News from Montpelier 2021 session week 19

[Barbara]

Rep. Christie sang ‘These Green Hills’ to open the Floor Friday in celebration of the anticipated adjournment. Two bills on the day’s calendar were S.79 an act relating to improving rental housing health and safety and S.78 an act relating to binding interest arbitration for employees of the Vermont Judiciary. Rules suspension was denied to complete actions on S.79 and it will remain on the House calendar as will S.78 upon a request that it be postponed one legislative day.
Throughout the week rules were suspended multiple times to shuttle legislation between the chambers and to message actions.  Those that were passed by the House included S.22 an act relating to health care practitioners administering stem cell products not approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, S.48 an act relating to Vermont’s adoption of the interstate Nurse Licensure Compact, H.435 an act relating to miscellaneous Department of Corrections related amendments, S.13 an act relating to Pupil Weighting Factors Report, S.101 an act relating to promoting housing choice and opportunity in smart growth areas, H.225 an act relating to possession of a therapeutic dosage of buprenorphine, H.171 an act relating to the governance and financing of Vermont’s child care system , S.7 an act relating to expanding access to expungement and sealing of criminal history records, H.444 an act relating to approval of amendments to the charter of the City of Barre, H.88 an act relating to the use value appraisal program, H.337 an act relating to the printing and distribution of State publications, H.122 an act relating to boards and commissions, S.97 an act relating to miscellaneous judiciary procedures, H.183 an act relating to sexual violence, S.25 an act relating to miscellaneous cannabis regulation procedures, H.135 an act relating to the State Ethics Commission, H.443 an act relating to approval of the merger of the Wilmington Water District with the Town of Wilmington, H.313 an act relating to miscellaneous amendments to alcoholic beverage laws, S.115 an act relating to making miscellaneous changes in education laws, H.454 an act relating to approval of an amendment to the charter of the City of Burlington, S.62 an act relating to employee incentives, technical education, an d unemployment insurance, H.106 an act relating to equitable access to a high-quality education through community schools, S.3 an act relating to competency to stand trial and insanity as a defense, S.97 an act relating to miscellaneous judiciary procedures, H.289 an act relating to professions and occupations regulated by the Office of Professional Regulation, H.436 an act relating to miscellaneous changes to Vermont’s tax laws, H.431 an act relating to miscellaneous energy subjects, S.62 an act relating to employee incentives, technical education, and unemployment insurance and J.R.S.24 Joint resolution relating to amending temporary Joint Rule 22A.
Committee of conference reports were adopted for H.433 an act relating to the Transportation Program and miscellaneous changes to laws related to transportation, H.449 an act relating to the membership and duties of the Vermont Pension Investment Commission and the creation of the Pension Benefits, Design, and Funding Task Force, H. 360 an act relating to accelerated community broadband deployment and finally H.439 an act relating to making appropriations for the support of government which passed on a roll call vote of 148 yays to 0 nays.
After farewell words from Leadership and the Governor the session adjourned at 4:52 PM pursuant to J.R.S. 29 Joint resolution relating to final adjournment of the General Assembly 2021.