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H.367 1
Introduced by Representatives Cina of Burlington, Berbeco of Winooski, Burtt 2
of Cabot, Carris-Duncan of Whitingham, Coffin of Cavendish, 3
Demar of Enosburgh, Logan of Burlington, McGill of Bridport, 4
Page of Newport City, and White of Waitsfield 5
Referred to Committee on 6
Date: 7
Subject: Economic development; tourism; Olympics 8
Statement of purpose of bill as introduced: This bill proposes to create the 9
Vermont Olympics Task Force, which will produce and present a proposal of 10
Vermont hosting the Olympic Games. 11
An act relating to creating the Vermont Olympics Task Force 12
It is hereby enacted by the General Assembly of the State of Vermont: 13
Sec. 1. FINDINGS 14
The General Assembly finds the following: 15
(1) That the Olympic host selection process has been reformed in recent 16
years to reduce the cost of hosting and to make the Olympic Games 17
organization more sustainable. According to the International Olympic 18
Committee: 19 BILL AS INTRODUCED H.367
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(A) Olympic hosts must maximize the use of existing and temporary 1
venues and build new ones only if there is a long-term legacy need. Events 2
can be located in more than one city, region, or country. 3
(B) Olympic projects, or bids, are assessed according to several 4
elements, including how well they fit with existing regional and national 5
development plans, in addition to the long-term strategic goals of the 6
Olympics. Any project shall have strong public and political support and be 7
aligned with local long-term socioeconomic development plans. 8
(C) Each potential host should focus on developing a climate-9
responsible project that will create lasting community benefits. 10
(2) That climate change has begun to impact Vermont with less snow, 11
more rain, and landslides forcing a reconsideration of the way the State’s land 12
is used. Climate disasters especially affect the public health and economic 13
benefits of the State’s recreation industry. Tourism in Vermont is a three-14
billion-dollar industry that supports over 30,000 jobs in Vermont, or 10 percent 15
of Vermont’s workforce. The Vermont Department of Tourism and Marketing 16
(VDTM) appreciates the importance of cultivating the international tourism 17
market. There are a variety of ways that VDTM targets international 18
audiences, including having representation on the ground in key markets, 19
hosting international media in Vermont, and meeting with domestic receptive 20
tour operators. 21 BILL AS INTRODUCED H.367
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(3) In the face of climate change, the General Assembly must make 1
decisions about how to invest in sustainable and resilient infrastructure in our 2
regional planning, land use, and economic development. As the State adapts to 3
meet the great challenges of life on Earth in the 21st century, we can promote a 4
more sustainable, equitable, and resilient way of life here and also across the 5
planet through the process of hosting the Olympic Games. 6
Sec. 2. VERMONT OLYMPICS TASK FORCE 7
(a) Creation. There is created the Vermont Olympics Task Force to prepare 8
and present a proposal to the International Olympic Committee and the U.S. 9
Olympic and Paralympic Committee about the feasibility of Vermont hosting 10
the Games of the Olympiad, the Olympic Winter Games, or the Summer or 11
Winter Youth Olympic Games. 12
(b) Membership. The Task Force shall be composed of the following 13
members: 14
(1) one current member of the House of Representatives, who shall be 15
appointed by the Speaker of the House; 16
(2) one current member of the Senate, who shall be appointed by the 17
Committee on Committees; 18
(3) the current member representing Vermont in the U.S. House of 19
Representatives or designee; 20
(4) the State Treasurer or designee; 21 BILL AS INTRODUCED H.367
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(5) one person representing a Vermont Regional Planning Commission, 1
who shall be appointed by the Chair of the Vermont Association of Planning 2
and Development Agencies; 3
(6) one person who owns and operates a small business with experience 4
in the tourism industry in the State, who shall be appointed by the Secretary of 5
Commerce and Community Development; and 6
(7) one person who has competed in the Olympic Games as an athlete, 7
who shall be appointed by the Special Olympics Vermont Board of Directors. 8
(c) Powers and duties. The Task Force shall perform the following duties: 9
(1) review the current process, criteria, and requirements for hosting the 10
Olympic Games; 11
(2) consult with Regional Planning Commissions during regional 12
planning to create land use maps that support requirements of the proposal set 13
forth in subdivisions (d)(2) and (3) of this section; 14
(3) prepare a proposal for hosting the Olympic Games in the State that 15
aligns with the goals of the Olympic Movement as set forth in the Olympic 16
Agenda 2020 and Olympic Agenda 2020+5 and includes regional development 17
plans of the State; 18
(4) present the proposal to the International Olympic Committee and the 19
U.S. National Olympic Committee; and 20 BILL AS INTRODUCED H.367
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(5) engage in ongoing dialogue about the feasibility of the proposal with 1
the International Olympic Committee and the U.S. Olympic and Paralympic 2
Committee. 3
(d) Proposal. The Task Force shall prepare a proposal for hosting the 4
Olympic Games in the State that: 5
(1) aligns with the goals of the Olympic Movement as set forth in the 6
Olympic Agenda 2020 and Olympic Agenda 2020+5; 7
(2) integrates to the extent possible regional and national development 8
plans; 9
(3) assesses regional strengths and identifies potential sites for 10
redevelopment to use for the colocation of athletic facilities, housing, and other 11
infrastructure that promotes the common good; 12
(4) supports State housing plans and meets projected needs for 13
permanent housing; 14
(5) promotes a vibrant and sustainable tourism industry as part of a 15
regenerative economy built on regional and local assets; 16
(6) fosters affordability and economic opportunity; 17
(7) improves transportation infrastructure between the State and 18
surrounding regions; 19
(8) invests in food security measures, ecological resilience, 20
environmental protection, and waste reduction; 21 BILL AS INTRODUCED H.367
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(9) promotes equity, inclusion, belonging, and social opportunity; 1
(10) promotes civic engagement; 2
(11) improves social determinants of health; and 3
(12) presents a long-term State vision that can be used as global model 4
for a sustainable, resilient, and equitable way of life on the planet. 5
(e) Reporting. The Task Force shall provide updates on its proposal work 6
to the General Assembly on or before December 31, 2025 and on or before 7
March 31, 2026, with a final written report due on or before December 31, 8
2026. 9
(f) Compensation. 10
(1) For attendance at meetings during adjournment of the General 11
Assembly, a legislative member of the Task Force shall be entitled to per diem 12
compensation and reimbursement of expenses pursuant to 2 V.S.A. § 23 for 13
not more than 20 meetings. These payments shall be made from monies 14
appropriated to the General Assembly. 15
(2) Other members of the Task Force shall be entitled to per diem 16
compensation and reimbursement of expenses as permitted under 32 V.S.A. 17
§ 1010 for not more than 20 meetings. These payments shall be made from 18
monies appropriated to the Task Force. 19
Sec. 3. EFFECTIVE DATE 20
This act shall take effect on July 1, 2025. 21