State AG Pulse | Vermont: Small Is Mighty
Labor & Employment Law: Vermont and Federal Legislative Update
Governor Phil Scott has vetoed the state’s proposed comprehensive privacy law. In rejecting the bill, he stated he was worried it created an “unnecessary and avoidable level of risk.” He had concerns in three areas....more
Just past midnight on May 11, 2024, the Vermont Legislature passed H.121, the Vermont Data Privacy Act (VDPA). If signed into law, the VDPA would become the most onerous state comprehensive privacy law in the country. Among...more
Since 2020, in the wake of the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) established in the EU, there has been a growing wave of U.S. states enacting omnibus laws governing the privacy of personal information (i.e.,...more
Closing out Week 5 of the 2023 Legislative Session - The House passed the FY’23 Budget Adjustment Act on a vote of 107-33. Republicans objected to allocating an additional $50 million to the Vermont Housing and...more
Business - The unemployment bill formerly known as S.10 – Business owners had their most challenging year in memory. Many hoped that the legislature, knowing this, would have sought to offset their challenges....more
ARPA spending complicates budget conference - Negotiations over the FY 2022 state budget moved to conference committee on Monday, which hopes to reach agreement in time for the legislature to meet its appointed May 22...more
Senate committee budget vote delayed until next week As the end of the week approached, the Senate Appropriations Committee was still finalizing FY 2022 budget details, and a planned Friday vote was pushed until Monday. On...more
Legislative Chess - It’s the time of year when the legislature plays chess. Sometimes it even plays speed chess, with programs, initiatives, and tax code changes flying in and out of bills as they move back and forth...more
Senate passes budget - On Friday, the Senate gave final approval to the $7.17 billion FY 2022 budget, H.439. Senate Appropriations Chair Jane Kitchel, D-Caledonia, called it “as complicated a budget as I’ve ever had to put...more
Governor proposes $90 million for state capital investment - Department of Economic Development Commissioner Joan Goldstein presented Governor Scott's Capital Investment Grant Proposal to the Senate Economic Development...more
Unemployment insurance bill will increase tax burden for Vermont businesses - Without legislative intervention, Vermont businesses will experience an enormous increase in the unemployment insurance tax rate as a result of...more
Childcare bill becoming a heavy lift - The House Committee on Human Services is working through H.171, a bill that would create a comprehensive child care system governed and subsidized by the state. The system would take...more
Downs Rachlin Martin labor and employment attorneys Amy Resnick and Andrea Wright highlight key Vermont and Federal legislative updates from 2020 that impact HR professionals. They walk through: Vermont minimum wage...more
Before ending the 2020 session, the Legislature took the step of amending the Vermont Consumer Protection Act to refine the term “Local” in connection with labeling or advertising Vermont agricultural and food products. The...more