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House Commerce Committee begins review of S.327, focusing on studies, downtown tax credits and VEGI sunset repeal
Summary
The House Commerce & Economic Development Committee on March 31 opened review of S.327, a Senate bill trimmed to three studies and a proposed repeal of the Vermont Employment Growth Incentive sunset; lawmakers debated downtown tax-credit funding, brownfield cleanup and trade outreach to Taiwan.
The Vermont House Commerce & Economic Development Committee met March 31 to begin consideration of S.327, an economic development bill the Senate advanced largely as a set of studies and a proposal to repeal the sunset on the Vermont Employment Growth Incentive (VEGI). Senator Allison Clarkson, chair of the Senate Economic Development, Housing and General Affairs Committee, presented the Senate committee’s version and handed members the text her committee originally passed, saying Senate appropriations removed many of the bill’s appropriations.
Clarkson said the legislation is intended to reinforce supports for Vermont small businesses and downtown redevelopment. "This bill really tries to further support key services and resources that our small businesses have come to really rely on," she said. She called the downtown and village center tax-credit program one of the state’s best returns on investment and said, "we get like 17 to one," noting the House budget landed $4 million for the credit this year after advocates pushed for more.
The bill, as passed by the Senate, centers on three studies and a repeal or alteration of the VEGI sunset. Committee staff explained the business growth and development study directs the Department of Economic Development to inventory state resources, identify gaps in legal and technical assistance, assess capital access and succession-planning needs, and deliver a report by Dec. 15, 2026 to this committee and the Senate Economic Development Committee.
Clarkson urged more capacity for international trade outreach, saying the department should explore locating a representative in Taiwan to attract investment. "They allocated $25 billion for investment in the states," she said, arguing Vermont needs someone to signal interest to potential Taiwanese investors.
Brownfield cleanup drew attention as a barrier to downtown redevelopment. Clarkson said brownfield remediation is essential and expressed disappointment that recent budget actions left little or no state funding for brownfield cleanup. Committee staff later clarified that a $3 million brownfield appropriation included earlier had been removed in later budget actions.
On VEGI, Clarkson outlined language to repeal the program’s sunset, explaining the bill would prevent new approvals while preserving awards already made unless the legislature acts otherwise. The committee also discussed a Route 22A corridor study, a convention-center task-force extension, and an Outdoor Recreation Business Alliance request for a $200,000 economic-impact study.
Committee staff summarized the Senate-passed text and corrected several appropriation expectations. Rick Sele, appearing for counsel/staff, told members there was no brownfield money in the current bill as passed by the Senate staff’s reading: "There's no money for brownfield … to my knowledge." Savannah Haskell of the Office of Workforce Strategy and Development told the committee her office could convene stakeholders for a proposed culinary institute study but members questioned whether the new office had capacity and suggested state colleges as alternate convenors.
The committee recessed to reconvene later the same day at 2:45 p.m. to hear a Taiwan delegation and continue consideration of S.327.
