Vermont S. 291: An act relating to the annual town meeting of the unified towns and gores of Essex County

Bill Text

BILLAS INTRODUCED AND PASSED BY SENATE S.291
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S.291
Introduced by Senators Vyhovsky, Clarkson, Gulick, Hardy, Perchlik and
White
Referred to Committee on Government Operations
Date: January 22, 2026
Subject: Executive; governmental ethics; disclosures; travel disclosures
Statement of purpose of bill as introduced: This bill proposes to require
legislators and elected statewide executive officers and their deputies to file
disclosures detailing costs and associated information for any travel made in
the course of the individual’s official capacity or because of the individual’s
status that is paid for by any source other than the State or by that person
themselves.
An act relating to travel disclosures for legislators and certain executive
officers
It is hereby enacted by the General Assembly of the State of Vermont:
Sec. 1. 3 V.S.A. § 1214 is added to read:
§ 1214. TRAVELDISCLOSURES
(a) Applicability.
(1) A member of the General Assembly or an executive officer shall file
with the State Ethics Commission, or as otherwise directed by law, a disclosure
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detailing costs and associated information for any travel made in the course of
the member’s or executive officer’s official capacity or that would not have
likely occurred but for the member’s or executive officer’s status of occupying
the member’s or executive officer’s office.
(2) Notwithstanding subdivision (1) of this subsection, a member of the
General Assembly or an executive officer shall not file a disclosure if the
travel is fully paid by the member or executive officer, this State, another state,
or the federal government.
(b) Contents and design of disclosure.
(1) A member of the General Assembly or an executive officer shall
disclose, in writing:
(A) the purpose of the travel;
(B) whether the travel was purely in the member’s or executive
officer’s official capacity or made for another purpose;
(C) the itinerary of travel, including dates of travel and any stopover
or intentional visit to another location prior to the destination of travel;
(D) with reasonable particularity, any expense payment or
reimbursement received for all costs associated with transportation to and from
any destination, and food, refreshments, tickets and admissions, entertainment,
lodging, and anything else of value, whether for cost or in kind, associated
with the travel;
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(E) the date of any expense payment or reimbursement; and
(F) which elements of associated travel costs were orchestrated or
paid for or provided by:
(i) the State;
(ii) the member’s or executive officer’s own person; or
(iii) any other sources, including associations, lobbyists, political
committees and parties, and individuals.
(2) A member of the General Assembly or an executive officer shall
attest to the veracity and completeness of the disclosed information and sign
and date the disclosure.
(3) Disclosure forms shall, where appropriate, be designed by the State
Ethics Commission.
(c) Filing date. A member of the General Assembly or an executive officer
shall file the disclosure within 30 calendar days following the date on which
any costs associated with the travel are incurred.
(d) Supplemental disclosure. A member of the General Assembly or an
executive officer shall file with the State Ethics Commission, or as otherwise
directed by law, a supplemental disclosure in accordance with section 1203 of
this title if a particular matter involving the payer or orchestrator of any
expense or reimbursement detailed in subdivision (b)(1)(D) of this section
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comes before the member or executive officer during the sixmonths following
such acceptance or reimbursement.
Sec. 2. EFFECTIVE DATE
This act shall take effect on July 1, 2026.
* * * Travel Disclosures * * *
Sec. 1. 3 V.S.A. § 1201 is amended to read:
§ 1201. DEFINITIONS
As used in this chapter:
* * *
(10) “Immediate family” means an individual’s spouse, domestic
partner, or civil union partner; child or foster child; sibling; parent; or such
relations by marriage or by civil union or domestic partnership; or an
individual claimed as a dependent for federal income tax purposes.
* * *
(16) “Staff” means any individual who supports a member of the
General Assembly or an executive officer in the member’s or executive
officer’s official capacity and acts at the direction of the member or executive
officer, whether paid or unpaid or receiving academic credit.
(17) “State officer” means the Governor, Lieutenant Governor,
Treasurer, Secretary of State, Auditor of Accounts, or Attorney General.
(17)(18) “Unethical conduct” means any conduct of a public servant in
violation of the Code of Ethics, as provided fo