BILL AS INTRODUCED S.84
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S.84 1
Introduced by Senators Perchlik, Chittenden, Clarkson, Hardy, Harrison, 2
Watson, Westman and White 3
Referred to Committee on 4
Date: 5
Subject: Public property and supplies; Department of Buildings and General 6
Services; contracting; advertising; media; news organizations; radio; 7
television 8
Statement of purpose of bill as introduced: This bill proposes to require that 9
the State expend a minimum of 80 percent of the total annual value of its 10
contracting for print, digital, radio, and television advertising services on local 11
organizations. 12
An act relating to State contracting standards for advertising 13
It is hereby enacted by the General Assembly of the State of Vermont: 14
Sec. 1. 29 V.S.A. § 902(a) is amended to read: 15
(a) The Commissioner of Buildings and General Services shall contract for 16
and make all purchases, including all fuel, supplies, materials, and equipment, 17
for all departments, offices, institutions, and other agencies of the State and 18
counties. However, he or she the Commissioner may delegate authority to 19
those governmental agencies to purchase directly individually approved types 20 BILL AS INTRODUCED S.84
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and classes of items when the interests of the State are best served thereby, 1
provided that any such delegated authority shall be subject to the same 2
limitations set forth in subsections 910(a)–(c) of this subchapter as apply to the 3
Commissioner. He or she The Commissioner shall also contract for and 4
purchase materials for the repair and for the construction and equipment of 5
new buildings to be erected by the State, unless otherwise provided. He or she 6
The Commissioner may purchase such supplies, materials, and equipment as 7
are requisitioned by the supervisors of the natural resources conservation 8
districts. He or she The Commissioner may also cooperate with and advise 9
officials of any political subdivision of the State or any institution of higher 10
education chartered in Vermont and accredited or holding a certificate of 11
approval from the State Board of Education in their purchase of any of the 12
supplies, materials, and equipment needed by the political subdivision or 13
institution of higher education, and may act as the agent of the political 14
subdivision at the request of the authorized officials or agent thereof in the 15
purchase of supplies, materials, and equipment. 16
Sec. 2. 29 V.S.A. § 910 is added to read: 17
§ 910. STATE CONTRACTS FOR ADVERTISING 18
(a) When contracting for print or digital advertising services for the State or 19
its agencies, departments, instrumentalities, or institutions, the Commissioner 20
of Buildings and General Services shall contract with local news organizations 21 BILL AS INTRODUCED S.84
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for not less than 80 percent of the total annual value of the print or digital 1
advertising services. 2
(b) When contracting for radio or television advertising services for the 3
State or its agencies, departments, instrumentalities, or institutions, the 4
Commissioner of Buildings and General Services shall contract with local 5
broadcast organizations for not less than 80 percent of the total annual value of 6
the radio or television advertising services. 7
(c) Notwithstanding subsections (a) and (b) of this section, the 8
Commissioner of Buildings and General Services may exclude from the total 9
annual value of advertising services any advertisement focused on tourism. 10
(d) The Commissioner of Buildings and General Services shall maintain a 11
list of local news organizations and local broadcast organizations. 12
(e) As used in this section: 13
(1) “Local broadcast organization” means an organization licensed to 14
broadcast in the State by the Federal Communications Commission. 15
(2) “Local news organization” means an organization that: 16
(A) engages professionals to create, edit, produce, and distribute 17
original content concerning matters of public interest through reporting 18
activities; 19 BILL AS INTRODUCED S.84
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(B) employs a full-time employee who dedicates at least 30 hours a 1
week to providing coverage of an area of the State for dissemination to the 2
local or State community and lives within 50 miles of the coverage area; 3
(C)(i) has published at least one print publication per month over the 4
previous 12 months and either holds a valid U. S. Postal Service periodical 5
permit or dedicates at least 25 percent of its content to local news; or 6
(ii) on average over the previous 12 months, has published online 7
at least one piece per week about the local or State community and has at least 8
33 percent of its online audience in Vermont; 9
(D) has disclosed in its print publication or on its website its 10
beneficial ownership or, in the case of a nonprofit entity, its board of directors; 11
(E) in the case of an organization that is exempt from taxation under 12
26 U.S.C. § 501(c)(3), declares as its stated mission in its filings with the 13
Internal Revenue Service the coverage of local or State news; and 14
(F) over the previous calendar year did not receive more than 15
50 percent of its gross receipts from political action committees, other entities 16
described in 26 U.S.C. § 527, or from organizations exempt from taxation 17
under 26 U.S.C. § 501(c)(4), (c)(5), or (c)(6). 18 BILL AS INTRODUCED S.84
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Sec. 3. 29 V.S.A. § 911 is added to read: 1
§ 911. CONTRACTS FOR ADVERTISING; REPORTING 2
Annually, on or before June 30, the Commissioner of Buildings and General 3
Services shall submit to the General Assembly a report summarizing any 4
advertising services purchased by the State and its agencies, departments, 5
instrumentalities, or institutions during the preceding fiscal year, including a 6
summary of the amounts spent by entity on advertising services and where 7
those funds were spent. 8
Sec. 4. EFFECTIVE DATE 9
This act shall take effect on July 1, 2025. 10