An act relating to economic and workforce development
Sponsored By: Sponsor information unavailable
Signed by Governor
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Bill Overview
Analyzed Economic Effects
7 provisions identified: 6 benefits, 0 costs, 1 mixed.
Employment help for public assistance recipients
Beginning July 1, 2025, the Labor Commissioner must make agreements with other state agencies when needed to serve public assistance recipients. These agreements support services aimed at improving employment and economic outcomes. They can include customized or specialized help beyond basic services required by federal law. The law does not create a specific cash payment.
Job search help for Vermont workers
Beginning July 1, 2025, the Labor Commissioner must provide job and training services in person and online. The Commissioner must establish job centers where needed and review them as needed. The Commissioner must maintain a free, secure online job board. Where practical, it must gather job openings, registered apprenticeships, education, training, and credential opportunities. The Commissioner must also develop ways to reduce layoffs and business closures and provide reemployment help to affected workers.
Funding for small business advice
Beginning July 1, 2025, the law allocates $350,000 from Vermont’s economic development funds for fiscal year 2026. The Vermont Professionals of Color Network gets $200,000 for services supporting Black, Indigenous, and other small business owners of color. Services include business advice, basic business education, help finding resources, and networking. The Vermont Small Business Development Center gets $150,000 for advice and workshops on starting, buying, or growing businesses. These funds support services, not set cash payments to individual owners.
Convention venue study and member reimbursements
Beginning June 12, 2025, the law creates a task force to study a convention center and performance venue. Legislators and business and regional development representatives study feasibility, economic returns, ownership, management, maintenance, and water, sewer, transportation, lodging, and food needs. They also examine state spending, bonds, tax tools, and other financing; this law does not approve construction funding or new taxes. The task force can receive help from the Agency of Commerce and Community Development and meet no more than six times. Its interim report is due November 1, 2025, and its final report is due November 1, 2026. Legislative members can receive daily pay and expenses for up to six meetings while the General Assembly is adjourned. Other members can receive permitted expense reimbursement for up to six meetings. The task force ends December 1, 2026.
Support for international business and trade
Beginning July 1, 2025, the law allocates $150,000 in fiscal year 2026 economic development funds for the International Business Office. Beginning July 1, 2026, the law establishes trade commission authority and a Vermont–Ireland Trade Commission within the State Treasurer’s office. The commission supports trade, investment, policy cooperation, and business and academic exchanges; initial appointments are due October 1, 2026. It can raise funds and accept donations, grants, and bequests, but members receive no state pay or expense reimbursement. The Vermont–Ireland commission ends June 30, 2030.
Coordinated job training for Vermont workers
Beginning July 1, 2025, the law creates the Vermont Office of Workforce Strategy and Development. Its director and the Labor Commissioner jointly lead the workforce system; Labor remains the designated state agency under federal workforce law. The office must coordinate partners, advise state leaders, support regional projects, connect graduates with Vermont jobs, and ensure workforce board duties are met. The director must maintain a public program inventory and a measurable strategy with a two-year work plan aligned with federal planning. The strategy must be reviewed at least every two years, with metrics developed through consultation with state performance officials. The Labor Commissioner must use data to match training with available workers, employer openings, and required credentials. Every two years, by December 1, the director must report on results, priorities, funding needs, and proposed changes; this reporting duty does not expire automatically.
Workforce oversight adds personal data tracking
Beginning July 1, 2025, administrators of state and state-funded workforce programs must collect and report individual program data and results. They must use Social Security numbers or equivalent identifiers, to the fullest extent federal law allows. This supports program evaluation but increases the use of participants’ identifying information. Businesses, training providers, and other entities receiving state funds for workforce training must also report training results. These duties add reporting work for providers, not a separate reporting duty for participants.
Sponsors & Cosponsors
Sponsors
There is no primary sponsor on record.
Cosponsors
There are no cosponsors for this bill.
Roll Call Votes
No roll call votes available for this bill.
Actions Timeline
Senate Message: Signed by Governor June 12, 2025
6/13/2025SenateSigned by Governor on June 12, 2025
6/13/2025SenateDelivered to Governor on June 6, 2025
6/6/2025SenateAs passed by Senate and House
5/30/2025SenateHouse message: House concurred in Senate proposal of amendment to House proposal of amendment
5/30/2025HouseRules suspended and action on the bill messaged to the Senate forthwith and the bill delivered to the Governor forthwith as moved by Rep. McCoy of Poultney
5/30/2025HouseSenate proposal of amendment to House proposal of amendment concurred in
5/30/2025HouseRules suspended and taken up for immediate consideration, pending entry on Notice Calendar, as moved by Rep. McCoy of Poultney
5/30/2025HouseSenate Message: House proposal of amendment concurred in with further proposal of amendment thereto
5/30/2025SenateRules suspended & messaged to House forthwith, on motion of Senator Baruth
5/30/2025SenateHouse proposal of amendment concurred in with proposal of amendment, on motion of Senator Brock, Chittenden, and Weeks
5/29/2025SenateHouse proposal of amendment; text
5/29/2025SenateRules suspended & taken up for immediate consideration, on motion of Senator Baruth
5/29/2025SenateHouse proposal of amendment
5/29/2025SenateEntered on Notice Calendar
5/29/2025SenateHouse message: House passed bill in concurrence with proposal(s) of amendment
5/28/2025HouseRules suspended and bill messaged forthwith to the Senate as moved by Rep. McCoy of Poultney
5/28/2025HouseRead third time and passed in concurrence with proposal of amendment
5/28/2025HouseRules suspended and bill placed in all remaining stages of passage as moved by Rep. McCoy of Poultney
5/28/2025HouseThird Reading ordered
5/28/2025HouseReport of Committee on Commerce and Economic Development, as amended, agreed to
5/28/2025HouseReport of the Committee on Commerce and Economic Development amended as recommended by the Committee on Appropriations
5/28/2025HouseRep. Stevens of Waterbury recommended for the Committee on Appropriations
5/28/2025HouseRep. Waszazak of Barre City recommended for the Committee on Ways and Means
5/28/2025HouseRep. Duke of Burlington reported for the Committee on Commerce and Economic Development
5/28/2025House
Bill Text
As Enacted (ACT 65)Opens in a new window
6/19/2025
As Passed by Both Chambers
6/3/2025
As Passed by Both Chambers (Unofficial)
6/3/2025
House Proposal of Amendment
5/28/2025
House Proposal of Amendment (Unofficial)
5/28/2025
As Passed by the Senate
3/28/2025
As Passed by the Senate (Unofficial)
3/28/2025
As Introduced
3/14/2025
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