House adopts transgender-support resolution, honors educators and autism advocates; pauses several bills and requests budget, transportation conferences

The Vermont House of Representatives on 2025-05-01 adopted a joint resolution expressing support for the State’s transgender and nonbinary community, read and approved three honorary House concurrent resolutions recognizing educators and autism advocates, postponed action on two bills and asked for committees of conference on the fiscal-year 2026 appropriations and the transportation bill.

The chamber adopted Joint Resolution S 15 (JRS 15) "supporting Vermont's transgender and non binary community and declaring Vermont's commitment to fighting discrimination and treating all citizens with respect and dignity" by voice vote. The presiding officer announced, “The ayes do have it,” and the resolution was adopted in concurrence with the Senate.

Earlier in the session the House read and placed on the record three House concurrent resolutions adopted via the consent calendar. HCR 64 congratulated Caitlin McLeod Blover of Winooski High School on being named the 2025 Vermont Teacher of the Year and recognized Jeremy Domingue of Edmunds Middle School and Sonya Shed of Walcott Elementary School as distinguished finalists. HCR 117 congratulated Andrew Kasperson of Essex High School as Vermont’s 2025 finalist for the Presidential Awards for Excellence in Mathematics and Science Teaching (PAEMST). HCR 118 commended Team Trummy and Truman Compton for advocacy and community engagement advancing public awareness and acceptance of autism; the Compton family was present for the devotional and recognition.

On legislation, the House postponed action on House Bill 86 (establishing a chloride contamination reduction program at ANR) for one legislative day after a motion from the Member from East Montpelier. House Bill 248 (supplemental childcare grants and the childcare financial assistance program) was postponed until May 8, 2025 after a motion from the Member from Hartford.

The chamber concurred in the Senate proposal of amendment to House Bill 96, which increases monetary thresholds that trigger the certificate-of-need process for health projects. The Member from Bristol summarized the Senate changes, including consolidation of duplicate threshold language and restoration of an exclusion for state health care projects; the House Health Care Committee reported a straw-poll of 10–0–1 in favor of the Senate amendments.

The House also concurred in the Senate further proposal of amendment to Senate Bill 27 (medical debt relief and exclusion of medical debt from credit reports). As presented by the Member from Newport City, the Senate amendment struck Section 2, removing a $1 million one-time investment by the Treasurer’s office; the funding was instead allocated through appropriations. The Health Care Committee reported a straw-poll of 10–0–1 in favor of concurrence.

On two large, multisection bills the House refused to concur in the Senate proposals and requested committees of conference. The House Appropriations Committee said it had significant differences with the Senate’s FY26 budget changes and on a straw poll of 11 voted not to concur; the House appointed Representative Shy (Middlebury), Representative Harrison (Chittenden), and Representative Bloomley (Burlington) as its conferees for House Bill 493 (FY26 appropriations). The House then suspended rules and sent that action to the Senate forthwith.

Similarly, the House Transportation Committee reported it would not concur in the Senate amendments to House Bill 488 (FY26 transportation program and related changes) after reviewing numerous section changes; on a straw poll of 8–0–3 the committee voted not to concur. The House appointed Representative Walker (Swanton), Representative Corcoran (Bennington), and Representative Burke (Brattleboro) as conferees for H.488 and suspended rules to message the action to the Senate.

The House completed its orders of the day and adjourned until Tuesday, May 6, 2025, at 10:00 a.m., following a motion put by the Member from St. Albans Town.

Votes at a glance (as recorded in the session): - Adopted (in concurrence): JRS 15 — supporting transgender and nonbinary community (voice vote). - Adopted (consent calendar): HCR 64 — Vermont Teacher of the Year recognition (Caitlin McLeod Blover) and finalists; HCR 117 — PAEMST Vermont finalist (Andrew Kasperson); HCR 118 — commending Team Trummy and Truman Compton. - Postponed: H.86 — postponed one legislative day (motion by Member from East Montpelier). - Postponed: H.248 — postponed to 05/08/2025 (motion by Member from Hartford). - Concurred in Senate proposal of amendment: H.96 — certificate-of-need threshold adjustments (presented by Member from Bristol). - Concurred in Senate further proposal of amendment to House proposal of amendment: S.27 — medical debt relief (presented by Member from Newport City). - Refused to concur and requested committee of conference: H.493 — FY26 appropriations (House conferees: Representative Shy, Representative Harrison, Representative Bloomley). - Refused to concur and requested committee of conference: H.488 — FY26 transportation program (House conferees: Representative Walker, Representative Corcoran, Representative Burke).

Procedural notes: several motions to suspend rules were approved to take bills off the notice calendar for immediate consideration and to message the House’s actions to the Senate forthwith. Where recorded, committee straw-poll results were reported aloud to the chamber; final roll-call tallies were not recorded in the transcript for these voice-vote or consent-calendar actions.