reglab/statecodes huggingface dataset:
2023 Vermont Statutes › Title 2 - Legislature › Chapter 11 - Registration of Lobbyists › § 265. Submission of and access to lobbying disclosures

§ 265. Submission of and access to lobbying disclosures
(a) The Secretary of State shall provide on his or her website an online database of the lobbying disclosures required under this chapter.
(1) In this database, the Secretary shall provide digital access to each form he or she shall provide to enable a person to file the statements or reports required under this chapter. Digital access shall enable such a person to file these lobbying disclosures by completing and submitting the disclosure to the Secretary of State online.
(2) The Secretary shall maintain on the online database all disclosures that have been filed digitally on it so that any person may have direct machine-readable electronic access to the individual data elements in each disclosure and the ability to search those data elements as soon as a disclosure is filed.
(b) Any person required to file a disclosure with the Secretary of State under this chapter shall sign it, declare that it is made under the penalties of perjury, and file it digitally on the online database. (Added 1989, No. 160 (Adj. Sess.), § 2, eff. April 30, 1990; amended 1993, No. 101, § 3a; 2007, No. 5, § 5, eff. April 12, 2007; 2015, No. 49, § 5.)
2023 Vermont Statutes › Title 2 - Legislature › Chapter 11 - Registration of Lobbyists › § 266. Prohibited conduct

§ 266. Prohibited conduct
(a) It shall be prohibited conduct:
(1) to employ a lobbyist or lobbying firm, or accept employment as a lobbyist or lobbying firm, for compensation that is dependent on a contingency;
(2) for a legislator or administrative official to solicit a gift, other than a contribution, from a registered employer or registered lobbyist or a lobbying firm engaged by an employer, except that charitable contributions for nonprofit organizations qualified under 26 U.S.C. § 501(c)(3) may be solicited from registered employers and registered lobbyists or lobbying firms engaged by an employer; or
(3) when the General Assembly is in session, until adjournment sine die:
(A) for a legislator, a legislator’s candidate’s committee, a legislative leadership political committee, or an administrative official to solicit a contribution from a registered lobbyist, a registered employer, or a lobbying firm engaged by an employer; or
(B) for a registered lobbyist, registered employer, or a lobbying firm engaged by an employer to make or promise a contribution to a legislator, a legislator’s candidate’s committee, or a legislative leadership political committee.
(b)(1) A legislator or an Executive officer, for one year after leaving office, shall not be a lobbyist in this State.
(2) The prohibition set forth in subdivision (1) of this subsection shall not apply to a lobbyist exempted under section 262 of this chapter.
(c) As used in this section:
(1) “Candidate’s committee,” “contribution,” and “legislative leadership political committee” shall have the same meanings as in 17 V.S.A. chapter 61 (campaign finance).
(2) “Executive officer” means:
(A) the Governor, Lieutenant Governor, Treasurer, Secretary of State, Auditor of Accounts, or Attorney General; or
(B) under the Office of the Governor, an agency secretary or deputy or a department commissioner or deputy. (Added 1989, No. 160 (Adj. Sess.), § 2, eff. April 30, 1990; amended 1993, No. 101, § 3b; 2007, No. 5, § 6, eff. April 12, 2007; 2015, No. 49, § 8; 2017, No. 79, § 1.)
2023 Vermont Statutes › Title 2 - Legislature › Chapter 11 - Registration of Lobbyists › § 267a. Investigations

§ 267a. Investigations
The Attorney General shall investigate, on his or her own initiative or in response to a complaint filed in writing with the Attorney General, whether a violation of this chapter has occurred. The Attorney General may administer oaths, require filing of a statement under oath, take evidence, and require the production, by subpoena or otherwise, of financial records, books, papers, correspondence, and other documents and records the Attorney General considers to be relevant and material to the investigation. The Attorney General shall make a determination of each complaint filed and, at the time of resolution of a complaint which is found to have merit, shall post on the website of the Office of the Attorney General a brief summary of the complaint and resolution. (Added 1997, No. 64, § 22; amended 2005, No. 99 (Adj. Sess.), § 5, eff. Jan. 1, 2007.)
2023 Vermont Statutes › Title 2 - Legislature › Chapter 11 - Registration of Lobbyists › § 268. Penalties; enforcement

§ 268. Penalties; enforcement
(a) The Attorney General shall enforce the provisions of this chapter, and may bring an action in Superior Court to ensure compliance and to obtain civil penalties in the amounts described in subsection (b) of this section.
(b) The Court may grant temporary and permanent injunctive relief, and may:
(1) Enjoin future activities.
(2) Order remedial actions to be taken to effect all registration and disclosure required by this chapter.
(3) Order reimbursement from any lobbyist or employer found to be in violation of this chapter.
(4) Levy a civil penalty as provided in this subdivision. A civil penalty of not more than $10,000.00 may be levied for each violation. In addition, in the case of a continuing violation, a penalty of not more than $1,000.00 may be imposed for each day the violation continues. (Added 1989, No. 160 (Adj. Sess.), § 2, eff. April 30, 1990; amended 1993, No. 101, § 4; 2005, No. 99 (Adj. Sess.), § 6, eff. Jan. 1, 2007.)
2023 Vermont Statutes › Title 2 - Legislature › Chapter 13 - Office of Legislative Counsel › § 401. Creation and purpose

§ 401. Creation and purpose
The Office of Legislative Counsel is created as a permanent agency to serve the General Assembly with nonpartisan legislative drafting, research, and other professional legal and editorial services. (Added 1971, No. 204 (Adj. Sess.), § 1, eff. March 31, 1972; amended 2019, No. 144 (Adj. Sess.), § 2.)
2023 Vermont Statutes › Title 2 - Legislature › Chapter 13 - Office of Legislative Counsel › § 402. Director and Chief Counsel; employees

§ 402. Director and Chief Counsel; employees
(a) The Joint Legislative Management Committee shall employ an individual to be the Director and Chief Counsel of the Office of Legislative Counsel. The Committee may conduct the hiring process itself or it may delegate this duty to a special hiring committee comprising an equal number of members from the House and Senate, not all of whom shall be from the same political party; however, the Joint Legislative Management Committee shall make the final hiring decision.
(b)(1) The Director and Chief Counsel shall employ legal, editorial, and other professional staff as needed to carry out the duties of the Office of Legislative Counsel, except that requests for new, permanent positions shall be subject to the approval of the Joint Legislative Management Committee.
(2) All individuals employed by the Office of Legislative Counsel shall be subject to the personnel policies adopted by the Joint Legislative Management Committee.
(3) The provisions of 3 V.S.A. chapter 13 (classification of State personnel) shall not apply to employees of the Office of Legislative Counsel. (Added 1971, No. 204 (Adj. Sess.), § 2, eff. Jan. 1, 1973; amended 2019, No. 144 (Adj. Sess.), § 2.)
2023 Vermont Statutes › Title 2 - Legislature › Chapter 13 - Office of Legislative Counsel › § 403. Functions; confidentiality

§ 403. Functions; confidentiality
(a) The Office of Legislative Counsel shall provide legal services to the General Assembly and its staff, including:
(1) drafting bills, resolutions, amendments, and other legal documents;
(2) providing legal research and analysis in relation to current or anticipated legislative matters;
(3) providing policy analysis of current or anticipated legislative matters;
(4) maintaining a reference library;
(5) maintaining confidential documents and other confidential materials provided to or generated by the Office in the course of business;
(6) providing contracting and other legal services to the Joint Legislative Management Committee and other legislative offices; and
(7) furnishing such other information and legal assistance with respect to legislative matters as may be required by a member, member-elect, committee or similar entity of the General Assembly, a chamber of the General Assembly, or the General Assembly as a whole, in the performance of its duties.
(b)(1) All requests for legal assistance, information, and advice from the Office of Legislative Counsel; all information received in connection with research or drafting; and all confidential materials provided to or generated by the Office shall remain confidential unless the party requesting or providing the information or material designates that it is not confidential.
(2) Recordings and minutes of committee meetings, bills and amendments that have been approved for printing or introduction, and material appearing in the journals or calendars of either house are official documents and materials and shall not be confidential under this subsection. (Added 1971, No. 204 (Adj. Sess.), § 3, eff. March 31, 1972; amended 1983, No. 88, § 13, eff. July 3, 1983; 2019, No. 144 (Adj. Sess.), § 2.)
2023 Vermont Statutes › Title 2 - Legislature › Chapter 13 - Office of Legislative Counsel › § 404. Budget

§ 404. Budget
The Director and Chief Counsel shall propose a budget for the Office of Legislative Counsel to the Joint Legislative Management Committee. (Added 1971, No. 204 (Adj. Sess.), § 4, eff. March 31, 1972; amended 1973, No. 60, § 1, eff. May 13, 1973; 1981, No. 178 (Adj. Sess.), § 1; 2013, No. 142 (Adj. Sess.), § 2; 2015, No. 131 (Adj. Sess.), § 18; 2019, No. 144 (Adj. Sess.), § 2.)
2023 Vermont Statutes › Title 2 - Legislature › Chapter 13 - Office of Legislative Counsel › § 405. Intergovernmental cooperation

§ 405. Intergovernmental cooperation
For the purposes of carrying out its duties, the Office of Legislative Counsel shall have access to and the right to copy any public record of all executive, administrative, and judicial departments of the State, except income and franchise tax returns and other documents classified as confidential by law. (Added 1971, No. 204 (Adj. Sess.), § 5, eff. March 31, 1972; amended 2019, No. 144 (Adj. Sess.), § 2.)
2023 Vermont Statutes › Title 2 - Legislature › Chapter 13 - Office of Legislative Counsel › § 421. Office of Legislative Counsel; statutory publication and revision duties

§ 421. Office of Legislative Counsel; statutory publication and revision duties
(a) The Office of Legislative Counsel shall continuously maintain and update a formal topical revision of existing permanent statutory law to be known as the Vermont Statutes Annotated. The topical revision shall be arranged in a systematic and annotated form that is consolidated into the smallest practical number of volumes and indexes.
(b) The Office of Legislative Counsel, on behalf of the State of Vermont, shall hold the copyright to the Vermont Statutes Annotated. (Added 2001, No. 30, § 1; amended 2019, No. 144 (Adj. Sess.), § 2.)
2023 Vermont Statutes › Title 2 - Legislature › Chapter 13 - Office of Legislative Counsel › § 422. Contract for preparation of Vermont Statutes Annotated

§ 422. Contract for preparation of Vermont Statutes Annotated
(a) The Office of Legislative Counsel shall contract with a competent legal publisher to revise and publish the Vermont Statutes Annotated.
(b) The contract for publishing the Vermont Statutes Annotated shall provide for the annual editing and publishing of cumulative pocket part supplements after each biennial and adjourned legislative session for the duration of the contract. The cumulative pocket part supplements shall include all codified laws enacted during the concluded biennial or adjourned session of the General Assembly, and during any special session that has occurred since the last annual publication. Each edition of the cumulative pocket part supplements to the Vermont Statutes Annotated shall include all annotations of constructions of the Vermont Supreme Court and all federal courts of the United States, available at the closing date of each edition of the pocket parts.
(c) The contracted publisher shall, as provided in the contract, publish replacement volumes of existing titles, or separate volumes of new titles, of the Vermont Statutes Annotated. (Added 2001, No. 30, § 1; amended 2019, No. 144 (Adj. Sess.), § 2.)
2023 Vermont Statutes › Title 2 - Legislature › Chapter 13 - Office of Legislative Counsel › § 423. Acceptance as evidence of law

§ 423. Acceptance as evidence of law
(a) The Office of Legislative Counsel shall require the contracted publisher to deliver the cumulative pocket parts and separate supplements to the Vermont Statutes Annotated prior to the convening of the next session of the General Assembly, which shall include a certificate of authenticity that the Office of Legislative Counsel shall issue. The certificate shall entitle the statutes contained in the cumulative pocket parts and separate supplements to admission in all the courts of Vermont as prima facie evidence of the law.
(b) The Office of Legislative Counsel shall require the contracted publisher to deliver new and replacement volumes of the Vermont Statutes Annotated with a certificate of authenticity that the Office of Legislative Counsel shall issue. The certificate shall entitle the statutes contained in the new and replacement volumes to admission in all the courts of Vermont as prima facie evidence of the law.
(c) A certificate of authority issued by the Statutory Revision Commission pursuant to the authority of the former 1 V.S.A. § 4 shall continue to entitle a cumulative pocket part and separate supplement, or a new and replacement volume, for which it was issued to admission in all the courts of Vermont as prima facie evidence of the law.
(d) The Vermont Statutes Annotated may be cited as “V.S.A.” (Added 2001, No. 30, § 1; amended 2019, No. 144 (Adj. Sess.), § 2.)
2023 Vermont Statutes › Title 2 - Legislature › Chapter 13 - Office of Legislative Counsel › § 424. Office of Legislative Counsel; revision authority

§ 424. Office of Legislative Counsel; revision authority
In preparing an individual act for codification in the Vermont Statutes Annotated or publication in the Acts and Resolves, the Office of Legislative Counsel may not alter the sense, meaning, or effect of any act of the General Assembly, but it may:
(1) renumber and rearrange sections or parts of sections;
(2) transfer sections or divide sections so as to give separate section numbers to distinct subject matters, but without changing the meaning;
(3) insert or change the wording of headnotes;
(4) change reference numbers to agree with renumbered chapters or sections;
(5) substitute the proper section or chapter number for the terms “this act,” “the preceding section,” and similar terms;
(6) strike out figures where they are merely a repetition of written words and vice versa;
(7) change capitalization, effect gender neutrality, and make other grammatical corrections for the purpose of conformity with the style of the Vermont Statutes Annotated;
(8) correct manifest typographical and grammatical errors;
(9) make any changes in any of the forms provided as guides that may be necessitated by changes in the substantive law;
(10) correct the names of agencies, departments, and similar units of State government; and
(11) make any other purely formal or clerical changes in keeping with the purposes of revision. (Added 2001, No. 30, § 1; amended 2013, No. 5, § 2, eff. April 23, 2013; 2019, No. 144 (Adj. Sess.), § 2.)
2023 Vermont Statutes › Title 2 - Legislature › Chapter 13 - Office of Legislative Counsel › § 425. Statutory databases

§ 425. Statutory databases
The Office of Legislative Counsel, in collaboration with the Office of Legislative Information Technology, shall maintain computerized databases of the Vermont Statutes Annotated, which shall be posted on the General Assembly’s website. The databases shall include the enactment history of a codified statutory section, but shall not maintain the revisor’s notes, the judicial annotations added by the publisher, or the Acts and Resolves. (Added 2001, No. 30, § 1; amended 2013, No. 5, § 3, eff. April 23, 2013; 2019, No. 144 (Adj. Sess.), § 2.)
2023 Vermont Statutes › Title 2 - Legislature › Chapter 13 - Office of Legislative Counsel › § 426. Annual statutory revision legislation

§ 426. Annual statutory revision legislation
Annually, on or before February 1, the Office of Legislative Counsel may prepare and submit to the General Assembly a bill that proposes recommendations of any additions, repeals, or amendments to the existing statutes. (Added 2001, No. 30, § 1; amended 2019, No. 144 (Adj. Sess.), § 2.)
2023 Vermont Statutes › Title 2 - Legislature › Chapter 14 - Office of Human Resources › § 462. Director; employees

§ 462. Director; employees
(a) The Joint Legislative Management Committee shall employ an individual with experience and expertise in human resources management to be the Director of Human Resources. The Committee may conduct the hiring process itself or may delegate this duty to a special hiring committee comprising an equal number of members from the House and Senate, not all of whom shall be from the same political party; however, the Joint Legislative Management Committee shall make the final hiring decision.
(b)(1) The Director of Human Resources shall employ human resources and other professional staff as needed to carry out the duties of the Office of Human Resources, except that requests for new, permanent positions shall be subject to the approval of the Joint Legislative Management Committee.
(2) All individuals employed by the Office of Human Resources shall be subject to the personnel policies adopted by the Joint Legislative Management Committee.
(3) The provisions of 3 V.S.A. chapter 13 (classification of State personnel) shall not apply to employees of the Office of Human Resources. (Added 2019, No. 144 (Adj. Sess.), § 6.)
2023 Vermont Statutes › Title 2 - Legislature › Chapter 14 - Office of Human Resources › § 463. Functions

§ 463. Functions
The Office of Human Resources shall provide human resources services to members of the General Assembly and legislative employees, including:
(1) developing, in consultation with the heads of the other legislative offices, compensation and benefits plans and personnel policies for legislative offices and employees for Joint Legislative Management Committee approval and providing advice, guidance, and technical assistance in the administration of these plans and policies;
(2) providing training on topics such as the prevention of harassment and discrimination, implicit bias, time management, and other workplace issues;
(3) providing job recruitment services to other legislative offices;
(4) providing performance evaluation services to other legislative offices;
(5) providing advice and guidance to legislative employees, supervisors, and members of the General Assembly regarding labor and employment laws, policies, and practices;
(6) coordinating legislative internship opportunities, including registering legislative interns and developing and implementing internship policies and procedures;
(7) developing processes for investigating and resolving disputes and other interpersonal issues involving members of the General Assembly or legislative employees, or both;
(8) investigating and resolving, and providing guidance and assistance with investigating and resolving, employee disputes and other personnel matters; and
(9) providing guidance and assistance with investigating and resolving conflicts involving members of the General Assembly. (Added 2019, No. 144 (Adj. Sess.), § 6.)
2023 Vermont Statutes › Title 2 - Legislature › Chapter 14 - Office of Human Resources › § 465. Intergovernmental cooperation

§ 465. Intergovernmental cooperation
For the purposes of carrying out its duties, the Office of Human Resources shall have access to and the right to copy any public record of all executive, administrative, and judicial departments of the State, except income and franchise tax returns and other documents classified as confidential by law. (Added 2019, No. 144 (Adj. Sess.), § 6.)
2023 Vermont Statutes › Title 2 - Legislature › Chapter 15 - Joint Fiscal Committee; Joint Fiscal Office › § 501. Creation of Committee; purpose

§ 501. Creation of Committee; purpose
(a) There is created a Joint Fiscal Committee whose membership shall be appointed on or before January 15 of each biennial session of the General Assembly. The Committee shall consist of five Representatives and five Senators as follows:
(1) the Chair of the House Committee on Appropriations;
(2) the Chair of the House Committee on Ways and Means;
(3) the Chair of the Senate Committee on Appropriations;
(4) the Chair of the Senate Committee on Finance;
(5) two members of the House, not both from the same political party, appointed by the Speaker of the House;
(6) two members of the Senate, not both from the same political party, appointed by the Committee on Committees; and
(7) one member of the Senate to be appointed by the Committee on Committees and one member of the House to be appointed by the Speaker.
(b) The Joint Fiscal Committee shall meet immediately following the appointment of its membership to organize and conduct its business. The Committee shall elect a chair, vice chair, and clerk and shall adopt rules of procedure. The Committee may meet at any time at the call of the Chair or a majority of the members of the Committee. A majority of the membership shall constitute a quorum.
(c) For attendance at a meeting when the General Assembly is not in session, members of the Joint Fiscal Committee shall be entitled to the same per diem compensation and reimbursement for actual and necessary expenses as provided members of standing committees under section 23 of this title. (Added 1973, No. 128 (Adj. Sess.), § 1, eff. Jan. 24, 1974; amended 1977, No. 247 (Adj. Sess.), § 202; 1983, No. 88, § 12, eff. July 3, 1983; 1997, No. 61, § 273; 2019, No. 72, § E.127, eff. June 18, 2019; 2019, No. 144 (Adj. Sess.), § 5.)
2023 Vermont Statutes › Title 2 - Legislature › Chapter 15 - Joint Fiscal Committee; Joint Fiscal Office › § 503. Functions

§ 503. Functions
The Joint Fiscal Committee shall:
(1) hire the Chief Fiscal Officer;
(2) carry on a continuing review of the fiscal operations of the State, including revenues, budgeting, and expenditures;
(3) accept grants and approve any related limited service positions, gifts, loans, or any other thing of value, approved by the Governor, under the provisions of 32 V.S.A. § 5;
(4) establish prioritization for the work of the Joint Fiscal Office; and
(5) keep minutes of its meetings and maintain a file thereof. (Added 1973, No. 128 (Adj. Sess.), § 1, eff. Jan. 24, 1974; amended 1977, No. 247 (Adj. Sess.), § 187, eff. April 17, 1978; 1997, No. 144 (Adj. Sess.), § 17; 2019, No. 72, § E.127.1; 2019, No. 144 (Adj. Sess.), § 5.)
2023 Vermont Statutes › Title 2 - Legislature › Chapter 15 - Joint Fiscal Committee; Joint Fiscal Office › § 521. Creation and purpose

§ 521. Creation and purpose
The Joint Fiscal Office is created as a permanent agency to provide the General Assembly with services relating to the fiscal operations of the State, including revenues, budgeting, and expenditures. (Added 2019, No. 144 (Adj. Sess.), § 5.)
2023 Vermont Statutes › Title 2 - Legislature › Chapter 15 - Joint Fiscal Committee; Joint Fiscal Office › § 522. Chief Fiscal Officer; employees

§ 522. Chief Fiscal Officer; employees
(a)(1) The Joint Fiscal Committee shall employ an individual to be the Chief Fiscal Officer of the Joint Fiscal Office.
(2) The Chief Fiscal Officer shall employ fiscal, research, and other professional staff as needed to carry out the duties of the Joint Fiscal Office, except that requests for new, permanent positions shall be subject to the approval of the Joint Legislative Management Committee.
(b) All individuals employed by the Joint Fiscal Office shall be subject to the personnel policies adopted by the Joint Legislative Management Committee.
(c) The provisions of 3 V.S.A. chapter 13 (classification of State personnel) shall not apply to employees of the Joint Fiscal Office unless this exception is partially or wholly waived by the Joint Legislative Management Committee. (Added 2019, No. 144 (Adj. Sess.), § 5.)
2023 Vermont Statutes › Title 2 - Legislature › Chapter 15 - Joint Fiscal Committee; Joint Fiscal Office › § 523. Functions; confidentiality

§ 523. Functions; confidentiality
(a) The Joint Fiscal Office shall furnish:
(1) nonpartisan research and administrative services of a fiscal nature to the Joint Fiscal Committee and, at the direction of the Joint Fiscal Committee, to the House and Senate Committees on Appropriations, the Senate Committee on Finance, the House Committee on Ways and Means, the House and Senate Committees on Transportation, the House Committee on Corrections and Institutions, and the Senate Committee on Institutions;
(2) nonpartisan research and administrative services of a fiscal nature to other legislative committees and members of the General Assembly, to the extent practicable; and
(3) fiscal and budget assistance to the Joint Legislative Management Committee and to the other legislative offices.
(b)(1) All requests for assistance, information, and advice from the Joint Fiscal Office, all information received in connection with fiscal research or related drafting, and all confidential materials provided to or generated by the Joint Fiscal Office shall remain confidential unless the party requesting or providing the information designates that it is not confidential.
(2) Recordings and minutes of committee meetings and material appearing in the journals or calendars of either house are official documents and materials and shall not be confidential under this subsection. (Added 2019, No. 144 (Adj. Sess.), § 5.)
2023 Vermont Statutes › Title 2 - Legislature › Chapter 15 - Joint Fiscal Committee; Joint Fiscal Office › § 525. Intergovernmental cooperation

§ 525. Intergovernmental cooperation
For the purposes of carrying out its duties, the Joint Fiscal Office shall have access to and the right to copy any public record of all executive, administrative, and judicial departments of the State, except income and franchise tax returns and other documents classified as confidential by law unless permitted under 32 V.S.A. § 3102. (Added 2019, No. 144 (Adj. Sess.), § 5.)
2023 Vermont Statutes › Title 2 - Legislature › Chapter 15 - Joint Fiscal Committee; Joint Fiscal Office › § 526. Basic needs budget and livable wage; report

§ 526. Basic needs budget and livable wage; report
(a) For the purposes of this section:
(1) “Basic needs” means the essentials needed to run a household, including food, housing, transportation, child care, utilities, health and dental care, taxes, rental and life insurance, personal expenses, and savings.
(2) “Basic needs budget” is the amount of money needed by a Vermont household to maintain a basic standard of living, calculated using current State and federal data sources for the costs of basic needs.
(3) “Livable wage” means the hourly wage required for a full-time worker to pay for one-half of the basic needs budget for a two-person household with no children and employer-assisted health insurance averaged for both urban and rural areas.
(b) On or before January 15 of each new legislative biennium, beginning in 2009, the Joint Fiscal Office shall report the calculated basic needs budgets of various representative household configurations and the calculated livable wage for the previous year. This calculation may serve as an additional indicator of wage and other economic conditions in the State and shall not be considered official State guidance on wages or other forms of compensation.
(c) The methodology for calculating basic needs budgets shall be built on methodology described in the November 9, 1999 Livable Income Study Committee report, modified as appropriate by any statutory changes made by the General Assembly and subsequent modifications adopted by the Joint Fiscal Committee under subsection (d) of this section.
(d) The Joint Fiscal Committee may adopt modifications to the methodology used to determine the basic needs budget calculations under subsection (c) of this section to account for public policy changes, data availability, or any other factors that have had an impact on any aspects of the methodology. Changes or revisions in methodology adopted by the Committee shall be effective no later than November in the year preceding the release of the report. (Added 2005, No. 59, § 1; amended 2007, No. 202 (Adj. Sess.), § 1; 2019, No. 144 (Adj. Sess.), § 11(c) (redesignated from 2 V.S.A. § 505).)
2023 Vermont Statutes › Title 2 - Legislature › Chapter 16 - Office of Legislative Operations › § 551. Creation and purpose

§ 551. Creation and purpose
The Office of Legislative Operations is created as a permanent agency to serve the members and employees of the General Assembly with nonpartisan operational, financial, committee support, and other administrative services and to support the Joint Legislative Management Committee. (Added 2019, No. 144 (Adj. Sess.), § 7.)
2023 Vermont Statutes › Title 2 - Legislature › Chapter 16 - Office of Legislative Operations › § 552. Director; employees

§ 552. Director; employees
(a) The Joint Legislative Management Committee shall employ an individual with experience and expertise in administration or management to be the Director of Legislative Operations. The Committee may conduct the hiring process itself or it may delegate this duty to a special hiring committee comprising an equal number of members from the House and Senate, not all of whom shall be from the same political party; however, the Joint Legislative Management Committee shall make the final hiring decision.
(b)(1) The Director of Legislative Operations shall employ administrative, committee services, and other professional staff as needed to carry out the duties of the Office of Legislative Operations, except that requests for new, permanent positions shall be subject to the approval of the Joint Legislative Management Committee.
(2) All individuals employed by the Office of Legislative Operations shall be subject to the personnel policies adopted by the Joint Legislative Management Committee.
(3) The provisions of 3 V.S.A. chapter 13 (classification of State personnel) shall not apply to employees of the Office of Legislative Operations. (Added 2019, No. 144 (Adj. Sess.), § 7.)
2023 Vermont Statutes › Title 2 - Legislature › Chapter 16 - Office of Legislative Operations › § 553. Functions

§ 553. Functions
The Office of Legislative Operations shall provide:
(1) administrative support to the Joint Legislative Management Committee;
(2) administrative support to other standing and interim legislative committees;
(3) payroll, billing, and expense reimbursement services to members of the General Assembly and, as needed, to other legislative offices and legislative employees; and
(4) other administrative and operational services as needed to support members of the General Assembly, legislative offices, and legislative employees. (Added 2019, No. 144 (Adj. Sess.), § 7.)
2023 Vermont Statutes › Title 2 - Legislature › Chapter 16 - Office of Legislative Operations › § 555. Intergovernmental cooperation

§ 555. Intergovernmental cooperation
For the purposes of carrying out its duties, the Office of Legislative Operations shall have access to and the right to copy any public record of all executive, administrative, and judicial departments of the State, except income and franchise tax returns and other documents classified as confidential by law. (Added 2019, No. 144 (Adj. Sess.), § 7.)
2023 Vermont Statutes › Title 2 - Legislature › Chapter 17 - Joint Carbon Emissions Reduction Committee › § 601. Creation of Committee

§ 601. Creation of Committee
(a) There is created a Joint Carbon Emissions Reduction Committee whose membership shall be appointed each biennial session of the General Assembly. The Committee shall consist of five Representatives, at least one from the Committees on Appropriations, on Commerce and Economic Development, on Environment and Energy, and on Transportation, to be appointed by the Speaker of the House, and five members of the Senate, at least one from the Committees on Appropriations, on Finance, on Natural Resources and Energy, and on Transportation, to be appointed by the Committee on Committees.
(b) The Committee shall elect a chair and vice chair. The Chair shall rotate biennially between the House and the Senate members. The Committee may meet during a session of the General Assembly at the call of the Chair and with the approval of the Speaker of the House and the President Pro Tempore of the Senate. The Committee may meet up to five times during adjournment. A majority of the membership shall constitute a quorum.
(c) The Office of Legislative Counsel and the Office of Legislative Operations shall provide legal, professional, and administrative assistance to the Committee.
(d) For attendance at a meeting when the General Assembly is not in session, members of the Committee shall be entitled to the same per diem compensation and expense reimbursement as provided members of standing committees pursuant to section 23 of this title. (Added 1977, No. 123 (Adj. Sess.), § 1, eff. Feb. 17, 1978; amended 2019, No. 62, § 3; 2021, No. 20, § 1.)
2023 Vermont Statutes › Title 2 - Legislature › Chapter 17 - Joint Carbon Emissions Reduction Committee › § 603. Duties

§ 603. Duties
The Joint Carbon Emissions Reduction Committee shall provide oversight when the General Assembly is not in session of State policies and activities concerning and affecting carbon emissions from Vermont’s electric, residential and commercial buildings, and transportation sectors. (Added 1977, No. 123 (Adj. Sess.), § 1, eff. Feb. 17, 1978; amended 2009, No. 33, § 2; 2019, No. 62, § 3.)
2023 Vermont Statutes › Title 2 - Legislature › Chapter 18 - Joint Information Technology Oversight Committee › § 614. Joint Information Technology Oversight Committee

§ 614. Joint Information Technology Oversight Committee
(a) Creation. There is created the Joint Information Technology Oversight Committee to oversee investments in and use of information technology in Vermont and to provide periodic advice on legislative information technology issues.
(b) Membership. The Committee shall be composed of six members as follows:
(1) three members of the House of Representatives, not all of whom shall be from the same political party, who shall be appointed by the Speaker of the House; and
(2) three members of the Senate, not all of whom shall be from the same political party, who shall be appointed by the Committee on Committees.
(c) Powers and duties.
(1) The Committee shall oversee, evaluate, and make recommendations on the following:
(A) the State’s current deployment, management, and oversight of information technology in the furtherance of State governmental activities, including data processing systems, telecommunications networks, and related technologies, particularly with regard to issues of compatibility among existing and proposed technologies;
(B) issues related to the storage of, maintenance of, access to, privacy of, and restrictions on use of computerized records;
(C) issues of public policy related to the development and promotion of the private, commercial, and nonprofit information infrastructure in the State, its relationship to the State government information infrastructure, and its integration with national and international information networks; and
(D) cybersecurity.
(2) The Committee may provide advice to the Director of Legislative Information Technology and the Joint Legislative Management Committee as appropriate regarding matters related to legislative information technology.
(d) Assistance. The Committee shall have the administrative, technical, and legal assistance of the Office of Legislative Counsel, the Office of Legislative Operations, and the Joint Fiscal Office.
(e) Meetings.
(1) The Committee shall elect a chair and vice chair from among its members and shall adopt rules of procedure. The Chair shall rotate biennially between the House and Senate members.
(2) A majority of the membership shall constitute a quorum.
(3) The Committee may meet when the General Assembly is not in session or at the call of the Chair.
(f) Reimbursement. For attendance at meetings during adjournment of the General Assembly, members of the Committee shall be entitled to per diem compensation and reimbursement of expenses pursuant to section 23 of this title. (Added 2017, No. 187 (Adj. Sess.), § 8a, eff. May 28, 2018; amended 2018, No. 11 (Sp. Sess.), § E.126.2; 2019, No. 144 (Adj. Sess.), § 9.)
2023 Vermont Statutes › Title 2 - Legislature › Chapter 19 - Legislative Advisory Committee on the State House › § 651. Legislative Advisory Committee on the State House

§ 651. Legislative Advisory Committee on the State House
(a) The Legislative Advisory Committee on the State House is created.
(b) The Committee shall be composed of 12 members:
(1) three members of the House of Representatives, appointed biennially by the Speaker of the House;
(2) three members of the Senate, appointed biennially by the Committee on Committees;
(3) the Chair of the Board of Trustees of the Friends of the Vermont State House;
(4) the Director of the Vermont Historical Society;
(5) the Director of the Vermont Arts Council;
(6) the Commissioner of Buildings and General Services or designee;
(7) the Sergeant at Arms; and
(8) the State Curator.
(c) The Committee shall biennially elect a chair from among its legislative members. A quorum shall consist of seven members.
(d) The Committee shall meet at least one time when the General Assembly is in session. When the General Assembly is not in session, the Committee shall meet at least one time, but the Committee and any subcommittees shall not cumulatively meet more than six times per year; provided, however, that the Committee and any subcommittees of the Committee may meet more often with the approval of the Speaker of the House and the President Pro Tempore of the Senate. The Commissioner of Buildings and General Services shall keep minutes of the meetings and maintain a file thereof.
(e) The Committee shall have the assistance of the Office of Legislative Counsel and the Office of Legislative Operations.
(f) A member of the Committee shall not vote on a matter under consideration by the Committee regarding any activities or duties the member is responsible for discharging. (Added 1983, No. 246 (Adj. Sess.), § 1; amended 2017, No. 84, § 25, eff. June 16, 2017; 2019, No. 139 (Adj. Sess.), § 30, eff. July 6, 2020; 2021, No. 20, § 2; 2021, No. 50, § 33, eff. June 1, 2021; 2021, No. 156 (Adj. Sess.), § 1, eff. May 31, 2022.)
2023 Vermont Statutes › Title 2 - Legislature › Chapter 19 - Legislative Advisory Committee on the State House › § 652. Per diem and expenses; legislative members

§ 652. Per diem and expenses; legislative members
For meetings held during adjournment of the General Assembly, the legislative members of the Committee shall be entitled to per diem compensation and expense reimbursement as provided in section 23 of this title. (Added 1983, No. 246 (Adj. Sess.), § 1; amended 2021, No. 156 (Adj. Sess.), § 1, eff. May 31, 2022.)
2023 Vermont Statutes › Title 2 - Legislature › Chapter 19 - Legislative Advisory Committee on the State House › § 653. Functions

§ 653. Functions
(a) The Committee shall:
(1) review, coordinate, and make recommendations on all activities relating to the collections and care of art, historic artifacts, and furnishings and the refurbishing, renovation, preservation, and expansion of the building and its interior; and
(2) approve a collections policy for the State House collection, as developed by the State Curator pursuant to 29 V.S.A. § 154a(c).
(b) The Sergeant at Arms and the Commissioner of Buildings and General Services, in discharging responsibilities under subdivision 62(a)(6) of this title and 29 V.S.A. §§ 154(a) and 154a, respectively, shall consider the recommendations of the Committee. (Added 1983, No. 246 (Adj. Sess.), § 1; amended 2017, No. 84, § 25, eff. June 16, 2017; 2019, No. 139 (Adj. Sess.), § 31, eff. July 6, 2020; 2021, No. 156 (Adj. Sess.), § 1, eff. May 31, 2022.)
2023 Vermont Statutes › Title 2 - Legislature › Chapter 20 - Health Reform Oversight Committee › § 691. Committee creation

§ 691. Committee creation
There is created the legislative Health Reform Oversight Committee. The Committee shall be composed of the following eight members:
(1) the Chair of the House Committee on Appropriations;
(2) the Chair of the Senate Committee on Appropriations;
(3) the Chair of the House Committee on Ways and Means;
(4) the Chair of the Senate Committee on Finance;
(5) the Chair of the House Committee on Health Care;
(6) the Chair of the Senate Committee on Health and Welfare;
(7) the Chair of the House Committee on Human Services; and
(8) one member of the Senate appointed by the Committee on Committees. (Added 2013, No. 179 (Adj. Sess.), § E.306.3; amended 2017, No. 85, § E.126; 2017, No. 210 (Adj. Sess.), § 14a, eff. June 1, 2018; 2018, No. 2 (Sp. Sess.), § 13.)
2023 Vermont Statutes › Title 2 - Legislature › Chapter 20 - Health Reform Oversight Committee › § 692. Powers and duties

§ 692. Powers and duties
(a) When the General Assembly is adjourned, the Committee shall provide legislative oversight and review of revenue collection, expenditures, and planning related to health care reform efforts in Vermont.
(b) When the General Assembly is adjourned during fiscal year 2015, the Commissioner of Vermont Health Access shall provide monthly updates regarding Vermont Health Benefit Exchange operations, enrollment data, coverage status, customer support, and Exchange website functionality.
(c) Effective on January 1, 2015, all reports previously submitted to the Health Care Oversight Committee shall be submitted to the Health Reform Oversight Committee. (Added 2013, No. 179 (Adj. Sess.), § E.306.3.)
2023 Vermont Statutes › Title 2 - Legislature › Chapter 20 - Health Reform Oversight Committee › § 693. Assistance

§ 693. Assistance
(a) The Committee shall have the administrative, technical, and legal assistance of the Office of Legislative Counsel, the Office of Legislative Operations, and the Joint Fiscal Office.
(b)(1) The Secretary of Administration and other members of the Executive Branch shall report to the Committee upon request.
(2) If applicable, the Secretary shall submit an electronic report to the Joint Fiscal Office for distribution to members of the Committee that summarizes any plans or actions taken by the Executive Branch to delay health care reform project schedules as a result of:
(A) increased costs exceeding official estimates;
(B) [Repealed.]
(C) changes in the availability of federal funding; or
(D) any other changes related to the planning for and implementation of health care reform as directed by 2011 Acts and Resolves No. 48. (Added 2013, No. 179 (Adj. Sess.), § E.306.3; amended 2019, No. 6, § 66, eff. April 22, 2019; 2019, No. 144 (Adj. Sess.), § 14.)
2023 Vermont Statutes › Title 2 - Legislature › Chapter 20 - Health Reform Oversight Committee › § 694. Meetings

§ 694. Meetings
(a) The Committee shall select a Chair from among its members at the first meeting of each biennium.
(b) Meetings shall be convened by the Chair and when practicable shall be held in conjunction with meetings of the Joint Fiscal Committee.
(c)(1) A majority of the members of the Committee shall be physically present at the same location to constitute a quorum.
(2) A member may vote only if physically present at the meeting location.
(3) Action shall be taken only if there is both a quorum and a majority vote of the members physically present and voting. (Added 2013, No. 179 (Adj. Sess.), § E.306.3.)
2023 Vermont Statutes › Title 2 - Legislature › Chapter 20 - Health Reform Oversight Committee › § 695. Reimbursement

§ 695. Reimbursement
For attendance at meetings during adjournment of the General Assembly, members of the Committee shall be entitled to per diem compensation and reimbursement of expenses pursuant to section 406 of this title for no more than six meetings. (Added 2013, No. 179 (Adj. Sess.), § E.306.3.)
2023 Vermont Statutes › Title 2 - Legislature › Chapter 21 - Office of Legislative Information Technology › § 702. Director; employees

§ 702. Director; employees
(a) The Joint Legislative Management Committee shall employ an individual with experience and expertise in information technology to be the Director of Legislative Information Technology. The Committee may conduct the hiring process itself or it may delegate this duty to a special hiring committee comprising an equal number of members from the House and Senate, not all of whom shall be from the same political party; however, the Joint Legislative Management Committee shall make the final hiring decision.
(b)(1) The Director shall employ additional information technology staff as needed to carry out the duties of the Office of Legislative Information Technology, except that requests for new, permanent positions shall be subject to the approval of the Joint Legislative Management Committee.
(2) All individuals employed by the Office of Legislative Information Technology shall be subject to the personnel policies adopted by the Joint Legislative Management Committee.
(3) The provisions of 3 V.S.A. chapter 13 (classification of State personnel) shall not apply to employees of the Office of Legislative Information Technology unless this exception is partially or wholly waived by the Joint Legislative Management Committee. (Added 2019, No. 144 (Adj. Sess.), § 8.)
2023 Vermont Statutes › Title 2 - Legislature › Chapter 21 - Office of Legislative Information Technology › § 703. Functions

§ 703. Functions
The Office of Legislative Information Technology shall:
(1) design, support, and maintain the General Assembly’s information systems;
(2) provide hardware, software, and customer support to members and employees of the General Assembly to enable them to fulfill their professional responsibilities; and
(3) ensure that legislative records created, received, stored, or transmitted using information technology are maintained in accordance with the General Assembly’s recordkeeping requirements. (Added 2019, No. 144 (Adj. Sess.), § 8.)
2023 Vermont Statutes › Title 2 - Legislature › Chapter 21 - Office of Legislative Information Technology › § 704. Strategic plan for legislative information technology

§ 704. Strategic plan for legislative information technology
(a) The Director of Legislative Information Technology shall prepare, maintain, and update, at least biennially, a long-range strategic plan for information technology operations and services in the Legislative Branch.
(b) In preparing the plan, the Director or designee shall consult with members of the Joint Information Technology Oversight Committee, other members of the General Assembly, and employees of other legislative staff offices. In addition, the Director or designee may also consult with the State Archivist, representatives of the Executive and Judicial Branches, and members of the public.
(c) The strategic plan shall be subject to review and approval by the Joint Legislative Management Committee. (Added 2019, No. 144 (Adj. Sess.), § 8.)
2023 Vermont Statutes › Title 2 - Legislature › Chapter 21 - Office of Legislative Information Technology › § 705. Contracts for Internet service

§ 705. Contracts for Internet service
Every contract for broadband Internet access service, as defined in 3 V.S.A. § 348(d)(1), for the Legislative Branch shall include terms and conditions requiring that the Internet service provider certify that it is in compliance with the consumer protection and net neutrality standards established in 3 V.S.A. § 348. (Added 2017, No. 169 (Adj. Sess.), § 5; amended 2019, No. 144 (Adj. Sess.), § 11(d) (redesignated from 2 V.S.A. § 754).)