House Committee on Government Operations and Military Affairs

 

AGENDA

 

Room 10 and Zoom

February 20, 2024 - February 23, 2024

Last Updated 5/2/2024 3:40 PM

 

Unless otherwise noted, all meetings are livestreamed at

https://legislature.vermont.gov/committee/streaming/house-government-operations-and-military-affairs.

Tuesday, February 20, 2024

10:00 AM                   House Floor

 

-                                   Caucuses and Lunch

 

1:00 PM                   H. 622 - An act relating to emergency medical services

Introduction, walk-through and testimony

Rep. Katherine Sims, Sponsor

Jennifer Carbee, Director and Chief Counsel, Office of Legislative Counsel

Daniel Batsie, Deputy Commissioner, Department of Public Safety

Will Moran, Director for Emergency Preparedness, Response, and Injury Prevention, Vermont Department of Health

Bill Camarda, Director, Bennington Rescue

 

2:37 PM                   Break

 

2:55 PM                   H. 622 - An act relating to emergency medical services

Testimony

Christopher Dube, President, Professional Fire Fighters of Vermont

Paul Stagner, Fire Chief, Springfield Fire Department

David Danforth, Director, Department of Emergency Medical Services, Town of Barre

 

3:45 PM                   H. 794 - An act relating to services provided by the Vermont Veterans’ Home

Technical Amendment

Damien Leonard, Legislative Counsel, Office of Legislative Counsel

 

4:00 PM                   FY 2025 Budget

Office of Secretary of State budget proposal

Sarah Copeland Hanzas , Secretary of State, Secretary of State's Office

Lauren Hibbert, Deputy Secretary of State, Secretary of State's Office

 

4:19 PM                   Adjourn

 

Wednesday, February 21, 2024

9:00 AM                   H. 875 - An act relating to the State Ethics Commission and the State Code of Ethics

Testimony

Carol Carson, Retired Executive Director, Connecticut Office of State Ethics

Ted Brady, Executive Director, Vermont League of Cities and Towns

Carol Dawes, Clerk-Treasurer, Barre City, Co-chair, Vermont Municipal Clerks and Treasurers Association Legislative Committee

Christina Sivret, Executive Director, Vermont State Ethics Commission

T.J. Jones, Consultant, Vermont State Ethics Commission

 

10:05 AM                   Break

 

10:15 AM                   H. 875 - An act relating to the State Ethics Commission and the State Code of Ethics

Continued

 

11:00 AM                   An act relating to changes to property tax abatement and tax sales

Review of H.629

Rep. Carl Demrow, Reporter, House Committee on Ways and Means

Kirby Keeton, Legislative Counsel, Office of Legislative Counsel

 

11:30 AM                   Constituent Service Time

 

12:00 PM                   Lunch

 

1:00 PM                   24-0299 - An act relating to miscellaneous amendments to the laws governing alcoholic beverages and the Board of Liquor and Lottery

Tucker Anderson, Legislative Counsel, Office of Legislative Counsel

Charles Martin, Director of Communications and Legislative Affairs, Department of Liquor and Lottery

 

2:07 PM                   Constituent Service Time

 

3:00 PM                   House Floor

 

Thursday, February 22, 2024

9:00 AM                   H. 612 - An act relating to miscellaneous cannabis amendments

Testimony

Michele Childs, Legislative Counsel, Office of Legislative Counsel

James Pepper, Chair, Cannabis Control Board

Jill Sudhoff-Guerin, Maidstone Public Relations, Vermont Medical Society

Rev. Mark Hughes, Executive  Director, Vermont Racial Justice Alliance

Graham Unangst-Rufehacht, Policy Director, Rural Vermont

Myra Adams, Owner, Hidden Leaf Homestead

Josh Decatur, Owner, Hey Bud

Jessilyn Dolan, Co Founder, Green Mtn. Patients' Alliance

Hope Aguilera, Owner, Low Key Alchemy

 

11:07 AM                   Break

 

11:15 AM                   H. 612 - An act relating to miscellaneous cannabis amendments

Continued

 

12:00 PM                   Lunch

 

1:05 PM                   FY 2025 Budget

Work on budget memo

 

1:25 PM                   Break

 

1:30 PM                   Office of Professional Regulation (OPR)

Optometric Scope of Practice Report

Lauren Layman, General Counsel, Office of Professional Regulation, Secretary of State's Office

Jessica McNally, M.D., President, Vermont Ophthalmological Society

Dr. Julia Kitchens, O.D., Shippee Family Eye Care

Dr. Dean Barcelow, O.D., President, Vermont Optometric Association

 

3:00 PM                   House Floor

 

15 min after Floor                   H. 549 - An act relating to the siting of outdoor cannabis cultivation

Michael O'Grady, Legislative Counsel, Office of Legislative Counsel

 

4:50 PM                   Adjourn

 

Friday, February 23, 2024

9:30 AM                   House Floor

 

15 Minutes After Floor                   H. 702 - An act relating to legislative operations and government accountability

Introduction and walk-through

Tim Devlin, Legislative Counsel, Office of Legislative Counsel

 

11:15 AM                   FY 2025 Budget

Vermont Criminal Justice Council budget proposal

Heather Simons, Executive Director, Vermont Criminal Justice Council

Lindsay Thivierge, Director of Administration and Compliance, Vermont Criminal Justice Council

 

-                                   24-0680 - An act relating to miscellaneous policy updates for the Vermont Criminal Justice Council

Christopher Brickell, Deputy Director, Vermont Criminal Justice Council

Kim McManus, Associate General Counsel, Vermont Criminal Justice Council

 

12:05 PM                   Lunch

 

1:15 PM                   FY 2025 Budget

Work on budget memo

 

1:45 PM                   H. 667 - An act relating to the creation of the Vermont-Ireland Trade Commission

Testimony

Ashlynn Doyon, Director of Policy, Office of the State Treasurer

Rik Sehgal, Legislative Counsel, Office of Legislative Counsel

 

2:00 PM                   H. 875 - An act relating to the State Ethics Commission and the State Code of Ethics

Testimony

Tim Devlin, Legislative Counsel, Office of Legislative Counsel

Michele Eid, Commissioner, Vermont State Ethics Commission

Paul Erlbaum, Chair, Vermont State Ethics Commission

Christina Sivret, Executive Director, Vermont State Ethics Commission

Ted Brady, Executive Director, Vermont League of Cities and Towns

Carol Carson, Retired Executive Director, Connecticut Office of State Ethics

 

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.

 

Should you require accessibility services, please click here and note that requests should be made 48 hours in advance of testimony.

 

 

 

If you have any questions or comments, please contact

 Andrea Hussey at ahussey@leg.state.vt.us