This legislation aims to address issues surrounding the protection of consumer data and the regulation of online surveillance practices. The effort reflects growing concerns about digital privacy rights.

The annual "yield" bill sets the statewide property tax rates for the following year (in this case FY2026).

The bill proposes to exempt the House and Senate Ethics Panels from the requirement to consult with the Executive Director of the State Ethics Commission regarding any complaints referred to them by the Commission. It includes a repeal of a prior ethics oversight legislation and amends the procedure for accepting and referring ethics complaints. A new draft of the bill would also exempt the judicial branch and executive branch attorneys from the purview of the Ethics Commission.

The bill aims to regulate the use of synthetic media (deepfakes) in elections by requiring clear labeling of realistic, deceptive AI-generated content in the 90 days before an election and giving prosecutors and candidates new tools to respond to harmful deepfakes.

Governor Scott gave is budget address on January 28th, proposing a $9B budget for FY2026 with heavy investments in housing and other areas while simultaneously cutting taxes for the most financially vulnerable Vermonters.

After much teasing, Governor Scott's team introduced a comprehensive education reform that is undoubtedly the boldest policy proposal he has put forward during his career in public service. It would make dramatic changes to the way that Vermont's education system looks and functions.

The annual property tax yield bill was a little different this year. In response to a projected 20% increase in property tax rates, the legislature injected a number of policy reforms into the bill in hopes of reducing rates in future years.

H.875 strengthens Vermont's ethics laws by creating enforcement over disclosure requirements and independent oversight over state officials by giving the State Ethics Commission investigatory powers for the first time. A new Municipal Code of Ethics will also be created to provide a baseline code of conduct for local officials across the state.

S.58 is one of several criminal justice bills passed by the legislature this session. Key provisions of the bill add zylazine (an animal tranquilizer) to the list of regulated drugs and tightened up language that allows dealers to dodge responsibility by claiming they didn't know what was in the products they were selling. More controversially, the bill delays "raise the age" efforts in an attempt to allow the Department for Children and Families to deal with a current spat of violent juvenile offenders.

The General Assembly passed S.55, which updates Vermont's Open Meeting Law. It requires public bodies to be transparent about their deliberations and decisions, and to use standard rules and best practices for both meeting format and method of delivery.