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Leonine: Legislature moves money bills

Submitted by tim on

Through a special arrangement with VBM,Leonine Public Affairsprovides a summary of legislative activity in Montpelier for the week ending April 21. 2017.

Leonine Public Affairs The Senate Appropriations Committee approved its version of the state FY18 budget bill on Friday afternoon. The Senate Appropriations Committee transferred approximately $8 million of teacher retirement expenses from the General Fund to the Education Fund. This freed up $8 million of General Fund dollars to fund numerous items on the committee’s “wish list” including the Vermont State Colleges, early education, Medicaid rate increases for mental health and home and community based providers and retaining the “cold weather exemption” for the homeless, among other things. The Senate Appropriations Committee also used $4.2 million in proceeds from a recent Volkswagen court settlement to make one-time investments in a variety of areas.

The Senate Finance Committee continues to work on the Senate’s version of the revenue package. Now the budget is finalized, the revenue bill should be completed by early next week. This will put the General Assembly on track to meet their goal of a May 6th adjournment as long as they don’t encounter any major stumbling blocks.

The Senate approved a marijuana legalization bill today by a vote of 21-9. It is clear the Senate was interested in taking action after watching the House deliberate all session without moving a bill. It seems unlikely the House will vote on H.167, the bill containing the marijuana provision, this year. As passed the Senate, the bill sets up a retail market similar to a bill the Senate approved last year. In addition to establishing retail, H.167 would allow Vermonters to grow at home.

Governor Scott celebrated his first 100 days in office and took the opportunity to highlight his administration's success thus far. To review the governor’s “100 Days of Action” click here.

GENDER-FREE BATHROOM BILL
On Friday the House gave initial approval to H.333, a bill that requires single user public bathrooms to be identified as gender free. An amendment to exempt houses of worship from the bill was proposed but then, after considerable debate, withdrawn. The bill received initial approval on a 123-19 roll call vote. H.333 will be up for a final House vote on Tuesday.
CONSUMER PROTECTION
This week the House Committee on Commerce and Economic Development voted out S.136, a consumer protection bill. The Senate-passed version of S.136 included provisions regarding residential construction contracts, home escrow account analysis, and fantasy sports. The House committee added language from a number of House bills. The full version the House Committee on Commerce and Economic Development passed can be viewed here. The new sections of S.136 include:
  • Automatic renewal provisions in consumer contracts
  • Automatic renewal of contracts applicable to existing contracts
  • Retainage of payment for construction materials
  • Credit protection for vulnerable persons
  • Credit report protections for minors
  • Use of credit information for personal insurance
  • Credit card debt collection
CHEMICAL REGULATION
The House Natural Resources, Fish and Wildlife Committee significantly amended and passed S.103 this week. The bill establishes an interagency committee within the executive branch to review the use, storage and disposal of chemicals in Vermont. The House committee added language to the bill that significantly changes Act 188, the 2014 law that regulates the use of chemicals in children's products. These changes include removing the authority of a stakeholder group to direct the Commissioner of Health on whether to ban chemicals and removes the requirement that the weight of scientific evidence be considered when banning chemicals. In a somewhat unusual procedural move, the committee decided to vote on the bill even though they are waiting to hear from the administration on the changes. Committee chairman David Deen, D-Westminster, said he will entertain a motion to reconsider the bill when the committee takes testimony from the administration on Tuesday of next week. The vote was 6-1-2.
PAID FAMILY LEAVE
On Thursday the House Ways and Means Committee voted out an amendment to S.196, a bill related to paid family leave. The amendment would create a state-run paid family leave system. The funding mechanism for the program would be a 0.141 percent payroll tax on all employees’ wages up to $150,000 with the option of an employer contribution on behalf of an employee. The bill was then referred to the House Appropriations Committee, where it will likely stay for the remainder of the year. The Ways and Means amendment can be read here.
DMV MISCELLANEOUS BILL
The House gave preliminary approval on Friday to S.127, the DMV miscellaneous bill. The bill contains numerous DMV related provisions. Rep. Brian Keefe, R-Manchester, offered an amendment that has surfaced as a result of Vermont DMV recently adopting an Automated Inspection Program. The issue relates to vehicles not passing inspection due to failure of the on board diagnostic system portion of the inspection and not the safety-related portion of the inspection. The Keefe amendment passed by a vote of 127-11. The bill will be up for final approval on the House floor next week. The Keefe Amendment reads as follows:

Sec. 27a. MOTOR VEHICLE INSPECTIONS; EMISSIONS REPAIRS

(a) As of March 20, 2017, the Department of Motor Vehicles has required all motor vehicle inspection stations to conduct inspections through an Automated Vehicle Inspection Program (AVIP). AVIP replaced a paper-based inspection program, and it requires inspection data to be collected and stored electronically.

(b) Notwithstanding 10 V.S.A. § 567 and C.V.R. 14-050-022 (inspection of motor vehicles), any vehicle inspected in Vermont prior to May 1, 2018 that fails the on board diagnostic (OBD) system portion of the inspection, if applicable, and passes the safety-related portion shall pass inspection and receive an inspection sticker, even if the vehicle has been subject to a prior inspection under AVIP and has previously failed the OBD system portion. In such cases, the inspection station shall provide the vehicle owner an inspection report indicating that the vehicle passed the safety portion of the inspection but failed the OBD portion, and that the owner has a 12-month period from the date of the inspection to make OBD system-related repairs.

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