By Guy Page

Last week, House lawmakers introduced these bills:

H.31 Create domestic violence restorative justice pilot program in Windsor County, for victims and offenders cases as a condition of probation, furlough, parole, or supervised community sentence. Sponsors: Rep. Grad, others.

H.32 Require several state agencies to operate office of regulatory assistance to assist businesses and citizens with complying with state regulations. Rep. LaClair.

H.33 Charge 10 cents for each disposable carryout bag used by a person for carrying goods, food, or other products from a retail store. Rep. Yanchatka.

Guy Page is affiliated with the Vermont Energy Partnership, the Vermont Alliance for Ethical Healthcare, and Physicians, Families & Friends for a Better Vermont.

H.34 Require Secretary of Natural Resources to recommend certain environmental permit programs be delegated to municipalities, including permitting of wastewater systems, wells, and lakeshore land development. Rep. Sibilia.

H.35 Establish private right of legal action for medical monitoring damages incurred due to exposure to a toxic substance. Rep. Linda Sullivan.

H.36 Require town clerk to notify property owner when lien is filed. Rep. Townsend.

H.37 Eliminates authority of Secretary of Human Services to change decision of Human Services Board. Rep. Donahue.

H.38 Authorize primary enforcement of the adult safety belt law. (At present law enforcement may only issue seat belt ticket if car has been stopped for other reasons.) Rep. Till, others.

H.39 Extend deadline of school district mergers required by the State Board of Education to July 1, 2020. Rep. Scheuermann, others.

H.40 Provide transition facilitation grant funding to school districts that are newly formed by State Board of Education merger order under Act 46. Rep. Scheuermann, others.

H.41 Require Agency of Education to evaluate successes and failures of Act 46. Rep. Scheuermann, others.

H.42 Place moratorium on school district mergers ordered by the State Board of Education until legal issues are adjudicated. Rep. Scheuermann, others.

H.43 Require third-party evaluation of Act 46 outcomes; extend merger deadline to July 1, 2020; clarify that authority to approve draft Articles of Amendment lies with voters, not school boards; permit 10 year phase-in of unified tax rate of merged district; and permit modification of equalized homestead property tax rate and household income percentage. Rep. Ancel, others.

H.44 Require hospitals and Vermont Psychiatric Care Hospital each maintain bi-monthly mental health advisory group. Rep. Donahue.

H.45 Prohibit municipal corporation from basing water rates on appraised or assessed value of customer’s property. Rep. Dickinson.

H.46 Create Sports Betting Study Committee to examine legalizing, regulating, and taxing sports betting, and to prepare proposed legislation that will provide for gradual legalization. Rep. Jickling.

H.47 Tax electronic cigarettes on current wholesale tax on “other tobacco products.” Rep. Till, others.

H.48 Raise tax rate by $1.25 on pack of cigarettes and on new smokeless tobacco products. Rep. Till, others.

H.49 Prohibit municipalities from adopting any ordinance, resolution, or other enactment about possession, ownership, transportation, transfer, sale, purchase, carrying, licensing, or registration of a knife or knife-making components. Rep. Brennan.

H.50 Require that when a person installs a buoy, dock, or floating structure on state waters, expanded polystyrene flotation foam shall be encapsulated by protective covering or shall be designed to prevent foam from disintegrating into the water. Prohibit marina sale of non-encapsulated polystyrene foam products. Reps. Sullivan, McCarthy.

H.51 Prohibits construction of fossil fuel infrastructure in Vermont, except for infrastructure certified by the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission. Rep. Mary Sullivan, others.

Statehouse Headliners is intended primarily to educate, not advocate. It is e-mailed to an ever-growing list of interested Vermonters, public officials and media. Guy Page is affiliated with the Vermont Energy Partnership; the Vermont Alliance for Ethical Healthcare; and Physicians, Families and Friends for a Better Vermont.