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S.75 1
Introduced by Senators White, Clarkson, Gulick, Major and Watson 2
Referred to Committee on 3
Date: 4
Subject: Motor vehicles; vehicle incentive programs; public transit; retail 5
delivery fees; efficiency fees; efficiency rebates; feebates; electric 6
vehicles; eBikes; vehicle miles traveled; electric vehicle supply 7
equipment; local highway aid; complete streets; Vermont State 8
Standards; traffic signals; bicycles; first-time car buyers 9
Statement of purpose of bill as introduced: This bill proposes to do the 10
following: (1) appropriate funds for the Incentive Program for New Plug-in 11
Electric Vehicles; the MileageSmart Incentive Program, the Replace Your 12
Ride Program, and the eBike Incentive Program; (2) provide additional State 13
funding for local public transit agencies in fiscal year 2026 to ensure that 14
agencies maintain the existing level of service; (3) impose a fee on retail 15
deliveries that are subject to the sales and use tax; (4) create a revenue-neutral 16
system of motor vehicle efficiency fees and motor vehicle efficiency rebates; 17
(5) require the Agency of Transportation to implement public outreach 18
campaigns related to public transportation, active transportation, electric 19
vehicles, idling, and safe passing distances; (6) provide funding to the Agency 20
of Transportation to enhance public-private partnerships promoting electric 21 BILL AS INTRODUCED S.75
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vehicles and eBikes; (7) require the Agency of Transportation to consider 1
reductions in vehicle miles traveled and greenhouse gas emissions reductions 2
when evaluating projects; (8) reduce the local share due from smaller 3
municipalities seeking State funding for projects; (9) direct the Agency of 4
Transportation to provide technical assistance to municipalities in relation to 5
implementation of complete streets; (10) require the updated Vermont State 6
Standards to incorporate complete streets principles and consideration of green 7
infrastructure; (11) establish right-to-charge laws to permit property owners 8
and tenants to install electric vehicle supply equipment (EVSE); (12) require 9
EVSE that is available for public use to accept credit cards for payment; (13) 10
require the Agency of Transportation to examine the possibility of generating 11
revenue from utilities located in State-owned rights of way, to permit parking 12
in State-owned rights of way in downtowns, and to identify locations for 13
collocating EVSE and on-street parking in State-owned rights of way; (14) 14
amend the traffic-control signals a bicycle operator must follow; (15) provide 15
additional funding and support for projects to improve resiliency of municipal 16
highways; (16) study potential cost savings for education-related 17
transportation; and (17) provide funding for first-time car buyer classes. 18
An act relating to transportation initiatives to improve equity and 19
infrastructure, increase resiliency, and reduce emissions 20 BILL AS INTRODUCED S.75
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It is hereby enacted by the General Assembly of the State of Vermont: 1
* * * Short Title * * * 2
Sec. 1. SHORT TITLE 3
This act may be cited as “An Act Relating to Creating a Unified Resilient 4
Transportation System” or “Curt’s Act.” 5
* * * Efficient Vehicle Incentive Program Funding * * * 6
Sec. 2. APPROPRIATIONS FOR VEHICLE INCENTIVE PROGRAMS 7
(a) The sum of $3,000,000.00 is appropriated from the General Fund to the 8
Agency of Transportation in fiscal year 2026 for the purpose of funding the 9
MileageSmart Program established pursuant to 19 V.S.A. § 2902. 10
(b) The sum of $10,000,000.00 is appropriated from the General Fund to 11
the Agency of Transportation in fiscal year 2026 for the purpose of funding the 12
Incentive Program for New Plug-In Electric Vehicles established pursuant to 13
19 V.S.A. § 2901. 14
(c) The sum of $1,000,000.00 is appropriated from the General Fund to the 15
Agency of Transportation in fiscal year 2026 for the purpose of funding the 16
Replace Your Ride program established pursuant to 19 V.S.A. § 2904. 17
(d) The sum of $150,000.00 is appropriated from the General Fund to the 18
Agency of Transportation in fiscal year 2026 for the purpose of funding the 19
eBike Incentive Program established pursuant to 2021 Acts and Resolves No. 20
55, Sec. 28, as amended by 2022 Acts and Resolves No. 184, Sec. 23. 21 BILL AS INTRODUCED S.75
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Sec. 3. ONE-TIME PUBLIC TRANSIT MONIES 1
(a) Project addition. The following project is added to the Agency of 2
Transportation’s Proposed Fiscal Year 2026 Transportation Program: 3
Increased One-Time Monies for Public Transit for Fiscal Year 2026. 4
(b) Authorization. Spending authority for Increased One-Time Monies for 5
Public Transit for Fiscal Year 2025 is authorized as follows: 6
FY25 As Proposed As Amended Change 7
Other $0.00 $1,280,000.00 $1,280,000.00 8
Total $0.00 $1,280,000.00 $1,280,000.00 9
Sources of funds 10
State $0.00 $1,280,000.00 $1,280,000.00 11
Total $0.00 $1,280,000.00 $1,280,000.00 12
(c) Federal monies. The Agency of Transportation shall utilize available 13
federal monies in lieu of the authorization in subsection (b) of this section to 14
the greatest extent practicable, provided that there is no negative impact on any 15
local public transit providers. 16
(d) Implementation. The Agency shall distribute the authorization in 17
subsection (b) of this section to local transit agencies as one-time bridge 18
funding for fiscal year 2026 to ensure that local transit agencies are able to 19
maintain the existing level of service and make planned capital investments in 20
fiscal year 2026. 21 BILL AS INTRODUCED S.75
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* * * Retail Delivery Fee * * * 1
Sec. 4. 23 V.S.A. chapter 26 is added to read: 2
CHAPTER 26. RETAIL DELIVERY FEE 3
§ 2551. DEFINITIONS 4
As used in this chapter: 5
(1) “Commissioner” means the Commissioner of Taxes. 6
(2) “Persons required to collect tax” has the same meaning as in 7
32 V.S.A. § 9701. 8
(3) “Retail delivery” means a delivery of tangible personal property to a 9
person located in Vermont as part of a retail sale by a vendor. Retail delivery 10
does not include pickup of tangible personal property at a vendor’s place of 11
business, including curbside pickup. 12
(4) “Tangible personal property” has the same meaning as in 32 V.S.A. 13
§ 9701, except that it shall not include electricity, water, gas, steam, and 14
prewritten computer software. 15
(5) “Vendor” has the same meaning as in 32 V.S.A. § 9701. 16
§ 2552. FEE ON RETAIL DELIVERIES 17
(a)(1) All retail deliveries by persons required to collect tax pursuant to 18
32 V.S.A. chapter 233 shall be subject to a delivery fee of $0.30. 19
(2) A vendor may elect to collect the fee imposed pursuant to this 20
section from the purchaser. 21 BILL AS INTRODUCED S.75
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(3) For purposes of 32 V.S.A. chapter 233, the delivery fee imposed 1
pursuant to this section shall not be included in the sales price of the tangible 2
personal property sold as part of a retail sale and shall be separately stated on 3
any invoice, bill or sale, or similar document given to the purchaser. 4
(b) If the vendor collects the delivery fee from the purchaser, the delivery 5
fee must be charged in addition to any other delivery fee. 6
(c) The delivery fee imposed pursuant to this section shall only be charged 7
once per retail transaction regardless of the number of: 8
(1) items of tangible personal property purchased; or 9
(2) shipments needed to deliver the items of tangible personal property 10
purchased. 11
(d)(1) The delivery fee imposed pursuant to this section shall be 12
nonrefundable if any or all items of tangible personal property that were 13
purchased are returned to the vendor or the vendor provides a refund or credit 14
in an amount that is equal to or less than the purchase price of the items. 15
(2) The delivery fee imposed pursuant to this section shall be refunded 16
to the purchaser if the retail delivery is canceled by the purchaser, vendor, or 17
the delivery provider. 18
§ 2553. RETURNS; PAYMENT OF RETAIL DELIVERY FEES 19
(a) A vendor shall report the amount of fees collected on a return 20
prescribed by the Commissioner. The return shall include any other 21 BILL AS INTRODUCED S.75
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information that the Commissioner deems necessary for the administration of 1
this chapter. 2
(b) Returns required pursuant to this section shall be submitted to the 3
Commissioner on the same schedule as the vendor is required to submit sales 4
tax returns pursuant to 32 V.S.A. § 9775. 5
(c) All fees collected by a vendor for the time period covered by a return 6
shall be remitted to the Commissioner at the same time the vendor submits the 7
return. 8
§ 2554. ADMINISTRATION; OVERPAYMENTS; REFUNDS; 9
ENFORCEMENT; PENALTIES 10
The provisions of 32 V.S.A. chapter 233 relating to administration, refunds 11
of overpayments, enforcement, penalties, and appeals shall apply to this 12
chapter. 13
§ 2555. DEPOSIT AND USE OF FEES 14
Retail delivery fees collected pursuant to this chapter shall be deposited into 15
the Transportation Fund and used to support public transit services in the State. 16
* * * Efficiency Fees and Rebates * * * 17
Sec. 5. 23 V.S.A. § 383 is added to read: 18
§ 383. EFFICIENCY FEESf AND REBATES 19
(a) As used in this section: 20 BILL AS INTRODUCED S.75
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(1) “Covered vehicles” includes new light trucks, new passenger 1
automobiles, and new sport utility vehicles. 2
(2) “Light truck” means a motor vehicle, without regard to whether the 3
motor vehicle could be categorized as a special purpose vehicle, that would be 4
categorized as a small pickup truck, standard pickup truck, van, or minivan by 5
the Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency or authorized 6
representative for purposes of fuel economy labeling pursuant to 40 C.F.R. 7
§ 600.315-08. 8
(3) “Motor vehicle” has the same meaning as in subdivision 4(21) of 9
this title. 10
(4) “Motor vehicle type” means a light duty truck, passenger 11
automobile, or sport utility vehicle. 12
(5) “New motor vehicle” has the same meaning as in subdivision 4(62) 13
of this title. 14
(6) “Passenger automobile” means a motor vehicle, without regard to 15
whether the motor vehicle could be categorized as a special purpose vehicle, 16
that would be categorized as a two seater, minicompact car, subcompact car, 17
compact car, midsize car, large car, small station wagon, midsize station 18
wagon, or large station wagon by the Administrator of the Environmental 19
Protection Agency or authorized representative for purposes of fuel economy 20
labeling pursuant to 40 C.F.R. § 600.315-08. 21 BILL AS INTRODUCED S.75
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(7) “Sport utility vehicle” means a motor vehicle, without regard to 1
whether the motor vehicle could be categorized as a special purpose vehicle, 2
that would be categorized as a small sport utility vehicle or standard sport 3
utility vehicle by the Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency or 4
authorized representative for purposes of fuel economy labeling pursuant to 5
40 C.F.R. § 600.315-08. 6
(8) “Vehicle efficiency” means the combined fuel economy in miles per 7
gallon or miles per gallon equivalent (MPGe) of the motor vehicle as rated by 8
the Environmental Protection Agency. 9
(b) All covered vehicles shall, at the time of initial registration in the State, 10
be subject to an efficiency fee or entitled to an efficiency rebate under a system 11
that: 12
(1) is designed to provide a rebate for motor vehicles within each motor 13
vehicle type that have a high vehicle efficiency as compared to the average 14
vehicle efficiency for motor vehicles of that motor vehicle type in the State and 15
collect a fee for motor vehicles within each motor vehicle type that have a low 16
vehicle efficiency as compared to the average vehicle efficiency for motor 17
vehicles of that motor vehicle type in the State; 18
(2) is divided into at least four tiers, not including a tier that is not 19
subject to an efficiency fee or rebate, for each motor vehicle type; 20 BILL AS INTRODUCED S.75
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(3) is designed to be revenue neutral to the State within each motor 1
vehicle type; 2
(4) is recalculated on an annual basis for the subsequent fiscal year 3
based on actual new motor vehicle registration data for the prior fiscal year and 4
adjusted as necessary to maintain revenue neutrality; 5
(5) applies to the purchase and lease of new covered vehicles; and 6
(6) may differ between a purchased and a leased covered vehicle. 7
(c) The efficiency fees and rebates applicable for a fiscal year shall be 8
prominently displayed on the website for the Department of Motor Vehicles 9
and at all dealership locations and on the websites for all dealers registered 10
pursuant to chapter 7, subchapter 4 of this title. 11
Sec. 6. EFFICIENCY FEES AND REBATES TASK FORCE 12
(a) Creation. There is created the Efficiency Fees and Rebates Task Force 13
to formulate a method for calculating the initial and recalculating the 14
subsequent efficiency fees and rebates to be collected and distributed under 15
23 V.S.A. § 383 as added by Sec. 5 of this act. 16
(b) Membership. The Task Force shall be composed of the following 17
members: 18
(1) one current member of the House of Representatives, who shall be 19
appointed by the Speaker of the House; 20 BILL AS INTRODUCED S.75
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(2) one current member of the Senate, who shall be appointed by the 1
Committee on Committees; 2
(3) the Commissioner of Financial Regulation or designee; 3
(4) the Commissioner of Motor Vehicles or designee; 4
(5) the Secretary of Transportation or designee; 5
(6) one member, who shall be an economist and appointed by the 6
Speaker of the House; and 7
(7) one member, who shall be a member of the Vermont Vehicle and 8
Automotive Distributors Association and appointed by the Committee on 9
Committees. 10
(c) Duties. 11
(1) The Task Force shall make recommendations that are consistent with 12
the Climate Action Plan about: 13
(A) efficiency fees and rebates to be collected and distributed under 14
23 V.S.A. § 383 as added by Sec. 5 of this act in fiscal year 2027; 15
(B) a formula or method for calculating efficiency fees and rebates to 16
be collected and distributed under 23 V.S.A. § 383 as added by Sec. 5 of this 17
act in fiscal years subsequent to fiscal year 2027; 18
(C) any modifications to 23 V.S.A. § 383 as added by Sec. 5 of this 19
act that are necessary for implementation of a revenue-neutral system of 20
efficiency fees and rebates; and 21 BILL AS INTRODUCED S.75
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(D) best practices, policies, and guidelines for successful 1
implementation of a revenue-neutral system of efficiency fees and rebates. 2
(2) The Task Force shall prepare a report containing its 3
recommendations and proposed legislation based upon its recommendations. 4
(d) Assistance. The Task Force shall have: 5
(1) drafting assistance from the Office of Legislative Counsel; and 6
(2) other assistance, including the writing of the report containing 7
recommendations, fiscal assistance, and committee support services, from the 8
Agency of Transportation. 9
(e) Report. On or before January 15, 2026, the Task Force shall submit a 10
report to the House and Senate Committees on Transportation with its 11
recommendations and proposed legislation. 12
(f) Meetings. 13
(1) The Secretary of Transportation or designee shall call the first 14
meeting of the Task Force to occur on or before July 1, 2025. 15
(2) The Secretary of Transportation or designee shall be the Chair. 16
(3) A majority of the membership shall constitute a quorum. 17
(4) The Task Force shall cease to exist on February 15, 2026. 18
(g) Compensation and reimbursement. 19
(1) For attendance at meetings during adjournment of the General 20
Assembly, a legislative member of the Task Force serving in that capacity shall 21 BILL AS INTRODUCED S.75
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be entitled to per diem compensation and reimbursement of expenses pursuant 1
to 2 V.S.A. § 23 for not more than eight meetings. These payments shall be 2
made from monies appropriated to the General Assembly. 3
(2) Other members of the Task Force who are not State employees shall 4
be entitled to per diem compensation and reimbursement of expenses as 5
permitted under 32 V.S.A. § 1010 for not more than eight meetings. These 6
payments shall be made from monies appropriated to the Agency of 7
Transportation. 8
Sec. 7. 23 V.S.A. § 383 is amended to read: 9
§ 383. EFFICIENCY FEES AND REBATES 10
* * * 11
(d)(1) Light trucks. 12
(A) The efficiency fees for light trucks shall be: 13
(i) $500.00 if the vehicle efficiency is less than 16 MPGe; and 14
(ii) $170.00 if the vehicle efficiency is 16 MPGe or more and less 15
than 20 MPGe. 16
(B) The efficiency rebates for light trucks shall be: 17
(i) $925.00 if the vehicle efficiency is 26 MPGe or more and less 18
than 28 MPGe; and 19
(ii) $1,500.00 if the vehicle efficiency is 28 MPGe or more. 20
(2) Passenger automobiles. 21 BILL AS INTRODUCED S.75
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(A) The efficiency fees for passenger automobiles shall be: 1
(i) $750.00 if the vehicle efficiency is less than 21 MPGe; and 2
(ii) $400.00 if the vehicle efficiency is 21 MPGe or more and less 3
than 24 MPGe. 4
(B) The efficiency rebates for passenger automobiles shall be: 5
(i) $700.00 if the vehicle efficiency is 30 MPGe or more and less 6
than 35 MPGe; and 7
(ii) $1,000.00 if the vehicle efficiency is 35 MPGe or more. 8
(3) Sport utility vehicles. 9
(A) The efficiency fees for sport utility vehicles shall be: 10
(i) $500.00 if the vehicle efficiency is less than 16 MPGe; and 11
(ii) $250.00 if the vehicle efficiency is 16 MPGe or more and less 12
than 20 MPGe. 13
(B) The efficiency rebates for sport utility vehicles shall be: 14
(i) $1,000.00 if the vehicle efficiency is 26 MPGe or more and 15
less than 30 MPGe; and 16
(ii) $1,500.00 if the vehicle efficiency is more than 30 MPGe. 17
Sec. 8. OUTREACH ON EFFICIENCY FEES AND REBATES; 18
APPROPRIATION 19
The sum of $20,000.00 is appropriated from the Transportation Fund to the 20
Agency of Transportation in fiscal year 2026 to expand the Agency’s public-21 BILL AS INTRODUCED S.75
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private partnership with Drive Electric Vermont to provide marketing and 1
outreach efforts on motor vehicle efficiency fees and rebates in the fourth 2
quarter of fiscal year 2026 in advance of 23 V.S.A. § 383, as added by Secs. 5 3
and 7 of this act, taking effect. 4
Sec. 9. ANNUAL FEEBATE REPORT 5
(a) The Agency of Transportation shall annually submit a report to the 6
House and Senate Committees on Transportation that evaluates the 7
implementation and effectiveness of 23 V.S.A. § 383. The report shall be 8
submitted not later than January 15 each year starting in 2028 and continuing 9
to 2033. 10
(b) At a minimum, the report shall contain: 11
(1) the rates of all efficiency fees and rebates for the prior fiscal year; 12
(2) the total amount collected in efficiency fees for each motor vehicle 13
type and the total amount distributed in efficiency rebates for each motor 14
vehicle type in the prior fiscal year; 15
(3) an estimate of the costs to administer the system of efficiency fees 16
and rebates during the prior fiscal year; and 17
(4) recommendations on changes to the system of efficiency fees and 18
rebates. 19 BILL AS INTRODUCED S.75
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* * * Transit; Active Transportation; Electric Vehicles; Idling; Safe Passing; 1
Outreach * * * 2
Sec. 10. PUBLIC TRANPORTATION; ACTIVE TRANSPORTATION; 3
ELECTRIC VEHICLES; IDLING; SAFE PASSING; OUTREACH 4
(a) On or before January 1, 2026, the Agency of Transportation, in 5
consultation with the Departments of Environmental Conservation and of 6
Public Safety and with Drive Electric Vermont, shall implement public 7
outreach campaigns related to public transportation, active transportation, 8
electric vehicles, idling, and safe passing distances. 9
(b) The public outreach campaigns shall include, at a minimum, 10
information related to: 11
(1) for the public outreach campaign related to public transportation: 12
(A) ways to access public transportation; 13
(B) modes of public transportation available; and 14
(C) economic and environmental benefits of utilizing public 15
transportation; 16
(2) for the public outreach campaign related to active transportation: 17
(A) forms of active transportation; 18
(B) methods for utilizing active transportation for commuting and 19
running errands; 20 BILL AS INTRODUCED S.75
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(C) infrastructure and public amenities that are available to facilitate 1
active transportation; and 2
(D) economic, environmental, and health benefits of utilizing active 3
transportation; 4
(3) for the public outreach campaign related to electric vehicles: 5
(A) incentive programs for the purchase of electric vehicles and the 6
installation of electrical vehicle supply equipment that are available through 7
the State, the federal government, and utilities; and 8
(B) economic and environmental benefits of utilizing an electric 9
vehicle for transportation in place of a vehicle with an internal combustion 10
engine; 11
(4) for the public outreach campaign related to idling: 12
(A) the instances when idling violates Vermont law; 13
(B) the impact of idling on the environment and health; 14
(C) the estimated amount of fuel that is wasted each year because of 15
motor vehicles idling in Vermont and the estimated cost of the wasted fuel; 16
(D) the estimated savings in fuel and fuel costs that would result from 17
reducing idling by just one minute per day; and 18
(E) the estimated reduction in greenhouse gas emissions and air 19
pollution that would result from reducing idling by just one minute per day; 20
and 21 BILL AS INTRODUCED S.75
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(5) for the public outreach campaign related to safe passing distances: 1
(A) the requirement in Vermont law to reduce speed and provide at 2
least four feet of space to vulnerable users when passing; and 3
(B) information on the potential to reduce accidents, injuries, and 4
fatalities by following Vermont’s law relating to motor vehicles passing 5
vulnerable users. 6
(c) The public outreach campaigns required pursuant to this section shall 7
disseminate information through email; dedicated web pages that are linked 8
through the websites for the Departments of Motor Vehicles, of Environmental 9
Conservation, and of Public Safety; social media platforms; community 10
posting websites; radio; television; and printed written materials. 11
* * * Expansion of PEV and eBike Market * * * 12
Sec. 11. EXPANSION OF PEV AND EBIKE MARKET 13
(a) The sum of $100,000.00 is appropriated from the General Fund to the 14
Agency of Transportation in fiscal year 2026 to expand the Agency’s public-15
private partnership with Drive Electric Vermont. The amounts appropriated 16
pursuant to this subsection shall be used to support the expansion of the PEV 17
market in Vermont through events that offer members of the public 18
opportunities to drive PEVs or learn about PEVs or EVSE, or both. 19
(b) The sum of $250,000.00 is appropriated from the General Fund to the 20
Agency of Transportation in fiscal year 2026 to enter into and expand public-21 BILL AS INTRODUCED S.75
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private partnerships with Vermont organizations promoting the use of eBikes 1
for transportation. 2
* * * Consideration of Vehicle Miles Traveled in Project Planning * * * 3
Sec. 12. 19 V.S.A. § 1 is amended to read: 4
§ 1. DEFINITIONS 5
As used in this title: 6
* * * 7
(26) “Vehicle miles traveled” means the estimated sum of the miles 8
traveled by all motor vehicle trips within a specific area during a calendar year. 9
Sec. 13. 19 V.S.A. § 10b is amended to read: 10
§ 10b. STATEMENT OF POLICY; GENERAL 11
(a) The Agency shall be the responsible agency of the State for the 12
development of transportation policy. It shall develop a mission statement to 13
reflect: 14
(1) that State transportation policy shall be to encompass, coordinate, 15
and integrate all modes of transportation and to consider complete streets, as 16
defined in section 2401 of this title, principles; and 17
(2) the need for transportation projects that will improve the State’s 18
economic infrastructure,; as well as the use of resources in efficient, 19
coordinated, integrated, cost-effective, and environmentally sound ways,; 20
reduce vehicle miles traveled within the State; and that will be consistent with 21 BILL AS INTRODUCED S.75
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the recommendations of the Comprehensive Energy Plan (CEP) issued under 1
30 V.S.A. § 202b. 2
* * * 3
(c) In developing the State’s annual Transportation Program, the Agency 4
shall, consistent with the planning goals listed in 24 V.S.A. § 4302 and with 5
appropriate consideration to local, regional, and State agency plans: 6
(1) develop or incorporate designs that provide integrated, safe, and 7
efficient transportation; that reduce vehicle miles traveled in the State; and that 8
are consistent with the recommendations of the CEP; 9
* * * 10
(d) The Agency of Transportation, in developing each of the program 11
prioritization systems schedules for all modes of transportation, shall include 12
the following throughout the process: 13
* * * 14
(2) Each year, the Agency shall provide in the front of the 15
Transportation Program book a detailed explanation describing the factors in 16
the prioritization system that creates each project list, which shall include a 17
reduction in vehicle miles traveled in the State. 18
Sec. 14. 19 V.S.A. § 10c is amended to read: 19
§ 10c. STATEMENT OF POLICY; HIGHWAYS AND BRIDGES 20
* * * 21 BILL AS INTRODUCED S.75
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(c) In choosing between the improvement of an existing highway and 1
complete reconstruction, the Agency shall weigh the following factors: 2
* * * 3
(9) the impact on the historic, scenic, and aesthetic values of the 4
municipality, as interpreted by the municipality, in which the highway is 5
located; and 6
(10) if it is a forest highway under federal jurisdiction; and 7
(11) opportunities to reduce vehicle miles traveled or otherwise reduce 8
greenhouse gas emissions related to the highway. 9
* * * 10
(k) It shall be the policy of the State to develop plans for the improvement 11
and reconstruction of highways and bridges in a manner that reduces vehicle 12
miles traveled or otherwise reduces greenhouse gas emissions related to the 13
highway or bridge. 14
Sec. 15. 19 V.S.A. § 10i is amended to read: 15
§ 10i. TRANSPORTATION PLANNING PROCESS 16
* * * 17
(c) Transportation Program. The Transportation Program shall be 18
developed in a fiscally responsible manner to accomplish the following 19
objectives: 20
* * * 21 BILL AS INTRODUCED S.75
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(3) strengthening the economy, protecting the quality of the natural 1
environment, and improving Vermonters’ quality of life; and 2
(4) achieving the recommendations of the CEP; and 3
(5) reducing vehicle miles traveled or otherwise reducing greenhouse 4
gas emissions. 5
* * * 6
* * * Increased Highway Funding for Rural Towns * * * 7
Sec. 16. 19 V.S.A. § 306 is amended to read: 8
§ 306. APPROPRIATION; STATE AID FOR TOWN HIGHWAYS 9
* * * 10
(d) State aid for nonfederal disasters. 11
(1) There shall be an annual appropriation for emergency aid in 12
repairing, building, or reconstructing class 1, 2, or 3 town highways and for 13
repairing or replacing drainage structures including bridges on class 1, 2, 3, 14
and 4 town highways damaged by natural or man-made disasters. Eligibility 15
for use of emergency aid under this appropriation shall be subject to the 16
following criteria: 17
(1)(A) The Secretary of Transportation shall determine that the disaster 18
is of such magnitude that State aid is both reasonable and necessary to preserve 19
the public good. If total cumulative damages to town highways and drainage 20
structures are less than the value of 10 percent of the town’s overall total 21 BILL AS INTRODUCED S.75
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highway budget excluding the town’s winter maintenance budget, the disaster 1
shall not qualify for assistance under this subsection. 2
(2)(B) The disaster shall not qualify for major disaster assistance from 3
the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) under the Robert T. 4
Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency Assistance Act, 42 U.S.C. §§ 5121 et 5
seq., or from the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) under the 23 6
C.F.R. Part 668 Emergency Relief Program for federal-aid highways. 7
(C) Additional criteria established by the Secretary through 8
rulemaking under 3 V.S.A. chapter 25. 9
(3)(2)(A) Towns Except as otherwise provided in subdivision (B) of this 10
subdivision (d)(2), towns shall be eligible for reimbursement for repair or 11
replacement costs of either up to 90 percent of the eligible repair or 12
replacement costs or the eligible repair or replacement costs, minus an amount 13
equal to 10 percent of the overall total highway budget, minus the town’s 14
winter maintenance budget, whichever is greater. 15
(B) Rural towns, as that term is defined in 24 V.S.A. § 4303, shall be 16
eligible for reimbursement for repair or replacement costs of either up to 95 17
percent of the eligible repair or replacement costs or the eligible repair or 18
replacement costs, minus an amount equal to 5 percent of the overall total 19
highway budget, minus the rural town’s winter maintenance budget, whichever 20
is greater. 21 BILL AS INTRODUCED S.75
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(4)(3) For towns that have adopted road and bridge standards, eligibility 1
for reimbursement for repair or replacement of infrastructure shall be to those 2
standards. For towns that have not adopted these standards, eligibility for 3
reimbursement for repair or replacement of infrastructure shall be limited to 4
the specifications of the infrastructure that preexisted the emergency event; 5
however, the repair or replacement shall be to standards approved by the 6
Agency of Transportation. 7
(5)(4) For a drainage structure on a class 4 town highway to be eligible 8
for repair or replacement under this subsection, the town must document that it 9
maintained the structure prior to the nonfederal disaster. 10
(6) Such additional criteria as may be adopted by the Agency of 11
Transportation through rulemaking under 3 V.S.A. chapter 25. 12
* * * 13
(f) State aid for federal disasters. 14
(1) Towns receiving assistance under the Federal Highway 15
Administration’s Emergency Relief Program for federal-aid highways shall be 16
eligible for State aid when a nonfederal match is required. Eligibility for aid 17
under this subsection shall be subject to the following criteria: 18
(A)(i) Towns Except as otherwise provided in subdivision (ii) of this 19
subdivision (f)(1)(A), towns shall be responsible for up to not more than 10 20
percent of the total eligible project costs. 21 BILL AS INTRODUCED S.75
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(ii) Rural towns, as that term is defined pursuant to 24 V.S.A. 1
§ 4303, shall be responsible for not more than five percent of the total eligible 2
project costs. 3
* * * 4
(C) Such additional Additional criteria as may be adopted established 5
by the Agency Secretary through rulemaking under 3 V.S.A. chapter 25. 6
* * * 7
(i) Municipal Mitigation Assistance Program. 8
(1) The Agency shall administer the Municipal Mitigation Assistance 9
Program. Through the Program, the Agency shall provide assistance and 10
grants to municipalities for environmental mitigation projects related to 11
stormwater and highways and for the establishment and operation of 12
stormwater utilities. Municipalities 13
(2)(A) Except as otherwise provided pursuant to subdivisions (B) and 14
(C) of this subdivision (i)(2), municipalities shall match grants with local funds 15
sufficient to cover 20 percent of the project costs, except that the. 16
(B) Rural towns, as that term is defined pursuant to 24 V.S.A. 17
§ 4303, shall match grants with local funds sufficient to cover 10 percent of the 18
project costs. 19 BILL AS INTRODUCED S.75
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(C) Notwithstanding subdivisions (A) and (B) of this subdivision 1
(i)(2), the Agency may issue grants for the establishment or operation of 2
stormwater utilities without requiring a local match. 3
(3) From the operating expenses appropriated for the Program, the 4
Agency is authorized to pay costs billed to the Agency by municipal 5
stormwater utilities. 6
* * * 7
(k) As used in this section, “town” includes a “rural town” as defined 8
pursuant to 24 V.S.A. § 4303 unless otherwise expressly provided. 9
Sec. 17. 19 V.S.A. § 309a is amended to read: 10
§ 309a. LOCAL HIGHWAY W ORK UNIFORM LOCAL SHARE; 11
EXCEPTIONS 12
(a) Except as provided in subsection (b) or (c) of this section or in sections 13
309b and 309c of this title, in any case of highway or bridge construction in 14
which a federal/State/local or State/local funding match is authorized, the 15
municipality’s share shall be ten percent of the project costs. 16
(b) This The provisions of subsection (a) of this section shall not apply to: 17
* * * 18
(6) any project where, by the mutual agreement of the municipality and 19
Agency, rehabilitation of an existing bridge is the preferred alternative, in 20
which case the Agency shall use the appropriate combination of State and 21 BILL AS INTRODUCED S.75
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federal funding to pay either 95 percent of the cost of rehabilitation, or 97.5 1
percent if the municipality closes the bridge and does not construct a 2
temporary bridge for the duration of the project; or 3
(7) any project or portion of a project involving a structure that is part of 4
the Historic Bridge Program, where the Agency shall use the appropriate 5
combination of State and federal funding to pay 100 percent of the cost of 6
rehabilitation; or 7
(8) any project in a rural town, as that term is defined pursuant to 8
24 V.S.A. § 4303, in which case the municipal share shall be 2.5 percent of the 9
project costs or a lesser amount authorized by statute or the General Assembly. 10
* * * 11
Sec. 18. 19 V.S.A. § 309b is amended to read: 12
§ 309b. LOCAL MATCH; CERTAIN TOWN HIGHWAY PROGRAMS 13
(a)(1) Notwithstanding subsection 309a(a) of this title and except as 14
provided in subdivision (2) of this subsection, grants provided to towns under 15
the Town Highway Structures Program shall be matched by local funds 16
sufficient to cover 20 percent of the project costs, unless the town has adopted 17
road and bridge standards, has completed a network inventory, and has 18
submitted an annual certification of compliance for town road and bridge 19
standards to the Secretary, in which event the local match shall be sufficient to 20
cover 10 percent of the project costs. 21 BILL AS INTRODUCED S.75
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(2) Grants provided to rural towns, as that term is defined pursuant to 1
24 V.S.A. § 4303, under the Town Highway Structures Program shall be 2
matched by local funds sufficient to cover 10 percent of the project costs, 3
unless the rural town has adopted road and bridge standards, has completed a 4
network inventory, and has submitted an annual certification of compliance for 5
town road and bridge standards to the Secretary, in which event the local 6
match shall be sufficient to cover 5 percent of the project costs. 7
(3) The Secretary may adopt rules to implement the Town Highway 8
Structures Program. Town highway structures projects receiving funds 9
pursuant to this subsection shall be the responsibility of the applicant 10
municipality. 11
(b)(1) Notwithstanding subsection 309a(a) of this title and except as 12
provided pursuant to subdivision (2) of this subsection, grants provided to 13
towns under the Class 2 Town Highway Roadway Program shall be matched 14
by local funds sufficient to cover 30 percent of the project costs, unless the 15
town has adopted road and bridge standards, has completed a network 16
inventory, and has submitted an annual certification of compliance for town 17
road and bridge standards to the Secretary, in which event the local match shall 18
be sufficient to cover 20 percent of the project costs. 19
(2) Grants provided to rural towns, as that term is defined pursuant to 20
24 V.S.A. § 4303, under the Class 2 Town Highway Roadway Program shall 21 BILL AS INTRODUCED S.75
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be matched by local funds sufficient to cover 15 percent of the project costs, 1
unless the rural town has adopted road and bridge standards, has completed a 2
network inventory, and has submitted an annual certification of compliance for 3
town road and bridge standards to the Secretary, in which event the local 4
match shall be sufficient to cover 10 percent of the project costs. 5
(3) The Secretary may adopt rules to implement the Class 2 Town 6
Highway Roadway Program. Class 2 town highway roadway projects 7
receiving funds pursuant to this subsection shall be the responsibility of the 8
applicant municipality, and a municipality shall not receive a grant in excess of 9
$200,000.00. 10
* * * 11
* * * Complete Streets * * * 12
Sec. 19. 19 V.S.A. § 2405 is added to read: 13
§ 2405. TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE FOR MUNICIPALITIES 14
The Agency shall provide technical and planning assistance to 15
municipalities to assist with the incorporation of complete streets principles 16
into municipal projects and compliance with the provisions of this chapter. 17
Sec. 20. 2024 Acts and Resolves No. 148, Sec. 31 is amended to read: 18
Sec. 31. REPLACEMENT FOR THE VERMONT STATE DESIGN 19
STANDARDS 20
* * * 21 BILL AS INTRODUCED S.75
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(c) The Agency of Transportation shall ensure that the replacement for the 1
Vermont State Design Standards incorporates provisions addressing the 2
following: 3
(1) prioritization of reducing vehicle miles traveled in downtown and 4
village centers identified by a regional planning commission pursuant to 5
24 V.S.A. § 4348a; 6
(2) alignment of eligible transportation improvements with future land 7
use in downtown and village centers identified by a regional planning 8
commission pursuant to 24 V.S.A. § 4348a through the use of transect maps; 9
(3) context sensitive design standards for downtown and village centers 10
identified by a regional planning commission pursuant to 24 V.S.A. § 4348a to 11
ensure that: 12
(A) standards are compatible with the existing size of the community 13
and intensity of activity within the community as well as the settlement scale 14
for the community depicted on future land use maps; 15
(B) investments are directed to the development of a comprehensive 16
pedestrian network consistent with existing and future land use; and 17
(C) design engineering standards provide for ease of understanding 18
and implementation of: 19
(i) narrowed travel lanes; 20
(ii) slow zones for motor vehicle traffic; 21 BILL AS INTRODUCED S.75
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VT LEG #380106 v.1
(iii) crosswalks; 1
(iv) enhanced shoulders to accommodate travel by bicycles or 2
pedestrians, or both; 3
(v) sidewalks; and 4
(vi) public transit services; 5
(4) identification of standards for reducing vehicle travel lane widths 6
and other traffic calming methods that can be incorporated by regional 7
planning commissions into downtown and village centers identified pursuant 8
to 24 V.S.A. § 4348a; 9
(5) requirements that reconstructed bridges and upsized culverts within 10
downtown and village centers identified pursuant to 24 V.S.A. § 4348a shall 11
incorporate pedestrian facilities; and 12
(6) consideration of guidance from the Department of Forests, Parks and 13
Recreation’s Vermont Urban & Community Forestry Program Green Streets 14
Guide into the design of State highways in downtown and village centers. 15
* * * National Historic Preservation Act Review; Report * * * 16
Sec. 21. AMENDMENTS TO AGREEMENT RELATED TO REVIEW 17
UNDER THE NATIONAL HISTORIC PRESERVATION ACT 18
(a) The Agency of Transportation, in consultation with the Vermont State 19
Historic Preservation Officer and the Advisory Council on Historic 20
Preservation, shall seek to amend the Programmatic Agreement Among the 21 BILL AS INTRODUCED S.75
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VT LEG #380106 v.1
Federal Highway Administration, the Vermont State Historic Preservation 1
Officer, the Advisory Council on Historic Preservation, and the Vermont 2
Agency of Transportation Regarding the Federal-Aid Highway Program in 3
Vermont to categorize the creation of new bicycle and pedestrian facilities as 4
either exempt activities, listed in Appendix A, or screened activities, listed in 5
Appendix B. 6
(b) The Agency of Transportation shall provide a written update on its 7
efforts pursuant to subsection (a) of this section to the House and Senate 8
Committees on Transportation not later than November 15, 2025. 9
* * * Local Speed Limits * * * 10
Sec. 22. 23 V.S.A. § 1007 is amended to read: 11
§ 1007. LOCAL SPEED LIMITS 12
(a)(1) The legislative body of a municipality may establish, on the basis of 13
an engineering and traffic investigation, a speed limit on all or a part of any 14
city, town, or village highway within its jurisdiction, which: 15
(A) is not more than 50 miles per hour; however, after considering 16
neighborhood character, abutting land use, bicycle and pedestrian use, and 17
physical characteristics of the highways, the legislative body of a municipality 18
may vote to set the maximum speed limit, without an engineering and traffic 19
investigation, at is not more than 50 miles per hour nor less than 35 miles per 20 BILL AS INTRODUCED S.75
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VT LEG #380106 v.1
hour, on all or a portion of unpaved town highways within its boundaries, 1
unless otherwise posted in accordance with the provisions of this section; or 2
(B) is not less than 25 miles per hour. 3
* * * 4
(b) The legislative body of a city may establish, on the basis of an 5
engineering and traffic investigation, a speed limit on all or a part of any State 6
highway, other than a limited access highway, within its jurisdiction, which: 7
(1) that is not more than 50 miles per hour; or 8
(2) is not nor less than 25 miles per hour. 9
* * * 10
(e) Lack of evidence of a traffic and engineering study will not invalidate a 11
local speed limit ordinance as adopted or amended under this section after five 12
years following the day on which the speed limit ordinance took effect. 13
[Repealed.] 14
(f) Notwithstanding the procedure outlined in this section for enacting a 15
local speed limit, a town or village may adopt a local speed ordinance on a 16
State highway, other than on limited access highways, provided the ordinance 17
duplicates the speed limit established under section 1003 of this title. 18
(g) Notwithstanding any requirements of section 1025 of this title, 19
downtown development districts, village centers, and new town center 20 BILL AS INTRODUCED S.75
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VT LEG #380106 v.1
development districts designated under 24 V.S.A. chapter 76A may have 1
posted speed limits of less than 25 miles per hour. 2
* * * Regional Planning Commissions * * * 3
Sec. 23. 24 V.S.A. § 4345a is amended to read: 4
§ 4345a. DUTIES OF REGIONAL PLANNING COMMISSIONS 5
A regional planning commission created under this chapter shall: 6
* * * 7
(21) Coordinate regional transportation projects with affected 8
municipalities to enhance transportation resilience and implementation of the 9
Climate Action Plan adopted pursuant to 10 V.S.A. § 5902. 10
Sec. 24. REGIONAL PLANNING COMMISSIONS; REGIONAL 11
TRANSPORTATION PROJECT COORDINATION; TECHNICAL 12
ASSISTANCE; GRANTS 13
The sum of $500,000.00 is appropriated from the Transportation Fund to 14
the Agency of Transportation to provide technical assistance and grants to 15
regional planning commissions to assist with the coordination of regional 16
transportation projects pursuant to 24 V.S.A. § 4345a(21). 17
* * * Electrical Vehicle Supply Equipment * * * 18
Sec. 25. 9 V.S.A. § 4468b is added to read: 19
§ 4468b. ELECTRIC VEHICLE SUPPLY EQUIPMENT 20
(a) As used in this section: 21 BILL AS INTRODUCED S.75
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VT LEG #380106 v.1
(1) “Electric vehicle supply equipment (EVSE)” means a device or 1
system designed and used specifically to transfer electrical energy to a plug-in 2
electric vehicle. 3
(2) “EVSE time-of-use (TOU) meter” means an electric meter supplied 4
and installed by an electric distribution utility that is separate from, and in 5
addition to, any other electric meter and is devoted exclusively to the charging 6
of plug-in electric vehicles and that tracks the TOU when charging occurs. An 7
EVSE TOU meter includes any wiring or conduit necessary to connect the 8
meter to an EVSE, regardless of whether it is supplied or installed by an 9
electric utility. 10
(b) For any rental agreement executed, extended, or renewed on and after 11
January 1, 2026, a landlord shall approve a written request of a tenant to install 12
EVSE at a parking space allotted for the tenant that meets the requirements of 13
this section and complies with the landlord’s procedural approval process for 14
modification to the property. 15
(c) This section does not apply to residential rental properties where: 16
(1) EVSE already exist for tenants in a ratio that is equal to or greater 17
than 10 percent of the designated parking spaces; 18
(2) parking is not provided as part of the lease agreement; or 19
(3) there are fewer than five parking spaces. 20 BILL AS INTRODUCED S.75
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VT LEG #380106 v.1
(d) A landlord shall not be obligated to provide an additional parking space 1
to a tenant in order to accommodate EVSE. 2
(e) If the EVSE has the effect of providing the tenant with a reserved 3
parking space, the landlord may charge a monthly rental amount for that 4
parking space. 5
(f) The EVSE or EVSE TOU meter, or both, and all modifications and 6
improvements to the property shall comply with federal, State, and local law, 7
and all applicable zoning requirements, land use requirements, and covenants, 8
conditions, and restrictions. 9
(g) A tenant’s written request to make a modification to the property in 10
order to install and use EVSE shall include the tenant’s consent to enter into a 11
written agreement that includes the following: 12
(1) Compliance with the landlord’s requirements for the installation, 13
use, maintenance, and removal of the EVSE or both the EVSE and EVSE TOU 14
meter and installation, use, and maintenance of the infrastructure for the EVSE 15
or both the EVSE and EVSE TOU meter. 16
(2) Compliance with the landlord’s requirements for the tenant to 17
provide a complete financial analysis and scope of work regarding the 18
installation of the EVSE or both the EVSE and EVSE TOU meter and its 19
infrastructure. 20 BILL AS INTRODUCED S.75
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VT LEG #380106 v.1
(3) Obligation of the tenant to pay the landlord all costs associated with 1
the landlord’s installation of the EVSE or both the EVSE and EVSE TOU 2
meter and related infrastructure prior to any modification or improvement 3
being made to the leased property. The costs associated with modifications 4
and improvements shall include the cost of permits, supervision, construction, 5
and, solely if required by the contractor and consistent with its past 6
performance of work for the landlord, performance bonds. 7
(4) Obligation of the tenant to pay as part of rent for the costs associated 8
with the electrical usage, whether or not through an EVSE TOU meter, of the 9
EVSE; and costs for damage, maintenance, repair, removal, and replacement 10
of the EVSE or both the EVSE and EVSE TOU meter; and modifications or 11
improvements made to the property associated with the EVSE or both the 12
EVSE and EVSE TOU meter. 13
(h) The tenant and each successor tenant shall obtain personal liability 14
coverage in an amount not to exceed 10 times the annual rent charged for the 15
dwelling unit covering property damage and personal injury proximately 16
caused by the installation or operation of the EVSE or both the EVSE and 17
EVSE TOU meter. The policy shall be maintained in full force and effect from 18
the time of installation of the EVSE or both the EVSE and EVSE TOU meter 19
until the EVSE or the EVSE and EVSE TOU meter is removed or the tenant 20
forfeits possession of the dwelling unit to the landlord. 21 BILL AS INTRODUCED S.75
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VT LEG #380106 v.1
(i) Notwithstanding subsection (h) of this section, no insurance shall be 1
required of a tenant installing an EVSE or both an EVSE and EVSE TOU 2
meter if the following are satisfied: 3
(1) the EVSE has been certified by a Nationally Recognized Testing 4
Laboratory that is approved by the Occupational Safety and Health 5
Administration of the U.S. Department of Labor; and 6
(2) the EVSE and any associated alterations to the dwelling’s electrical 7
system are performed by a licensed electrician and the EVSE TOU meter, if 8
applicable, is installed by the electric distribution utility providing service. 9
(j) A landlord that intentionally violates this section shall be liable to the 10
tenant or other party for actual damages and shall pay a civil penalty to the 11
tenant or other party in an amount not to exceed $1,000.00. 12
(k) In any action by a tenant requesting to have an EVSE installed and 13
seeking to enforce compliance with this section, the prevailing plaintiff shall 14
be awarded reasonable attorney’s fees. 15
Sec. 26. 27A V.S.A. § 1-204 is amended to read: 16
§ 1-204. PREEXISTING COMMON INTEREST COMMUNITIES 17
(a)(1) Unless excepted under section 1-203 of this title, the following 18
sections and subdivisions of this title apply to a common interest community 19
created in this State before January 1, 1999: sections 1-103, 1-105, 1-106, 1-20
107, 2-103, 2-104, and 2-121, subdivisions 3-102(a)(1) through (6) and (11) 21 BILL AS INTRODUCED S.75
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VT LEG #380106 v.1
through (16), and sections 3-111, 3-116, 3-118, 4-109, and 4-117 to the extent 1
necessary to construe the applicable sections. The sections and subdivisions 2
described in this subdivision apply only to events and circumstances occurring 3
after December 31, 1998 and do not invalidate existing provisions of the 4
declarations, bylaws, plats, or plans of those common interest communities. 5
* * * 6
(3) Unless excepted under section 1-203 of this title, section 3-125 of 7
this title shall apply to a common interest community created in this State 8
before January 1, 1999. Section 3-125 applies only to events and 9
circumstances occurring after June 30, 2025 and does not invalidate existing 10
provisions of the declarations, bylaws, plats, or plans of those common interest 11
communities. 12
* * * 13
Sec. 27. 27A V.S.A. § 3-125 is added to read: 14
§ 3-125. ELECTRIC VEHICLE SUPPLY EQUIPMENT 15
(a) Definitions. As used in this section: 16
(1) “Electric vehicle supply equipment (EVSE)” means a device or 17
system designed and used specifically to transfer electrical energy to a plug-in 18
electric vehicle. 19
(2) “EVSE owner” means the unit owner who applies to install an EVSE 20
and each successive unit owner associated with the initial application to install 21 BILL AS INTRODUCED S.75
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VT LEG #380106 v.1
the EVSE unless there is a specific change in ownership of the EVSE, in which 1
case the EVSE owner shall be the owner specified in a conveying document 2
memorializing the change in ownership of the EVSE. 3
(3) “EVSE time-of-use (TOU) meter” means an electric meter supplied 4
and installed by an electric distribution utility that is separate from, and in 5
addition to, any other electric meter and is devoted exclusively to the charging 6
of plug-in electric vehicles and that tracks the TOU when charging occurs. An 7
EVSE TOU meter includes any wiring or conduit necessary to connect the 8
meter to an EVSE, regardless of whether it is supplied or installed by an 9
electric utility. 10
(4) “Plug-in electric vehicles” has the same meaning as in 23 V.S.A. 11
§ 4(85). 12
(5) “Reasonable restrictions” are restrictions that do not significantly 13
increase the cost of the EVSE or EVSE TOU meter, or both, or significantly 14
decrease the efficiency or specified performance of the EVSE or EVSE TOU 15
meter, or both. 16
(b) Protected uses. 17
(1) Any covenant, restriction, or condition contained in any deed, 18
contract, security instrument, or other instrument affecting the transfer or sale 19
of any interest in a common interest community, and any provision of a 20
governing document associated with a common interest community, such as a 21 BILL AS INTRODUCED S.75
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VT LEG #380106 v.1
declaration or bylaws, that either effectively prohibits or unreasonably restricts 1
the installation or use of EVSE or an EVSE TOU meter, or both, within a unit 2
owner’s unit or in a designated parking space, including a deeded parking 3
space, a parking space in a unit owner’s exclusive use common element, or a 4
parking space that is specifically designated for use by a particular unit owner, 5
or is in conflict with this section is void and unenforceable. 6
(2) This subsection (b) shall not apply to provisions that impose 7
reasonable restrictions on EVSE or EVSE TOU meters, or both. However, it is 8
the policy of the State to promote, encourage, and remove obstacles to the use 9
of plug-in electric vehicles, including access to EVSE at home. 10
(3) The EVSE or EVSE TOU meter, or both, and all modifications and 11
improvements to the common interest community shall comply with federal, 12
State, and local law, and all applicable zoning requirements, land use 13
requirements, and covenants, conditions, and restrictions. 14
(4) If approval is required for the installation or use of EVSE or EVSE 15
TOU meters, or both, the application for approval shall be processed and 16
approved by the association in the same manner as an application for approval 17
of an architectural modification to the common interest community and shall 18
not be intentionally avoided or delayed. The approval or denial of an 19
application shall be in writing. If an application is not denied in writing within 20
60 days from the date of receipt of the application, the application shall be 21 BILL AS INTRODUCED S.75
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VT LEG #380106 v.1
deemed approved, unless that delay is the result of a reasonable request for 1
additional information. 2
(5) If the EVSE or EVSE TOU meter, or both, is to be placed in a 3
common element or a limited common element, as designated in the common 4
interest community’s declaration, the following provisions apply: 5
(A) The unit owner first shall obtain approval from the association to 6
install the EVSE or EVSE TOU meter, or both, and the association shall 7
approve the installation if the unit owner agrees in writing to do all of the 8
following: 9
(i) comply with the association’s architectural standards for the 10
installation of the EVSE or EVSE TOU meter, or both; 11
(ii) engage a licensed contractor to install the EVSE and, if 12
necessary, to install wiring or conduit necessary to connect the EVSE to an 13
EVSE TOU meter; 14
(iii) engage the electric distribution utility providing service to 15
install the EVSE TOU meter, if applicable; 16
(iv) provide a certificate of insurance that names the association as 17
an additional insured under the unit owner’s insurance policy within 14 days 18
after approval; and 19 BILL AS INTRODUCED S.75
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VT LEG #380106 v.1
(v) pay for both the costs associated with the installation of the 1
EVSE or both the EVSE and EVSE TOU meter and the electricity usage 2
associated with the EVSE. 3
(B) The unit owner and each successive owner of the EVSE or both 4
the EVSE and EVSE TOU meter shall be responsible for all of the following: 5
(i) costs for damage to the EVSE or EVSE TOU meter, or both; a 6
common element; or a limited common element resulting from the installation, 7
maintenance, repair, removal, or replacement of the EVSE or EVSE TOU 8
meter, or both; 9
(ii) costs for the maintenance, repair, and replacement of the 10
EVSE or EVSE TOU meter, or both, until the EVSE has been removed and for 11
the restoration of the common element or limited common element after 12
removal; 13
(iii) cost of electricity associated with the EVSE; and 14
(iv) disclosing to prospective buyers of the unit the existence of 15
any EVSE or EVSE TOU meters, or both, and the related responsibilities of 16
the unit owner under this section. 17
(C) The owner of EVSE, whether the EVSE is located within a unit 18
or within a common element or a limited common element, shall, at all times, 19
maintain a liability coverage policy that names the association as an additional 20
insured. The unit owner that submitted the application to install the EVSE or 21 BILL AS INTRODUCED S.75
2025 Page 44 of 52
VT LEG #380106 v.1
EVSE TOU meter, or both, shall provide the association with the 1
corresponding certificate of insurance within 14 days following approval of the 2
application. That unit owner and each successor EVSE owner shall annually 3
provide the association with the certificate of insurance. 4
(D) An EVSE owner shall not be required to maintain a homeowner 5
liability coverage policy for an existing National Electrical Manufacturers 6
Association standard alternating current power plug. 7
(6) Installation of EVSE or both EVSE and an EVSE TOU meter for the 8
exclusive use of a unit owner in a common element or limited common 9
element shall be authorized by the association only if installation in the unit 10
owner’s unit or designated parking space is impossible or unreasonably 11
expensive. In such cases, the association shall enter into a license agreement 12
with the unit owner for the use of the space in a common element or limited 13
common element and the unit owner shall comply with all of the requirements 14
in subdivision (5) of this subsection. 15
(7) The association may install EVSE or both EVSE and an EVSE TOU 16
meter in the common element or limited common element for the use of all 17
unit owners in the association and, in that case, the association shall develop 18
appropriate terms of use for the EVSE. 19 BILL AS INTRODUCED S.75
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VT LEG #380106 v.1
(8) Subject to subdivision (3) of this subsection, an association may 1
create a new parking space where one did not previously exist to facilitate the 2
installation of an EVSE. 3
(9) An association that intentionally violates this subsection shall be 4
liable to the applicant unit owner or other party for actual damages and shall 5
pay a civil penalty to the applicant unit owner or other party in an amount not 6
to exceed $1,000.00. 7
(10) In any action by a unit owner requesting to have an EVSE installed 8
and seeking to enforce compliance with this section, the prevailing plaintiff 9
shall be awarded reasonable attorney’s fees. 10
Sec. 28. 19 V.S.A. § 2908 is added to read: 11
§ 2908. PUBLIC EVSE; REQUIRED FORMS OF PAYMENT 12
All EVSE available to the public that requires payment for use shall accept 13
credit cards for payment of all applicable charges and fees in addition to any 14
other form of payment accepted by the EVSE. 15
* * * State Rights of Way * * * 16
Sec. 29. USE OF STATE-OWNED RIGHTS-OF-WAY; REVENUE 17
GENERATION; PARKING; EVSE 18
(a)(1) The Secretary of Transportation shall develop a comprehensive map 19
of utilities located within State-owned rights-of-way in Vermont and determine 20 BILL AS INTRODUCED S.75
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whether the State is receiving compensation for the location of utilities within 1
State-owned rights-of-way. 2
(2) The Secretary of Transportation shall develop a plan for the State to 3
begin receiving compensation for the ongoing location of utilities within State-4
owned rights-of-way and for increasing the amount of compensation received 5
in relation to utilities located in State-owned rights-of-way for which the State 6
is already receiving compensation. 7
(3) On or before January 15, 2026, the Secretary shall submit a written 8
report detailing the Secretary’s findings pursuant to subdivision (1) of this 9
subsection and plan pursuant to subdivision (2) of this subsection to the House 10
and Senate Committees on Transportation, the House Committee on Ways and 11
Means, and the Senate Committee on Finance. 12
(b)(1) The Agency of Transportation shall, if adequate space exists within a 13
State-owned right-of-way that is located within a downtown and village center 14
identified by the regional planning commission pursuant to 24 V.S.A. § 4348a, 15
permit the creation of on-street parking within that right-of-way. 16
(2) The Agency of Transportation shall identify locations for the 17
colocation of electrical vehicle supply equipment and on-street parking for all 18
State-owned rights-of-way that: 19
(A) are located within a downtown and village center identified by a 20
regional planning commission pursuant to 24 V.S.A. § 4348a; 21 BILL AS INTRODUCED S.75
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(B) either have existing on-street parking or are sufficiently wide to 1
accommodate on-street parking; and 2
(C) have three-phase power located within or adjacent to the State-3
owned right-of-way. 4
* * * Bicycles * * * 5
Sec. 30. 23 V.S.A. § 1139 is amended to read: 6
§ 1139. RIDING ON ROADWAYS AND BICYCLE PATHS 7
(a) A person Due care and riding on the right. An individual operating a 8
bicycle upon a roadway shall exercise due care when passing a standing 9
vehicle or one proceeding in the same direction. Bicyclists generally shall ride 10
as near to the right side of the improved area of the highway right-of-way as is 11
safe, except that a bicyclist: 12
(1) Shall ride to the left or in a left lane when: 13
(A) preparing for a left turn at an intersection or into a private 14
roadway or driveway; 15
(B) approaching an intersection with a right-turn lane if not turning 16
right at the intersection; or 17
(C) overtaking another vulnerable user. 18
(2) May ride to the left or in a left lane when taking reasonably 19
necessary precautions to avoid hazards or road conditions. Examples include 20
objects on the road, parked or moving vehicles, pedestrians, animals, surface 21 BILL AS INTRODUCED S.75
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conditions that may impair the bicyclist’s stability, or safety hazards caused by 1
a narrow road or steep embankment, road geometry, or unfavorable 2
atmospheric conditions. 3
(b) Persons riding Riding two abreast. Individuals operating bicycles upon 4
a roadway may not ride more than two abreast except on paths or parts of 5
roadways set aside for the exclusive use of bicycles or except as otherwise 6
permitted by the Commissioner of Public Safety in connection with a public 7
sporting event in which case the Commissioner shall be authorized to adopt 8
such rules as the public good requires. Persons Individuals riding two abreast 9
shall not impede the normal and reasonable movement of traffic and, on a 10
laned roadway, shall ride within a single lane. 11
(c) Obedience to traffic-control devices and traffic-control signals. An 12
individual operating a bicycle shall follow all traffic-control devices and 13
traffic-control signals governing motor vehicles with the following exceptions: 14
(1) Stop sign or flashing red signal. 15
(A) An individual operating a bicycle approaching a stop sign or a 16
traffic-control signal where a red lens is illuminated with rapid intermittent 17
flashes shall: 18
(i) slow down; 19
(ii) if required to avoid an immediate hazard, stop pursuant to 20
subsection 1048(b) of this title; and 21 BILL AS INTRODUCED S.75
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VT LEG #380106 v.1
(iii) yield the right-of-way to any vehicle in the intersection or 1
approaching on another intersecting highway so closely as to constitute an 2
immediate hazard during the time the bicyclist will be within the intersection. 3
(B) If an individual operating a bicycle meets the requirements of 4
subdivision (A) of this subdivision (c)(1), the individual may cautiously make 5
a turn or proceed through the intersection without stopping. 6
(2) Pedestrian-control devices and pedestrian-control signals. An 7
individual operating a bicycle while crossing an intersection may follow 8
pedestrian-control devices and pedestrian-control signals when present except 9
where otherwise indicated by traffic-control devices and traffic-control signals 10
and provided that the bicyclist shall yield to pedestrians in the crosswalk. 11
(d) Riding on a partially controlled access highway. Bicycles may be 12
operated on the shoulders of partially controlled access highways, which are 13
those highways where access is controlled by public authority but where there 14
are some connections with selected public highways, some crossings at grade, 15
and some private driveway connections. The Traffic Committee may 16
determine that any portion of these highways is unsafe and therefore closed to 17
bicycle operation. 18
* * * Municipal Resiliency Funding and Assistance * * * 19
Sec. 31. MUNICIPAL HIGHWAY AND STORMWATER MITIGATION 20
PROGRAM; ADDITIONAL FUNDING 21 BILL AS INTRODUCED S.75
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The sum of $1,500,000.00 is appropriated from the Transportation Fund to 1
the Municipal Highway and Stormwater Mitigation Program in fiscal year 2
2026 to support the provision of additional grants for projects designed to 3
improve flood resiliency, including culvert resizing, culvert replacement, and 4
stormwater management. 5
* * * Education Transportation * * * 6
Sec. 32. EDUCATION TRANSPORTATION COST; STUDY; REPORT 7
(a) The Secretary of Transportation, in consultation with the Secretary of 8
Education, school districts, and supervisory unions, shall examine the actual 9
costs and the cost-efficiency of providing school-related transportation to 10
Vermont public school students. 11
(b) The Secretary of Transportation shall specifically examine: 12
(1) to the extent data is available, the total cost, the cost per mile, the 13
cost per passenger, and the cost per passenger mile for school-related 14
transportation on a district or supervisory union basis, as well as on a regional 15
and statewide basis; 16
(2) if data related to the information required under subdivision (1) of 17
this subsection is not available, the Secretary shall select three school districts 18
or supervisory unions that are diverse with respect to their location, size, and 19
population density and determine the total cost, the cost per mile, the cost per 20 BILL AS INTRODUCED S.75
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passenger, and the cost per passenger mile of the school-related transportation 1
provided in each of the districts or supervisory unions; 2
(3) potential opportunities to utilize public transit to reduce the total 3
cost, the cost per mile, the cost per passenger, and the cost per passenger mile 4
of education-related transportation in Vermont; 5
(4) potential issues that could prevent the utilization of public transit to 6
reduce the cost of education-related transportation in Vermont, including 7
restrictions on federal funding, capital expenses, and requirements of State or 8
federal law; and 9
(5) anticipated advantages and disadvantages of utilizing public transit 10
to reduce the cost of education-related transportation in Vermont. 11
(c) On or before January 15, 2026, the Secretary of Transportation shall 12
submit a written report to the House and Senate Committees on Education and 13
on Transportation regarding the Secretary’s findings pursuant to subsection (b) 14
of this section and any recommendations for legislative action. 15
* * * First Time Car Buyer Workshops * * * 16
Sec. 33. FIRST TIME CAR BUYER WORKSHOPS 17
The sum of $15,000.00 is appropriated to the Agency of Transportation for 18
the provision, in cooperation with community action agencies, of first-time car 19
buyer workshops to educate new Americans and disadvantaged Vermonters 20 BILL AS INTRODUCED S.75
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about the process for buying a motor vehicle and incentives that are available 1
to assist with the purchase of a motor vehicle. 2
* * * Effective Dates * * * 3
Sec. 34. EFFECTIVE DATES 4
(a) This section and Secs. 6, 8, and 9 shall take effect on passage. 5
(b) Sec. 5 (efficiency fees and rebates; 23 V.S.A. § 383) shall take effect on 6
July 1, 2026. 7
(c) Sec. 7 (efficiency fees and rebates; 23 V.S.A. § 383(d)) shall take effect 8
on July 1, 2028, provided that the General Assembly has not enacted 9
legislation providing for alternative efficiency fees and rebates based in whole 10
or in part on the recommendations of the Efficiency Fees and Rebates Task 11
Force. 12
(d) The remaining sections shall take effect on July 1, 2025. 13