2025 Legislative Bills Update
Legislative Session Dates: 2025 – 2026
Compiled by the FOVLAP Legislative Committee
As of February 3, 2025
HOUSE Bills (Active)
H.86 An act relating to establishing the Chloride Contamination Reduction Program at the Agency of Natural Resources
Status: Read first time and referred to the Committee on Environment on 1/24/25.
Statement of purpose of bill as introduced: This bill proposes to require the Secretary of Natural Resources to establish the Chloride Contamination Reduction Program to train commercial salt applicators and municipal salt applicators in best management practices to most efficiently apply salt or salt alternatives and to prevent salt or salt alternatives from entering the waters of the State. A certified commercial applicator shall be presumed to be in compliance with water quality laws when applying salt or salt alternatives according to the best management practices established by the Program.
H.113 An act relating to lakes in crisis and requirements for designation
Status: Read first time and referred to the Committee on Environment on 1/28/25.
Statement of purpose of bill as introduced: This bill proposes to declare Lake Memphremagog a lake in crisis and eliminate the criteria of declining real property value in the municipality in which the lake is located for the lake in crisis designation. An act relating to lakes in crisis and requirements for designation
FOVLAP Note: This is intended to declare Memphremagog as a lake in crisis and to eliminate the third of the three criteria for declaring a lake in crisis.
The three criteria are:
1) Lake or segment of the lake have been listed as impaired
2) Condition of lake is potential harm to public health and risk of damage to environment or natural resources and the one this bill would eliminate:
3) Municipality has reduced property values due to condition of lake
SENATE Bills (Active)
S.29 An act relating to establishing the Chloride Contamination Reduction Program at the Agency of Natural Resources
Status: Read 1st time & referred to Committee on Natural Resources and Energy on 1/29/25
Statement of purpose of bill as introduced: This bill proposes to require the Secretary of Natural Resources to establish the Chloride Contamination Reduction Program to train commercial salt applicators and municipal salt applicators in best management practices to most efficiently apply salt or salt alternatives and to prevent salt or salt alternatives from entering the waters of the State. A certified commercial applicator shall be presumed to be in compliance with water quality laws when applying salt or salt alternatives according to the best management practices established by the Program.
S.40 An act relating to authorizing drawdown of dams during emergency flood events
Status: Read 1st time & referred to Committee on Natural Resources and Energy on 2/4/25
Statement of purpose of bill as introduced: This bill proposes to authorize the Governor during a declared state of emergency to authorize the Agency of Natural Resources to waive applicable water quality permits or requirements to
allow dams within the State to draw down water levels in anticipation of a flood event likely to cause substantial damage or injury to persons or property.
S.41 An act relating to authorizing the use of State waters by hydroelectric generation facilities
Status: Read 1st time & referred to Committee on Natural Resources and Energy on 2/4/25
Statement of purpose of bill as introduced: This bill proposes to authorize the use of Class B(2) waters in the State for use by a hydroelectric power generation facility with a proposed installed capacity of five megawatts or less.
The bill would also direct the Secretary of Natural Resources to amend the Vermont Water Quality Standards to reflect the inclusion of hydroelectric power generation facilities with a proposed installed capacity of five megawatts or less as a suitable use of Class B(2) waters.
