Senate recommits agriculture bill, reads several measures and appoints conference committee

The Senate conducted a series of procedural actions on Feb. 2, 2026: it recommitted S.3.23 to the Committee on Agriculture, read several senate and house bills for first reading (placing them on the calendar for notice under rule 48), and announced conference committee appointments after the House refused to concur with a Senate amendment.

Early in the session the Senator from Essex moved that S.3.23, "an act relating to miscellaneous agricultural subjects," be recommitted to the Committee on Agriculture. The presiding officer put the question and, after a voice vote, declared the motion carried.

The presiding officer then read and placed on notice several bills for first reading, including S.3.24 (legislative operations and government accountability), S.3.25 (study on the creation of model bylaws), S.3.26 (miscellaneous motor vehicle law amendments), S.3.27 (economic development), and S.3.28 (housing and common interest communities). House measures read and referred included H.270 (confidentiality in peer support sessions for emergency service providers), H.516 (approval of amendments to the charter of the town of Essex), H.532 (mandatory retirement of college professors), and H.790 (FY2026 budget adjustments).

Later the presiding officer reported that the House had refused to concur in a Senate amendment (S.23) and named the Senate members of the Committee of Conference: Senator Collamore, Senator Vyhovsky and Senator Morley.

The Senator from Chittenden also alerted colleagues to calendar pages 55–56 noting Christina Nolan and Michael Drescher are listed for action on Tuesday and urged full attendance when those matters are called. The Senator from Wyndham announced a short resolution condemning recent actions in Minneapolis and asked members to sign on as cosponsors by 2 p.m.

Committee meeting times were announced for the afternoon, and the Senate stood adjourned until 9:30 a.m. on Tuesday, Feb. 3, 2026.