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Vermont Senate moves multiple bills, adopts remote-participation resolutions and routine referrals
Summary
On March 11, 2025, the Vermont Senate completed a series of procedural actions: moving three education-related bills to other committees, conducting first readings and referring more than a half-dozen bills to committees, and adopting resolutions extending electronic participation rules and setting adjournment dates.
The Vermont Senate on March 11, 2025, approved several committee reassignments, held first readings and referrals for a group of bills (S105–S113 and others), and adopted resolutions extending rules for electronic participation and confirming adjournment instructions.
The procedural business included three motions from the senator from Bennington to relieve the Senate Committee on Education of specific bills and remit them to other committees. The chamber approved each motion by voice vote. The Senate also conducted first readings for S105 through S113 and referred each bill to the committee noted at its reading. Senators adopted two Senate resolutions extending electronic participation rules and passed joint resolutions related to adjournment and a joint assembly on judicial retention.
Why it matters: the actions were largely procedural but affect which committees will consider several bills that may reach substantive debate later in the session. Extending remote participation rules preserves the option for senators and committees to meet electronically through the extended period the resolutions specify.
Key procedural actions and referrals
Votes at a glance
- Motion: "I move that the committee on education be relieved of S.21, an act relating to cell phone free schools, and that the same be committed to the committee on health and welfare." Mover: Senator from Bennington. Outcome: approved by voice vote; "The ayes have it" was recorded. (Referred to Committee on Health and Welfare.)
- Motion: "I move that the committee on education be relieved of S.26, an act relating to prohibiting certain artificial dyes in foods and beverages served or sold at school, and that the same be committed to the committee on health and welfare." Mover: Senator from Bennington. Outcome: approved by voice vote; referred to Committee on Health and Welfare.
- Motion: "I move that the committee on education be relieved of S.39, an act relating to state aid for the school construction program, and that the same be committed to the committee on finance." Mover: Senator from Bennington. Outcome: approved by voice vote; referred to Committee on Finance.
- First readings and committee referrals (first reading; referred as read): - S.105, an act relating to exemptions from vehicle inspections — referred to Committee on Transportation. - S.106, an act relating to continuing the Psychedelic Therapy Advisory Working Group — referred to Committee on Health and Welfare. - S.107, an act relating to reimbursing the Department of Fish and Wildlife for revenue lost due to issuance of free licenses — referred to Committee on Natural Resources and Energy. - S.108, an act relating to a dog, cat, and wolf-hybrid spaying and neutering program — referred to Committee on Agriculture. - S.109, an act relating to miscellaneous judiciary procedures — referred to Committee on Judiciary. - S.110, an act relating to changes to Vermont’s air pollution and renewable energy laws — referred to Committee on Natural Resources and Energy. - S.111, an act relating to language access and emergency response — referred to Committee on Government Operations. - S.112, an act relating to amending the death certificate to reflect gender identity — referred to Committee on Health and Welfare. - S.113, an act relating to requiring the Agency of Transportation to request conditions in relation to the relicensing of the Bellows Falls hydroelectric project — referred to Committee on Finance.
- Rule-31 referrals called from the calendar: S.12 and S.18 (affecting revenues) were referred to the Committee on Finance; S.27 and S.60 (carrying appropriations) were referred to the Committee on Appropriations.
- Joint resolutions and senate resolutions: - JRS 17 (related to weekend adjournment) — adopted (voice vote: "The ayes have it"). - JRS 16 (providing for a joint assembly to vote on retention of superior court judges and a magistrate) — adopted. - SR 8 (relating to concurrently conducting electronic committee meetings), offered by Senator Ruth of Chittenden — adopted; extension is to January as described on the floor. - SR 9 (relating to electronic participation in Senate sessions), offered by Senator Baruth of Chittenden Central — adopted.
Other items noted on the floor
- The Senate clerk noted 32 gubernatorial appointments; the clerk said those appointments will appear in the journal tomorrow.
- A member from the Friends of the Vermont State House described a lapel-pin preorder program: the pins (made by Blackinton) are $35 each, with preorders closing for the first wave on Monday, March 24. Proceeds go to the Friends of the Vermont State House.
- The Senate stood adjourned until 1 p.m. Wednesday, March 12, by motion of the senator from Chittenden.
What the day did not include: the transcript records no extended floor debate on the merits of the bills listed; the actions reported were procedural referrals, first readings, resolutions, and routine announcements. No roll-call vote tallies with member-by-member votes were recorded in the transcript for the items above; outcomes were recorded by voice vote (‘‘ayes have it’’).
