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House panel hears bill to create statewide ADA coordinator; members debate unique hiring language and funding
Summary
The House Appropriations Committee heard H.861 to establish a statewide Americans with Disabilities Act coordinator, including a FY27 appropriation of $150,000; sponsor Rep. Elizabeth Burrows and legislative counsel described duties and hiring criteria, and the committee discussed an amendment to remove the appropriation and forward the bill to the Senate.
The House Appropriations Committee on Wednesday heard H.861, a bill to create a statewide Americans with Disabilities Act coordinator in the Agency of Administration and to appropriate $150,000 from the general fund for FY27 to establish the position. Representative Elizabeth Burrows, sponsor of the measure, told the committee that Vermont has been "out of compliance on many different levels" with updates to the ADA since about 2013 and that a central coordinator would provide consistent training, audits, and a single point of accountability for people with disabilities.
Burrows said the role is intended to serve about "more than 150,000" Vermonters who have at least one disability and to reduce costly lawsuits by aligning agencies on accessibility standards. "A statewide coordinator at a high level of authority creates a permanent and…
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