[{"_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",6090290,"mediaKeyId","2867730-6d94c23b42a042a027ae7c18569aa2a9","parentId",2867730,"title","House General & Housing hears testimony on H.429 to clarify Human Rights Commission jurisdiction over legislature","audioSeconds",1912,"startMs",248000,"endMs",2160000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=2867730-6d94c23b42a042a027ae7c18569aa2a9&start=248&end=2160","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2867730-6d94c23b42a042a027ae7c18569aa2a9/thumbnail_248000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6090290/Vermont/House-General-Housing-hears-testimony-on-H429-to-clarify-Human-Rights-Commission-jurisdiction-over-legislature","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6090290-99119cae426f55337bec8864e23e8710/orig.mp4?Expires=1775294875&Signature=XIZpZif75yeMgQrzLt0hALK6CwHRnt-eVdOIs9HVEl3HXAhLymO~OriAZeQv~gR7G0bx-tyfnEnu5MhkodhaA7vYv~u6O~PaN0Ld6sfltq5zlnSIXDQwSo6etKE2xbpSUJZ0MpKF47SrvkZz-a0-ktzHiPBimtXeAeK0AbmunGbo9YpuOlyxLOzo0zatWYo4lKq5noq2GU-9bovTHSTZRWvMqyCFk9C3rmH3~Ll5VSJbLrD9MSmukOvIfd6qPjagTsgbHWyVvw2QXDKm6PZjnjOr58o8oMsyY8IBKcLwe7qG9TXQYJBqwxO6Xy7RXgAm9M5LIYBsRwcBD7KYBsOVrg__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","","date","2025-04-03T17:55:19Z","article","MONTPELIER, Vt. — The House General & Housing Committee on April 3 heard testimony on H.429, a bill that would clarify whether the Vermont Human Rights Commission may investigate or enforce discrimination claims involving the General Assembly and other constitutional officers.

The question matters because, as Damien Leonard of the Office of Legislative Council told the committee, current remedies for people who say they were discriminated against in the State House are unclear: internal human resources processes and House panels exist, a private lawsuit is possible, and the Human Rights Commission has jurisdiction in many public-accommodation and state-agency cases — but whether the term “state agency” covers the legislature is ambiguous. \"It's not clear to me, and there's disagreement among the attorneys I've talked to about this,\" Leonard said.

Leonard framed the legal issue for committee members: employees working in the legislative building typically bring claims under the Fair Employment Practices Act and might pursue agency remedies, a private suit or the House panels; members of the General Assembly, by contrast, are not traditional employees and might instead pursue remedies under the Public Accommodations Act. That raises separation-of-powers questions about whether courts or an external agency should resolve complaints that implicate the chamber's internal governance.

Committee members discussed several policy options: leave the status quo; expressly permit the Human Rights Commission to investigate and make nonbinding recommendations; or grant the commission its full statutory powers, including a finding of violation and authority to pursue relief in superior court. Committee members repeatedly flagged constitutional risks if H.429 were written to grant full enforcement authority over elected constitutional officers.

Without objection, the committee asked Legislative Council to research constitutional boundaries and produce an initial written opinion, and to consult with attorneys who worked on the state ethics panel and with the House clerk. Leonard said Legislative Council would aim to provide an initial opinion within about a week and would contact the committee if the timeline needed to change. \"If there's an argument that it's ambiguous, then that's an argument for legislation,\" the Committee Chair said during the discussion.

The committee also agreed that, before drafting final language, it should hear from the Human Rights Commission and other potentially affected constitutional officers and legal counsel. Members noted the committee could define limited, investigatory jurisdiction in statute (leaving final discipline to the chamber) rather than immediately authorizing external enforcement.

Next steps for the committee include receiving Legislative Council's written opinion, scheduling testimony from the Human Rights Commission and affected officers, and deciding whether to direct Legislative Council to draft bill language that reflects the committee's preferred scope of jurisdiction.

","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","House General - 2025-04-03 - 1:55PM","oneSentenceSummary","MONTPELIER, Vt. — The House General & Housing Committee on April 3 heard testimony on H.429, a bill that would clarify whether the Vermont Human Rights Commission may investigate or enforce discrimination claims involving the General Assembly and other constitutional officers.","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},6090285,"Committee hears explanation of updated residential smoke-alarm standard; bill would allow newer UL 217 devices",136,2894000,3030000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2867730-6d94c23b42a042a027ae7c18569aa2a9&start=2894&end=3030","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2867730-6d94c23b42a042a027ae7c18569aa2a9/thumbnail_2894000.jpg","/articles/6090285/Vermont/Committee-hears-explanation-of-updated-residential-smoke-alarm-standard-bill-would-allow-newer-UL-217-devices","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6090285-1222a593d95df7f417a220d56c0cdfbe/orig.mp4?Expires=1775294875&Signature=kEw8MWwFJpblSAcn3Jm5Pt1kBokLzzpt6H8mypG9wOjfwqrYE~xUKhKxKZKWrUrklJWzxinTTI9p-RVRO3SzmrMr9FL8lHmpOdfkka69PQFo4YIdgY-rndJMzm-gxd8YXdsNbn7AC5i3wjtoDFFqwuBrM2083W16CTkpEKAtpa9Y3fWNeMOzLFhzDtfvAPOzagoRX5LvjK6FTsVblDgY5nsNr8OZDuxHah2CtizsMUE77r8rix1s0Wc6AvX90B9DvWqyGySit7kJLucIb9CswS4ZANL4tP50BfOQLTyIU-US4y54UX9jBSU2~~hNPotjjCAfWx~Ww3E4~yz1M0XJyA__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","MONTPELIER, Vt. — During the same House General & Housing hearing on April 3, Damien Leonard of the Office of Legislative Council explained proposed language to update Vermont's residential smoke-alarm requirement so homes may comply either with existing photoelectric-only detectors or with newer UL 217-compliant multi-sensor alarms.

Leonard said Vermont originally required photoelectric-only alarms because early ionization sensors produced many false positives. \"Since then technology has come a long way,\" he said. Underwriters Laboratories revised its standard and modern UL 217-compliant alarms now use multiple sensing technologies and are designed to better distinguish cooking smoke from smoldering and flaming fires, Leonard explained.

Leonard told committee members the statute change under consideration would apply to residences — certification requirements when selling a home — and would not change commercial fire-code requirements. He said new-construction wiring and interconnect requirements for alarms would remain in code for new homes, and older houses would continue to follow less-stringent placement rules specific to existing structures.

Committee members asked practical questions about detectors in the State House and about how the updated standard reduces false alarms. Leonard said the change simply allows compliance by either the legacy photoelectric-only alarms or UL 217-compliant devices, bringing the state rule in line with modern products and safety testing.

","Legislative Counsel described proposed language to allow compliance with modern UL 217 smoke alarms in residential transactions, replacing a prior photoelectric-only requirement. The change would align Vermont's residential smoke-alarm rule with updated Underwriters Laboratories standards and current market products.","actionData","errors"]

Article not found

House General & Housing hears testimony on H.429 to clarify Human Rights Commission jurisdiction over legislature

Committee hears explanation of updated residential smoke-alarm standard; bill would allow newer UL 217 devices