House Committee on Commerce and Economic Development

 

AGENDA

 

Room 35 and Zoom

January 13, 2026 - January 16, 2026

Last Updated 1/16/2026 1:35 PM

 

Unless otherwise noted, all meetings are livestreamed at

https://legislature.vermont.gov/committee/streaming/house-commerce-and-economic-development.

Tuesday, January 13, 2026

9:00 AM                   Report and Discussion

David Bradbury, President, Vermont Center for Emerging Technologies

 

10:00 AM                   House Floor and Caucuses

Followed by Mandatory Training

 

12:00 PM                   Lunch

 

1:00 PM                   ABLE Act Discussion

Phil Pedlikin, Citizen

 

2:00 PM                   Break

 

2:10 PM                   H. 649 - An act relating to captive insurance companies

Walk-through and Testimony

Maria Royle, Legislative Counsel, Office of Legislative Counsel

Kaj Samsom, Commissioner, Department of Financial Regulation

Christine Brown, Interim Deputy Commissioner of Captive Insurance, Department of Financial Regulation

Ian Davis, President, Vermont Captive Insurance Association

 

3:00 PM                   Break

 

3:20 PM                   H. 649 - An act relating to captive insurance companies

Mark-up and Vote

Maria Royle, Legislative Counsel, Office of Legislative Counsel

Christine Brown, Interim Deputy Commissioner of Captive Insurance, Department of Financial Regulation

Ian Davis, President, Vermont Captive Insurance Association

 

Wednesday, January 14, 2026

9:05 AM                   Employment Options for Newly Released People

Joint Hearing with the House Committee on Corrections and Institutions in Room 11 of the State House from 9:00 a.m. - 11:00 a.m. This will be livestreamed from the House Committee on Commerce and Economic Development's YouTube channel.

Kendal Smith, Commissioner, Vermont Department of Labor

Kristin Calver, Deputy Commissioner, Vermont Department of Corrections

Randy Coble, Risk Intervention Services Division Director, Vermont Department of Corrections

Joyce Judy, President, Community College of Vermont

Bryan O'Connor, Director of Corrections Education, Community College of Vermont

Jay Ramsey, Director of Workforce Development, Vermont Department of Labor

Cindy Robillard, Workforce Development Division Assistant Director, Vermont Department of Labor

Jennifer Palmieri, Northeast Regional Manager, Vermont Department of Labor

Dean Matweecha, Southeast Regional Manager, Vermont Department of Labor

 

11:05 AM                   Break

 

11:20 AM                   H. 211 - An act relating to data brokers and personal information

Walk-through of Amendment

Rik Sehgal, Legislative Counsel, Office of Legislative Counsel

 

12:00 PM                   Lunch

 

1:10 PM                   H. 211 - An act relating to data brokers and personal information

Testimony

Emory Roane, Associate Director of Policy, Privacy Rights Clearing House - Zoom

Elizabeth Allen, Attorney III, CalPrivacy - Zoom

Mike Yeagley, Chief Strategy Officer, cohort.ID - Zoom

Zach Edwards, Founder, Victory Medium - Zoom

 

2:10 PM                   Department of Financial Regulation Auto Report

Mary Block, Deputy Commissioner of Insurance, Department of Financial Regulation

 

3:00 PM                   House Floor

Followed by a Caucus of the Whole.

 

Thursday, January 15, 2026

9:05 AM                   H. 648 - An act relating to banking, insurance, and securities

Walk-through and Testimony with a break from 10:15 - 10:30 a.m.

Amanda Smith, Deputy Commissioner of Securities, Department of Financial Regulation - Zoom

Jennifer Rood, Staff Attorney, Department of Financial Regulation - Zoom

Aaron Ferenc, Deputy Commissioner of Banking, Department of Financial Regulation

Joe Valenti, Director of Policy, Department of Financial Regulation

Maria Royle, Legislative Counsel, Office of Legislative Counsel

 

12:00 PM                   Lunch

 

1:10 PM                   H. 648 - An act relating to banking, insurance, and securities

Continued Walk-through and Testimony

Maria Royle, Legislative Counsel, Office of Legislative Counsel

James Feehan, Government Relations Director, Primmer Piper Eggleston & Cramer PC

Chris D'Elia, President, Vermont Bankers' Association

Carrie Allen, President, Association of Vermont Credit Unions

 

3:00 PM                   House Floor

 

Friday, January 16, 2026

9:05 AM                   Legislative Interns Report

Hearing reports from Committee's Legislative Interns

Cabot Sayles, UVM Legislative Intern

Bailey Davis, Norwich Legislative Intern

 

9:30 AM                   House Floor

 

10 Minutes After the Floor                   Legislative Interns Report

Continued Discussion of Legislative Intern Reports

Cabot Sayles, UVM Legislative Intern

 

-                                   H. 648 - An act relating to banking, insurance, and securities

Mark-up and Vote

Maria Royle, Legislative Counsel, Office of Legislative Counsel

 

-                                   Committee Discussion

 

12:00 PM                   Lunch

 

1:10 PM                   H. 674 - An act relating to the creation of the Vermont Sister State Program

Walk-through

Rik Sehgal, Legislative Counsel, Office of Legislative Counsel

 

1:40 PM                   Report and Discussion

Overview of Coerced Debt Report and Suspicious Transaction Holds Report and Discussion

Joe Valenti, Director of Policy, Department of Financial Regulation

 

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

 Annagrace Oblak at Annagrace.Oblak@vtleg.gov