[{"_1":2,"_87":-5,"_88":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,75],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":46,"_47":48,"_49":50,"_51":52,"_53":54,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":60,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":66,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":56,"_74":56},"mediaId",6281932,"mediaKeyId","2600125-bac7532df9b8a3df57011b5b37d29031","parentId",2600125,"title","Committee hears bill to require payout of unused vacation on separation (H.295)","audioSeconds",875,"startMs",927000,"endMs",1802000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=2600125-bac7532df9b8a3df57011b5b37d29031&start=927&end=1802","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2600125-bac7532df9b8a3df57011b5b37d29031/thumbnail_927000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6281932/Vermont/Committee-hears-bill-to-require-payout-of-unused-vacation-on-separation-H295","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6281932-1b757cb3bc5e06cc841c150eda3f33f8/orig.mp4?Expires=1771158601&Signature=Kn7n0ohC1LF7CC7KrPmr6CCD6L2gD8WKFnxtJdDaB7Caa9o5RYxlxIxJYjxcIyCtJQCYF4msb8gfH8qyyUkLFbPCeNJ0rRD3WhqIMYME4jffOD70joifMh-QgiPks0Ly1h9aQxnYBPvo14Zf3kUurDhDePU2fFYxryEMYQsrpalUBjNqVY9AMwQxHTXgMY38VN3p-NXj~3UWo02ExNnzj~DDaP10A00QTr2raCZPL0QeRG0CGaOB8p~r0RQ5UZFJ-cmf75WLbzVyF5m-XeoogntFWJLHOgLuuJnh1Re-6fWX~8juvG0VU1GbDrkn2PVDqYEKpTVZQhdE7kVcKn2A8g__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","","date","2025-03-12T07:54:46Z","article","Representative Will Greer introduced H.295, \"an act relating to payment of vacation leave upon separation,\" and described constituent cases that motivated the legislation. Greer recounted a constituent who \"was owed about $4,500 in vacation time\" and said unpaid accrued vacation can create financial hardship and delay job‑market reentry. The committee received a statutory walkthrough from Sophie Sedatny of the Office of Legislative Council.

Sedatny said the bill is explicitly limited to vacation leave and would require payment of unused accrued vacation when an employee separates from employment, regardless of whether the separation is voluntary or involuntary. The payout timing is placed into the existing wage‑payment statute (21 VSA §342): discharged employees must be paid within 72 hours, while employees who leave voluntarily are paid on the next regular pay period. \"The final payment of wages to an employee who leaves employment, whether voluntarily or involuntarily, shall include payment for any unused accrued leave,\" Sedatny explained.

Committee members asked about several implementation details raised by the bill: whether payout should be withheld in cases of discharge for cause, how the statute should define \"accrued\" (employers use a wide range of accrual and rollover policies), and how combined paid time off (CTO) or unlimited vacation policies would be treated. Sedatny said similar questions have arisen in other states and in related Senate language; she noted roughly 20 states have laws requiring payout of accrued vacation in some form, with variation in caps and employer notice rules. The committee also discussed how a severance or payout affects unemployment timing: Sedatny said severance does not bar unemployment benefits but can delay when a claim becomes payable.

Greer framed the bill as a default rule to protect workers who reasonably expect accrued, earned vacation to be paid at separation. Committee members asked follow‑up questions about statutory language to make sure the bill addresses definitional issues (for example, distinguishing vacation from other PTO categories, how caps and employer policies interact, and what to do with unlimited vacation plans).

The session was an introductory walkthrough; the committee did not take testimony or vote on H.295. Sedatny and the sponsor agreed to provide clarifying information to address definitional questions before the committee considers testimony or mark‑up.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","House General - 2025-03-11 - 3:05PM","oneSentenceSummary","Representative Will Greer introduced H.295 to the House Committee on General and Housing March 11. The bill would require employers to pay accrued and unused vacation at separation; Sophie Sedatny of the Office of Legislative Counsel walked the committee through timing and statutory placement.","taxTitle","General & Housing, HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES, Committees, Legislative , Vermont","taxId",30954,"location","Vermont","headline","shortSummary",{"_33":76,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":77,"_41":78,"_43":79,"_45":80,"_47":81,"_49":82,"_51":83,"_53":84,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":85,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":86,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":56,"_74":56},6281937,"House committee introduces bill to limit no‑cause evictions, adds six‑month just‑cause start",607,4000,611000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2600125-bac7532df9b8a3df57011b5b37d29031&start=4&end=611","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2600125-bac7532df9b8a3df57011b5b37d29031/thumbnail_4000.jpg","/articles/6281937/Vermont/House-committee-introduces-bill-to-limit-nocause-evictions-adds-sixmonth-justcause-start","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6281937-cec32a12ff33a8146cf1573fca94b8e5/orig.mp4?Expires=1771158601&Signature=AQiD4Qoapbg624VVwp~qndIYrNtIO68A7WAM9WlWTlZjtwJkQ0zvBW46oOZvMiIDYMbyKM0OlqgsOO-27Evi42woZQ940CGTGTBCjGsxj-pFkSmbuRSKGhtIbVsK7GiuDgjoTYEcoCGCTNsC39tYJPbEMrnBbbm1ZbjprDF2UwG8i8zjTQTABuMEABNVtle0m9~jQ3nSRn0p4s6gdix~KYUKOli0TA5uCO2JiKo-SaJB44Jaw3VNUlMXV2D3tdblIbb1iv0ISWzwAiPTkWHDvA03nKzyVJ-4ordp9L90GTHjt0LNpAu02QXttXh9IMIlXKECKiu0cgC~f1t-eR6wOg__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Representative Saudia Grama, sponsor of H.440, introduced the bill March 11 to the House Committee on General and Housing. \"This is near and dear to my heart,\" Grama said, adding that \"we are in a housing crisis.\" The session was an introduction; the committee did not take testimony or vote on the bill.

The bill would amend existing tenancy statutes to clarify acceptable grounds for termination — including nonpayment of rent, substantial harm to property or persons, health reasons, and failure to meet lease obligations — and would prohibit relying solely on an end‑of‑rental agreement \"just cause\" notice as the only ground for termination. Grama told the committee the draft keeps current statutory exceptions for owner‑occupied duplexes and triplexes, accessory dwelling units withdrawn from the rental market, and units taken out of service for substantial renovation.

H.440 would add a six‑month probationary window after initial occupancy during which landlords could still end a tenancy without invoking just cause, a period Grama said reflects where many landlord‑tenant problems first emerge. The bill also proposes limits on rent increases tied to a consumer price index formula: \"reasonable rent increases, to the consumer price index of 3% or 8%, whichever is lower for the calendar year,\" Grama said, to reduce de facto nonrenewals.

Committee members noted related funding and prevention programs during the discussion. A committee member pointed to the VSHA Rental Arrears Debiction Prevention Program, described in the meeting as a $2,500,000 appropriation that does not expire but — based on current spending rates — is expected to be depleted by September 2025. That program was identified in committee comments as the kind of assistance that would likely need to accompany any broader tenant‑protection package.

The introduction emphasized policy goals rather than legislative mechanics: keeping tenants housed to reduce homelessness, preserving workforce stability, and addressing mental‑health and economic harms associated with repeated displacement. Grama said the bill is intended to prompt committee review and negotiation: \"I wanted us to introduce the topic, and I really hope we get to walk through this bill together as a committee.\"

No formal action was taken beyond the introduction. Committee members and the sponsor flagged multiple drafting issues for later work, including how the rent‑increase cap would operate in practice, how the six‑month probation would interact with existing lease practices, and whether changes to court procedures (a matter for the Judiciary Committee) might be necessary if eviction timelines are altered.

The committee did not set a date for a full hearing with testimony; members discussed potential next steps including coordination with Judiciary and Appropriations depending on whether the committee advances the measure.","The House Committee on General and Housing on March 11 heard an introduction of H.440, sponsored by Representative Saudia Grama, which would narrow no‑cause evictions, clarify grounds for termination of tenancy, and phase in just‑cause protections after a six‑month probationary period.","actionData","errors"]

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Committee hears bill to require payout of unused vacation on separation (H.295)

House committee introduces bill to limit no‑cause evictions, adds six‑month just‑cause start