana Related Businesses ,
Marijuana-Infused Edibles ,
Medicaid ,
Mental Health ,
State and Local Government
Utilities, DPS Raise Concerns about Electric Grid Congestion -
A surplus of renewable electric generation, coupled with low demand, in northern Vermont has created constraints on the electric grid and caused ripple effects...more
4/12/2018
/ Credentialing ,
Dams ,
Electric Generation Suppliers ,
Inland Waterways ,
Legislative Agendas ,
Medical License ,
Medicare Part D ,
Mental Health ,
Net Neutrality ,
Paid Family Leave Law ,
Prescription Drugs ,
Proposed Legislation ,
Ridesharing ,
Strict Liability ,
Unemployment ,
Utilities Sector
Senators Berate ANR Secretary over Missed Deadline -
Agency of Natural Resources Secretary Julie Moore said on Thursday she's learned to put requests in writing after she sought legislative permission to delay promulgation...more
4/2/2018
/ Airports ,
Aviation Industry ,
Consumer Contracts ,
Environmental Policies ,
Income Taxes ,
Internet ,
Legislative Agendas ,
Lyft ,
Net Neutrality ,
Online Platforms ,
Preemption ,
Prescription Drugs ,
Property Tax ,
Regulatory Oversight ,
Regulatory Standards ,
Ridesharing ,
Rural Development ,
Sales Tax ,
Sharing Economy ,
State and Local Government ,
Storm Water ,
Subscription Services ,
Toxic Chemicals ,
Uber
A May 18th adjournment brought to a close the first half of the 74th biennial session of the Vermont General Assembly. Drama awaits as Gov. Phil Scott has threatened to veto H.518, the fiscal year 2018 budget, over an...more
5/30/2017
/ ACOs ,
Affordable Housing ,
Biologics ,
Carbon Taxes ,
Cell Towers ,
Decriminalization of Marijuana ,
Economic Development ,
Energy Sector ,
Energy Storage ,
Energy-Efficiency Tax Credits ,
Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) ,
Escrow Accounts ,
First Amendment ,
Independent Contractors ,
Legislative Agendas ,
Lifeline Program ,
Medical Marijuana ,
Mental Health ,
Mortgages ,
Net Metering ,
Paid Family Leave Law ,
Power Grid ,
Pregnancy Discrimination ,
Prescription Drugs ,
Reasonable Accommodation ,
Retirement Plan ,
Rural Development ,
Sexual Assault ,
Social Media Policy ,
State Budgets ,
Students ,
Suicide ,
Telecommunications ,
Telemarketing ,
Telemedicine ,
Tobacco Regulations ,
Toxic Exposure ,
Water
Senate Committee Rejects Anti-Uber Amendment -
The Senate Finance Committee on Friday afternoon unanimously rejected a proposal from the Senate Judiciary Committee to impose high automobile liability insurance limits on...more
5/11/2017
/ ACOs ,
Auto Insurance ,
Duty to Warn ,
EB-5 ,
EB-5 Regional Centers ,
Independent Contractors ,
Legislative Agendas ,
Lyft ,
Medical Marijuana ,
Mental Health ,
Misclassification ,
Paid Leave ,
PTSD ,
Rural Development ,
Sharing Economy ,
Suicide ,
Telemedicine ,
Uber ,
Workers Compensation Awards
Senate Money Panel Passes Budget Bill -
On a vote of 7-0, the Senate Appropriations Committee passed a $5.8 billion budget on Friday that closes a $72 million projected gap between revenues and expenditures in the 2018...more
4/25/2017
/ ACOs ,
Emergency Response ,
Environmental Policies ,
Financial Institutions ,
Hazardous Substances ,
Independent Contractors ,
Legislative Agendas ,
Legislative Committees ,
Mental Health ,
Misclassification ,
Paid Family Leave Law ,
Paid Leave ,
State and Local Government ,
State Budgets ,
Tax Increment Financing ,
Wage and Hour
Trial Bar Proposes Anti-Ride-Sharing Amendments to Insurance Bill -
The Senate Judiciary Committee considered amendments this week proposed by the Vermont Trial Lawyers Association that would likely force Uber out of...more
4/11/2017
/ Affordable Housing ,
Auto Insurance ,
Consumer Lenders ,
Electricity ,
Energy Sector ,
Energy Storage ,
Health Insurance ,
Independent Contractors ,
Insurance Industry ,
Insurance Regulations ,
Legislative Agendas ,
Licensing Rules ,
Low Income Housing ,
Low-Income Issues ,
Medicaid ,
Mental Health ,
Mortgage Loan Originators ,
Power Grid ,
Private Right of Action ,
Proposed Legislation ,
Renewable Energy ,
Sharing Economy ,
Telemedicine ,
Uber ,
Workers' Compensation Claim
Paid Family Leave Could Be Costly -
The House Committee on Ways and Means took up H.196, the Paid Family Leave bill this week after it passed out of the House Committee on General, Housing and Military Affairs over...more
4/3/2017
/ ACOs ,
Carbon Taxes ,
Commercial Insurance Policies ,
Emergency Response ,
Greenhouse Gas Emissions ,
Independent Contractors ,
Legislative Agendas ,
Lyft ,
Misclassification ,
Paid Family Leave Law ,
Prescription Drugs ,
Sharing Economy ,
Telemedicine ,
Toxic Chemicals ,
Uber ,
Wage and Hour
The House Ways and Means Committee is considering a proposal from the Vermont Department of Taxes to reduce the amount of use tax a person can pay without providing records to prove his or her tax liability. The rate would...more
3/21/2017
/ ACOs ,
Ambulance Providers ,
Economic Development ,
Emergency Response ,
Firemen ,
Health Care Providers ,
Independent Contractors ,
Legislative Agendas ,
Lifeline Program ,
Low-Income Issues ,
Mental Health ,
Misclassification ,
Nurses ,
Paid Family Leave Law ,
Police ,
Proposed Legislation ,
PTSD ,
Sales & Use Tax ,
Sexual Assault ,
Social Media Policy ,
Tax Liability ,
Telecommunications ,
Tobacco Regulations ,
Toxic Chemicals ,
Ways and Means Committee ,
Workers' Compensation Claim
House Commerce Considers Independent Contractors, Again -
Vermont's business community continues to plead with lawmakers to update the statute defining independent contractors, arguing that current law is costly and...more
3/7/2017
/ Economic Development ,
Economic Realities Test ,
Employee Definition ,
Health Care Providers ,
Independent Contractors ,
Legislative Agendas ,
Mental Health ,
Misclassification ,
Motor Vehicles ,
Nurses ,
Proposed Legislation ,
PTSD ,
Public Schools ,
Rural Areas ,
Rural Development ,
Suicide ,
Tax Increases ,
Urban Planning & Development ,
Wage and Hour ,
Water ,
Workers' Compensation Defense
Act 188 Plans On Hold as New Chemical Bill is Introduced -
Nearly three years after the legislature passed a law to regulate children’s products containing chemicals of high concern, a web site intended to inform the...more
2/28/2017
/ ACOs ,
Affordable Care Act ,
Angel Investors ,
Basel Committee on Banking Supervision (BCBS) ,
Blue Cross ,
Blue Shield ,
Children's Products ,
Disclosure Requirements ,
Duty to Warn ,
Economic Development ,
Employee Housing ,
Hazardous Substances ,
Health Care Providers ,
Health Insurance ,
Hospitals ,
Housing Market ,
Insurance Industry ,
Legislative Agendas ,
Meals-Gifts-and Entertainment Rules ,
Medicaid ,
Mental Health ,
Minimum Wage ,
Municipalities ,
Original Source ,
Pending Legislation ,
Pharmaceutical Industry ,
Pregnancy ,
Pregnancy Discrimination ,
Proposed Legislation ,
Public Health ,
R&D ,
Research and Development ,
Safety Standards ,
Senate Finance Committee ,
Suicide ,
Tax Credits ,
Tax Increment Financing ,
Tax Revenues ,
Toxic Chemicals ,
Traditional News ,
Vaccinations ,
Wage and Hour ,
Wages
Governor’s $35 Million Housing Bond Discussed in Ways and Means Committee -
Executive Director Gus Selig of the Vermont Housing and Conservation Board revealed some of the details this week behind the $35 million bond...more
2/20/2017
/ ACOs ,
Affordable Care Act ,
Affordable Housing ,
Agricultural Sector ,
Aircraft Equipment ,
Department of Labor (DOL) ,
Drug Pricing ,
Economic Development ,
Funding ,
Health Care Providers ,
Health Insurance ,
Healthcare Facilities ,
Job Creation ,
Legislative Agendas ,
Medicaid ,
Mental Health ,
Millennials ,
Pharmaceutical Industry ,
Prescription Drugs ,
R&D ,
Research and Development ,
Rural Areas ,
Rural Development ,
Sales Tax ,
State Budgets ,
Tax Credits ,
Telemedicine ,
Transfer Taxes
The Agency of Transportation has submitted a proposal to the House Transportation Committee that would allow the agency to seek damages from a utility that fails to move or adjust a utility line that is in a state or local...more
2/13/2017
/ Affordable Care Act ,
Auto Insurance ,
Coal ,
Divestment ,
Economic Development ,
Employee Benefits ,
Exxon Mobil ,
Fossil Fuel ,
Health Care Providers ,
Health Insurance ,
Hospitals ,
Insurance Industry ,
Investment ,
Legislative Agendas ,
Lyft ,
Medicaid ,
Mental Health ,
Municipalities ,
Natural Gas ,
Notice Requirements ,
Oil & Gas ,
Pending Legislation ,
Pensions ,
Pharmaceutical Industry ,
Pharmacies ,
Qualified Health Plans ,
Right of Way ,
Sharing Economy ,
State Pilot Programs ,
Telecommunications ,
Telemedicine ,
Telephone Service Providers ,
Transportation Industry ,
Uber ,
Utilities Sector ,
Water
Treasurer Will Build Public Pension Plan for Small Business -
State Treasurer Beth Pearce on Wednesday asked the Senate Economic Development, Housing and General Affairs Committee to create the framework for a...more
1/31/2017
/ Apprenticeships ,
Baby Boomers ,
Caregivers ,
Chemicals ,
Contamination ,
Department of Children and Families (DCF) ,
Department of Labor (DOL) ,
Elder Care ,
Elder Issues ,
Employee Benefits ,
Environmental Policies ,
Healthcare ,
Legislative Agendas ,
Mental Health ,
Natural Resources ,
Pharmaceutical Industry ,
Pharmacies ,
Prescription Drugs ,
Proposed Legislation ,
Public Pension ,
Retirement ,
Retirement Plan ,
Senate Judiciary Committee ,
Small Business ,
State Treasurers ,
Telecommunications ,
Training
Newly-elected lawmakers in both houses got the news about where they will spend most of their days this session when committee assignments were handed out. Speaker of the House Mitzi Johnson, D-South Hero, gave House members...more
PFOA Contamination Likely to Spur Legislative Action -
The discovery of Perfluorooctanoic Acid contamination in southern Vermont drinking water has prompted legislators to examine whether more action is necessary to...more
4/6/2016
/ Automatic License Plate Readers ,
Ban the Box ,
Construction Industry ,
Contamination ,
Criminal Background Checks ,
Drinking Water ,
Drug Pricing ,
Employee-Ownership ,
Hazardous Substances ,
Hospitals ,
Housing Developers ,
Housing Market ,
Legislative Agendas ,
Prescription Drugs ,
Tax Credits ,
Urban Planning & Development ,
Ways and Means Committee
Equipment Supplier/Dealer Bill Moving in Commerce -
A bill that would tip the scales in contract negotiations between farm and yard equipment suppliers and their local dealers has passed the Senate and is now pending...more
3/29/2016
/ Broadband ,
Disclosure Requirements ,
Drug & Alcohol Abuse ,
Drug Pricing ,
Economic Development ,
Health Care Providers ,
Independent Contractors ,
Legislative Agendas ,
Pesticides ,
Prescription Drugs ,
Retail Market ,
Suppliers ,
Telecommunications ,
Workplace Violence
Tax-writing House Committee Proposes $48 Million Hike -
The House Ways and Means Committee has approved a package of revenue measures totaling more than $48 million. The package includes a transportation funding bill...more
3/21/2016
/ Broadband ,
Driver's Licenses ,
Employee Retirement Income Security Act (ERISA) ,
Gobeille v Liberty Mutual Insurance Com. ,
Health Insurance ,
Legislative Agendas ,
Managed Care Contracts ,
Mutual Funds ,
Prescription Drugs ,
State Funding ,
Ways and Means Committee ,
Workplace Violence
Committee Decides Physician Acquisition Disclosure Bill Is Unnecessary -
The Senate Health and Welfare Committee has decided not to pursue consideration of S.245, a proposal to require disclosure of new affiliations...more
3/1/2016
/ Affiliated-Business Arrangements ,
Antitrust Violations ,
Audits ,
Coal ,
Divestment ,
Economic Development ,
Exxon Mobil ,
Health Care Providers ,
Independent Contractors ,
Legislative Agendas ,
Penalties ,
Permits ,
Prescription Drugs ,
Telecommunications ,
Water Quality