# Vermont H.778: An act relating to dam safety Vermont H.778, An act relating to dam safety, is a 2025-2026 Session House bill sponsored by Ela Chapin (Democratic); status signed, last action 2026-05-27 (House message: Governor approved bill on May 27, 2026) (as of 2026-11-01). - Canonical: https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/VT-H778-2026 - As of: 2026-11-01 - Plain-text twin of the page above; the HTML and this file carry the same facts. ## Facts - Bill: Vermont H.778 - State: Vermont - Session: 2025-2026 Session - Title: An act relating to dam safety - Status: signed - Chamber: House - Introduced: 2026-01-27 - Last action: 2026-05-27, House message: Governor approved bill on May 27, 2026 - Sponsor: Ela Chapin (Democratic) - Cosponsors: 10 - Touches household money: no - Economic provisions PRIA read: 2 ## Summary No summary available. ## Bill overview: provisions PRIA read - New emergency plans for downstream communities: benefit, low. Beginning May 27, 2026, Vermont requires emergency operations plans for two State-owned dams classified as high-hazard potential. One must have at least 1,000 people at risk; the other must have 100 to fewer than 1,000. For fiscal year 2027, the General Fund provides $375,000 for this pilot: $250,0… - State evacuation orders protect dam-area residents: benefit, low. Beginning May 27, 2026, Vermont's Governor or Director of Emergency Management can require evacuations without town approval. This authority applies when a dam fails or faces an imminent risk of failure. Orders cover areas that could flood because of the failure. The law otherwise leaves the existi… ## Sponsors and cosponsors - Sponsor: Ela Chapin (Democratic), House - Cosponsor: Amy D Sheldon (Democratic), House - Cosponsor: Christopher "Chris" A Pritchard (Republican), House - Cosponsor: Conor Casey (Democratic), House - Cosponsor: Kate McCann (Democratic), House - Cosponsor: Larry Labor (Republican), House - Cosponsor: Larry Satcowitz (Democratic), House - Cosponsor: Marc B Mihaly (Democratic), House - Cosponsor: Sarah "Sarita" C Austin (Democratic), House - Cosponsor: Theresa A Wood (Democratic), House - Cosponsor: Thomas S Stevens (Democratic), House ## Actions (47) - 2026-05-27: House message: Governor approved bill on May 27, 2026 (House) - 2026-05-27: Signed by Governor on May 27, 2026 (House) - 2026-05-21: Delivered to Governor on May 21, 2026 (House) - 2026-05-13: Senate Message: House proposal of amendment to Senate proposal of amendment concurred in (Senate) - 2026-05-12: House proposal of amendment to Senate proposal of amendment concurred in (Senate) - 2026-05-12: House proposal of amendment to Senate proposal of amendment, text (Senate) - 2026-05-12: House proposal of amendment to Senate proposal of amendment (Senate) - 2026-05-08: House proposal of amendment to Senate proposal of amendment (Senate) - 2026-05-08: Entered on Notice Calendar (Senate) - 2026-05-08: House message: House concurred in Senate proposal of amendment with proposal of amendment (House) - 2026-05-06: Senate proposal of amendment concurred in with further amendment thereto, as offered by Rep. Chapin of East Montpelier (House) - 2026-05-06: Action Calendar: Senate Proposal of Amendment (House) - 2026-05-05: Notice Calendar: Senate Proposal of Amendment (House) - 2026-05-01: Senate Message: Passed in concurrence with proposal of amendment (Senate) - 2026-04-30: Read 3rd time & passed in concurrence with proposal of amendment (Senate) - 2026-04-30: New Business/Third Reading (Senate) - 2026-04-29: 3rd reading ordered (Senate) - 2026-04-29: Proposal of amendment by Committee on Natural Resources and Energy agreed to (Senate) - 2026-04-29: Reported favorably by Senator Watson for Committee on Appropriations (Senate) - 2026-04-29: Read 2nd time, reported favorably with proposal of amendment by Senator Williams for Committee on Natural Resources and Energy (Senate) - 2026-04-29: Favorable report by Committee on Appropriations (Senate) - 2026-04-29: Favorable report with proposal of amendment by Committee on Natural Resources and Energy (Senate) - 2026-04-29: Unfinished Business/Second Reading (Senate) - 2026-04-28: Favorable report by Committee on Appropriations (Senate) - 2026-04-28: Favorable report with proposal of amendment by Committee on Natural Resources and Energy (Senate) - 2026-04-28: Second Reading (Senate) - 2026-04-24: Favorable report by Committee on Appropriations (Senate) - 2026-04-24: Favorable report with proposal of amendment by Committee on Natural Resources and Energy (Senate) - 2026-04-24: Second Reading (Senate) - 2026-04-24: Entered on Notice Calendar (Senate) - 2026-04-22: Referred to Committee on Appropriations per Senate Rule 31 (Senate) - 2026-04-22: Favorable report with proposal of amendment by Committee on Natural Resources and Energy (Senate) - 2026-04-22: Second Reading (Senate) - 2026-04-22: Entered on Notice Calendar (Senate) - 2026-03-27: Read 1st time & referred to Committee on Natural Resources and Energy (Senate) - 2026-03-25: Read third time and passed (House) - 2026-03-25: Action Calendar: Third Reading (House) - 2026-03-24: Third Reading ordered (House) - 2026-03-24: Report of Committee on Environment agreed to (House) - 2026-03-24: Rep. Squirrell of Underhill recommended for the Committee on Appropriations (House) - 2026-03-24: Rep. Chapin of East Montpelier reported for the Committee on Environment (House) - 2026-03-24: Read second time (House) - 2026-03-24: Action Calendar: Favorable with Amendment (House) - 2026-03-20: Notice Calendar: Favorable with Amendment (House) - 2026-02-24: Referred to Committee on Appropriations per Rule 35(a) (House) - 2026-02-24: Notice Calendar: Favorable with Amendment (House) - 2026-01-27: Read first time and referred to the Committee on Environment (House) ## Bill text - As Enacted (ACT 114)Opens in a new window, 2026-06-11: [PDF](https://legislature.vermont.gov/Documents/2026/Docs/ACTS/ACT114/ACT114%20As%20Enacted.pdf) - As Passed by Both Chambers, 2026-05-20: [PDF](https://legislature.vermont.gov/Documents/2026/Docs/BILLS/H-0778/H-0778 As Passed by Both House and Senate Official.pdf) - As Passed by Both Chambers (Unofficial), 2026-05-20: [PDF](https://legislature.vermont.gov/Documents/2026/Docs/BILLS/H-0778/H-0778 As Passed by Both House and Senate Unofficial.pdf) - Senate Proposal of Amendment, 2026-05-01: [PDF](https://legislature.vermont.gov/Documents/2026/Docs/BILLS/H-0778/H-0778 Senate proposal of amendment Official.pdf) - Senate Proposal of Amendment (Unofficial), 2026-05-01: [PDF](https://legislature.vermont.gov/Documents/2026/Docs/BILLS/H-0778/H-0778 Senate Proposal of Amendment Unofficial.pdf) - As Passed by the House, 2026-03-27: [PDF](https://legislature.vermont.gov/Documents/2026/Docs/BILLS/H-0778/H-0778 As passed by the House Official.pdf) - As Passed by the House (Unofficial), 2026-03-27: [PDF](https://legislature.vermont.gov/Documents/2026/Docs/BILLS/H-0778/H-0778 As Passed by the House Unofficial.pdf) - As Introduced, 2026-01-26: [PDF](https://legislature.vermont.gov/Documents/2026/Docs/BILLS/H-0778/H-0778 As Introduced.pdf) ## Related bills - H.757: An act relating to manufactured homes and limited equity cooperatives (signed) - H.657: An act relating to various programming and requirements within the Department for Children and Families (signed) - H.648: An act relating to banking, insurance, and securities (signed) - H.639: An act relating to genetic data privacy (signed) - H.611: An act relating to miscellaneous provisions affecting the Department of Vermont Health Access (signed) - H.583: An act relating to clinical decision making (signed) ## Sources - [As Enacted (ACT 114)Opens in a new window (PDF)](https://legislature.vermont.gov/Documents/2026/Docs/ACTS/ACT114/ACT114%20As%20Enacted.pdf) - [As Passed by Both Chambers (PDF)](https://legislature.vermont.gov/Documents/2026/Docs/BILLS/H-0778/H-0778 As Passed by Both House and Senate Official.pdf) - [As Passed by Both Chambers (Unofficial) (PDF)](https://legislature.vermont.gov/Documents/2026/Docs/BILLS/H-0778/H-0778 As Passed by Both House and Senate Unofficial.pdf) - [Senate Proposal of Amendment (PDF)](https://legislature.vermont.gov/Documents/2026/Docs/BILLS/H-0778/H-0778 Senate proposal of amendment Official.pdf) - [Senate Proposal of Amendment (Unofficial) (PDF)](https://legislature.vermont.gov/Documents/2026/Docs/BILLS/H-0778/H-0778 Senate Proposal of Amendment Unofficial.pdf) - [As Passed by the House (PDF)](https://legislature.vermont.gov/Documents/2026/Docs/BILLS/H-0778/H-0778 As passed by the House Official.pdf) - [As Passed by the House (Unofficial) (PDF)](https://legislature.vermont.gov/Documents/2026/Docs/BILLS/H-0778/H-0778 As Passed by the House Unofficial.pdf) - [As Introduced (PDF)](https://legislature.vermont.gov/Documents/2026/Docs/BILLS/H-0778/H-0778 As Introduced.pdf) ## Related - [H.757: An act relating to manufactured homes and limited equity cooperatives](https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/VT-H757-2026) - [H.657: An act relating to various programming and requirements within the Department f…](https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/VT-H657-2026) - [H.648: An act relating to banking, insurance, and securities](https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/VT-H648-2026) - [H.639: An act relating to genetic data privacy](https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/VT-H639-2026) - [H.611: An act relating to miscellaneous provisions affecting the Department of Vermont…](https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/VT-H611-2026) - [H.583: An act relating to clinical decision making](https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/VT-H583-2026) - [Vermont bills](https://policyrisk.com/states/vermont/bills) - [Vermont state hub](https://policyrisk.com/states/vermont) - [All state legislation](https://policyrisk.com/state-bills) Source: PRIA, https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/VT-H778-2026 (as of 2026-11-01).