House Committee on Commerce and Economic Development

 

AGENDA

 

Room 35 and Zoom

February 10, 2026 - February 13, 2026

Last Updated 2/6/2026 5:07 PM

 

Unless otherwise noted, all meetings are livestreamed at

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

Tuesday, February 10, 2026

9:00 AM                   J.R.S. 37 - Joint resolution supporting, in solidarity with national and international ski organizations and numerous skiers across the globe, the introduction of long-overdue gender equality in Nordic combined Olympic competition and urging that the International Olympic Committee (IOC) only introduce new Olympic sports that practice gender equality

Michael Chernick, Legislative Counsel, Office of Legislative Counsel - Invited

Sen. Philip Baruth, Sponsor - Invited

Molly Mahar, President, Vermont Ski Areas Association - Invited

 

10:00 AM                   House Floor and Caucuses

 

12:00 PM                   Lunch

 

1:15 PM                   Update from Taiwan

Charles Liao, Director General, Taipei Economic & Cultural Office

 

2:00 PM                   FY27 Budget

Agency of Commerce and Community Development

Lindsay Kurrle, Secretary, Agency of Commerce and Community Development

Dan Dickerson, Administrative Services Director, Agency of Commerce and Community Development

Alex Farrell, Commissioner, Department of Housing and Community Development

Lyle Jepson, Commissioner, Department of Economic Development

Heather Pelham, Commissioner, Department of Tourism and Marketing

 

3:15 PM                   H. 512 - An act relating to the regulation of the event ticketing market

Mark-up, possible vote

Cameron Wood, Legislative Counsel, Office of Legislative Counsel

Susan Evans McClure, Executive Director, Vermont Arts Council

Todd Daloz, Assistant Attorney General, Attorney General's Office

Chris Rice, Lobbyist, MMR

Nathan Morro, Executive  Director, National Independent Talent Organization - Invited

 

Wednesday, February 11, 2026

9:00 AM                   Vermont Evaluation of Rural Technical Assistance

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

Gary Holloway, Downtown Program Manager, Agency of Commerce and Community Development - Department of Housing and Community Development

Denise Smith, Co-Chair, Vermont Citizens Advisory Committee

 

10:00 AM                   26-0768 - An act relating to the transformation of Vermont’s career technical education governance and funding systems

Walk-through, testimony

Beth St. James, Legislative Counsel, Office of Legislative Counsel

Zoie Saunders, Secretary, Agency of Education

Emily Simmons, General Counsel, Agency of Education

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

 

12:00 PM                   Lunch

 

1:00 PM                   H. 205 - An act relating to agreements not to compete

Rik Sehgal, Legislative Counsel, Office of Legislative Counsel - Invited

 

2:00 PM                   H. 639 - An act relating to genetic data privacy

Rik Sehgal, Legislative Counsel, Office of Legislative Counsel - Invited

Bridget Morris, Lobbyist, Morris Strategies - Invited

 

3:00 PM                   Spirit of ADA Awards

Witnesses TBD, TBA

 

3:30 PM                   House Floor

 

Thursday, February 12, 2026

9:00 AM                   Tariffs and update on Canadian Relations

René Sylvestre, Quebec Delegate to New England

 

10:00 AM                   FY27 Budget

Department of Financial Regulation budget presentation; break at 10:30AM

Kaj Samsom, Commissioner, Department of Financial Regulation

David Cameron, Administrative Services Director, Department of Financial Regulation

Joe Valenti, Director of Policy, Department of Financial Regulation

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

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

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

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

 

12:00 PM                   Lunch

 

1:00 PM                   Private Colleges

Kimberly Jessup, Advisor to the President, Association of Vermont Independent Colleges - Invited

 

2:00 PM                   FY27 Budget

Department of Labor Budget presentation

Kendal Smith, Commissioner, Vermont Department of Labor

Chris Winters, Deputy Commissioner, Vermont Department of Labor

Chad Wawrzyniak, Chief Financial Officer, Department of Labor

 

3:30 PM                   House Floor

 

After Floor                         Committee Meeting

TBA

 

Friday, February 13, 2026

9:00 AM                   Legislative Interns Report

Hearing Reports from Committee Legislative Interns

Cabot Sayles, UVM Legislative Intern

Bailey Davis, Norwich Legislative Intern

 

9:30 AM                   House Floor

 

15 Mins After the Floor                   H. 385 - An act relating to remedies and protections for victims of coerced debt

Maria Royle, Legislative Counsel, Office of Legislative Counsel

 

11:30 AM                   Vermont Housing and Conservation Coalition

Advocacy Day

David Newell, Prospect Mountain Ski Resort - Invited

Mary Cohen, CEO, Cornerstone Housing Partners - Invited

Mary Ann Goulette, Town Manager, Rutland City - Invited

Zachariah Watson, Executive Director, Central Vermont Habitat for Humanity - Invited

Nika Oakes, Randolph Tech - Invited

Jody Emerson, President, Vermont Association of Career and Technical Directors - Invited

 

12:00 PM                   Lunch

 

1:00 PM                   H. 385 - An act relating to remedies and protections for victims of coerced debt

Alan Bjerke, Attorney, Burlington

Grace Pazdan, Staff Attorney, Vermont Legal Aid

Charlie Gliserman, Director of Policy, Vermont Network Against Domestic & Sexual Violence

Colin Hilliard, Associate State Director - Advocacy and Outreach, AARP VT

Carrie Allen, President, Association of Vermont Credit Unions

Chris D'Elia, President, Vermont Bankers' Association (1:30 PM)

 

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

 Megan Cannella at Megan.Cannella@vtleg.gov