House Committee on Commerce and Economic Development

AGENDA

Room 35 and Zoom

February 14, 2023 - February 17, 2023

Last Updated 2/17/2023 1:12 PM

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

Tuesday, February 14, 2023

9:00 AM                   H. 10 - An act relating to amending the Vermont Employment Growth Incentive Program

Review of ACCD's draft

David Hall, Legislative Counsel, Office of Legislative Counsel

Abbie Sherman, Executive Director, Vermont Economic Progress Council

10:00 AM                   House Floor

-                                   Lunch and Caucuses

1:00 PM                   H. 10 - An act relating to amending the Vermont Employment Growth Incentive Program

Discussion continued

Abbie Sherman, Executive Director, Vermont Economic Progress Council

Joan Goldstein, Commissioner, Department of Economic Development

John Russell, Member, Vermont Economic Progress Council

2:00 PM                   H. 87 - An act relating to regulating earned wage access services

David Hall, Legislative Counsel, Office of Legislative Counsel

Ben LaRocco, Senior Director of Government Relations, Earnin

Jane Levine, Chief Compliance Officer, DailyPay

-                                   Adjourn

Wednesday, February 15, 2023

9:00 AM                   H. 55 - An act relating to miscellaneous unemployment insurance amendments

-                                   H. 92 - An act relating to expanding eligibility for unemployment insurance

Both H.55 and H.92 will be discussed

Committee discussion

Cameron Wood, Director, Unemployment Insurance Division, Department of Labor

Damien Leonard, Legislative Counsel, Office of Legislative Counsel

10:00 AM                   Vermont Arts Council

Introduction

Amy Cunningham, Deputy Director, Vermont Arts Council

Jody Fried, Chair, Vermont Creative Network Steering Team

10:45 AM                   Break

11:00 AM                   H. 76 - An act relating to captive insurance

Introduction and walk-through

Rep. Michael Marcotte, Sponsor

Maria Royle, Legislative Counsel, Office of Legislative Counsel

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

Mike Fisher, Chief Health Care Advocate, Vermont Legal Aid

12:00 PM                   Lunch

1:00 PM                   H. 10 - An act relating to amending the Vermont Employment Growth Incentive Program

Doug Hoffer, State Auditor, State Auditor's Office

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

Fred Kenney, Executive Director, Addison County Economic Development Corporation

3:00 PM                   House Floor

-                                   Adjourn

Thursday, February 16, 2023

9:00 AM                   H. 55 - An act relating to miscellaneous unemployment insurance amendments

Committee discussion and possible vote

Damien Leonard, Legislative Counsel, Office of Legislative Counsel

Cameron Wood, Director, Unemployment Insurance Division, Department of Labor

Emma Paradis, Senior Policy Coordinator, Common Good VT

Jesse Bridges, Chief Executive Officer, United Way of Northwest Vermont

10:30 AM                   Joint Assembly

Election of the Sergeant at Arms and Elections of Trustees for the University of Vermont and Vermont State Agricultural College

12:00 PM                   Lunch

1:00 PM                   H. 76 - An act relating to captive insurance

Discussion of new draft and possible vote

Maria Royle, Legislative Counsel

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

Kevin Mead, President, Vermont Captive Insurance Association

Sara Teachout, Director, Government, Public and Media Relations, Blue Cross/Blue Shield of Vermont

Mike Fisher, Chief Health Care Advocate, Vermont Legal Aid

-                                   Break

2:30 PM                   Vermont Citizens Advisory Committee on Lake Champlain's Future

Overview of 2023 Lake Champlain Action Plan

Lori Fisher, Executive Director, Lake Champlain Action Committee

Hilary Solomon, District Manager, Poultney-Mettowee Natural Resources Conservation District

Denise Smith, Vice Chair, Committee Executive Director, Vermont Citizens Advisory Committee on the Future of Lake Champlain

Bob Fischer, Water Quality Superintendent, Vermont Citizens Advisory Committee on the Future of Lake Champlain

3:00 PM                   House Floor

-                                   Adjourn

Friday, February 17, 2023

9:00 AM                   Committee Discussion

Discussion with Interns

Ben Donsbach, Intern, University of Vermont

Ali Schafer, Intern, University of Vermont

9:30 AM                   House Floor

10 Mins After Floor                   Housing Groups

Chris Donnelly, Director of Community Relations, Champlain Housing Trust

Patrick Shattuck, Executive Director, RuralEdge

Michael DeBonis, Executive Director, The Green Mountain Club

Justin Worthley, Senior Vice President of Global Human Resources, Burton Snowboards

Gus Seelig, Executive Director, Vermont Housing and Conservation Board

Michael Monte, Chief Executive Officer, Champlain Housing Trust

12:00 PM                   Lunch

1:00 PM                   Workforce Development

Tom Cheney, Executive Director, Advance Vermont

Jill Irvine, Director of Professional and Continuing Education, University of Vermont

Maureen Hebert, Employer Partnership Coordinator, University of Vermont

Jayshree Bhat, Associate Vice President of Workforce, Community, and Economic Development, Vermont State University

Tiffany Walker, Senior Director of Workforce Education, Community College of Vermont

Ryan Dulude, Financial Aid Director, Community College of Vermont

-                                   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

 Andrew Hegarty at ahegarty@leg.state.vt.us