Secretary of State briefs Commerce & Economic Development committee on office modernization, Safe at Home, licensure reviews and voter outreach

Secretary of State Sarah Copeland Hanzas told the Vermont House Committee on Commerce and Economic Development on Jan. 14, 2025, that her office is continuing a multi‑year modernization of services — rolling out three new information systems, completing a Safe at Home portal, and pressing ahead on professional‑licensing reviews and civic outreach.

The briefing explained why the work matters to Vermont voters, survivors of domestic violence, licensed professionals and municipal officials: the office manages business and UCC filings, campaign finance and lobbyist disclosure, the voter checklist used by local clerks, professional licensure oversight and the state archives.

Hanzas said three of four major IT systems have been deployed: the business services registration system, the campaign finance system and the lobbying disclosure system. “We have rolled out at this point 3 of the 4 major programs,” she said. The remaining system, the Vermont election management system used by municipal clerks to maintain local checklists and input election results, is in its final build and will not be rolled out until after town meeting season; the office expects to deploy it in April.

Hanzas described the online voter guide the office produced for the 2024 general election as widely used: the…