| 1 | 1 | | BILL AS INTRODUCED H.142 |
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| 2 | 2 | | 2025 Page 1 of 3 |
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| 4 | 4 | | |
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| 5 | 5 | | VT LEG #380298 v.1 |
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| 6 | 6 | | H.142 1 |
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| 7 | 7 | | Introduced by Representative Austin of Colchester 2 |
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| 8 | 8 | | Referred to Committee on 3 |
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| 9 | 9 | | Date: 4 |
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| 10 | 10 | | Subject: Conservation and development; wastewater systems; inspection 5 |
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| 11 | 11 | | Statement of purpose of bill as introduced: This bill proposes to require the 6 |
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| 12 | 12 | | seller of real property served by a wastewater system to provide the buyer with 7 |
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| 13 | 13 | | a certificate of inspection issued within two years prior to the conveyance. 8 |
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| 14 | 14 | | An act relating to requiring inspection of wastewater systems 9 |
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| 15 | 15 | | It is hereby enacted by the General Assembly of the State of Vermont: 10 |
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| 16 | 16 | | Sec. 1. 10 V.S.A. § 1973 is amended to read: 11 |
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| 17 | 17 | | § 1973. PERMITS 12 |
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| 18 | 18 | | (a) Except as provided in this section and sections 1974 and 1978 of this 13 |
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| 19 | 19 | | title, a person shall obtain a permit from the Secretary before: 14 |
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| 20 | 20 | | * * * 15 |
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| 21 | 21 | | (3) constructing, replacing, or modifying a potable water supply or 16 |
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| 22 | 22 | | wastewater system; 17 |
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| 23 | 23 | | * * * 18 |
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| 24 | 24 | | (e) No permit issued by the Secretary shall be valid for a substantially 19 |
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| 25 | 25 | | completed potable water supply and wastewater system until the Secretary 20 BILL AS INTRODUCED H.142 |
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| 26 | 26 | | 2025 Page 2 of 3 |
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| 27 | 27 | | |
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| 28 | 28 | | |
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| 29 | 29 | | VT LEG #380298 v.1 |
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| 30 | 30 | | receives a statement from an installer or a licensed designer certifying that, in 1 |
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| 31 | 31 | | the exercise of his or her the installer’s or licensed designer’s reasonable 2 |
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| 32 | 32 | | professional judgment, the installation-related information submitted is true 3 |
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| 33 | 33 | | and correct and the potable water supply and wastewater system: 4 |
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| 34 | 34 | | (1) were installed in accordance with: 5 |
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| 35 | 35 | | (A) the permitted design and all permit conditions; or 6 |
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| 36 | 36 | | (B) record drawings and such record drawings are in compliance with 7 |
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| 37 | 37 | | the applicable rules, were filed with the Secretary, and are in accordance with 8 |
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| 38 | 38 | | all other permit conditions; 9 |
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| 39 | 39 | | (2) were inspected; 10 |
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| 40 | 40 | | (3) were properly tested; and 11 |
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| 41 | 41 | | (4) have successfully met those performance tests. 12 |
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| 42 | 42 | | * * * 13 |
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| 43 | 43 | | (h) All permits required under this section, all design and installation 14 |
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| 44 | 44 | | certifications required under this section, all inspection certifications required 15 |
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| 45 | 45 | | under this section, and all documents required by the rules adopted under this 16 |
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| 46 | 46 | | chapter to be filed in the town records shall be properly indexed and recorded 17 |
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| 47 | 47 | | in the land records pursuant to 24 V.S.A. §§ 1154 and 1161. 18 |
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| 48 | 48 | | * * * 19 |
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| 49 | 49 | | (k) Prior to conveyance of real property served by a wastewater system, the 20 |
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| 50 | 50 | | seller of the property shall provide the buyer with a certificate of inspection of 21 BILL AS INTRODUCED H.142 |
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| 51 | 51 | | 2025 Page 3 of 3 |
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| 53 | 53 | | |
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| 54 | 54 | | VT LEG #380298 v.1 |
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| 55 | 55 | | the wastewater system conducted within two years prior to the conveyance. 1 |
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| 56 | 56 | | An inspection shall be conducted by a licensed designer who shall certify the 2 |
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| 57 | 57 | | functionality of the wastewater system, evaluate the system for compliance 3 |
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| 58 | 58 | | with the requirements of this chapter and rules adopted under this chapter, and 4 |
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| 59 | 59 | | identify any maintenance or repair needs for the system. The licensed designer 5 |
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| 60 | 60 | | shall file a certificate of inspection with the Secretary and shall file a copy of 6 |
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| 61 | 61 | | the certificate of inspection in the lands records of the town where the 7 |
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| 62 | 62 | | wastewater system is located. 8 |
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| 63 | 63 | | Sec. 2. EFFECTIVE DATE 9 |
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| 64 | 64 | | This act shall take effect on July 1, 2025. 10 |
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