WeVote
Log In

Bill

Bill

H 328

An act relating to compliance with the environmental justice State policy

2025-2026 Regular Session Introduced by Kate Logan

H.328 would require Vermont regional planning commissions to comply with the state's environmental justice policy, embedding equity considerations into regional planning and decisi

House message: House concurred in Senate proposal of amendment to House proposal of amendment
0
WeVote Research Nonpartisan
Bill Summary · H 328

Overview

  • Bill: H.328 (H 328)
  • Session: Vermont 2025-2026
  • Subject: Conservation and development; executive; environmental justice; regional planning commissions
  • Introduced by: Rep. Kate Logan (Burlington)
  • Committee: House Committee on Environment
  • Status / Timeline:
    • Read first time and referred to the Environment Committee on February 25, 2025
    • Last action recorded: May 28, 2026 — House concurred in Senate proposal of amendment to House proposal of amendment
    • Location of action: House of Representatives; activity shows alignment with Senate amendments

Note: The short-form bill text indicates the core change is to add regional planning commissions to the entities required to comply with Vermont’s environmental justice State policy. The full statutory text is not included in the short form.

Purpose and Intent

  • The bill aims to ensure that regional planning commissions are subject to Vermont’s environmental justice State policy.
  • By incorporating regional planning commissions, the measure seeks to broaden the application of environmental justice considerations in planning and development processes that involve regional planning entities.

Key Provisions and Changes (as indicated)

  • Expansion of Compliance Requirements: Adds regional planning commissions to the list of entities required to comply with the environmental justice State policy.
  • Scope of Policy: Aligns with existing environmental justice goals within state policy, extending duties to regional planning bodies that influence conservation, development, and regional planning decisions.
  • Policy Alignment: Ensures that regional planning activities consider environmental justice impacts, potentially including factors such as disproportionate burdens on underrepresented communities, public health concerns, and equitable access to environmental benefits.

Note: The exact text of the statutory changes is not provided in the short-form excerpt. The description focuses on the intended expansion of compliance obligations.

Affected Entities and Impacts

  • Directly Affected: Regional planning commissions in Vermont.
  • Broader Impacts:
    • Local communities, particularly those potentially affected by planning and development decisions guided by the commissions.
    • Agencies and departments that coordinate with regional planning commissions on conservation, development, and environmental justice initiatives.
  • Operational Implications: Regional planning commissions would need to integrate environmental justice considerations into their planning processes, assessments, and decision-making workflows consistent with the state policy.

Procedural and Timeline Aspects

  • Introduction and Referral: Introduced and referred to the House Committee on Environment in February 2025.
  • Committee Consideration: No detailed meeting history provided in the brief excerpt.
  • Adjournment/Concurrence: By May 28, 2026, the House concurred in Senate amendments to the House-proposed amendments, indicating a completion of the legislative negotiation phase and movement toward final passage, subject to any further proceedings.
  • Next Steps (if any): Depending on additional legislative steps, the bill could proceed to final passage in both chambers and be signed by the governor, or undergo further amendments as part of the legislative process.

Summary

H.328 proposes to require regional planning commissions to comply with Vermont’s environmental justice State policy, thereby expanding the scope of entities responsible for integrating environmental justice considerations into conservation and development planning. The bill’s primary effect is to embed environmental justice into regional planning processes, potentially influencing how planning decisions are evaluated for equity, health, and environmental burdens. The legislative path showed active consideration with amendments process completed as of May 2026.

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

Sign in to ask a question.