VT LEG #381497 v.1
H.67 – An act relating to legislative operations and
government accountability
As recommended by the House Committee on Government Operations and Military
Affairs
1i
Bill Summary
his bill proposes to create an eight member Joint Government
Oversight and Accountability Committee within the General
Assembly. This Committee would be charged with exercising
oversight by examining and investigating matters of significant public
concern relating to State government performance. The proposed
Committee would examine the possible reasons for any failure of
government oversight, or any failure to properly implement policy, and
provide findings and tangible recommendations to standing committees of
jurisdiction to prevent future failures.
Fiscal Impact
The eight legislative members of the Joint Government Oversight and
Accountability Committee proposed in H.67 would be entitled to
compensation and expense reimbursement when attending meetings while
the General Assembly is not in session, at an average cost of approximately
$2,000 per meeting.
Although H.67 neither contains appropriations nor creates new positions, it charges the Committee with
submitting annual reports that may recommend whether to create a position in the General Assembly to
support its work, as well as identify any additional resources required by the Committee to adequately
conduct its work – both of which could lead to higher costs and demands on the General Assembly’s
resources in the future.
Cost savings is not an explicitly stated purpose of the Committee, but its recommendations could potentially
lead to future efficiencies. At the same time, Committee recommendations to increase program efficacy may
require additional resources. It is not possible at this stage to quantify potential future benefits or costs from
any hypothetical work of the proposed Committee.
1
The Joint Fiscal Office (JFO) is a nonpartisan legislative office dedicated to producing unbiased fiscal analysis – this fiscal note is
meant to provide information for legislative consideration, not to provide policy recommendations.
T
H.67 would create an
eight member Joint
Government Oversight
and Accountability
Committee within the
General Assembly.
This Committee would
be entitled to
compensation and
expense
reimbursement for
meetings when the
General Assembly is
not in session.
March 11, 2025 Chris Rupe, Associate Fiscal Officer H.67 – An act relating to legislative operations and government accountability 2
VT LEG #381497 v.1
Background and Details
Joint Government Oversight and Accountability Committee
H.67 would create a Joint Government Oversight and Accountability Committee within the General
Assembly. This Committee would be composed of eight members:
• Four House members appointed by the Speaker, not more than two of whom shall be from the
same party:
o One member appointed from the Committee on Government Operations and Military
Affairs;
o One member appointed from the Committee on Appropriations; and
o Two members-at-large.
• Four Senators appointed by the Committee on Committees, not more than two of whom shall be
from the same party:
o One member appointed from the Committee on Government Operations;
o One member appointed from the Committee on Appropriations; and
o Two members-at-large.
The Committee would be authorized to meet as necessary for the prompt discharge of its duties, with
members entitled to compensation and expense reimbursement for attending meetings while the General
Assembly is not in session. The Committee would have the support of the Joint Fiscal Office, the Office of
Legislative Operations, and the Office of Legislative Counsel.
The Committee would be charged with exercising legislative oversight by examining and investigating
matters of significant public concern relating to State government performance. The Committee would
examine the possible reasons for any failure of government oversight, or any failure to properly implement
policy, and provide findings and tangible recommendations to standing committees of jurisdiction to prevent
future failures. The Committee would select issues of significant public concern to examine and investigate
by a majority of the current Committee members who have not recused themselves from the matter.
The bill defines an issue of significant public concern as any issue that:
i. Affects the State as a whole;
ii. Affects a vulnerable population;
iii. Costs the State more than $100,000,000;
iv. Implicates a serious failure of State government oversight or accountability;
v. Arises from previously enacted legislation; or
vi. Constitutes a failure to adequately respond to State or federal audits.
With coordination from the Legislative Committee on Administrative Rules, the Committee would evaluate
Executive entities directed to adopt rules to ensure consistency and accountability in the rulemaking process.
The Committee would be permitted to take or cause depositions to be taken as needed in any investigation
or hearing.
The Committee would be required to annually report on:
• Which issues of significant public concern it examined and investigated, including relevant
information and data;
• Its current objectives for review of issues of significant public concern and which objectives, to date,
have and have not been met;
• Its objectives for review of issues of significant public concern for the upcoming two years; and
• Any additional resources required by the Committee to adequately conduct its work.
H.67 – An act relating to legislative operations and government accountability 3
VT LEG #381497 v.1
As part of its first report, the Committee would be required to include an analysis of whether the General
Assembly should empower the Committee to issue subpoenas and administer oaths in connection with its
examination and investigation of matters of government oversight and accountability related to issues of
significant public concern. The Committee would also include in its report a recommendation for whether
the General Assembly should add a staff member dedicated to supporting it in its work.
Fiscal Considerations
• The eight Committee members would be entitled to compensation and expense reimbursement for
attending meetings while the General Assembly is not in session. This cost is approximately $2,000
per meeting.
• The bill creates no additional positions, but the Committee’s work would add demands on legislative
staff and could require the creation of one or more positions in the future.
• The Committee could require additional resources (e.g., contracted professional services) beyond
staff positions to effectively support its work, which would have to be considered in the development
of future legislative budgets.
• Although cost savings is not an explicitly stated purpose of the Committee, its recommendations
could lead to future efficiencies. At the same time, Committee recommendations to increase
program efficacy may require additional resources. It is not possible at this stage to quantify potential
future benefits or costs from any hypothetical recommendations from the Committee.
i
The bill as introduced can be found here: https://legislature.vermont.gov/Documents/2026/Docs/BILLS/H-0067/H-
0067%20As%20Introduced.pdf
The full fiscal note history is available on the fiscal tab of the bill page on the General Assembly website and can be pulled up
through a bill number search on the JFO page.