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Bill

H 695

An act relating to approval of amendments to the charter of the Town of Bennington concerning a local option tax on short-term rentals

2025-2026 Regular Session Introduced by Will Greer

The bill authorizes Vermont to approve Bennington’s charter amendments that enable a local option short-term rental tax, allowing local implementation.

Read first time and referred to the Committee on Government Operations and Military Affairs
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Bill Summary · H 695

Overview

Bill H.695 (2025-2026, Vermont) seeks to approve amendments to the Town of Bennington’s charter related to a local option tax on short-term rentals (STRs). The measure is procedural in nature, focusing on the state’s approval of the charter changes rather than creating new policy provisions directly. It reflects the legislature’s role in validating local charter amendments that enable or modify a local tax on STRs.

Purpose and intent

  • To confirm and authorize amendments to the Town of Bennington’s charter that pertain to a local option tax on short-term rentals.
  • To ensure the proposed charter amendments receive state approval as required for local option taxes to be enforceable.

Key provisions and changes

  • The bill does not itself enact a new tax or alter tax rates. Instead, it approves the amendments to Bennington’s charter that authorize a local option tax on short-term rentals.
  • By approving the charter amendments, the Vermont Legislature enables the town to implement, administer, or adjust a local STR tax in accordance with the amended charter provisions.
  • The scope is limited to jurisdictional and procedural approval; substantive tax rate, collection mechanics, and administration would be governed by subsequent local ordinances and state enabling statutes, not by this bill alone.

Who would be affected

  • Primary: Residents and visitors in the Town of Bennington, as well as property owners and hosts who offer short-term rentals within Bennington.
  • Indirectly: Town government (for administration, collection, and enforcement of the STR tax) and the Vermont Department of Taxes, which oversees state-local tax cooperation and compliance.
  • The bill’s approval would allow Bennington to implement and administer a local STR tax in line with the amended charter.

Procedural and timeline aspects

  • Action history indicates the bill was read the first time and referred to the Committee on Government Operations and Military Affairs on January 15, 2026.
  • As a charter-approval measure, passage typically requires approval by the Vermont House and Senate and signature by the Governor to authorize the local charter amendments related to the STR tax.
  • The timeline for implementing the tax would follow after charter approval, including any effective dates, tax rate parameters, collection dates, and reporting requirements established by Bennington’s local ordinance and state guidance.

Additional notes

  • The bill lists Will Greer as a co-sponsor.
  • The summary reflects that the core function is to authorize state approval of local charter amendments; it does not detail the specific tax rate, exemptions, or administrative mechanisms, which would be defined in Bennington’s charter amendments and subsequent local ordinances.

Compiled from official sources — confirm details with the bill’s official record.

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