BILL AS INTRODUCED H.373 2025 Page 1 of 2 VT LEG #379134 v.1 H.373 1 SHORT FORM 2 Introduced by Representatives Cina of Burlington, Logan of Burlington, 3 McGill of Bridport, and Satcowitz of Randolph 4 Referred to Committee on 5 Date: 6 Subject: Expanding democracy pilot projects 7 Statement of purpose of bill as introduced: This bill proposes to launch a 8 variety of pilot projects expanding democratic practices in State and local 9 government, including expanding the use of participatory decision-making in 10 existing neighborhood planning assemblies; creating neighborhood planning 11 assemblies in other towns, cities, and villages; creating regional planning 12 assemblies; exploring different processes to increase engagement in Town 13 Meeting Day; exploring the use of sortition (the selection of officials at 14 random from a group) and charrettes (dividing a group into subgroups to 15 deliberate and then present the subgroup’s idea back to the larger group for 16 further consideration) in public bodies and meetings; requiring paid time off to 17 increase participation in elections; exploring ways to increase democratic 18 engagement as a positive social determinant of health; incentivizing 19 engagement by providing goods that improve social determinants of health; 20 providing grants to public schools to use assemblies to make decisions about 21 BILL AS INTRODUCED H.373 2025 Page 2 of 2 VT LEG #379134 v.1 policies and practices within schools; and educating the public on skills for 1 advocacy and community organizing. 2 An act relating to pilot projects expanding democratic practices in State and 3 local government 4 It is hereby enacted by the General Assembly of the State of Vermont: 5 (TEXT OMITTED IN SHORT-FORM BILLS) 6