House introduces two records/open-meetings bills, adopts weekend adjournment and passes health insurance statute update

The Vermont House of Representatives on April 9, 2025, introduced two bills concerning open meetings and public-records fees, adopted a joint Senate resolution on weekend adjournment, approved a reorganization of health insurance statutes in concurrence with the Senate, and committed a fiscal-year 2025 budget-adjustment bill to the Committee on Appropriations.

House Bill 501, introduced by Representative Bouton of Berry City, is "an act relating to the deadline for public bodies to respond to an alleged open meeting law violation." H501 was read for the first time and referred to the Committee on Government Operations and Military Affairs. Representative Bouton introduced the bill on the floor; no committee action or hearing schedule was recorded in the transcript.

House Bill 502, introduced by Representative Lipsky of Stowe and others, is "an act relating to charging for the actual cost under Vermont's Public Records Act." H502 received its first reading and was referred to the Committee on Government Operations and Military Affairs. The transcript records the bill title and referral; specific fee schedules or fee amounts were not provided.

The House also took the matter of Joint Senate Resolution 21, offered by Senator Baruth, on concurrence. JRS 21 provides that when the two houses adjourn on Friday, April 11, 2025, they would meet again no later than Tuesday, April 15, 2025. The House adopted the resolution in concurrence by voice vote.

Two House concurrent resolutions were read from the consent calendar. HCR 36 honors Charlotte Board of Civil Authority Chair and ski-and-ride program coordinator Michael Krasnow for 27 years of service to the town of Charlotte, including leading a program that brings nearly 150 students to evening skiing at Bolton Valley Resort during a five-week span and distributing primarily donated gear to children in need. HCR 65 recognizes May 2025 as Progressive Supranuclear Palsy (PSP) Awareness Month in Vermont; the resolution cites that PSP is a progressive neurological disorder with no cure, that symptoms often appear at about age 60, and that an estimated 20,000 Americans have been diagnosed (per the resolution text). Both concurrent resolutions were read and forwarded by the consent calendar; speakers on the floor thanked sponsors and noted personal connections to PSP and to Michael Krasnow.

On the action calendar, the House passed, in concurrence with the Senate's proposal of amendment, Senate Bill 30, described in the reading as "an act relating to updating and reorganizing the health insurance statutes in HVSA chapter 107." The House took a voice vote and passed the bill in concurrence with the proposal of amendment; no roll-call tally was recorded in the transcript.

Finally, Member for Middlebury moved that House Bill 489, "an act relating to fiscal year 2025 budget adjustments," be committed to the Committee on Appropriations. The House adopted that motion by voice vote and committed H 489 to the Appropriations Committee.

The House adjourned its session; a motion was made that the body stand adjourned until Thursday, April 10, 2025, at 1 p.m., consistent with the schedule announced on the floor.

Votes at a glance (as recorded on the transcript): - JRS 21 (weekend adjournment): adopted in concurrence (voice vote). - S 30 (health insurance statutes update, HVSA chapter 107): passed in concurrence with proposal of amendment (voice vote). - HR 6 (House Rules – Ethics Panel): adopted (see separate coverage). - H 489 (FY2025 budget adjustments): committed to Committee on Appropriations (motion passed by voice vote). - H 501 (open meeting law response deadline): first reading; referred to Committee on Government Operations and Military Affairs. - H 502 (public records: charging for actual cost): first reading; referred to Committee on Government Operations and Military Affairs. - HCR 36 (honoring Michael Krasnow) and HCR 65 (PSP Awareness Month): read from consent calendar and forwarded; resolutions direct the Secretary of State to send copies to named organizations as indicated in the resolution texts.

Details recorded on the floor were limited to bill titles, sponsors, referrals and voice-vote outcomes. The transcript did not include roll-call tallies, committee hearing dates, or detailed bill text beyond the titles read on the floor.