General and Housing Committee

The House Committee on General and Housing considers matters relating to housing, labor, equity and inclusion, and all matters relating to subjects for which there is no other appropriate committee.

S.127 /Act 69 (An act relating to housing and housing development) expands housing support programs, increases funding for accessible and affordable housing, and prioritizes assistance for people experiencing homelessness, individuals with disabilities, and other vulnerable populations. It also creates new programs to support manufactured home repairs and housing infrastructure improvements, as well as CHIP (the statewide tax increment financing tool designed to help Vermont communities unlock housing opportunities by investing in critical public infrastructure). The bill strengthens tenant protections by banning rental application fees and expanding anti-discrimination protections. It also establishes new housing planning initiatives, updates residential safety standards for smoke and carbon monoxide alarms, and aims to improve housing equity, infrastructure, and development statewide. The bill passed the House and Senate, and was signed into law by the Governor on 12 June 2025.

H.461 /Act 32 (An act relating to expanding employee access to unpaid leave) updates Vermont’s Parental and Family Leave Act by expanding access to unpaid leave for employees working for employers with 10 or more employees. It adds up to two weeks of unpaid bereavement leave following the death of a family member, and allows up to 12 weeks of unpaid safe leave for employees or family members affected by domestic or sexual violence. The bill expands the definition of “family member” to include domestic partners, individuals standing in loco parentis, and other non-traditional family relationships. Lastly, the bill requires employers to provide comparable job reinstatement when an employee returns from leave.The bill passed the House and Senate, and was signed into law by the Governor on 22 May 2025.

S.89/Act 102 (An act relating to expanding survivor benefits) enables survivors of Vermont  Emergency Personnel killed in the line of duty to receive financial compensation (up to $80,000) from the state. The bill passed the House and Senate, and was signed into law by the Governor on 19 May 2026.

H.861 (An act relating to establishing an Americans with Disabilities Act Coordinator) was intended to establish a permanent position for an ADA Coordinator within Vermont’s Agency of Administration. The coordinator's role would be to ensure that all state programs, services, and activities are accessible to individuals with disabilities. The responsibilities of the ADA Coordinator would include working with state agencies to monitor compliance with disability rights laws, educating state employees about their legal obligations, and ensuring effective communication with individuals with disabilities. The Coordinator would also conduct audits, oversee self-evaluation processes, and maintain relationships with disability advocacy organizations. The bill passed the House, but stalled in the Senate, and may be taken up next session.

S.328/Act 179 (An act relating to housing and common interest communities) is an innovative housing bill designed to stimulate housing development in Vermont through financial tools, pilot programs, and planning reforms. The legislation authorizes municipalities to issue revenue bonds backed by special

assessments, expands the State Treasurer’s credit facility to support mobile-home infrastructure and off-site modular home construction, broadens Vermont Economic Development Authority (VEDA) financing authority for certain multi-unit housing developments, and adds new municipal housing-planning requirements. The bill passed the House and Senate, and was signed into law by the Governor on 18 June 2026.

H.757/Act 155 (An act relating to manufactured homes and limited equity cooperatives) updates and modernizes laws related to manufactured homes and limited-equity cooperatives. It streamlines the process for transferring ownership of manufactured homes, including their deeds, and ensures they are treated the same as other types of housing under local zoning laws. The bill also addresses limited-equity cooperatives, which are designed to provide affordable housing for low- and moderate-income residents. It requires the Department of Taxes to prepare a report that inventories these cooperatives and evaluates whether they are being treated fairly and consistently. To help preserve long-term affordability, the bill prohibits subleasing cooperative units unless a hardship can be demonstrated, helping prevent profit-making from affordable homes. In addition, all mobile homes would be exempt from sales tax, with transfers

instead subject to the property transfer tax. To reflect that these homes are factory-built, permanently installed, and not readily movable, “mobile homes” will instead be referred to as “manufactured homes” and “permanently sited.” This change helps eliminate the common misconception that these homes can be easily or routinely moved once installed. The bill passed the House and Senate, and was signed into law by the Governor on 17 June 2026.

H. 772 (An act relating to residential rental agreements, eviction procedures, and the creation of the positive rental payment credit reporting pilot program) was a first attempt to better balance the rights and responsibilities of both landlords and tenants. While finding that balance is difficult, the proposal was intended as a starting point for improving the system without shifting too far in either direction. The bill included shortening eviction timelines from the current six months by requiring that a hearing be set within 90 days of an eviction complaint filing. Notice periods for tenants were also shortened in cases of non-payment or dangerous behavior, but lengthened when the landlord is simply deciding to withdraw the unit from the market or renovate it. The bill addressed tenants whose behavior endangers the health or safety of other tenants with a special accelerated process. In addition, the bill would have prohibited landlords from charging blanket application fees. Landlords could still have recovered the actual cost of background or credit checks unless an applicant provided a current credit report dated within the last 90 days. The bill would have added enhanced trespass and shared-occupancy provisions to help landlords address situations in which unwanted non-tenants use properties for dangerous or illegal activities. The legislation also proposed a pilot program, managed by the State Treasurer, to help tenants build credit by reporting positive, on-time rental payments. The bill passed the House, but was ultimately defeated in the Senate by a roll-call vote.

S.230 (An act relating to fair employment practices) would have updated Vermont employment law by strengthening employee protections and workplace rights. The bill would have prohibited non-compete contract provisions for healthcare providers and created a stronger presumption in favor of approving flexible work requests. Under the bill, employers would been required to grant these requests unless they could clearly demonstrate that the arrangement would negatively affect business operations. The legislation also would have expanded the definition of “employee” to include certain flight crew members and teachers, extending employment protections to those workers. In addition, it would have broadened the definition of “crime victim” to include survivors of domestic violence, sexual violence, and

stalking, helping ensure access to workplace protections and accommodations. The bill further would have repealed outdated provisions that required tenured college professors to retire at age 70. The bill passed the House and Senate, but was vetoed by the Governor on 18 June 2026.