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Bill

H 239

An act relating to temporary State employees

2025-2026 Regular Session Introduced by Conor Casey and 7 co-sponsors

Expands rights for temporary workers: whistleblower protections, pay alignment, paid/unpaid leave, and health insurance after six months, and broadens who is a State employee.

Read first time and referred to the Committee on Government Operations and Military Affairs
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Bill Summary · H 239

Summary of Bill H.239 (2025-2026) – Vermont

Main purpose and intent

  • Establish certain rights for temporary State employees and authorize long-term temporary State employees to collectively bargain.
  • Overall aim: provide temporary/seasonal workers with protections and benefits comparable to permanent/limited-status State employees, and expand labor relations rights where appropriate.

Key provisions and changes

1) Temporary employees rights and benefits (amendment to 3 V.S.A. § 331)
- Temporary or seasonal workers shall be:
- Entitled to whistleblower protections, rights, and remedies available to State employees.
- Paid according to the classification and pay plan most closely applicable to their work (as for classified State employees).
- Eligible for paid and unpaid leave (including sick leave, annual leave, parental and family leave, holidays, and other leave benefits) comparable to classified State employees.
- Temporary/seasonal workers shall not be terminated without good cause.
- After six months of temporary employment, the State must provide health insurance benefits that:
- Meet the ACA’s minimum essential coverage standards, and
- Cover the employee’s dependents.

2) Redefinition of “State employee” (amendment to 3 V.S.A. § 902)
- Broadens the definition to include:
- Permanent or limited-status employees of the State, Vermont State Colleges, University of Vermont, State's Attorneys’ offices, and certain deputy sheriffs.
- Includes full-time deputy sheriffs paid by the State.
- Adds certain temporary/intermittent employees under specific conditions:
- Work more than 1,280 hours per year in one or more temporary positions for two years, or
- Are designated temporary employees but do not meet requirements of subsection 331(b).
- Excludes individuals who are exempt or excluded from the State classified service, with listed exceptions for the types of employees included above.

3) Judiciary definition alignment (amendment to 3 V.S.A. § 1011)
- In the Judiciary, “Employee” is defined to include:
- Permanent or limited-status employees, including permanent part-time employees.
- Individuals whose employment has ceased due to or in connection with a labor dispute or unfair labor practice.
- Exclusions include temporary, contractual, seasonal, or on-call workers (including interns) who meet specific temporary-use criteria:
- Hired to temporarily replace someone, accommodate peak workloads, or supplement permanent workers on special projects not normally in the duties of permanent employees.
- Do not exceed 1,280 hours per year across such positions for two years.

Who is affected

  • Temporary and seasonal State employees receive new protections and benefits (whistleblower rights, pay alignment with applicable classifications, enhanced leave, and health insurance after six months).
  • Temporary employees who meet workload/hour thresholds may be classified as “State employees” for purposes of labor relations and protections.
  • Judiciary employees are affected by clarified definitions to distinguish temporary/seasonal work from permanent employment, potentially impacting eligibility for certain employment protections.

Procedural and timeline aspects

  • Effective date: July 1, 2025.
  • The act would take effect on that date if enacted.
  • The bill was introduced and referred to the House Committee on Government Operations and Military Affairs, with initial actions recorded on February 18, 2025.

Notable accessibility aspects

  • Provisions are written to align temporary employee rights with those of classified/state employees where applicable, making protections (like whistleblower rights and health coverage eligibility) more uniform across employment types.

If you’d like, I can provide a side-by-side comparison of current law vs. H.239 for specific sections, or summarize potential fiscal impacts and implementation considerations.

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

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