| 1 | 1 | | BILL AS INTRODUCED H.194 |
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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 #379950 v.1 |
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| 6 | 6 | | H.194 1 |
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| 7 | 7 | | Introduced by Representatives Headrick of Burlington, Carris-Duncan of 2 |
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| 8 | 8 | | Whitingham, Chapin of East Montpelier, Logan of Burlington, 3 |
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| 9 | 9 | | McCann of Montpelier, and Minier of South Burlington 4 |
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| 10 | 10 | | Referred to Committee on 5 |
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| 11 | 11 | | Date: 6 |
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| 12 | 12 | | Subject: Education; State aid for capital construction costs 7 |
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| 13 | 13 | | Statement of purpose of bill as introduced: This bill proposes to require that 8 |
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| 14 | 14 | | any nonemergency school construction project receiving State aid include the 9 |
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| 15 | 15 | | creation of a high-capacity, gender-neutral restroom. 10 |
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| 16 | 16 | | An act relating to high-capacity, gender-neutral restrooms in schools 11 |
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| 17 | 17 | | It is hereby enacted by the General Assembly of the State of Vermont: 12 |
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| 18 | 18 | | Sec. 1. 16 V.S.A. § 3448 is amended to read: 13 |
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| 19 | 19 | | § 3448. APPROVAL AND FUNDING OF SCHOOL CONSTRUCTION 14 |
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| 20 | 20 | | PROJECTS; RENEWABLE ENERGY 15 |
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| 21 | 21 | | (a) Construction aid. 16 |
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| 22 | 22 | | * * * 17 |
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| 23 | 23 | | (2) Approval of preliminary application. 18 |
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| 24 | 24 | | (A) When reviewing a preliminary application for approval, the 19 |
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| 25 | 25 | | Secretary shall consider: 20 BILL AS INTRODUCED H.194 |
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| 26 | 26 | | 2025 Page 2 of 3 |
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| 28 | 28 | | |
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| 29 | 29 | | VT LEG #379950 v.1 |
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| 30 | 30 | | (i) regional educational opportunities and needs, including school 1 |
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| 31 | 31 | | building capacities across school district boundaries, and available 2 |
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| 32 | 32 | | infrastructure in neighboring communities; 3 |
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| 33 | 33 | | (ii) economic efficiencies; 4 |
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| 34 | 34 | | (iii) the suitability of an existing school building to continue to 5 |
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| 35 | 35 | | meet educational needs; and 6 |
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| 36 | 36 | | (iv) statewide educational initiatives and the strategic plan of the 7 |
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| 37 | 37 | | State Board of Education. 8 |
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| 38 | 38 | | (B) The Secretary may approve a preliminary application if: 9 |
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| 39 | 39 | | (i) the project or part of the project fulfills a need occasioned by: 10 |
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| 40 | 40 | | (I) conditions that threaten the health or safety of students or 11 |
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| 41 | 41 | | employees; 12 |
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| 42 | 42 | | (II) facilities that are inadequate to provide programs required 13 |
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| 43 | 43 | | by State or federal law or regulation; 14 |
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| 44 | 44 | | (III) excessive energy use resulting from the design of a 15 |
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| 45 | 45 | | building or reliance on fossil fuels or electric space heat; or 16 |
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| 46 | 46 | | (IV) deterioration of an existing building; 17 |
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| 47 | 47 | | (ii) the need addressed by the project cannot reasonably be met by 18 |
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| 48 | 48 | | another means; and 19 BILL AS INTRODUCED H.194 |
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| 49 | 49 | | 2025 Page 3 of 3 |
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| 51 | 51 | | |
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| 52 | 52 | | VT LEG #379950 v.1 |
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| 53 | 53 | | (iii) the proposed type, kind, quality, size, and estimated cost of 1 |
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| 54 | 54 | | the project are suitable for the proposed curriculum and meet all legal 2 |
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| 55 | 55 | | standards; and 3 |
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| 56 | 56 | | (iv) the project includes the creation of a high-capacity, all-gender 4 |
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| 57 | 57 | | restroom with fully enclosed stalls. 5 |
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| 58 | 58 | | * * * 6 |
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| 59 | 59 | | Sec. 2. EFFECTIVE DATE 7 |
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| 60 | 60 | | This act shall take effect on July 1, 2025. 8 |
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