Senate Government Operations committee adopts draft disapproval as committee resolution, seeks legislative drafting

The Senate Committee on Government Operations on Feb. 26 voted to designate a drafted resolution disapproving Executive Order O 01/25 — the governor’s order to reorganize the Department of Public Safety into an Agency of Public Safety — as a committee resolution and asked staff to revise the text to reflect the Senate’s intent to bring forward draft legislation.

The action followed sustained procedural discussion about whether the committee should request a one-house resolution, ask the administration to submit draft legislation, or prepare its own bill. Michael Scharnick, legislative counsel, walked the committee through the parliamentary implications and the calendar timing for introducing a resolution or legislation. “I should emphasize nonadvocacy point on my part,” Scharnick said while advising members that either approach could move the matter onto the notice calendar within a few days if the committee finalized language.

Why it matters: the executive order sets April 16, 2025, as an effective date to elevate the Department of Public Safety to a cabinet-level Agency of Public Safety and broadens responsibilities across Vermont State Police, the division of fire safety, and the Division of Emergency Management (VEM). Committee members said they support legislative input and additional review to avoid unintended consequences of reorganization and to refine statutory language before the change takes effect.

Committee members discussed options and timing, including pausing the EO’s 90-day clock by placing a legislative hold and drafting a bill. Senator Tanya Vyhovsky (Chittenden Central District) said she supported making the Senate responsible for bringing draft legislation forward while remaining open to cooperative work with the administration. Other senators noted previous agency reorganizations had proceeded by executive order and that legislative review would ensure broader public participation.

The committee ultimately held a show-of-hands vote to make the drafted disapproval a committee resolution; the chair reported the vote as 5-0 in favor. Members asked Scharnick to adjust language to state the Senate “commits to bringing forward draft legislation to maximize the delivery of public safety services to all Vermonters” rather than solely asking the administration to do so. Several senators also signaled they would try to move a bill through the committee and, if necessary, continue work on it in subsequent floor days or the next legislative session.

No formal floor vote on disapproval of the executive order occurred during the meeting. Committee members agreed to reconvene on the item after staff circulated the revised committee resolution language and, separately, noted that one senator had already requested a bill drafting assignment mirroring elements of the executive order.

The committee also scheduled a short break and anticipated hearing a separate item later in the session concerning S.58, a paid leave proposal for certain law enforcement officers and firefighters.

Requests for additional material and follow-up steps included: the legislative counsel preparing amended resolution language, committee sponsorship being designated (the chair directed staff to make it a committee resolution), and senators planning further work on draft legislation with an eye to completing that work this session if possible.

The committee’s discussion and vote do not themselves change state law; they set the committee’s procedural path for formally considering the executive order and any legislation that may follow.