House Committee on Government Operations and Military Affairs

 

AGENDA

 

Room 10 and Zoom

April 30, 2024 - May 3, 2024

Last Updated 5/3/2024 4:35 PM

 

Unless otherwise noted, all meetings are livestreamed at

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

Tuesday, April 30, 2024

9:10 AM                   H. 889 - An act relating to compensation for certain State employees (Pay Act)

Testimony and possible vote

Beth Fastiggi, Commissioner, Department of Human Resources

John Berard, Director, Labor Relations, Department of Human Resources

Harold Schwartz, Director of Operations, Department of Human Resources

Catherine Benham, Chief Fiscal Officer, Joint Fiscal Office

Steve Howard, Executive Director, Vermont State Employees Association

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

 

10:00 AM                   House Floor

 

10:52 AM                   An act relating to changes to property tax abatement and tax sales

Straw poll vote on H.629

 

-                                   Caucuses and Lunch

 

1:00 PM                   House Floor

 

Wednesday, May 1, 2024

9:00 AM                   S. 55 - An act relating to authorizing public bodies to meet electronically under Vermont’s Open Meeting Law

Testimony, possible mark-up and possible vote

Susan Barrett, J.D., Executive Director, Green Mountain Care Board

Kristen Lajeunesse, Executive Assistant, Green Mountain Care Board

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

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

Tim Devlin, Legislative Counsel, Office of Legislative Counsel

 

10:00 AM                   S. 220 - An act relating to Vermont’s public libraries

Testimony

Renee McGuinness, Policy Analyst, Vermont Family Alliance

Christopher Kaufman Ilstrup, Executive Director, Vermont Humanities

Beth St. James, Legislative Counsel, Office of Legislative Counsel

Catherine Delneo, State Librarian, Vermont Department of Libraries

 

11:00 AM                   15 Minute Break

 

11:15 AM                   S. 220 - An act relating to Vermont’s public libraries

Continued

Catherine Delneo, State Librarian, Vermont Department of Libraries

Alison Despathy, Parent, Danville

 

11:30 AM                   H. 649 - An act relating to the Vermont Truth and Reconciliation Commission

Senate Proposal of Amendment

Damien Leonard, Legislative Counsel, Office of Legislative Counsel

 

12:00 PM                   Lunch

 

1:00 PM                   House Floor

 

15 min. after Floor                   H. 606 - An act relating to professional licensure and immigration status

Senate Proposal of Amendment

Tim Devlin, Legislative Counsel, Office of Legislative Counsel

 

-                                   S. 55 - An act relating to authorizing public bodies to meet electronically under Vermont’s Open Meeting Law

Committee discussion

 

3:00 PM                   Committee Discussion and Agenda Planning

 

3:08 PM                   Adjourn

 

Thursday, May 2, 2024

9:00 AM                   H. 844 - An act relating to appeal rights for extraterritorial users of municipal water and sewer systems

Introduction, walk-through, and testimony

Rep. David Durfee, Sponsor

Art Whitman, Former Chair of Selectboard, Shaftsbury

Tim Devlin, Legislative Counsel, Office of Legislative Counsel

 

9:40 AM                   S. 220 - An act relating to Vermont’s public libraries

Mark-up and possible vote

Beth St. James, Legislative Counsel, Office of Legislative Counsel

Catherine Delneo, State Librarian, Vermont Department of Libraries

 

9:50 AM                   Break

 

10:30 AM                   S. 220 - An act relating to Vermont’s public libraries

Committee discussion and possible vote

 

10:55 AM                   S. 159 - An act relating to the County and Regional Governance Study Committee

Introduction

Sen. Ruth Hardy, Reporter

Tim Devlin, Legislative Counsel, Office of Legislative Counsel

 

11:15 AM                   S. 55 - An act relating to authorizing public bodies to meet electronically under Vermont’s Open Meeting Law

Review new draft, committee discussion, possible vote

Tim Devlin, Legislative Counsel, Office of Legislative Counsel

 

11:40 AM                   S. 159 - An act relating to the County and Regional Governance Study Committee

Testimony

Doug Farnham, Chief Recovery Officer, Agency of Administration

 

11:50 AM                   Lunch

 

1:00 PM                   House Floor

 

4:30 PM                   S. 159 - An act relating to the County and Regional Governance Study Committee

Vote

 

4:35 PM                   S. 55 - An act relating to authorizing public bodies to meet electronically under Vermont’s Open Meeting Law

Possible mark-up and possible vote

Tim Devlin, Legislative Counsel, Office of Legislative Counsel

 

4:50 PM                   Adjourn

 

Friday, May 3, 2024

9:00 AM                   S. 55 - An act relating to authorizing public bodies to meet electronically under Vermont’s Open Meeting Law

Vote

Tim Devlin, Legislative Counsel, Office of Legislative Counsel

 

9:30 AM                   House Floor

 

12:00 PM                   Lunch

 

12:45 PM                   S. 183 - An act relating to reenvisioning the Agency of Human Services

Possible vote

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

 

1:00 PM                   H. 888 - An act relating to approval of amendments to the charter of the Town of Hartford

Introduction and walk-through

Tim Devlin, Legislative Counsel, Office of Legislative Counsel

Edward Woods, Selectboard Member, Bennington

Michael Hoyt, Selectboard Chair, Hartford - Invited

Rep. Esme Cole, Sponsor

 

1:15 PM                   House Floor

 

15 min after Floor                   S. 96 - An act relating to privatization contracts

Testimony

Rik Sehgal, Legislative Counsel, Office of Legislative Counsel

Joyce Manchester, Senior Economist/Associate Fiscal Officer, Joint Fiscal Office

Steve Howard, Executive Director, Vermont State Employees Association

 

4:15 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