News from Monpelier Week 15

Tuesday the House took up HR 16, relating to the proposed Trans-Pacific Partnership Agreement and on a Roll Call vote, committed it to the Committee on Commerce and Economic Development. An afternoon reconvening of the House allowed the Transportation Committee to present S225, an act relating to miscellaneous changes to laws related to motor vehicle. The bill was voted to be read a third time on Wednesday and after much debate and a few amendments, sent back to the Senate for their concurrence or request for conference committee.
As the biennium draws to its close the pressure is on to get bills through to the finish line. This is especially true for the key money bills. While waiting for the Transportation ones to return the committee used the opportunity of an open time slot to take a field trip. On Wednesday we walked across State Street to a rail bridge that was being inspected by the Agency of Transportation’s Snooper Truck. The purchase of this single piece of equipment allows for the inspection of all 178+/- bridges in the state to be inspected at approximately 1/3 the cost of past years.
More highlights of this week’s floor action include S174, an act relating to a model State policy for use of body cameras by law enforcement officers which passed, when amended in such a way as to hold harmless municipalities such as Fairfax that do not use body cameras; H261, Criminal record inquiries by an employer, also known as the Ban the Box Bill, came back with a proposal of amendment from the Senate and was accepted; and S20, an act relating to establishing and regulating dental therapists, which was presented to the floor and generated much debate.