Act No. 52 (H.287). Commerce and economic development; agriculture

Sec. 1. Directs the secretary of commerce and community development (ACCD) to conduct a comprehensive study of the Vermont employment growth incentive (VEGI) program, to evaluate overall effectiveness, appropriate term and use of "wage threshold" and the "lookback provision," background growth rates, administrative burdens, etc.

Sec. 2. Extends VEGI program sunset from January 1, 2012 to July 1, 2012.

Sec. 3. Allows credit for "new jobs" if Vermont economic progress council (VEPC) determines they are created in a significantly different, new line of business, even though new jobs would not exceed the applicant's average annual employment in preceding two years.

Sec. 5. Requires public VEGI data and information to be reported in a searchable format.

Sec. 6. Creates science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) incentive program.

Sec. 7. Creates long-term unemployed hiring incentive program.

Sec. 8. Directs governor to appoint chair of workforce development council (WDC) for a term of two years, and a member shall not serve consecutive terms. A member shall not serve more than three consecutive terms as chair.

Sec. 8a. Repeals statutory position of executive director of workforce development council authorized in 10 V.S.A § 541(h).

Secs. 9-10a. Findings, substantive revisions, and report on eligibility criteria for the Vermont Training Program.

Secs. 11-13. Creation and implementation of the Vermont career internship program.

Sec. 14. Codifies in 10 V.S.A. § 542 workforce development performance grants issued by the department of labor, in coordination with ACCD, in consultation with WDC, to one or more persons to perform workforce development activities in a region.

Secs. 15-17. Creates the office of creative economy within ACCD, repeals Vermont film corporation, creates a Vermont film and new media advisory board.

Secs. 18-19. Makes technical corrections for digital corporations.

Secs. 21-22. Creates EB-5 enterprise fund, authorizes fee for services, and requires report regarding the fee and fund.

Secs. 23-23a. Findings and new process for landholder application for Vermont neighborhoods designation.

Secs. 24-26. Findings and creation/reinstatement of a small condo exemption under the uniform common interest ownership act.

Sec. 29. Charges development cabinet with task of creating a long-term economic development plan.

Secs. 30-33. Adds a requirement for an economic development element to regional and municipal plans; adds assessment report requirement for readoption of regional plans.

Sec. 34. Authorizes agency of agriculture, food and markets (AFM) to issue one or more competitive grants to increase slaughterhouse capacity

Secs. 35-38. Changes composition of Vermont sustainable jobs fund nonprofit, and repeals past legislation on this subject.

Sec. 39. Makes statutory changes designed to ensure stable and adequate supply of large animal veterinarians in regions of the state as determined by the secretary of AFM.

Sec. 40. Authorizes AFM to award matching grants for good agricultural practices program.

Sec. 41. Directs secretary of AFM to issue a request for proposals to develop a curriculum and provide classroom and on-the-job training for the occupation of skilled meat cutter.

Sec. 42. Creates one new local foods coordinator position in AFM; coordinator will facilitate matchmaking producers with commercial and institutional markets.

Sec. 43. AFM will coordinate with Vermont sustainable jobs fund (VSJF) to implement the farm-to-plate investment program; authorizes agency to contract with third-party to assist agency and track program activities and progress.

Sec. 45. Creates a violation of the consumer fraud act to misrepresentation of a floral business's location or status as a "local" business in advertising or directory listing.

Sec. 46. Creates a building codes study committee to review and report on the use of multiple building codes.

Sec. 50. Directs ACCD to create a website, or a new section of its website, to provide matchmaking opportunities for Vermont companies to affiliate with online retailers that collect and remit sales tax on purchases made online.

Sec. 60. Authorizes first class liquor license holder to contract with another person to prepare and dispense food on the premises without limitation on number of events.

Sec. 64. Directs secretary of administration, in collaboration with office of the treasurer to review and report findings concerning the state's current process for allocation of private activity bond capacity and a cost-benefit analysis of one or more projects that may be suitable for private activity bond funding.

Sec. 65. Authorizes funding for the completion of southeast Vermont economic development strategy (SeVEDS) planning process to address economic impacts anticipated in Windham County due to closure of Vermont Yankee.

Sec. 66-67. Makes certain amendments to H.441 (Act. No. 63), the appropriations act (Big Bill) (redundant to changes actually adopted in Big Bill; sections have no effect).

Secs. 70-71. Findings and study on net costs of government contracting and econometric modeling.

Secs. 72-73. Directs buildings and general services (BGS) to consider interests of state, costs, proximity, jobs, when purchasing food and agricultural products; all things equal, buy Vermont; repeal of redundant agricultural purchasing provision in Title 6.

Secs. 76-77. Authorizes permit to serve malt or vinous beverages at an art gallery or bookstore event, and creates a fee of $15.00.

Sec. 85. General revision to consumer protection provision that governs what charges may appear on a consumer's telephone bill for goods and services.

Sec. 100. Appropriations.

Sec. 101. Unified reporting for act.

Sec. 102. Effective dates.

Secs. 4, 20, 27-28, 44, 47-49, 51-59, 61-63, 68-69, 74-75, 78-84, and 86-99. Reserved.

Multiple effective dates; beginning May 27, 2011