House Committee on Commerce and Economic Development

AGENDA

Room 35 and Zoom

January 18, 2022 - January 21, 2022

Last Updated 1/21/2022 5:13 PM

Unless otherwise noted, all meetings are livestreamed at https://legislature.vermont.gov/committee/streaming/house-commerce-and-economic-development.

Please note that closed captions/transcripts may not be completely error-free.

Tuesday, January 18, 2022

9:00 AM                   H. 29 - An act relating to notifying prospective employees of ineligibility for unemployment insurance benefits

Walk-through

Damien Leonard, Legislative Counsel

Morgan Webster, Executive Director, Common Good VT

10:00 AM                   House Floor and Caucuses

12:00 PM                   Lunch

1:00 PM                   Governor's FY2023  Budget Address

Joint Assembly

2:30 PM                   Workforce  Development

Stephanie  Yu, Policy Analyst, Public Assets Institute

Joyce Manchester, Senior Economist, Joint Fiscal Office

Tom Kavet, Legislative Economist, Kavet, Rockler & Associates, LLC

4:15 PM                   Adjourn

Wednesday, January 19, 2022

9:00 AM                   Workforce  Development

Business Sector

Betsy Bishop, President, Vermont Chamber of Commerce

Jordan Giaconia, Public Policy Director, Vermont Businesses for Social Responsibility

Austin Davis, Government Affairs Manager, Lake Champlain Regional Chamber of Commerce

Matt Musgrave, Government Affairs Director, Associated General Contractors of Vermont

Molly Mahar, President, Vermont Ski Areas Association

Morgan Nichols, State Director, Main Street Alliance of Vermont

10:45 AM                   Break

11:00 AM                   Workforce  Development

Government Sector

Adam Grinold, Executive  Director, Brattleboro Development Credit Corporation

Victoria Biondolillo, Executive  Director, State Workforce Development Board

John Young, Director, Vermont Training Program, Agency of Commerce and Community Development

Joan Goldstein, Commissioner, Department of Economic Development

12:00 PM                   Lunch

1:00 PM                   H. 74 - An act relating to making miscellaneous changes concerning self-storage businesses

Mark-up and possible vote

Rep. Anne B. Donahue, Amendment Sponsor

Rep. Linda Joy Sullivan, Amendment Sponsor

Jamie Feehan, Lobbyist, American Property and Casualty Insurance Association

Joe Doherty, Senior Vice President, Self Storage Association

Chris D'Elia, President, Vermont Bankers' Association

1:15 PM                   H. 627 - An act relating to the Vermont Economic Development Authority

Mark-up and possible vote

David Hall, Legislative Counsel, Office of Legislative Counsel

Rep. Theresa Wood, Waterbury

Cassie Polhemus, Chief Executive Officer, Vermont Economic Development Authority

Maura Collins, Executive Director, Vermont Housing Finance Agency

1:30 PM                   Continued Discussion

Workforce - Government Sector

2:30 PM                   Captive Insurance Legislative Day

Richard Smith, President, Vermont Captive Insurance Association

Gail Newman, Vice President of Risk Management, Bright Horizons (Captive Owner)

Brittany Nevins, Captive Insurance Economic Development Director, Vermont Department of Economic Development

Sandy Bigglestone, Director of Captive Insurance, Department of Financial Regulation

David Provost, Deputy Commissioner, Captive Insurance Division, Department of Financial Regulation

3:00 PM                   House Floor

4:15 PM                   Adjourn

Thursday, January 20, 2022

9:00 AM                   Workforce Development

Government Sector Continued

Beth Fastiggi, Commissioner, Department of Human Resources

Doug Pine, Deputy Director, Department of Human Resources

Fred Kenney, Executive Director, Addison County Economic Development Corporation

Miranda Gray, Deputy Commissioner, Child Development Division, Department for Children and Families

9:30 AM                   Workforce  Development

Education Sector

Katherine Levasseur, Director of External & Government Affairs, Vermont State Colleges

Sophie Zdatny, Chancellor, Vermont State Colleges

Joyce Judy, Chair, Select Committee on the Future of Public Higher Education in Vermont

Tiffany Walker, Associate Dean of Workforce Education, Community College of Vermont

Patricia Moulton, President, Vermont Technical College

Susan Stitely, President, Association of Vermont Independent Colleges

Marina Cole, Assistant Director for Adult Education, North Country Career Center

Tom Cheney, Executive Director, Advance Vermont

10:45 AM                   Break

11:00 AM                   Continued Discussion

Workforce - Education Sector

1:00 PM                   Workforce  Development

Strategic Outlook

Ellen Kahler, Executive Director, Vermont Sustainable Jobs Fund

Rep. Tristan Toleno, Brattleboro

2:45 PM                   Break

3:00 PM                   House Floor

4:15 PM                   Adjourn

Friday, January 21, 2022

9:00 AM                   Committee Discussion

Intern Introductions

9:30 AM                   House Floor

12:00 PM                   Lunch

1:00 PM                   H. 406 - An act relating to promoting racial and social equity in economic opportunity and cultural empowerment

Walk-through

Rep. Brian Cina, Sponsor, Burlington

3:00 PM                   Adjourn

ATTENTION WITNESSES

Please email handouts to the committee assistant at least 24 hours before your scheduled meeting time. With few exceptions, any documents you send to a committee assistant, are open to the public and may be posted to the committee’s web page.

If you have any questions or comments, please contact

 Camille Brochu as cbrochu@leg.state.vt.us