Source: https://legislature.vermont.gov/statutes/fullchapter/19/003
Timestamp: 2019-08-24 23:11:54
Document Index: 329783710

Matched Legal Cases: ['§ 303', '§ 1', '§ 5121', 'art 668', '§ 706', '§ 1', '§ 11', '§ 12', '§ 13', '§ 5', '§ 3', '§ 13', '§ 30', '§ 18', '§ 18', '§ 19', '§ 25', '§ 21', '§ 6', '§ 10', '§ 19', '§ 1', '§ 14', '§ 308', '§ 1', '§ 309', '§ 1', '§ 9', '§ 13', '§ 309', '§ 143', '§ 323', '§ 11', '§ 41', '§ 2', '§ 6', '§ 21', '§ 21', '§ 26', '§ 10', '§ 14', '§ 6', '§ 15', '§ 56', '§ 20', '§ 33', '§ 18', '§ 309', '§ 30', '§ 309', '§ 3', '§ 310', '§ 1', '§ 29', '§ 311', '§ 1', '§ 11', '§ 61', '§ 22', '§ 312', '§ 1', '§ 313', '§ 1', '§ 314', '§ 1', '§ 315', '§ 1', '§ 316', '§ 1', '§ 318', '§ 13']

Chapter 003: TOWN HIGHWAYS
§ 303. Town highway control
Town highways shall be under the general supervision and control of the selectmen of the town where the roads are located. Selectmen shall supervise all expenditures. (Added 1985, No. 269 (Adj. Sess.), § 1.)
(a) General State aid to town highways.
(1) An annual appropriation to class 1, 2, and 3 town highways shall be made. This appropriation shall increase over the previous fiscal year's appropriation by the same percentage as the following, whichever is less:
(A) the year-over-year increase in the Agency's total appropriations in the previous fiscal year funded by Transportation Fund revenues, excluding the appropriation for town highways under this subsection (a) for that year; or
(B) the percentage increase in the Bureau of Labor Statistics Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers (CPI-U) during the previous State fiscal year.
(2) If the year-over-year change in appropriations specified in either subdivision (1)(A) or (B) of this subsection is negative, then the appropriation to town highways under this subsection shall be equal to the previous fiscal year's appropriation.
(3) The funds appropriated shall be distributed to towns as follows:
(A) Six percent of the State's annual town highway appropriation shall be apportioned to class 1 town highways. The apportionment for each town shall be that town's percentage of class 1 town highways of the total class 1 town highway mileage in the State.
(B) Forty-four percent of the State's annual town highway appropriation shall be apportioned to class 2 town highways. The apportionment for each town shall be that town's percentage of class 2 town highways of the total class 2 town highway mileage in the State.
(C) Fifty percent of the State's annual town highway appropriation shall be apportioned to class 3 town highways. The apportionment for each town shall be that town's percentage of class 3 town highways of the total class 3 town highway mileage in the State.
(D) Monies apportioned under subdivisions (1), (2), and (3) of this subsection shall be distributed to each town in quarterly payments beginning July 15 in each year.
(E) Each town shall use the monies apportioned to it solely for town highway construction, improvement, and maintenance purposes or as the nonfederal share for public transit assistance. These funds may also be used for the establishment and maintenance of bicycle routes. The members of the selectboard shall be personally liable to the State, in a civil action brought by the Attorney General, for making any unauthorized expenditures from money apportioned to the town under this section.
(c) State aid for town highway bridges. There shall be an annual appropriation for town bridge engineering services and for aid in maintaining or constructing bridges having a span of six feet or more on class 1, 2, and 3 town highways. Annually the Agency shall expend these funds according to the Transportation Program approved by the General Assembly. With the approval of the Agency, funds may be used for alternatives which eliminate the need for a bridge or bridges, including construction or reconstruction of highways, purchase of parcels of land that would be landlocked by closure of a bridge or bridges, payment of damages for loss of highway access, and substitution of other means of access.
(d) State aid for nonfederal disasters. There shall be an annual appropriation for emergency aid in repairing, building, or reconstructing class 1, 2, or 3 town highways and for repairing or replacing drainage structures including bridges on class 1, 2, 3, and 4 town highways damaged by natural or man-made disasters. Eligibility for use of emergency aid under this appropriation shall be subject to the following criteria:
(1) The Secretary of Transportation shall determine that the disaster is of such magnitude that State aid is both reasonable and necessary to preserve the public good. If total cumulative damages to town highways and drainage structures are less than the value of 10 percent of the town's overall total highway budget excluding the town's winter maintenance budget, the disaster shall not qualify for assistance under this subsection.
(2) The disaster shall not qualify for major disaster assistance from the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) under the Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency Assistance Act, 42 U.S.C. §§ 5121 et seq., or from the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) under the 23 C.F.R. Part 668 Emergency Relief Program for federal-aid highways.
(3) Towns shall be eligible for reimbursement for repair or replacement costs of either up to 90 percent of the eligible repair or replacement costs or the eligible repair or replacement costs, minus an amount equal to 10 percent of the overall total highway budget, minus the town's winter maintenance budget, whichever is greater.
(4) For towns that have adopted road and bridge standards, eligibility for reimbursement for repair or replacement of infrastructure shall be to those standards. For towns that have not adopted these standards, eligibility for reimbursement for repair or replacement of infrastructure shall be limited to the specifications of the infrastructure that preexisted the emergency event; however, the repair or replacement shall be to standards approved by the Agency of Transportation.
(5) For a drainage structure on a class 4 town highway to be eligible for repair or replacement under this subsection, the town must document that it maintained the structure prior to the nonfederal disaster.
(6) Such additional criteria as may be adopted by the Agency of Transportation through rulemaking under 3 V.S.A. chapter 25.
(e) State aid for town highway structures.
(1) There shall be an annual appropriation for grants to municipalities for maintenance (including actions to extend life expectancy) and for construction of bridges and culverts; for maintenance and construction of other structures, including causeways and retaining walls, intended to preserve the integrity of the traveled portion of class 1, 2, and 3 town highways; and for alternatives that eliminate the need for a bridge, culvert, or other structure, such as the construction or reconstruction of a highway, the purchase of parcels of land that would be landlocked by closure of a bridge, the payment of damages for loss of highway access, and the substitution of other means of access.
(2) Each fiscal year, the Agency shall approve qualifying projects with a total estimated State share cost of $5,833,500.00 at a minimum as new grants. The Agency's proposed appropriation for the Program shall take into account the estimated amount of qualifying invoices submitted to the Agency with respect to project grants approved in prior years but not yet completed as well as with respect to new project grants to be approved in the fiscal year. In a given fiscal year, should expenditures in the Town Highway Structures Program exceed the amount appropriated, the Agency shall advise the Governor of the need to request a supplemental appropriation from the General Assembly to fund the additional project cost, provided that the Agency has previously committed to completing those projects.
(3) Funds received as grants for State aid for town highway structures may be used by a municipality to satisfy a portion of the matching requirements for federal earmarks, subject to subsection 309b(c) of this title.
(f) State aid for federal disasters.
(1) Towns receiving assistance under the Federal Highway Administration's Emergency Relief Program for federal-aid highways shall be eligible for State aid when a nonfederal match is required. Eligibility for aid under this subsection shall be subject to the following criteria:
(A) Towns shall be responsible for up to 10 percent of the total eligible project costs.
(B) For towns that have adopted road and bridge standards, eligibility for reimbursement for repair or replacement of infrastructure shall be to those standards. For towns that have not adopted these standards, eligibility for reimbursement for repair or replacement of infrastructure shall be limited to the specifications of the infrastructure that preexisted the emergency event; however, the repair or replacement shall be to standards approved by the Agency.
(C) Such additional criteria as may be adopted by the Agency through rulemaking under 3 V.S.A. chapter 25.
(2) Notwithstanding 32 V.S.A. § 706 and the limits on authorized program spending in an approved Transportation Program, the Secretary may transfer appropriations between the Program created in this subsection and the State Aid for Nonfederal Disasters Program created in subsection (d) of this section.
(h) Class 2 Town Highway Roadway Program. There shall be an annual appropriation for grants to municipalities for resurfacing, rehabilitation, or reconstruction of paved or unpaved class 2 town highways. Each fiscal year, the Agency shall approve qualifying projects with a total estimated State share cost of $7,648,750.00 at a minimum as new grants. The Agency's proposed appropriation for the Program shall take into account the estimated amount of qualifying invoices submitted to the Agency with respect to project grants approved in prior years but not yet completed as well as with respect to new project grants to be approved in the fiscal year. In a given fiscal year, should expenditures in the Class 2 Town Highway Roadway Program exceed the amount appropriated, the Agency shall advise the Governor of the need to request a supplemental appropriation from the General Assembly to fund the additional project cost, provided that the Agency has previously committed to completing those projects. Funds received as grants for State aid under the Class 2 Town Highway Roadway Program may be used by a municipality to satisfy a portion of the matching requirements for federal earmarks, subject to subsection 309b(c) of this title.
(i) The Agency shall administer the Municipal Mitigation Assistance Program. Through the Program, the Agency shall provide assistance and grants to municipalities for environmental mitigation projects related to stormwater and highways and for the establishment and operation of stormwater utilities. Municipalities shall match grants with local funds sufficient to cover 20 percent of the project costs, except that the Agency may issue grants for the establishment or operation of stormwater utilities without requiring a local match. From the operating expenses appropriated for the Program, the Agency is authorized to pay costs billed to the Agency by municipal stormwater utilities.
(j) Annual town plan. Within 60 days of adoption of the town's municipal budget, the selectboard of each town shall forward to the Agency on forms provided by the Agency a plan for the maintenance and construction of all highways under the selectboard's control for the following year. The plan shall be made with the advice of the district transportation administrator. (Added 1985, No. 269 (Adj. Sess.), § 1; amended 1989, No. 246 (Adj. Sess.), § 11; 1993, No. 211 (Adj. Sess.), § 12, eff. June 17, 1994; 1995, No. 183 (Adj. Sess.), § 13, eff. May 22, 1996; 1997, No. 144 (Adj. Sess.), § 5, eff. April 27, 1998; 1999, No. 95 (Adj. Sess.), § 3; 2001, No. 64, § 13, eff. June 16, 2001; 2001, No. 141 (Adj. Sess.), § 30; 2003, No. 160 (Adj. Sess.), §§ 18, 51, eff. June 9, 2004; 2007, No. 75, §§ 18, 19; 2011, No. 62, § 19; 2011, No. 153 (Adj. Sess.), § 25, eff. May 16, 2012; 2015, No. 40, § 21, eff. June 16, 2015; 2015, No. 158 (Adj. Sess.), §§ 6, 23; 2017, No. 38, § 10; 2017, No. 158 (Adj. Sess.), § 19.)
Each town shall annually appropriate a highway budget equivalent to or greater than a sum of at least $300.00 per mile for each mile of class 1, 2, and 3 town highways within the town or it shall not be eligible for aid under this title. (Added 1985, No. 269 (Adj. Sess.), § 1; amended 2001, No. 64, § 14, eff. June 16, 2001.)
§ 308. Compliance with provisions
A town shall not be entitled to receive money from the state under this chapter in any year until it has complied with the provisions of this chapter. (Added 1985, No. 269 (Adj. Sess.), § 1.)
§ 309. Highway work by state for towns
(a) When requested by the legislative body of a municipality, the agency may, by agreement with these officials, do any construction or maintenance work on any town highway or bridge under the jurisdiction of the legislative body.
(b) When requested by the legislative body of a municipality, the agency may contract the work. The agency in all such cases shall furnish plans and specifications upon which the contract shall be awarded by the legislative body or, if it has been agreed that the agency should make the contract award, the agency, to the lowest responsible bidder. All work shall be done to the satisfaction of and in accordance with the requirements of the agency.
(c) Upon demand of the agency, the municipality shall reimburse the state for the municipality's share of expenditures made under this section, and the amount repaid shall be deposited into the state treasury and credited to the fund from which the cost of the work was paid. The agency is authorized to provide for the payment of interest on unpaid balances owed the state for more than 30 days after demand is made.
(d) To secure reimbursement to the state for the local share of a project, the secretary and the legislative body of a municipality may enter into agreements for the deposit of municipal funds in an interest-bearing escrow account or for posting of a surety bond.
(e) The agency's materials laboratory may perform tests for other units of federal, state, and local government. The agency shall be reimbursed for the costs of the tests. (Added 1985, No. 269 (Adj. Sess.), § 1; amended 1991, No. 175 (Adj. Sess.), § 9, eff. May 15, 1992; 1993, No. 61, § 13, eff. June 3, 1993.)
§ 309a. Local highway work uniform local share; exceptions
(a) Except as provided in subsection (b) or (c) of this section or in sections 309b and 309c of this title, in any case of highway or bridge construction in which a federal/State/local or State/local funding match is authorized, the municipality's share shall be ten percent of the project costs.
(1) any bridge replacement project in the Town Highway Bridge Program during the construction of which the municipality closes the bridge and does not construct a temporary bridge for the duration of the project, in which event the local match shall cover five percent of the project costs;
(2) any project phase for which a municipality already has provided for payment of its share by issuing bonds or funding a reserve established under a capital improvement plan;
(3) any project on a town highway for which the General Assembly has authorized a different federal/State/local funding match; and any project which serves an "economic growth center" as defined in 23 U.S.C. § 143, and for which the General Assembly has authorized a different federal/State/local funding match;
(4) any project involving a bridge, including the approaches to a bridge, that extends between this State and an adjacent state;
(5) any bridge or roadway project involving a local financial share in which the municipality, after its review of the conceptual project plans, chooses not to proceed with the proposed project; in such circumstances, the Agency shall pay 100 percent of the project costs incurred through the date it receives such notification from the municipality;
(6) any project where, by the mutual agreement of the municipality and Agency, rehabilitation of an existing bridge is the preferred alternative, in which case the Agency shall use the appropriate combination of State and federal funding to pay either 95 percent of the cost of rehabilitation, or 97.5 percent if the municipality closes the bridge and does not construct a temporary bridge for the duration of the project; or
(c) Notwithstanding the provisions of this section, a municipality's share of any single project shall not exceed an amount equivalent to the amount which could be raised in one year by increasing the municipality's tax rate by $0.50. In these cases, the remaining portion of the nonfederal share shall be made up by the Agency, using available State funds.
(d) In any case of highway or bridge construction in which a municipality bears a share of the project costs, the fair market value of any land, material, or services donated by the municipality and used in the project shall be credited to the municipality's share of the project costs subject to the provisions of 23 U.S.C. § 323 with respect to a federal aid project. (Added 1989, No. 121, § 11, eff. June 22, 1989; amended 1993, No. 61, § 41, eff. June 3, 1993; 1995, No. 140 (Adj. Sess.), § 2; 1997, No. 38, § 6a, eff. May 28, 1997; 1999, No. 18, § 21, eff. May 13, 1999; 2007, No. 75, § 21; 2011, No. 153 (Adj. Sess.), § 26.)
(a) Notwithstanding subsection 309a(a) of this title, grants provided to towns under the town highway structures program shall be matched by local funds sufficient to cover 20 percent of the project costs, unless the town has adopted road and bridge standards, has completed a network inventory, and has submitted an annual certification of compliance for town road and bridge standards to the secretary, in which event the local match shall be sufficient to cover 10 percent of the project costs. The secretary may adopt rules to implement the town highway structures program. Town highway structures projects receiving funds pursuant to this subsection shall be the responsibility of the applicant municipality.
(b) Notwithstanding subsection 309a(a) of this title, grants provided to towns under the class 2 town highway roadway program shall be matched by local funds sufficient to cover 30 percent of the project costs, unless the town has adopted road and bridge standards, has completed a network inventory, and has submitted an annual certification of compliance for town road and bridge standards to the secretary, in which event the local match shall be sufficient to cover 20 percent of the project costs. The secretary may adopt rules to implement the class 2 town highway roadway program. Class 2 town highway roadway projects receiving funds pursuant to this subsection shall be the responsibility of the applicant municipality, and a municipality shall not receive a grant in excess of $175,000.00.
(c) Notwithstanding subsections 309a(a), (b), and (c) of this title, a municipality may use a grant awarded under the town highway structures program or the class 2 town highway roadway program to provide the nonfederal matching funds required to draw down a federal earmark or to match grants provided to towns under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (ARRA). In all such cases, the grant shall be matched by local funds as provided in this section. The intended use of a town highway grant as matching funds for a federal earmark or for grants provided to towns under the ARRA shall not entitle a municipal grant applicant to any priority for a grant award in any fiscal year. When grants awarded under the town highway structures program or the class 2 town highway roadway program are used to satisfy nonfederal matching requirements for federal earmarks or for grants provided to towns under the ARRA, the term "project costs" in subsections (a) and (b) of this section shall refer only to the nonfederal match for the federal earmark or for a grant provided to towns under the ARRA. (Added 1991, No. 175 (Adj. Sess.), § 10, eff. May 15, 1992; amended 1993, No. 211 (Adj. Sess.), § 14, eff. June 17, 1994; 1997, No. 144 (Adj. Sess.), § 6, eff. April 27, 1998; 2001, No. 64, § 15, eff. June 16, 2001; 2005, No. 175 (Adj. Sess.), §§ 56, 57; 2007, No. 75, § 20; 2009, No. 50, § 33; 2009, No. 110 (Adj. Sess.), § 18, eff. July 1, 2011.)
§ 309c. Cancellation of locally managed projects
(a) Notwithstanding section 309a of this title, a municipality or other local sponsor responsible for a locally managed project through a grant agreement with the agency shall be responsible for the repayment, in whole or in part, of federal funds required by the Federal Highway Administration or other federal agency because of cancellation of the project by the municipality or other local sponsor due to circumstances or events wholly or partly within the municipality's or other local sponsor's control. Prior to any such determination that cancellation of a project was due to circumstances or events wholly or partly within a municipality's or other local sponsor's control, the agency shall consult with the municipality or other local sponsor to attempt to reach an agreement to determine the scope of the municipality's or other local sponsor's repayment obligation.
(b) Within 15 days of an agency determination under subsection (a) of this section, a municipality may petition the board for a hearing to determine if cancellation of the project was due to circumstances or events in whole or in part outside the municipality's control. The board shall hold a hearing on the petition within 30 days of its receipt and shall issue an appropriate order within 30 days thereafter. If the board determines that cancellation of the project was due in whole or in part to circumstances or events outside the municipality's control, it shall order that the municipality's repayment obligation be reduced proportionally, in whole or in part. The municipality shall have no obligation to make a repayment under this section until the board issues its order. (Added 2009, No. 123 (Adj. Sess.), § 30.)
§ 309d. Policy for municipally managed transportation projects
(a) Except in the case of projects or project components involving unpaved highways, for all transportation projects and project phases managed by a municipality, including planning, development, construction, or maintenance, it is the policy of this state for municipalities to consider "complete streets" principles, which are principles of safety and accommodation of all transportation system users, regardless of age, ability, or modal preference. If, after the consideration required under this section, a project does not incorporate complete streets principles, the municipality managing the project shall make a written determination, supported by documentation and available for public inspection at the office of the municipal clerk and at the agency of transportation, that one or more of the following circumstances exist:
(1) Use of the transportation facility by pedestrians, bicyclists, or other users is prohibited by law.
(2) The cost of incorporating complete streets principles is disproportionate to the need or probable use as determined by factors such as land use, current and projected user volumes, population density, crash data, historic and natural resource constraints, and maintenance requirements. The municipality shall consult local and regional plans, as appropriate, in assessing these and any other relevant factors.
(3) Incorporating complete streets principles is outside the scope of a project because of its very nature.
(b) The written determination required by subsection (a) of this section shall be final and shall not be subject to appeal or further review. (Added 2011, No. 34, § 3.)
§ 310. Highways, bridges and trails
(a) A town shall keep its class 1, 2, and 3 highways and bridges in good and sufficient repair during all seasons of the year, except that based on safety considerations for the traveling public and municipal employees, the selectboard shall, by rule adopted under 24 V.S.A. chapter 59, and after following the process for providing notice and hearing in section 709 of this title, have authority to determine whether a class 2 or 3 highway, or section of highway, should be plowed and made negotiable during the winter. A property owner aggrieved by a decision of the selectboard may appeal to the transportation board pursuant to subdivision 5(d)(9) of this title.
(b) Class 4 highways may be maintained to the extent required by the necessity of the town, the public good and the convenience of the inhabitants of the town, or may be reclassified using the same procedures as for laying out highways and meeting the standards set forth in section 302 of this title.
(c) A town shall not be liable for construction, maintenance, repair, or safety of trails.
(d) For class 2 and 3 highways that have routinely not been plowed and made negotiable prior to July 1, 2000, the process requirements of subdivision 302(a)(3)(B) of this title and subsection (a) of this section shall not be required. A property owner adversely affected by this subsection may request the selectboard to plow and make negotiable a class 2 or 3 town highway. However, a property owner aggrieved by a decision of the selectboard may appeal to the transportation board pursuant to subdivision 5(d)(9) of this title. (Added 1985, No. 269 (Adj. Sess.), § 1; amended 1999, No. 156 (Adj. Sess.), §§ 29, 30, eff. May 29, 2000.)
§ 311. Class 1 and 2 highways; pavement markings
The agency shall mark all paved class 1 and 2 highways with painted center lines. The selectboard promptly shall notify the district transportation administrator when these markings have been obliterated by resurfacing. (Added 1985, No. 269 (Adj. Sess.), § 1; amended 1991, No. 175 (Adj. Sess.), § 11, eff. July 1, 1993; 1993, No. 25, § 61a, eff. May 18, 1993; 1995, No. 60, § 22, eff. April 25, 1995.)
§ 312. Use of funds; unexpended balances
The funds raised from town highway taxes shall not be used for any purpose other than that for which the tax was voted, subject to the provisions of this chapter. If in any year money so voted is not expended, it shall be applied for the same purpose the following year. (Added 1985, No. 269 (Adj. Sess.), § 1.)
§ 313. Restricting use of covered bridges
The Agency and the selectmen of the town where a covered bridge is located or, if parts of such a bridge are located in more than one town, the selectmen of the towns acting jointly, may restrict the use of the bridge to vehicles which are within limits as to weight, height, and width as they shall establish. The limitation shall be plainly posted at the approaches to the bridge at approximately 100 feet from each end of the bridge, and at intersections as may be required to enable operators of restricted vehicles to proceed by the most direct alternate unrestricted route. Posting shall be by means of permanent signs of a standard size of at least 24 inches by 24 inches, and with lettering not less than three inches high. (Added 1985, No. 269 (Adj. Sess.), § 1.)
§ 314. Vote at town meeting
In case the limitations proposed for a covered bridge are not approved by the selectmen and the Agency as provided in this chapter, the selectmen of the town or towns where the bridge is located shall have the right to place the question in the warnings of the next annual or special town meeting. When the bridge is located in more than one town, the limitations must be adopted by each of the towns and when so adopted, the bridge shall be posted according to the limitations. (Added 1985, No. 269 (Adj. Sess.), § 1.)
§ 315. Penalties
A person who operates a vehicle exceeding the limit prescribed on a bridge thus restricted, shall be fined not more than $200.00 for the first offense and not more than $300.00 for each subsequent offense. (Added 1985, No. 269 (Adj. Sess.), § 1.)
§ 316. Removal of covered bridges; notice
When a town or the agency decide that the destruction or removal of a covered bridge is necessary, whether by discontinuance of the highway or to replace the bridge with another structure or for any other reason, notice of the intent to destroy or remove the bridge shall be posted by the officials in three public places in the town where the bridge is located and published on two consecutive days in a newspaper of general circulation in the town. Copies of the notice shall be sent by certified mail to the governor and the director of the division for historic preservation not less than ninety days before destruction or removal is to be started, and the date of the proposed destruction or removal shall be stated in the notice. The requirement for a ninety day warning shall not apply in the event of a serious emergency. (Added 1985, No. 269 (Adj. Sess.), § 1.)
§ 318. Local Technical Assistance Program; input from municipalities
(a) Prior to submitting a fiscal year Local Technical Assistance Program (LTAP) work plan to the Federal Highway Administration for approval, the Agency shall, in consultation with the Vermont League of Cities and Towns and any other person the Agency deems appropriate, solicit from all Vermont towns, villages, and cities:
(1) input on whether the Agency is providing effective municipal transportation-related technical assistance and training through the LTAP;
(2) recommendations on how to improve the Agency's operation of the LTAP; and
(3) recommendations for new training, technical assistance, or support functions to be provided through the LTAP.
(b) The Agency shall consider the input and recommendations received from municipalities in developing its annual LTAP work plan.
(c) Upon request, the Agency shall provide the Vermont League of Cities and Towns administrative support in soliciting and collecting municipal input and recommendations. (Added 2013, No. 167 (Adj. Sess.), § 13.)