WHAT ’ S NEW ? Legislative Overview - 2017
The VBA followed a number of bills affecting the bar and the courts this legislative session . Below is a brief summary of those that have been enacted to date , or have passed the House and the Senate and are awaiting Governor Scott ’ s signature . The summary includes the bill designation , title , date signed by Governor Scott ( if signed to date ), effective date , and an indication of any VBA Connect Communities where information about the bill was posted during the legislative session . A link to each bill is at the end of each summary . For your information , the “ Notary Public ” bill that ’ s been mentioned the last couple of sessions passed the House as H . 526 , but didn ’ t get to the Senate . We ’ ve been asked to meet with the Secretary of State ’ s Office over the summer , in the hopes of arriving at an acceptable version of the bill before the start of the next legislative session .
Many thanks to VBA Government Relations Coordinator Bob Paolini for so ably tracking these and a variety of other bills affecting the bar , and for making sure that testimony was provided when needed . Many thanks , also , to the numerous lawyers who testified so capably , when needed . Please contact Teri Corsones at tcorsones @ vtbar . org if you have any questions about this overview . Thank you very much !
H . 4 “ Day is a Day ” bill ( an act related to calculating time periods in court proceedings ); signed by Governor Scott on May 1 , 2017 , effective July 1 , 2017 . ( VBA Connect Practice & Procedure Community ) http :// legislature . vermont . gov / assets / Documents / 2018 / Docs / ACTS / ACT011 / ACT011 % 20As % 20Enacted . pdf
H . 35 “ Voidable Transactions ” bill ( an act adopting the Uniform Voidable Transactions Act ); signed by Governor Scott on May 4 , 2017 , effective July 1 , 2017 . ( VBA Connect Business Association Law Community ) http :// legislature . vermont . gov / assets / Documents / 2018 / Docs / ACTS / ACT020 / ACT020 % 20As % 20Enacted . pdf
H . 152 “ Digital Assets ” bill ( an act adopting the Revised Uniform Fiduciary Access to Digital Assets Act ); signed by Governor Scott on May 1 , 2017 , effective July 1 , 2017 . ( VBA Connect Probate and Trust Community ) http :// legislature . vermont . gov / assets / Documents / 2018 / Docs / ACTS / ACT013 / ACT013 % 20As % 20Enacted . pdf
H . 171 “ Expungement ” bill ( an act relating to expungement ); delivered to Governor Scott on May 30 , 2017 for signature ; effective July 1 , 2017 - except for section 3 ( E ) effective January 1 , 2018 . ( VBA Connect
Criminal Law Community ) http :// legislature . vermont . gov / assets / Documents / 2018 / Docs / BILLS / H-0171 / H-0171 % 20As % 20 Passed % 20by % 20Both % 20House % 20 and % 20Senate % 20Unofficial . pdf
H . 265 “ Vulnerable Adult ” bill ( an act creating a private cause of action for a vulnerable adult who ’ s been financially exploited ); signed by Governor Scott on May 4 , 2017 ; effective on passage . ( VBA Connect Property Law Community – discussion under H . 283 reference ) http :// legislature . vermont . gov / assets / Documents / 2018 / Docs / ACTS / ACT023 / ACT023 % 20As % 20Enacted . pdf
H . 290 “ Title Clarifications ” bill ( an act related to clarifying ambiguities relating to real estate titles and conveyances ); signed by Governor Scott on May 4 , 2017 ; effective on passage . ( VBA Connect Property Law Community ) http :// legislature . vermont . gov / assets / Documents / 2018 / Docs / ACTS / ACT024 / ACT024 % 20As % 20Enacted . pdf
H . 424 “ Act 250 ” bill ( an act relating to the Commission on Act 250 ); signed by Governor Scott on May 23 , 2017 ; effective on passage ( VBA Connect Environmental Law Community ) http :// legislature . vermont . gov / assets / Documents / 2018 / Docs / ACTS / ACT047 / ACT047 % 20As % 20Enacted . pdf
H . 502 “ Parentage ” bill ( an act related to modernizing Vermont ’ s parentage laws ); signed by Governor Scott on May 10 , 2017 ; effective on passage . ( VBA Connect Family Law Community ) http :// legislature . vermont . gov / assets / Documents / 2018 / Docs / ACTS / ACT031 / ACT031 % 20As % 20Enacted . pdf
S . 8 “ Ethics ” bill ( an act related to establishing the Ethics Commission and standards of government ethical conduct ); delivered to Governor Scott for signature on May 30 , 2017 ; variety of effective dates . http :// legislature . vermont . gov / assets / Documents / 2018 / Docs / BILLS / S- 0008 / S-0008 % 20As % 20Passed % 20by % 20 Both % 20House % 20and % 20Senate % 20Unofficial . pdf
S . 112 “ Alimony Reform ” bill ( an act relating to creating a Spousal Support and Maintenance Task Force ); delivered to Governor Scott for signature on May 30 , 2017 ; effective on passage . ( VBA Connect Family Law Community ) http :// legislature . vermont . gov / assets / Documents / 2018 / Docs / BILLS / S-0112 / S-0112 % 20As % 20 Passed % 20by % 20Both % 20House % 20 and % 20Senate % 20Unofficial . pdf
S . 136 “ Consumer Credit ” bill ( an act related to miscellaneous consumer protection provisions ); not yet signed by Governor Scott ; effective on passage . http :// legislature . vermont . gov / assets / Documents / 2018 / Docs / BILLS / S-0136 / S- 0136 % 20As % 20Passed % 20by % 20Both % 20House % 20and % 20Senate % 20Unofficial . pdf .
www . vtbar . org THE VERMONT BAR JOURNAL • SUMMER 2017 27