Senate Committee on Economic Development, Housing and General Affairs

 

AGENDA

 

Room 27 and Zoom

January 20, 2026 - January 23, 2026

Last Updated 1/23/2026 11:20 AM

 

Unless otherwise noted, all meetings are livestreamed at

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

Tuesday, January 20, 2026

9:30 AM                   Senate Floor

 

9:50 AM                   Vermont Housing and Conservation Board

Gus Seelig, Executive Director, Vermont Housing & Conservation Board

Pollaidh Major, Director of Policy and Special Projects, Vermont Housing & Conservation Board

 

10:50 AM                   Vermont Chamber of Commerce

Housing Update

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

 

11:20 AM                   Break

 

11:25 AM                   Let's Build Homes

Miro Weinberger, Executive Chairperson, Let's Build Homes

 

12:00 AM                   Adjourn

 

1:00 PM                   Governor's 2027 Budget Address

 

Wednesday, January 21, 2026

9:00 AM                   Outdoor Recreation

Kelly Ault, Executive Director, Vermont Outdoor Business Alliance

Natalie Starr, Board Member, Ascutney Outdoors

Jill Sudhoff-Guerin, Founder, Maidstone Public Relations

 

9:30 AM                   Public Assets Institute

Julie Lowell, Economic Security Policy and Outreach Director, Public Assets Institute

 

10:00 AM                   Regional Development Corporations

Andy Julow, Executive Director, Lake Champlain Islands Economic Development Corporation

 

10:30 AM                   Break

 

10:45 AM                   Vermont Downtown Program

Nate Formalarie, Deputy Commissioner, Agency of Housing and Community Development

Caitlin Corkins, Tax Credit and Grants Coordinator, Department of Housing and Community Development

Chris Cochran, Director of Community Planning Revitalization, Department of Housing and Community Development

Ben Doyle, President, Preservation Trust of Vermont

 

11:30 AM                   Vermont Businesses for Social Responsibility

Johanna de Graffenreid, Public Policy Manager, Vermont Businesses for Social Responsibility

Chelsea Bardot Lewis, Executive  Director, Vermont Business for Social Responsibility (VBSR)

 

12:00 PM                   Adjourn

 

Thursday, January 22, 2026

9:00 AM                   S. 270 - An act relating to a right to charge electric vehicles at home

Introduction

Sen. Andrew Perchlik, Chair, Sponsor

 

9:10 AM                   S. 230 - An act relating to flexible working arrangements

Sen. Andrew Perchlik, Chair, Senate Committee on Appropriations

Sophie Zdatny, Legislative Counsel, Office of Legislative Counsel

Cary Brown, Executive Director, Vermont Commission on Women

 

9:30 AM                   Break

 

10:00 AM                   Joint Hearing

This will be a virtual Joint Hearing with the House Committee on Commerce and Economic Development and the House Committee on Education from 10:00 - 12:00 p.m. This will take place in Room 35 of the State House and livestreamed from the House Committee on Commerce and Economic Development's YouTube channel:  https://legislature.vermont.gov/committee/streaming/house-commerce-and-economic-development

 

 

Zoie Saunders, Secretary, Agency of Education

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

Kendal Smith, Commissioner, Vermont Department of Labor

Ruth  Durkee, State Director of Career Technical Education, Agency of Education

Drake Turner, Deputy Director, Office of Workforce Strategy and Development

 

12:00 AM                   Adjourn

 

Friday, January 23, 2026

9:00 AM                   Housing

Update

Maura Collins, Executive Director, Vermont Housing Finance Agency

Deb Flannery, Management Director, Vermont Housing Finance Agency

 

10:10 AM                   Break

 

10:15 AM                   Housing

Committee Discussion

Cameron Wood, Legislative Counsel, Office of Legislative Counsel

Ellen Czajkowski, Legislative Counsel, Office of Legislative Counsel

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

 

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