# Vermont S.173: An act relating to vocational rehabilitation and apprenticeships Vermont S.173, An act relating to vocational rehabilitation and apprenticeships, is a 2025-2026 Session Senate bill sponsored by Kesha K Ram Hinsdale (Democratic); status signed, last action 2026-05-26 (Senate Message: Signed by Governor May 21, 2026); PRIA reads it as touching household money (as of 2026-11-01). - Canonical: https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/VT-S173-2026 - As of: 2026-11-01 - Plain-text twin of the page above; the HTML and this file carry the same facts. ## Facts - Bill: Vermont S.173 - State: Vermont - Session: 2025-2026 Session - Title: An act relating to vocational rehabilitation and apprenticeships - Status: signed - Chamber: Senate - Introduced: 2026-01-06 - Last action: 2026-05-26, Senate Message: Signed by Governor May 21, 2026 - Sponsor: Kesha K Ram Hinsdale (Democratic) - Cosponsors: 0 - Touches household money: yes - Economic provisions PRIA read: 4 ## Summary No summary available. ## Bill overview: provisions PRIA read - Injured workers get clearer retraining rights notices: benefit, low. Beginning July 1, 2026, Vermont’s Department of Labor must explain injured workers’ right to request vocational rehabilitation services later. The notice covers work injuries under workers’ compensation that affect the ability to earn the worker’s preinjury wage. These services help workers prepare… - More privacy and equal opportunity for apprentices: benefit, low. Beginning July 1, 2026, apprentices can leave their Social Security number and demographic details off apprenticeship agreements. Optional details include race, national origin, gender identity, language, age, veteran status, sexual orientation, and disability status. Each agreement must also state… - Apprenticeship programs must address barriers to access: benefit, low. Beginning July 1, 2026, Vermont’s Apprenticeship Advisory Board must address barriers to joining and finishing apprenticeships and strengthen community partnerships. Underserved groups include rural residents, veterans and spouses, people facing age or former-incarceration barriers, and people lack… - New eligibility and pay rules for youth apprentices: mixed, medium. Beginning July 1, 2026, youth apprentices must have unfinished secondary education and attend an Agency of Education-approved educational program. They must also be enrolled in career technical education, replacing the rule requiring them to start while in high school. Regional career technical edu… ## Sponsors and cosponsors - Sponsor: Kesha K Ram Hinsdale (Democratic), Senate ## Actions (46) - 2026-05-26: Senate Message: Signed by Governor May 21, 2026 (Senate) - 2026-05-22: Signed by Governor on May 21, 2026 (Senate) - 2026-05-15: Delivered to Governor on May 15, 2026 (Senate) - 2026-05-08: Senate Message: House proposal of amendment concurred in (Senate) - 2026-05-07: As passed by Senate and House (Senate) - 2026-05-07: Title amended (Senate) - 2026-05-07: House proposal of amendment concurred in (Senate) - 2026-05-07: House proposal of amendment; text (Senate) - 2026-05-07: Unfinished Business/House Proposal of Amendment (Senate) - 2026-05-06: Unfinished Business/House Proposal of Amendment (Senate) - 2026-05-05: New Business/House Proposal of Amendment (Senate) - 2026-05-01: House proposal of amendment (Senate) - 2026-05-01: Entered on Notice Calendar (Senate) - 2026-05-01: House message: House passed bill in concurrence with proposal(s) of amendment (House) - 2026-04-29: Read third time and passed in concurrence with proposal of amendment (House) - 2026-04-29: Action Calendar: Third Reading (House) - 2026-04-28: Third Reading ordered (House) - 2026-04-28: Report of Committee on Commerce and Economic Development, as amended, agreed to (House) - 2026-04-28: Report of Committee on Commerce and Economic Development amended as recommended by Committee on Appropriations (House) - 2026-04-28: Rep. Nigro of Bennington recommended for the Committee on Appropriations (House) - 2026-04-28: Rep. Cooper of Pownal reported for the Committee on Commerce and Economic Development (House) - 2026-04-28: Read second time (House) - 2026-04-28: Action Calendar: Favorable with Amendment (House) - 2026-04-24: Notice Calendar: Favorable with Amendment (House) - 2026-04-22: Referred to Committee on Appropriations per Rule 35(a) (House) - 2026-04-22: Notice Calendar: Favorable with Amendment (House) - 2026-03-17: Read first time and referred to the Committee on Commerce and Economic Development (House) - 2026-03-12: Title amended as recommended by Committee on Economic Development, Housing and General Affairs (Senate) - 2026-03-12: Read 3rd time & passed (Senate) - 2026-03-12: New Business/Third Reading (Senate) - 2026-03-11: 3rd reading ordered (Senate) - 2026-03-11: Recommendation of amendment by Committee on Economic Development, Housing and General Affairs agreed to (Senate) - 2026-03-11: Reported favorably by Senator Watson for Committee on Appropriations (Senate) - 2026-03-11: Read 2nd time, reported favorably with recommendation of amendment by Senator Weeks for Committee on Economic Development, Housing and General Affairs (Senate) - 2026-03-11: Favorable report by Committee on Appropriations (Senate) - 2026-03-11: Favorable report with recommendation of amendment by Committee on Economic Development, Housing and General Affairs (Senate) - 2026-03-11: New Business/Second Reading (Senate) - 2026-03-10: Favorable report by Committee on Appropriations (Senate) - 2026-03-10: Favorable report with recommendation of amendment by Committee on Economic Development, Housing and General Affairs (Senate) - 2026-03-10: Second Reading (Senate) - 2026-03-10: Entered on Notice Calendar (Senate) - 2026-02-24: Referred to Committee on Appropriations per Senate Rule 31 (Senate) - 2026-02-24: Favorable report with recommendation of amendment by Committee on Economic Development, Housing and General Affairs (Senate) - 2026-02-24: Second Reading (Senate) - 2026-02-24: Entered on Notice Calendar (Senate) - 2026-01-06: Read 1st time & referred to Committee on Economic Development, Housing and General Affairs (Senate) ## Bill text - As Enacted (ACT 107)Opens in a new window, 2026-05-29: [PDF](https://legislature.vermont.gov/Documents/2026/Docs/ACTS/ACT107/ACT107%20As%20Enacted.pdf) - As Passed by Both Chambers, 2026-05-14: [PDF](https://legislature.vermont.gov/Documents/2026/Docs/BILLS/S-0173/S-0173 As Passed by Both House and Senate Official.pdf) - As Passed by Both Chambers (Unofficial), 2026-05-14: [PDF](https://legislature.vermont.gov/Documents/2026/Docs/BILLS/S-0173/S-0173 As Passed by Both House and Senate Unofficial.pdf) - House Proposal of Amendment, 2026-04-30: [PDF](https://legislature.vermont.gov/Documents/2026/Docs/BILLS/S-0173/S-0173 House proposal of amendment Official.pdf) - House Proposal of Amendment (Unofficial), 2026-04-30: [PDF](https://legislature.vermont.gov/Documents/2026/Docs/BILLS/S-0173/S-0173 House Proposal of Amendment Unofficial.pdf) - As Passed by the Senate, 2026-03-13: [PDF](https://legislature.vermont.gov/Documents/2026/Docs/BILLS/S-0173/S-0173 As passed by the Senate Official.pdf) - As Passed by the Senate (Unofficial), 2026-03-13: [PDF](https://legislature.vermont.gov/Documents/2026/Docs/BILLS/S-0173/S-0173 As Passed by the Senate Unofficial.pdf) - As Introduced, 2026-01-05: [PDF](https://legislature.vermont.gov/Documents/2026/Docs/BILLS/S-0173/S-0173 As Introduced.pdf) ## Related bills - S.189: An act relating to establishing a process for the elimination of certain hospital services (signed) - S.142: An act relating to a pathway to licensure for internationally trained physicians (signed) - S.190: An act relating to reference-based pricing and the Green Mountain Care Board (vetoed) - H.957: An act relating to approval of amendments to the charter of the Town of Williston (signed) - H.952: An act relating to capital construction and State bonding budget adjustment (signed) - H.955: An act relating to next steps in transforming Vermont’s education system (signed) ## Sources - [As Enacted (ACT 107)Opens in a new window (PDF)](https://legislature.vermont.gov/Documents/2026/Docs/ACTS/ACT107/ACT107%20As%20Enacted.pdf) - [As Passed by Both Chambers (PDF)](https://legislature.vermont.gov/Documents/2026/Docs/BILLS/S-0173/S-0173 As Passed by Both House and Senate Official.pdf) - [As Passed by Both Chambers (Unofficial) (PDF)](https://legislature.vermont.gov/Documents/2026/Docs/BILLS/S-0173/S-0173 As Passed by Both House and Senate Unofficial.pdf) - [House Proposal of Amendment (PDF)](https://legislature.vermont.gov/Documents/2026/Docs/BILLS/S-0173/S-0173 House proposal of amendment Official.pdf) - [House Proposal of Amendment (Unofficial) (PDF)](https://legislature.vermont.gov/Documents/2026/Docs/BILLS/S-0173/S-0173 House Proposal of Amendment Unofficial.pdf) - [As Passed by the Senate (PDF)](https://legislature.vermont.gov/Documents/2026/Docs/BILLS/S-0173/S-0173 As passed by the Senate Official.pdf) - [As Passed by the Senate (Unofficial) (PDF)](https://legislature.vermont.gov/Documents/2026/Docs/BILLS/S-0173/S-0173 As Passed by the Senate Unofficial.pdf) - [As Introduced (PDF)](https://legislature.vermont.gov/Documents/2026/Docs/BILLS/S-0173/S-0173 As Introduced.pdf) ## Related - [S.189: An act relating to establishing a process for the elimination of certain hospit…](https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/VT-S189-2026) - [S.142: An act relating to a pathway to licensure for internationally trained physicians](https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/VT-S142-2026) - [S.190: An act relating to reference-based pricing and the Green Mountain Care Board](https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/VT-S190-2026) - [H.957: An act relating to approval of amendments to the charter of the Town of Willist…](https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/VT-H957-2026) - [H.952: An act relating to capital construction and State bonding budget adjustment](https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/VT-H952-2026) - [H.955: An act relating to next steps in transforming Vermont’s education system](https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/VT-H955-2026) - [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-S173-2026 (as of 2026-11-01).