As we eagerly await the release of the state grant reform bill, Common Good Vermont has been cheering on our friends at 211 and the Vermont Arts Council who took to the State House this week.
On 2/11 – 211 Day – we visited with our colleagues from United Ways across Vermont, and witnessed the testimony of Elizabeth Gilman, executive director of 211. 211 provides free information and referrals, connecting Vermonters with resources and helping them to navigate our network of nonprofit service providers. Funding this essential program so it can operate at full capacity is critical to meeting the needs of our communities.
Wednesday was Vermont Creative Sector Day. The Vermont Arts Council and members of the Vermont Creative Network provided testimony in more than a dozen committees, took over the card room with educational displays, and even brought the circus to the State House!
Common Good Vermont also testified at the Public Hearing on the FY26 Budget this Thursday, advocating for State funding to fill a gap in technical assistance, workforce development, and grant and contract support for the sector that will create efficiencies for both nonprofits and the State. Through partnership with the State of Vermont, Common Good proposes to grow our offerings to support emerging sector needs, expand access to programming, and increase the capacity of nonprofits with state grants and contracts. You can watch our testimony and that of many other nonprofits who participated in the public hearing HERE.
Read on for a few updates on recently released bills related to issues we are following:
Housing and Homelessness
Updates by Jemma Hoko, CGVT Policy Intern
Budget Adjustment Act (BAA)
On Friday, February 6th, the House passed the 2025 Budget Adjustment Act, including the following requests to address Vermont’s housing crisis:
- “$1.84 million to extend the General Assistance emergency winter housing policy (currently set to expire on March 31, 2025) to June 30, 2025.”
- “$8.6 million for affordable housing production, via VHCB, to maintain the development and preservation of much needed affordable homes in Vermont.”
- “2.8 million for the final phase of the 2022 Developmental Disabilities Housing Initiative, which will create housing for 10 residents to live semi-independently.”
The 2025 BAA does not include any change in eligibility. The bill now moves to the Senate.
We echo our friend’s at Housing and Homelessness Alliance of Vermont’s call to email your senator urging them to support BAA as passed by the House. Stay tuned for more legislative updates in the coming weeks:
Please email your state Senator(s) and urge them to support the BAA as passed by the House.
- Here is a template letter (please copy/paste and please do not edit the template itself)
- Here is a link to find your Senator(s) and their contact information
- Please cc Senate Pro Tem Baruth ([email protected]) on your correspondence.
H. 91, an act relating to the Emergency Temporary Shelter Program
Bill H.91, an act relating to the Emergency Temporary Shelter Program, proposes to establish the Emergency Temporary Shelter Program to replace the General Assistance Emergency Housing Program. The Emergency Temporary Shelter Program, within the Department for Children and Families, will be used to provide temporary shelter such as community-based shelter and hotel/motel rooms for various households (dependent on eligibility criteria). The program emphasizes minimizing relocation and aims to ensure stability and dignity for its participants. The Advisory Committee, including individuals with lived-experiences of homelessness and diverse representation from marginalized groups, will advise the commissioner on the program’s implementation and operation, with the assistance of DCF. This legislative intent behind this proposal is that H.91 is a step towards the following end goals:
- Eradicating unsheltered homelessness
- Providing interim shelter opportunities as pathways to permanent housing
- Eliminating disruptions such as arbitrary time limits, night-by-night shelter, and relocation between interim housing sites
- Utilizing non-congregate housing as much as possible
- Ensuring Vermont’s emergency housing policies and practices are committed and oriented towards Housing First principles and trauma-informed approaches
- Expansion of interim shelter options accessible to individuals with a disability
This week, the House Committee on Human Services has been hearing testimony, including from nonprofits such as Elevate Youth Services, Capstone Community Action, Champlain Valley Office of Economic Opportunity, and End Homelessness Vermont regarding bill H.91.
Data Privacy
Last year’s data privacy bill died when the legislature failed to override the Governor’s veto, but this year Representatives Priestly and Marcotte are picking up the work with a new approach. The two members of House Commerce have co-introduced three separate bills this year:
- H. 208, An act relating to consumer data privacy and online surveillance
- H. 210, An act relating to an age-appropriate design code
- H. 211, An act relating to data brokers and personal information
While Common Good Vermont fully supports the intent of this bill, and is a proponent of responsible and ethical data management, we are still evaluating the impact of these bills on the nonprofit sector. H. 208 most directly impacts nonprofits who process or control personal data. The initial applicability threshold is 25,000 (the number of consumers for which an organization controls or processes data, excluding personal data controlled or processed solely for the purpose of completing a payment transaction), but this decreases to 6,250 by 2028, meaning many small organizations will be held to the same standards as large corporations.
We encourage organizations to review the bill language in full and reach out with any questions or concerns.
Miscellaneous
Updates by Jemma Hoko, CGVT Policy Intern
H.212, an act relating to creating incentives for AmeriCorps members
This week, bill H.212, an act relating to creating incentives for AmeriCorps members, was introduced to the House. CGVT applauds representative Noyes for the introduction of this short-form bill. H.212 includes the following proposals:
- Require Vermont State colleges and universities to offer in-state tuition for AmeriCorps members
- Exempt recipients of the federal Segal AmeriCorps education Award from paying State taxes on monies received form that reward
- Exempt AmeriCorps members from paying State taxes on funds received through the AmeriCorps living allowance
- Enact a policy that provides a preference in hiring AmeriCorps members for State employment vacancies
- Provide a State education award that matches the Segal AmeriCorps Education Award to a student who performed AmeriCorps service in Vermont and is enrolled at a Vermont postsecondary institution
- Dedicate State funds to AmeriCorps program development
S.67, an act relating to increasing the State minimum wage based on the livable wage
On February 13, bill S.67, an act relating to increasing the State minimum wage based on the livable wage, was introduced to the Senate. The intention of this bill is to raise the minimum wage to the livable wage, as established by the basic needs budget reported by the Joint Fiscal Office in January 2025. The proposals follow:
- Beginning January 1, 2026, an employer shall not employ any employee at a rate of less than the livable wage of $18.60
- On each subsequent January 1, the minimum wage rate shall be increased by five percent or the percentage increase of the Consumer Price Index (CPI-U) US city average from the last 12 months, whichever is smaller. However, minimum wage shall never decrease.
S.62, an act relating to privatization contracts
Bill S.62, an act relating to privatization contracts, was introduced to the Senate on February 11th. The intent of this bill is to amend the requirements for the State to enter into privatization contracts. The following are amendments to Vermont statute proposed in S.62:
- Striking of “and which results in a reduction in force of at least one permanent, classified employee, or the elimination of a vacant position of an employee covered by a collective bargaining agreement from the definition of a “Privatization contract” from the definition of “privatization contract” (potentially expanding the applicability)
- Inclusion, within the procedure, of a specific written statement of services proposed to be the subject of the privatization contract by the agency. The statement shall include specific quantity and quality of the subject services, and for certain positions shall also include the minimum wage rate, which shall not be lower than the average step of the grade under which the comparable State employee position is paid.
- Increases the projected cost saving requirement to the State to at least 20% (rather than 10%) above the projected cost of using State employees for the services
- Along with the authorization of the Attorney General to investigate whether the contract has met the projected savings or not, upon request. If not, the contract shall not be renewed and services shall be provided by State employees
- The agency and the Secretary of Administration shall each certify in writing that:
- They have complied with relevant provisions and laws
- The services to be provided by the designated bidder are likely to meet the quality requirements specified
- The bidder and its supervisory employee have no history of violations of relevant State or Federal laws
- The proposed privatization contract is in public interest as it meets the applicable quality and fiscal standards
- Each contract shall include
- Provisions establishing wage rate for each position, not less than the minimum age rate above
- Provisions for the contractor to cover the costs of health, dental, and vision insurance for all employees hired under the contract, with coverage at least matching the percentage paid by the State for its employees.
- A clause preventing contract amendments to violate any requirements of this section
- A nondiscrimination and equal opportunity policy, with affirmative steps to provide such opportunity
- Just cause employment protection
- A whistleblower protection policy