News from Montpelier 2019 week 10

The Transportation Committee presented the T-Bill to the House on Friday and it was voted through to third reading with the technical amendments that were printed in the day’s calendar. There may be amendments presented on Tuesday before its final vote, but the Committee is close to handing it off to the Senate.
S149, an act relating to miscellaneous changes to laws related to vehicles and the Department of Motor Vehicles has not yet been committed to the Transportation committee, but Legislative counsel offered a run through of the bill’s sections. The Agency began the deeper review and testimony will start to be scheduled for the bill as well as other bills in committee. This bill covers a broad range of motor vehicle topics which will allow many of the sponsored bills to be incorporated in it.
At the end of the afternoon Wednesday the members were invited to attend an Electric Vehicle demonstration held at the Department of Labor. Several models were there including a used 2017. House Transportation committee members took this opportunity to become more familiar with the technology as well as affordability of these vehicles.
H. 527, an act relating to executive branch fees was introduced to and passed by the House. The Total new revenues in FY2020 are estimated to be over nine million dollars. Of those monies approximately five and three quarter million go to the General Fund and three and a third to a Special or Other Fund. These fees apply to several separate agencies or departments. A few examples of these are an increase in fees in the Department of Fish & Wildlife to be used toward the Salisbury Fish Hatchery expenses and the annual registration fee for all-terrain vehicles. This Department of Motor Vehicles fee is increased by $10 and will provide an estimated additional $135,000 to VASA as well as $15,000 to the T-Fund.
House Appropriations offered H. 532, an act relating to fiscal year 2019 budget adjustments for third read on Friday and it passed out of the House and with a vote to suspend rules was put in all further stages of passage which moves it directly to the Senate. This bill incorporates the components of the Budget Adjustment Act which passed with amendments made by the Senate. H. 97 which was the prior act relating to fiscal year 2019 budget adjustments was ordered to lie. It will appear as a footnote on future House Calendars.
Please continue to contact me at bmurphy@leg.state.vt.us or 802-849-6545 or through the Sergeant at Arms office.