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House advances a slate of bills ranging from absenteeism policy to prison prices; several passed on third reading
Summary
The Vermont House conducted first readings and referrals for multiple bills, adopted amendments to H.930 (chronic absenteeism) and H.294 (corrections pricing and incarcerated voices), and passed a series of bills on third reading including H.410, H.537, H.583, H.660, H.739, H.940 and others.
Montpelier — In addition to a lengthy juvenile‑justice debate, the House moved a range of bills through first readings, committee referrals, amendment votes and final passage during the floor session.
First readings: Clerks read and referred five House bills for committee consideration: H.945 (hemp products) to Agriculture, Food Resiliency, and Forestry; H.946 (advertisement and utility costs in residential rental agreements) and H.947 (residential universal design building code) to General and Housing; H.948 (Retired Employees Committee on Insurance membership) to Government Operations and Military Affairs; and H.949 (homestead property tax yields and education finance technical changes), referred to Appropriations because it carries an appropriation under House Rule 35a. The House also read first readings for three Senate bills (S.189, S.203, S.313) and referred them to the committees listed on the calendar.
Amendments and committee input: The House approved amendments to H.930, a bill addressing chronic absenteeism, to require the Agency of Education's model policy to include provisions for students with developmental disabilities and to account for mental health, hazing and bullying considerations. The Education Committee reported favorable straw poll results on those amendments and the body adopted changes before passing H.930 on third reading.
H.294: Representatives Cina (Burlington) and Donahue (Northfield) successfully added language to H.294 (commissary and telecommunications prices; incarcerated labor compensation) directing the Department of Corrections to consult with incarcerated and formerly incarcerated Vermonters and organizations representing them in preparing a report. The Corrections and Institutions Committee reported the amendment favorable and the House adopted it; the bill passed on third reading.
Other bills passed: On the third reading calendar the House approved multiple bills with limited floor debate, including H.410 (recidivism calculation measures), H.537 (right to grow vegetable gardens), H.583 (protections regarding corporate control of clinical decision‑making), H.660 (opioid abatement appropriations for FY2027), H.739 (prohibiting sale/use of paraquat), H.940 (miscellaneous public utility subjects), H.942 (miscellaneous agricultural subjects), and other technical or committee bills (H.928 and H.932 second readings on technical corrections and Act 250 forestry regulation also advanced).
Ceremony and resolutions: The House read HCR 168 honoring Girl Scout Troop 60336 of Milton for earning the Bronze Award and directed the Secretary of State to send a copy of the resolution to the troop.
Next steps: Most bills that passed on third reading now proceed to the Senate or await enrolment and any further inter‑chamber action specified by rule.
