Vermont House reads 10 bills, refers them to committees and reads an ethics rule change; chamber also recognizes Milton girls soccer team

The Vermont House of Representatives read 10 bills for the first time and referred each to committee, took up a resolution to amend House rules relating to the ethics panel, and read a concurrent resolution honoring the Milton High School Yellow Jackets girls soccer team.

Members heard first readings of House bills H.301 through H.310 and referred them to committee: H.301 (age verification for social media) to Commerce and Economic Development; H.302 (health insurance and Medicaid coverage for fertility care) to Health Care; H.303 (use of septage, sludge, and biosolids) to Environment; H.304 (traffic cameras and school bus passing violations) to Transportation; H.305 (prescriptions for psychotropic medications used by children and youth in the doctor dinosaur program) to Health Care; H.306 (prohibiting deed restrictions that bar commercial or industrial uses) to Judiciary; H.307 (establishing the Vermont Community Radio grant program) to Energy and Digital Infrastructure; H.308 (exempting building materials and supplies from sales and use tax) to Ways and Means; H.309 (creating a housing and conservation trust fund check-off on the Vermont personal income tax return) to Ways and Means; and H.310 (education on the evolving nature of antisemitism) to Education. Each bill was “read the first time” on the floor and formally referred to the committee named in the House reading.

The chamber also read House Resolution 6 — described on the floor as an amendment to House rules relating to the House ethics panel — and treated the reading as a bill before referring it to the Committee on Rules.

The House also read House Concurrent Resolution 6, a concurrent resolution congratulating the 2024 Milton High School Yellow Jackets girls soccer team on a second consecutive Division II championship. The text read into the record named players and listed head and assistant coaches and directed the secretary of state to send a copy of the resolution to Milton High School. Following the reading, a member recognized the Milton delegation in the gallery and offered remarks praising the players and coaches; the member named several coaches and the team’s athletic director while noting the team’s accomplishments.

A motion to adjourn was offered by the member from Poultney; the speaker put the question, the ayes were recorded as prevailing, and the body stood adjourned until Tuesday, Feb. 25, 2025, at 10 a.m. (the clerk’s reading recorded that date and time on the floor.)

Why it matters: First readings and committee referrals are the standard first formal step in the legislative process; these actions move proposals into committee consideration where sponsors and committee members may hold hearings, receive testimony, amend language and vote on whether to advance measures back to the floor. The ethics-rule change was read and sent to Rules for further consideration; the concurrent resolution recognizing Milton’s soccer team was placed on the record and directed to the secretary of state for transmission to the school.

What was not decided: None of the bills read on the floor were adopted or defeated on final passage during the session transcripted; the record shows only first readings and referrals. The resolution to amend House rules was read and referred to committee; the concurrent resolution congratulating Milton High School was read as a consent-calendar adoption carried from the Senate and then read to the House record. No committee action, public testimony on the bills, or final passage votes on the new bills are recorded in the provided transcript.

Speakers recorded on the floor include Representative Saudia Lamont of Morristown, who led the devotional earlier in the session; the speaker of the House (addressed on the record as “Madam Speaker”); the floor reader/clerk who read bill titles; the member from Milton who recognized the Milton delegation; the member from Essex who offered a birthday announcement; and the member from Poultney who moved adjournment. Specific names of bill sponsors were announced during the readings (for example, H.301 by Representative Morwicki of Putney; H.302 by Representative Bartley of Fairfax; H.303 by Representative Burt of Cabot; H.307 by Representative Hooper of Burlington; H.309 by Representative Logan of Burlington; H.310 by Representative Tuth of St. Alban's Town). The transcript supplies sponsor names and the committees to which each bill was referred; no further debate or recorded votes on those bills appear in the provided excerpt.

Votes at a glance

- Motion to adjourn (mover: member from Poultney): House voice vote; the speaker announced that “the ayes do have it,” and the House adjourned until Tuesday, Feb. 25, 2025, at 10 a.m. (no roll-call tally recorded in the transcript.)

Items introduced or read on the floor (first reading and committee referral)

- H.301 — An act relating to age verification in social media. Referred to Commerce and Economic Development. Sponsor: Representative Morwicki (Putney). (Text read by clerk.) - H.302 — An act relating to health insurance and Medicaid coverage for fertility care. Referred to Health Care. Sponsor: Representative Bartley (Fairfax) and others. (Text read by clerk.) - H.303 — An act relating to the use of septage, sludge, and biosolids. Referred to Environment. Sponsor: Representative Burt (Cabot) and others. (Text read by clerk.) - H.304 — An act relating to traffic cameras and traffic violations for illegally passing a school bus. Referred to Transportation. Sponsors: Representatives Morgan L and Morgan M (Milton). (Text read by clerk.) - H.305 — An act relating to prescriptions for psychotropic medications used by children and youth in the doctor dinosaur program. Referred to Health Care. Sponsor: Representative Rebecca (Winooski) and others. (Text read by clerk.) - H.306 — An act relating to prohibiting deed restrictions or covenants that prohibit use of property for commercial or industrial purposes. Referred to Judiciary. Sponsor: Representative Granting (Jericho) and others. (Text read by clerk.) - H.307 — An act relating to the establishment of the Vermont Community Radio grant program. Referred to Energy and Digital Infrastructure. Sponsor: Representative Hooper (Burlington). (Text read by clerk.) - H.308 — An act relating to exempting sales of building materials and supplies from sales and use tax. Referred to Ways and Means. Sponsor: Representative Bartley (Fairfax) and others. (Text read by clerk.) - H.309 — An act relating to creating a housing and conservation trust fund check-off on the Vermont personal income tax return. Referred to Ways and Means. Sponsor: Representative Logan (Burlington). (Text read by clerk.) - H.310 — An act relating to education on the evolving nature of antisemitism. Referred to Education. Sponsor: Representative Tuth (St. Alban's Town) and others. (Text read by clerk.) - HR 6 — House resolution amending House rules relating to the House ethics panel. Read by title and referred to the Committee on Rules. - HCR 6 — House concurrent resolution congratulating the 2024 Milton High School Yellow Jackets girls soccer team. Read into the record; directed to the secretary of state for transmission to Milton High School.

Ending note: The floor actions in the provided transcript are limited to first readings, committee referrals, the reading and referral of an ethics-rule resolution, the reading of a congratulatory concurrent resolution, announcements, and an adjournment motion. No committee hearings, floor debates on the substance of the introduced bills, amendments, or final-passage roll-call votes on those bills are recorded in the excerpt provided.