S.298

An act relating to creating the Vermont Voting Rights Act

Sponsors: Sen. Kesha Ram Hinsdale, Sen. Rebecca White , Sen. Philip Baruth, Sen. Seth Bongartz, Sen. Randolph Brock, Sen. Thomas Chittenden, Sen. Alison Clarkson, Sen. Ann Cummings, Sen. Martine Gulick, Sen. Ruth Hardy, Sen. Nader Hashim, Sen. Virginia Lyons, Sen. Joseph Major, Sen. Andrew Perchlik, Sen. Robert Plunkett, Sen. Tanya Vyhovsky, Sen. Anne Watson, Sen. Richard Westman

Location: House Committee on Government Operations and Military Affairs

Last Recorded Action: 3/19/2026 - Referred to the Committee on Government Operations and Military Affairs

Committee Activity - Meeting Full List

Regular Session 2025-2026

Friday, February 6, 2026

Committee(s):

Senate Committee on Government Operations

1:00 PM

S.298 - An act relating to creating the Vermont Voting Rights Act

Walk-through

Tim Devlin, Legislative Counsel, Office of Legislative Counsel
Alana Persson, Communications Lead, Represent Women
Ben Williams, Senior Policy Counsel, FairVote
Veniece Miller, Manager of Outreach, Harvard Law School

Tuesday, February 24, 2026

Committee(s):

Senate Committee on Government Operations

1:15 PM

S.298 - An act relating to creating the Vermont Voting Rights Act

Continued Testimony

Tim Devlin, Legislative Counsel, Office of Legislative Counsel
Sen. Rebecca "Becca" White, Sponsor
Robert Roper, Concerned Citizen, Stowe

2:00 PM

S.298 - An act relating to creating the Vermont Voting Rights Act

Continued Testimony

Sen. Kesha Ram Hinsdale, Sponsor, Sponsor
Sarah Copeland Hanzas, Secretary of State, Vermont

Tuesday, March 10, 2026

Committee(s):

Senate Committee on Government Operations

2:30 PM

S.298 - An act relating to creating the Vermont Voting Rights Act

Continued Testimony

Tim Devlin, Legislative Counsel, Office of Legislative Counsel
Lauren Hibbert, Deputy Secretary of State, Secretary of State's Office
Pattie McCoy, Former Town Clerk, Poultney
Rep. Sandra "Sandy" Pinsonault, Town Clerk - Dorset, New England Association of City and Town Clerks
Diana Vachon, President, Vermont Municipal Clerks and Treasurers Association

Wednesday, March 11, 2026

Committee(s):

Senate Committee on Government Operations

3:00 PM

S.298 - An act relating to creating the Vermont Voting Rights Act

Vote

Tim Devlin, Legislative Counsel, Office of Legislative Counsel
Jennifer Morrison, Commissioner, Department of Public Safety
Ashley Barnes, Captain, Bureau of Criminal Investigation
Mandy Wooster, Executive Director of Policy Development, Department of Public Safety

Wednesday, April 1, 2026

Committee(s):

House Committee on Government Operations and Military Affairs

9:30 AM

S.298 - An act relating to creating the Vermont Voting Rights Act

Introduction and walk-through

Sen. Kesha Ram Hinsdale, Sponsor
Tim Devlin, Legislative Counsel, Office of Legislative Counsel

10:10 AM

S.298 - An act relating to creating the Vermont Voting Rights Act

Witness testimony

Lauren Hibbert, Deputy Secretary of State, Secretary of State's Office
Paul Burns, Executive Director, Vermont Public Interest Research Group
Quinn Houston, New Democracy Associate, VPIRG

10:25 AM

S.298 - An act relating to creating the Vermont Voting Rights Act

Committee discussion

Tim Devlin, Legislative Counsel, Office of Legislative Counsel

Wednesday, April 8, 2026

Committee(s):

House Committee on Government Operations and Military Affairs

9:30 AM

S.298 - An act relating to creating the Vermont Voting Rights Act

Witness Testimony

Pattie McCoy, Former Town Clerk, Poultney
Carol Dawes, Legislative Committee Chair, Vermont Municipal Clerks and Treasurers Association
Leslie Welts, Assistant Attorney General and Chief of the General Counsel and Administrative Law Division, Attorney General's Office
Julio Thompson, Director, Civil Rights Unit, Office of the Attorney General

Wednesday, April 15, 2026

Committee(s):

House Committee on Government Operations and Military Affairs

9:30 AM

S.298 - An act relating to creating the Vermont Voting Rights Act

Witness testimony

Julio Thompson, Director, Civil Rights Unit, Office of the Attorney General
Leslie Welts, Assistant Attorney General and Chief of the General Counsel and Administrative Law Division, Attorney General's Office

2:30 PM

S.298 - An act relating to creating the Vermont Voting Rights Act

Witness testimony

Ben Williams, Senior Policy Counsel, FairVote
Helen Brewer, Senior Policy Specialist, Elections and Redistricting, National Conference of State Legislatures (NCSL)
Sean Sheehan, Director of Elections and Campaign Finance, Secretary of State's Office

Thursday, April 16, 2026

Committee(s):

House Committee on Government Operations and Military Affairs

11:15 AM

S.298 - An act relating to creating the Vermont Voting Rights Act

H.541 Section 1 proposed inclusion

Rep. Ian Goodnow, Sponsor of H.541

Tuesday, April 21, 2026

Committee(s):

House Committee on Government Operations and Military Affairs

2:20 PM

S.298 - An act relating to creating the Vermont Voting Rights Act

Draft 1.9 walk-through

Tim Devlin, Legislative Counsel, Office of Legislative Counsel

Wednesday, April 22, 2026

Committee(s):

House Committee on Government Operations and Military Affairs

2:30 PM

S.298 - An act relating to creating the Vermont Voting Rights Act

Witness testimony

Tim Devlin, Legislative Counsel, Office of Legislative Counsel
Lauren Hibbert, Deputy Secretary of State, Secretary of State's Office
Sean Sheehan, Director of Elections and Campaign Finance, Secretary of State's Office
Paul Erlbaum, Commissioner, Vermont State Ethics Commission
Carol Dawes, Legislative Committee Chair, Vermont Municipal Clerks and Treasurers Association
Heather Thomas, Executive Director, Vermont Progressive Party
May Hanlon, Executive Director, Vermont Democratic Party
Paul Dame, Executive Director, Vermont Republican Party

Thursday, April 23, 2026

Committee(s):

House Committee on Government Operations and Military Affairs

9:30 AM

S.298 - An act relating to creating the Vermont Voting Rights Act

Draft 3.1 walk-through and witness testimony

Tim Devlin, Legislative Counsel, Office of Legislative Counsel
Christina Sivret, Executive Director, Vermont State Ethics Commission

10:35 AM

S.298 - An act relating to creating the Vermont Voting Rights Act

Witness testimony

Christina Sivret, Executive Director, Vermont State Ethics Commission
T.J. Jones, Consultant, Vermont State Ethics Commission
James Condos, Commissioner, Vermont State Ethics Commission
Sarah Copeland Hanzas, Secretary of State, Vermont

Friday, April 24, 2026

Committee(s):

House Committee on Government Operations and Military Affairs

10:30 AM

S.298 - An act relating to creating the Vermont Voting Rights Act

Witness testimony

Sean Sheehan, Director of Elections and Campaign Finance, Secretary of State's Office

11:00 AM

S.298 - An act relating to creating the Vermont Voting Rights Act

Witness testimony

Witnesses TBD, REV UP Vermont, Association of People with Disabilities

11:30 AM

S.298 - An act relating to creating the Vermont Voting Rights Act

Witness testimony

Sean Sheehan, Director of Elections and Campaign Finance, Secretary of State's Office

1:00 PM

S.298 - An act relating to creating the Vermont Voting Rights Act

Witness testimony

Leslie Welts, Assistant Attorney General and Chief of the General Counsel and Administrative Law Division, Attorney General's Office

1:30 PM

S.298 - An act relating to creating the Vermont Voting Rights Act

Committee discussion and possible vote