House Committee on Government Operations and Military Affairs

 

AGENDA

 

Room M106 and Zoom

January 20, 2026 - January 23, 2026

Last Updated 2/19/2026 9:34 AM

 

Unless otherwise noted, all meetings are livestreamed at

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

Tuesday, January 20, 2026

10:00 AM                   House Floor

Followed by caucuses

 

12:00 PM                   Lunch

 

1:00 PM                   Governor's 2027 Budget Address

Joint Assembly, House Chamber

 

2:30 PM                   H. 907 - An act relating to legislative review of reporting requirements

This will be a Joint Meeting with Senate Government Operations. It will be held in Room M106 and will be livestreamed on the House Government Operations Youtube page.

Tucker Anderson, Legislative Counsel, Office of Legislative Counsel

Rep. Kate Nugent, Sponsor, House Committee on Government Operations and Military Affairs

 

Wednesday, January 21, 2026

9:00 AM                   H. 567 - An act relating to unclaimed property, State retirement systems, and capital debt

Witness testimony

Eric Henry, Chief Investment Officer, Vermont Pension Investment Commission - Zoom

David Scherr, Deputy Treasurer, Office of the State Treasurer

Rebecca Wasserman, Director of Economic Empowerment, Office of the State Treasurer

Cameron Wood, Legislative Counsel, Office of Legislative Counsel

 

10:05 AM                   S. 23 - An act relating to the use of synthetic media in elections

Witness testimony

Sen. Brian Collamore, Chair, Senate Committee on Government Operations

Rik Sehgal, Legislative Counsel, Office of Legislative Counsel

 

11:00 AM                   Security Training

This will not be livestreamed due to sensitive content

Joe Tremblay, Officer, Capitol Police Department

Agatha Kessler, Sergeant at Arms, Vermont General Assembly

John Poleway, Chief of Capitol Police, Capitol Police Department

 

12:00 PM                   Lunch

 

1:00 PM                   H. 516 - An act relating to approval of amendments to the charter of the Town of Essex

Witness testimony

Greg Duggan, Town Manager, Essex - Zoom

Kendall Chamberlin, Vice Chair of Selectboard, Essex Selectboard - Zoom

Tucker Anderson, Legislative Counsel, Office of Legislative Counsel

 

1:20 PM                   H. 508 - An act relating to approval of amendments to the charter of the City of Burlington

Mark-up and possible vote

Tucker Anderson, Legislative Counsel, Office of Legislative Counsel

 

1:30 PM                   Break

 

2:15 PM                   H. 693 - An act relating to approval of amendments to the charter of the Town of Bennington concerning the Town police department

Introduction

Rep. William "Will" Greer, Sponsor, House Corrections and Institutions

Tucker Anderson, Legislative Counsel, Office of Legislative Counsel

 

2:30 AM                   H. 694 - An act relating to approval of amendments to the charter of the Town of Bennington concerning the Town Manager

Introduction

Rep. William "Will" Greer, Sponsor, House Corrections and Institutions

Tucker Anderson, Legislative Counsel, Office of Legislative Counsel

 

2:35 PM                   H. 695 - An act relating to approval of amendments to the charter of the Town of Bennington concerning a local option tax on short-term rentals

Introduction

Rep. William "Will" Greer, Sponsor, House Corrections and Institutions

Tucker Anderson, Legislative Counsel, Office of Legislative Counsel

 

2:40 PM                   H. 696 - An act relating to approval of amendments to the charter of the Town of Bennington concerning municipal liens

Introduction

Rep. William "Will" Greer, Sponsor, House Corrections and Institutions

Tucker Anderson, Legislative Counsel, Office of Legislative Counsel

 

3:00 PM                   House Floor

 

Thursday, January 22, 2026

9:00 AM                   H. 645 - An act relating to identity verification in real property transactions

Witness testimony

Peter Tucker, Advocacy & Public Policy Director, Vermont Association of Realtors - Zoom

Chris D'Elia, President, Vermont Bankers' Association

Carol Dawes, Treasurer, City of Barre - Zoom

Bobbi Brimblecomb, Town Clerk, Town of Marshfield - Zoom

Tanya Marshall, State Archivist and Chief Records Officer, Vermont State Archives and Records Administration, Vermont Secretary of State

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

 

10:00 AM                   Break

 

10:05 AM                   Public Records Act

Witness testimony

Josh Hanford, Director of Intergovernmental Affairs, Vermont League of Cities and Towns

Renae Marshall, Deputy Town Manager, Colchester

Daniel Batsie, Deputy Commissioner, Department of Public Safety

Tracey Leibowitz, Public Records Act Specialist, Department of Public Safety

Samantha Sheehan, Municipal Policy and Advocacy Specialist, Vermont League of Cities and Towns

 

12:00 PM                   Lunch

 

1:00 PM                   Vermont Food Bank

FY27 Budget Request

Carrie Stahler, Senior Government Affairs Manager, Vermont Foodbank

Jenna O'Farrell, Executive Director, Northeast Kingdom Community Action

 

1:15 PM                   H. 510 - An act relating to repealing the charter of the Town of Danville

Introduction and witness testimony

Rep. Gregory "Greg" Burtt, Sponsor

Janice Ouellette, Chair, Selectboard of Danville - Zoom

Glenn Herrin, Co-Chair, Selectboard of Danville - Zoom

Tucker Anderson, Legislative Counsel, Office of Legislative Counsel

 

1:45 PM                   H. 679 - An act relating to emergency management in flood-prone municipalities

Introduction

Rep. Edward "Teddy" Waszazak, Sponsor, Washington-3

 

3:00 PM                   House Floor

 

Friday, January 23, 2026

9:30 AM                   House Floor

 

10:35 AM                   H. 623 - An act relating to licensure of massage therapists

Introduction

Rep. Conor Casey, Sponsor, House Committee on Institutions and Corrections

 

10:45 AM                   H. 588 - An act relating to professions and occupations regulated by the Office of Professional Regulation

Witness testimony

Patrick Gallivan, Executive  Director, Vermont State Dental Society - Zoom

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

Jennifer Colin, Director, Office of Professional Regulation

Kris Bowditch, Deputy Chief Investigator, Office of Professional Regulation, Secretary of State's Office

Katherine Bramhall, Owner, Gentle Landing Birth Center

Carrie Phillips, Pharmacy Executive, Office of Professional Regulation

Derek Everett, Chief Inspector, Office of Professional Regulation, Secretary of State's Office

Jessica Schifano, Policy Director, Department of Health

 

11:25 AM                   Break

 

11:40 AM                   H. 516 - An act relating to approval of amendments to the charter of the Town of Essex

Committee Discussion and vote

Greg Duggan, Town Manager, Essex - Zoom

Kendall Chamberlin, Vice Chair of Selectboard, Essex Selectboard - Zoom

 

12:00 PM                   Lunch

 

1:00 PM                   H. 707 - An act relating to certified public accountant licensure

Introduction and walk-through

Rep. Charles Kimbell, Sponsor, House Committee on Ways and Means

Tim Devlin, Legislative Counsel, Office of Legislative Counsel

Sadie Fischesser, Executive Director, Vermont Society of CPA's

 

1:20 PM                   H. 665 - An act relating to recording, indexing, and the duties of town clerks

Introduction and walk-through

Rep. Charles Kimbell, Sponsor, House Committee on Ways and Means

Tucker Anderson, Legislative Counsel, Office of Legislative Counsel

 

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

 Nick Adams at Nick.Adams@vtleg.gov