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Senate Judiciary hears concerns about bill that would limit liability for de‑icing applicators
Summary
A witness and committee staff told the Senate Judiciary Committee the bill’s proposed immunity or presumption for certified salt applicators lacks defined Vermont safety standards and could restrict injured people’s access to recovery unless standards and evidence of effect are produced.
The Senate Judiciary Committee on April 3 heard testimony and extensive questions about S.29, a bill that would change liability rules for people and contractors who apply salt and other de‑icing materials. Witnesses and committee counsel told senators they had not seen Vermont safety standards for applicator training or evidence the proposal would reduce salt use or change private behavior.
The hearing focused on whether the bill’s immunity or presumption language would unduly limit injured people’s access to court. An attorney who identified himself as an experienced criminal-defense and personal-injury lawyer warned the committee that the legislation, as written, could create a new form of limited liability for large property owners and corporations and make recovery harder for people injured by negligent conditions.
The attorney said Vermont does not currently provide the kind of limited immunity this bill proposes and urged the committee not to adopt immunity language without a…
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