Vermont H 229: An act relating to rental housing safety, oversight, data collection, and enforcement

Bill Text

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H.229 1
Introduced by Representatives Burke of Brattleboro, Boyden of Cambridge, 2
Bos-Lun of Westminster, Burtt of Cabot, Nelson of Derby, 3
O'Brien of Tunbridge, and Surprenant of Barnard 4
Referred to Committee on 5
Date: 6
Subject: Agriculture; forestry operations; disaster relief; funding 7
Statement of purpose of bill as introduced: This bill proposes to establish a 8
Farm and Forestry Operations Security Special Fund to provide financial 9
assistance to farms and forestry operations that experienced qualifying losses 10
due to weather conditions. 11
An act relating to establishing the Farm and Forestry Operations Security 12
Special Fund to provide grants for losses to farms and forestry operations 13
due to weather conditions 14
It is hereby enacted by the General Assembly of the State of Vermont: 15
Sec. 1. FINDINGS 16
The General Assembly finds that: 17
(1) In 2023 and 2024, Vermont experienced extreme flooding and other 18
climate-fueled disasters that devastated farms and other working lands 19
businesses across the State. 20

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(2) Many existing State and federal programs that are designed to 1
support farms and forestry operations are difficult to access, are 2
administratively burdensome, are not equitably distributed to small- and 3
medium-scale farmers and forestry operations, and currently do not meet the 4
needs of Vermont farmers and forestry operation in a holistic way. 5
(3) In particular, because federal crop insurance programs are not 6
designed to serve the needs of smaller scale or more diversified farming 7
operations, many Vermont farmers are not covered by crop insurance. 8
(4) The purpose of State funding should be to ensure that farms and 9
forestry operations remain viable in Vermont to ensure food security, climate 10
resilience, rural economic vitality, and environmental health. 11
(5) The State should be continuously investing in farms and forestry 12
operations in a way that makes them more resilient to current and future 13
challenges. 14
(6) The State should establish a permanent funding support program to: 15
(A) maintain the viability of farms and forestry operations in 16
Vermont in order to ensure food security, climate resilience, rural economic 17
vitality, and environmental health; 18
(B) continuously invest in farms and forestry operations in a way that 19
makes them more resilient to current and future challenges; and 20

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(C) provide a source of relief funds permanently available to farmers 1
and forestry operations impacted by climate emergencies and extreme weather. 2
Sec. 2. 6 V.S.A. chapter 207 is amended to read: 3
CHAPTER 207. PROMOTION AND, MARKETING, AND SUPPORT OF 4
VERMONT FARMS, FOODS, AND PRODUCTS 5
* * * 6
Subchapter 4. Farm and Forestry Operations Security Special Fund 7
§ 4631. DEFINITIONS 8
As used in this subchapter: 9
(1) “Eligible weather condition” means any of the following weather 10
conditions that are found to be closely correlated with agricultural or forest 11
operation income losses: 12
(A) high winds; 13
(B) excessive moisture, intense precipitation, or flooding; 14
(C) extreme heat; 15
(D) abnormal freeze conditions; 16
(E) widespread fire event; 17
(F) hail; 18
(G) drought; or 19
(H) any other severe weather or growing conditions impacting 20
agricultural or forestry operations income, as determined by the Review Board. 21

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(2) “Farm” means a parcel or parcels of land owned, leased, or managed 1
by a person and devoted primarily to farming and that is subject to regulation 2
under the Required Agricultural Practices. 3
(3) “Farm and Forestry Operations Security Special Fund Review 4
Board” or “Review Board” means the Board established under section 4634 of 5
this title. 6
(4) “Farming” has the same meaning as in section 2.16 of the Required 7
Agricultural Practices. 8
(5) “Forestry operation” has the same meaning as in 10 V.S.A. § 2602. 9
§ 4632. FARM AND FORESTRY OPERATIONS SECURITY SPECIAL 10
FUND 11
(a) There is established the Farm and Forestry Operations Security Special 12
Fund to be administered by the Secretary of Agriculture, Food and Markets 13
and that shall be managed in accordance with 32 V.S.A. chapter 7, subchapter 14
5. The Fund shall consist of: 15
(1) funds appropriated by the General Assembly; 16
(2) funds from public and private sources that the Secretary accepts for 17
the Fund; and 18
(3) funds from federal government aid for State support of farmers 19
suffering income loss due to weather conditions. 20

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(b) The Secretary of Agriculture, Food and Markets shall ensure language 1
accessibility of the Fund through procurement and provision of interpretation 2
and translation services. 3
(c) All balances i