House approves four measures in voice votes, including recovery residence and child-abuse working group

The House convened for its afternoon session and approved multiple measures by voice vote.

Lawmakers passed Senate Bill 157, an act relating to recovery residence certification, in concurrence with a proposal of amendment. The chamber then approved Senate Bill 239, creating a child abuse and neglect reporting working group; the Member from Putney told the body the Human Services Committee found the bill would have minimal fiscal impact and updated stakeholder language to include the Vermont School Counselor Association and the Agency of Education. The House passed the bill in concurrence with that amendment.

The House also concurred in the Senate proposal of amendment to House Bill 410, which concerns the calculation of recidivism and related measures. The Member from Essex Junction, speaking for the House Judiciary Committee, said the Senate change replaces the phrase “clock for calculating” with the word “calculation” in subsection 81.21; the committee supported the amendment in a straw poll reported as 8–0–3 and recommended concurrence.

Separately, the chamber suspended its rules to take up Senate Bill 313, an act to transform the State's career and technical education system, and committed the bill to the Committee on Education for further consideration after members from Coventry moved to suspend the rules; the motion to suspend was approved by voice vote.

All motions and final actions were taken by voice vote; the presiding officer stated “the ayes do have it” for each item. The transcript does not record roll-call tallies or individual recorded votes.

The House completed its orders of the day and adjourned until Friday, April 24, 2026, at 9:30 a.m.