Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Committee reviews S.56 to study creation of an Office of New Americans
Summary
Senators and staff outlined S.56, which would create an eight-member study committee to recommend structure and duties for a potential Office of New Americans; the report is due Sept. 1, 2026, and initial meetings are capped at 10.
Senators and legislative staff on the Government Operations & Military Affairs Committee discussed S.56 on April 3, a bill to establish a study committee to recommend whether Vermont should create an independent Office of New Americans.
The bill would create an eight-member Office of New American Study Committee chaired by the director of the Vermont Refugee Office and include appointments from the commissioner of labor, the executive director of the Office of Racial Equity, and five governor-appointed members nominated by specified community organizations. The committee would produce a written report to legislative committees by Sept. 1, 2026, with the chair required to call the first meeting on or before Sept. 1, 2025.
Sponsor Senator Claire Gulick said the proposal aims to coordinate services and reduce fragmentation among nonprofits and state agencies that serve immigrants. "There was this lack of coordination, especially across the state," Gulick…
Already have an account? Log in
Subscribe to keep reading
Unlock the rest of this article — and every article on Citizen Portal.
- Unlimited articles
- AI-powered breakdowns of topics, speakers, decisions, and budgets
- Instant alerts when your location has a new meeting
- Follow topics and more locations
- 1,000 AI Insights / month, plus AI Chat
