Senate Committee on Economic Development, Housing and General Affairs

AGENDA

Room 27 and Zoom

January 13, 2026 - January 16, 2026

Last Updated 6/17/2026 12:52 PM

Unless otherwise noted, all meetings are livestreamed at

https://legislature.vermont.gov/committee/streaming/senate-economic-development-housing-and-general-affairs.

Tuesday, January 13, 2026

9:30 AM                   Senate Floor

Followed by Mandatory Training

11:00 AM                   Land Use Review Board

Updates

Peter Gill, Executive Director, Land Use Review Board

Brooke Dingledine, Board Member, Land Use Review Board

Janet Hurley, Chair, Land Use Review Board

12:00 PM                   Adjourn

Wednesday, January 14, 2026

9:00 AM                   S. 198 - An act relating to the regulation and taxation of tobacco products and tobacco substitutes

Introduction and Walk Through

Sen. Virginia "Ginny" Lyons, Sponsor, Chittenden-Southeast District

Jennifer Carbee, Deputy Chief Counsel, Office of Legislative Counsel

Jill Sudhoff-Guerin, Founder, Maidstone Public Relations

Rosemary Kennedy, Assistant Attorney General, Office of the Attorney General

10:05 AM                   Tourism and Marketing

Heather Pelham, Commissioner, Department of Tourism and Marketing

10:35 AM                   Break

10:45 AM                   Vermont Futures Project

Update

Kevin Chu, Executive Director, Vermont Futures Project

11:30 AM                   Vermont Chamber of Commerce

Priorities

Megan Sullivan, Vice President of Government Affairs, Vermont Chamber of Commerce

Amy Spear, Vermont Chamber President, Vermont Chamber of Commerce

Jeremy Little, Policy and Outreach Associate, Vermont Chamber of Commerce

12:00 PM                   Adjourn

1:00 PM                   Senate Floor

Thursday, January 15, 2026

9:00 AM                   S. 173 - An act relating to vocational rehabilitation and apprenticeships

Introduction and Walk Through

Sen. Kesha Ram Hinsdale, Sponsor

Sophie Zdatny, Legislative Counsel, Office of Legislative Counsel

Judith Dillon, Executive Director, Labor Relations Board

Kelly Massicotte, Attorney, Vermont Association for Justice

David Mickenberg, Lobbyist, Vermont Association for Justice

9:45 AM                   S. 125 - An act relating to collective bargaining

Update and Walk Through.

Sophie Zdatny, Legislative Counsel, Office of Legislative Counsel

Steve Howard, Executive Director, Vermont State Employees Association

10:00 AM                   International Trade and Business Recruitment

Update

Tim Tierney, Director of Recruitment and International Trade, Agency of Commerce and Community Development

10:30 AM                   Break

10:45 AM                   Vermont Economic Development Authority

Joan Goldstein, Chief Executive Officer, Vermont Economic Development Authority

11:10 AM                   Break

11:20 AM                   Advance Vermont Updates

Tom Cheney, Executive Director, Advance Vermont

12:00 PM                   Adjourn

1:00 PM                   Senate Floor

Friday, January 16, 2026

9:00 AM                   Vermont Association of Planning and Development Agencies (VAPDA)

Updates

Charlie Baker, Executive Director, Chittenden County Regional Planning Commission

9:30 AM                   The Home Act (Act 181 of 2024) and Act 69 of 2025

Cameron Wood, Legislative Counsel, Office of Legislative Counsel

Ellen Czajkowski, Legislative Counsel, Office of Legislative Counsel

10:30 AM                   Housing

Updates

Chad Simmons, Director, Housing and Homeless Alliance of Vermont

Michael Monte, Chief Executive Officer, Champlain Housing Trust

Chris Donnelly, Director of Community Relations, Champlain Housing Trust

11:25 AM                   Adjourn

11:30 AM                   Senate Floor

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

 Ciara Mead at Ciara.Mead@vtleg.gov