VRLDA Legislative Update: January 2024

The Legislature began the second year of the biennium on Wednesday, January 3^rd. All committee assignments and bills from 2023 carry forward into the new year.

Career Technical Education Improvements

In line with his address to the Legislature on the State of the State (delivered January 4^th) and his budget address (delivered January 23^rd), Governor Scott remains firmly committed to reforming the way CTE is delivered and paid for.

H.716 was introduced this month, and it has the following key provisions:

• Sec. 1 and 2: removing 3-year average as definition of ‘full-time student’.
• Sec. 3:  CTE opportunities for Grades 6 through 10. 
• Sec. 4 and 5: Comprehensive Career Development Policy and Report. 
• Sec. 6: CTE centers to be included in updates to the construction aid program. 
• Sec. 7-8: CTE oversight to be moved from the State Board of Education to the Agency of Education
• Sec. 9: Post-secondary program to give college credit for some CTE class work in manufacturing, engineering, health sciences, and education. 
• Sec. 10: Statewide School Calendar

Your legislative committee has reviewed this bill and it is the product of discussions between business groups like VRLDA and the Governor’s office. 

A key component that is not in H.716 is funding; this is being specifically addressed in another bill once the necessary report from the Agency of Education is released on February 1^st. Many legislators and CTE staff have indicated a preference for dealing with funding first, as it will put CTE programs on par with non-CTE programs and classes. We will have to see what is released next week.

Municipal Overweight Permitting

We may be able to put language in the DMV miscellaneous bill (a bill to be drafted by the Senate Transportation Committee) to require municipal permits to go through the upcoming centralized online permitting system that is being developed by the Department of Motor Vehicles. We are working with other interested parties—Associated General Contractors, VT Fuel Dealers, and VT Truck and Bus, to convince legislators that now is the time put this into law. It will simplify obtaining permits for businesses by having one place to go to obtain them and make it easier for towns to receive insurance and contact information for truck owners on their roads. We will know more next week after meeting with the Department staff.