Journal of the House

________________

TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 26, 2008

At ten o'clock in the forenoon the Speaker called the House to order.

Devotional Exercises

Devotional exercises were conducted by Speaker Gaye Symington of Jericho, VT.

Pledge of Allegiance

Page Eliza Dorney of Richmond led the House in the Pledge of Allegiance.

Message from the Senate No. 26

     A message was received from the Senate by Mr. Marshall, its Assistant Secretary, as follows:

Madam Speaker:

I am directed to inform the House that the Senate has on its part passed Senate bills of the following titles:

S. 290.  An act relating to agricultural water quality financing.

S. 291.  An act relating to the farm agronomic practices program at the agency of agriculture, food and markets.

In the passage of which the concurrence of the House is requested.

The Senate has considered a bill originating in the House of the following title:

H. 575.  An act relating to small eligible telecommunications carriers.

And has passed the same in concurrence with proposal of amendment in the adoption of which the concurrence of the House is requested.

The Senate has considered House a proposal of amendment to Senate bill of the following title:

S. 355.  An act relating to debt financing for the Vermont housing finance agency.

And has concurred therein.

     The Senate has on its part adopted Senate concurrent resolution of the following title:

S.C.R. 33.  Senate concurrent resolution congratulating Dente’s Market in Barre City on its centennial anniversary.

     The Senate has on its part adopted concurrent resolutions originating in the House of the following titles:

H.C.R. 213.  House concurrent resolution commemorating the 4706 Asian American Lunar Year celebration in Rochester.

H.C.R. 214.  House concurrent resolution congratulating the Chester innkeepers Association for requiring Green Hotel in the Green Mountain State designation.

H.C.R. 215.  House concurrent resolution congratulating Isabelle Briggs, Etta Dean, and Mabel Ward on their half-century of civic service as members of the Cavendish Firemen’s Auxiliary.

H.C.R. 216.  House concurrent resolution honoring Paul Normandeau on his civic contributions to the town of Dummerston.

House Bills Introduced

House bills of the following titles were severally introduced, read the first time and referred or placed on the Calendar as follows:

H. 869

     By Reps. Hube of Londonderry, Branagan of Georgia, McDonald of Berlin, Adams of Hartland, Brennan of Colchester, Crawford of Burke, Devereux of Mount Holly, Donaghy of Poultney, Donahue of Northfield, Errecart of Shelburne, Flory of Pittsford, Komline of Dorset, Livingston of Manchester, Marcotte of Coventry, Myers of Essex, O'Donnell of Vernon, Scheuermann of Stowe, Valliere of Barre City, Wheeler of Derby, Winters of Williamstown and Wright of Burlington,

An act relating to education finance reform;

To the committee on Ways and Means.

H. 870

By the committee on Government Operations,

An act relating to the regulation of professions and occupations;

Under the rule, placed on the Calendar for notice tomorrow.

H. 871

By the committee on Judiciary,

An act relating to professional requirements for the deputy attorney general, assistant attorneys general, probate judges, deputy state’s attorneys, constables, and sheriffs;

Under the rule, placed on the Calendar for notice tomorrow.

H. 872

     By Reps. Perry of Richford, Branagan of Georgia, Consejo of Sheldon, Fitzgerald of St. Albans City, Gervais of Enosburg, Gilbert of Fairfax, Howrigan of Fairfield, LaVoie of Swanton and McAllister of Highgate,

An act relating to the Missisquoi Rail Trail;

To the committee on Natural Resources and Energy.

H. 873

By the committee on Fish, Wildlife and Water Resources,

An act relating to the cleanup of Lake Champlain and other state waters;

Under the rule, placed on the Calendar for notice tomorrow..

Senate Bills Referred

Senate bills of the following titles were severally taken up, read the first time and referred as follows:

S. 290

Senate bill, entitled

An act relating to agricultural water quality financing;

To the committee on Agriculture.

S. 291

Senate bill, entitled

An act relating to the farm agronomic practices program at the agency of agriculture, food and markets;

To the committee on Agriculture.

Bill Amended; Third Reading Ordered

H. 135

Rep. Lenes of Shelburne, for the committee on Institutions, to which had been referred House bill, entitled

An act relating to increasing the age for mandatory participation in the corrections systems education program;

Reported in favor of its passage when amended by striking all after the enacting clause and inserting in lieu thereof the following:

Sec. 1.  28 V.S.A. § 120 is amended to read:

§ 120.  CORRECTIONS DEPARTMENT EDUCATION PROGRAM

COMMUNITY HIGH SCHOOL OF VERMONT; INDEPENDENT

SCHOOL

(a)  Authority. An education program is established There is created within the department of corrections an independent school to be known as the community high school of Vermont for the education of persons who have not completed secondary education and who are committed to the custody of the commissioner of corrections.

(b)  Applicability of education provisions.  The education program community high school shall be approved subject to approval by the state board of education as an independent school under 16 V.S.A. § 166,.  In addition, the school shall comply with the :

(1)  meet school quality standards provided by 16 V.S.A. § 165,;

(2)  offer a minimum course of study as defined in 16 V.S.A. § 906 at each correctional facility and department service center, except that it shall not be required to offer physical education; and shall

(3)  be coordinated with adult education, special education, and technical education services provided by other agencies or school districts funded by the state or federal government.

(c)  Program supervision.

(b)  The commissioner of corrections shall appoint an education supervisor, who shall be licensed as an administrator under 16 V.S.A. chapter 51, to coordinate and supervise the education program community high school of Vermont and coordinate use of other education programs by persons under the supervision of the commissioner.

(d)  Curriculum. The education program shall offer a minimum course of study, as defined in 16 V.S.A. § 906, at each correctional facility and department service center, but is not required to offer a driver training course or a physical educational course.

(e)  Commissioner of education’s designation of special education program. Notwithstanding any law to the contrary, the

(c)  The commissioner of education, in accordance with the provisions of 16 V.S.A. chapter 101 shall designate a program to provide for the special education of eligible persons who are under the custody of the commissioner of corrections.  Within the limits of funds made available for this specific purpose, the commissioner of education shall pay the costs of this program in excess of costs defined in subsection (g) of this section.

(f)  Reimbursement payments.  The provision of 16 V.S.A. § 4012, relating to payment for state-placed students, shall not apply to the corrections education program.

(g)  Annual budget.

(d)  Annually there shall be appropriated to the department the commissioner of corrections shall request that the general assembly appropriate an amount equal to the number of full-time equivalent students enrolled in the corrections department education program community high school of Vermont, multiplied by the average statewide per‑pupil cost of public school education in the preceding year.  That average cost shall be calculated to exclude debt service and transportation costs.  The annual appropriation shall be used to provide educational services to students enrolled in the community high school of Vermont.  The commissioner of education shall pay for allowable special education costs, as defined by the state board of education under 16 V.S.A. § 2963, in excess of the per-pupil cost calculated under this subsection.  

(h)  Required participation.

(e)  All persons under the custody of the commissioner of corrections who are under the age of 23 26 and have not received a high school diploma shall participate in the an education program, unless exempted by the commissioner, as follows:

(1)  those who are younger than 22 years of age shall attend the community high school of Vermont;

(2)  those who are 22 years of age or older and who are incarcerated in a Vermont facility shall attend the community high school of Vermont;

(3)  those who are 22 years of age or older and who are not incarcerated shall either attend the community high school of Vermont or participate in another education program, such as a general education development program or a program operated by a public high school, approved by the commissioner; and

(4)  those who are 22 years of age or older and who are incarcerated in a facility outside Vermont shall participate in an education program, approved by the commissioner, which is available at the facility.

Sec. 2.  EFFECTIVE DATES; TRANSITIONAL PROVISIONS

This act shall take effect on July 1, 2008.  However, for school year

2008–2009, only persons who are under the age of 23 shall be required to participate in an education program pursuant to 28 V.S.A. § 120. 

The bill was taken up, read the second time, report of the committee on Institutions agreed to and third reading ordered.

Third Reading; Bill Passed

H. 664

House bill, entitled

An act relating to unemployment insurance;

Was taken up, read the third time and passed.

Bill Read Second Time; Third Reading Ordered

H. 865

Rep. Malcolm of Pawlet spoke for the committee on Agriculture.

House bill entitled

An act relating to Vermont Milk Commission;

Having appeared on the Calendar one day for notice, was taken up, read the second time and third reading ordered.

Proposal of Amendment Agreed to; Third Reading Ordered

S. 351

Rep. Martin of Wolcott, for the committee on Government Operations, to which had been referred Senate bill, entitled

An act relating to consolidating management of public records;

Reported in favor of its passage in concurrence with proposal of amendment as follows:

By striking all after the enacting clause and inserting in lieu thereof the following:

Sec. 1.  1 V.S.A. § 317a is added to read:

§ 317a.  DISPOSITION OF PUBLIC RECORDS

A custodian of public records shall not destroy, give away, sell, discard, or damage any record or records in his or her charge, unless specifically authorized by law or under a record schedule approved by the state archivist pursuant to subdivision 117(a)(5) of Title 3.

Sec. 2.  1 V.S.A. § 320 is amended to read:

§ 320.  PENALTIES

(a)  Whenever the court orders the production of any public agency records, improperly withheld from the complainant and assesses against the agency reasonable attorney fees and other litigation costs, and the court additionally issues a written finding that the circumstances surrounding the withholding raise questions whether the agency personnel acted arbitrarily or capriciously with respect to the withholding, the department of human resources if applicable to that employee, shall promptly initiate a proceeding to determine whether disciplinary action is warranted against the officer or employee who was primarily responsible for the withholding.  The department, after investigation and consideration of the evidence submitted, shall submit its findings and recommendations to the administrative authority of the agency concerned and shall send copies of the findings and recommendations to the officer or employee or his or her representative.  The administrative authority shall take the corrective action that the department recommends.

(b)  In the event of noncompliance with the order of the court, the superior court may punish for contempt the responsible employee or official, and in the case of a uniformed service, the responsible member.

(c)  A person who willfully destroys, gives away, sells, discards, or damages a public record without having authority so to do, shall be fined at least $50.00 but not more than $1,000.00 for each offense.

Sec. 3.  3 V.S.A. § 117 is amended to read:

§ 117.  PUBLICATION AND PRESERVATION OF STATE PAPERS
VERMONT STATE ARCHIVES AND RECORDS
 ADMINISTRATION

(a)  As used in this chapter:

(1)  “Archival Records management” means the systematic identification and management of archival public records to assure their authenticity and accessibility from the creation to ultimate disposition.

(2)  “Archives” or “archival records” means public records, as defined in 1 V.S.A. § 317(b), which have continuing legal, administrative, or historic value.

(3)  “Identification” “Appraisal” means the identification, classification, and analysis and appraisal of all public records, regardless of physical form or characteristics, to determine their value and ultimate disposition, based upon their:

(A)  current administrative, legal, and fiscal use;

(B)  evidential and informational content;

(C)  arrangement and condition;

(D)  intrinsic value; and

(E)  relationship to other records.

(4)  “Public record” or “public document” means all papers, documents, machine readable materials, or any other written or recorded matters, regardless of their physical form or characteristics, that are produced or acquired in the course of agency business.  Individual salaries and benefits of and salary schedules relating to elected or appointed officials and employees of public agencies shall not be exempt from public inspection and copying.

(5)  “Record schedule” means a manual, directive, or policy containing descriptions of and disposition instructions for retention, access, and management of all public records or public documents. 

(b)  There is created within the office of the secretary of state the division of Vermont state archives and records administration which is charged with administering and implementing an archival a records management program for state government in accordance with professional archival practice records and information management practices and principles which shall be styled “the state archives and records administration program.”  The secretary shall have legal custody of the state’s archival records.

(c)  The secretary shall adopt policies and procedures necessary to carry out the provisions of this section and shall report annually to the governor and the general assembly on the state archives and records administration program.

(d)  The secretary may appoint an archives advisory committee to provide assistance and support for the state archives and records administration program.

(e)  The secretary may adopt rules consistent with this chapter section.

(f)  There shall be a director of the division of Vermont state archives and records administration who shall have the title of “state archivist,” and who shall be qualified by education and professional experience to perform the duties of the office.  The state archivist shall be a classified position within the office of secretary of state.

(g)  In fulfilling the duties of the state archives and records administration program, the state archivist shall:

(1)  coordinate with the commissioner of buildings and general services for compliance with section 218 of this title and sections 453 and 454 of Title 22 to identify, schedule, and manage all public records with archival value;

(2)  establish and administer an archival a records management program for the application of effective and efficient methods to the creation, utilization, maintenance, reformatting, retention, destruction, and preservation of state archival public records;

(3)(2)  cooperate with the heads of state agencies or public bodies to establish and maintain a program for the identification appraisal and scheduling, and preservation of archival of public records;

(4)(3)  analyze, develop, establish, and coordinate standards, procedures, and techniques for the creation of, preservation of, and access to archival public records;

(5)  analyze and identify archival records in state agencies;

(6)  cooperate with the commissioner of buildings and general services in the development of comprehensive records retention and disposition schedules that identify archival records;

(7)(4)  take custody of archival records with the approval of their originating agency in accordance with record schedules approved by the state archivist;

(5)  maintain a record center to hold inactive records in accordance with approved records schedules approved by the state archivist;

(6)  administer a central reformatting program for public records, including land records in the possession of municipal or county officers.  Public records that are microfilmed, electronically captured, or otherwise reformatted shall be taken and received in all courts, public offices, and official bodies as prima facie evidence;

(8)(7)  arrange, describe, and preserve archival records, and promote their use by government officials, educators, historians, and the public through the secretary of state’s website or other publication, or both;

(9)(8)  permit the public to inspect, examine, and study the archives, provided that any record placed in the keeping of the office of the secretary of state under special terms or conditions of law restricting their use shall be made accessible only in accord with those terms and conditions;

(10)(9)  cooperate with and assist to the extent practicable state institutions, departments, agencies, municipalities, and other political subdivisions and individuals engaged in the activities in the field of public records, archives, manuscripts, and history;

(10)  accept for filing copies of land records submitted in microfilm, electronic media, or similar compressed form by municipal or county clerks;

(11)  provide advice, assistance, and consultation to state agencies, political subdivisions, historical agencies, libraries, and other Vermont organizations on the effective management of archival records; receive grants, gifts, aid, or assistance, of any kind, from any source, public or private, for the purpose of managing or publishing public records; and

(12)  serve on the Vermont historical records advisory board, as described in 44 U.S.C. § 2104, to encourage systematic documentation in Vermont and the collecting of archival records; and

(13)  publish or otherwise exhibit and promote those archival records are judged to be of publishable value.

(h)  Each volume published under the provisions of this section shall be called state papers of Vermont and numbered consecutively after the last volume of that title printed and published under the authority of No. 259 of the Acts of 1912 and shall be evidence in court and shall have the same force as the original documents.

(i)  All volumes printed under authority of this section shall be delivered to the state librarian who shall deliver one copy to such elective and appointive state officers and such town and county clerks and such local historical societies and to each public high school and college library in the state, and to the library of each private school acting as a public high school as shall request it in writing for the permanent files of their offices.  The state librarian shall also furnish four copies to the Vermont historical society.  The remaining volumes shall be disposed of by the state librarian through liberal exchanges with other libraries and institutions or through sale at such prices as the state librarian shall establish.

(j)  All volumes of the state papers of Vermont, published under authority of this or any other previous law, shall be evidence in court and shall have the same force as the original documents.

Sec. 4.  3 V.S.A. § 218 is amended to read:

§ 218.  AGENCY/DEPARTMENT RECORDS MANAGEMENT PROGRAM

(a)  The general assembly finds that public records are essential to the administration of state and local government.  Public records contain information which allows government programs to function, provides officials with a basis for making decisions, and ensures continuity with past operations. Public records document the legal responsibilities of government, help protect the rights of citizens, and provide citizens a means of monitoring government programs and measuring the performance of public officials.  Public records provide documentation for the functioning of government and for the retrospective analysis of the development of Vermont government and the impact of programs on citizens.  Public records in general and archival records in particular need to be systematically managed to preserve their legal, historic, and informational value, to provide ready access to vital information, and to promote the efficient and economical operation of government.

(b)  The head of each state agency or department shall establish, maintain, and implement an active and continuing program approved by the commissioner of buildings and general services with respect to public records, and the secretary of state with respect to archival records, Vermont state archives and records administration for the effective management, preservation, and disposition of records, regardless of their physical form or characteristics, for which that head is responsible.

(c)  For an agency or department records program to be approved by the commissioner of buildings and general services with respect to public records, and the secretary of state with respect to archival records Vermont state archives and records administration, the head of each state agency or department shall:

* * *

(5)  establish and maintain other records related to management of the agency’s or department’s records as required by the director of public records or the state archivist Vermont state archives and records administration;

(6)  provide for furnishing to the division of public records and state archives, such special reports regarding the records of the agency or department as the department of buildings and general services or the secretary of state Vermont state archives and records administration may deem necessary;

(7)  process, store, and preserve records kept by the agency or department in an efficient and economical manner;

(8)  where practicable, consolidate or eliminate existing records of the agency or department and control the creation of new records; and

(9)  maintain the records of the agency or department in a manner that permits the prompt and orderly removal of records authorized for destruction; and

(10)  implement and sustain a record schedule in accordance with requirements established by the Vermont state archives and records administration under section 117 of this title and the department of information and innovation under subdivision 2222(a)(10) of this title.

(d)  The head of each state agency or department shall designate a member of his or her staff as the records officer for his or her agency or department and shall notify the department of buildings and general services Vermont state archives and records administration in writing of the name and title of the person designated.

(e)  The Vermont state archives and records administration shall approve all agency record schedules, as defined by section 117 of this title, unless set forth in a general record schedule issued by the Vermont state archives and records administration.  Authorizations by the public records advisory board regarding the disposition of public records shall remain in effect until superseded by a record schedule issued or approved by the Vermont state archives and records administration.

Sec. 5.  REPEAL

22 V.S.A. chapter 11 (commissioner of buildings and general services authority to manage public records) is repealed.

Sec. 6.  2 V.S.A. § 752(b) is amended to read:

(b)  The committee shall prepare, adopt, and maintain a long-range plan of at least five years for information technology operations and services in the legislative branch.  The plan shall analyze the costs and benefits and risk management aspects of maintaining authentic and accessible legislative records as required by Vermont law.  In the preparation of the plan, the committee shall consult with members of the general assembly, the legislative staff information systems team established by section 753 of this title, and other legislative staff, the state archivist, the commissioner of buildings and general services, other representatives of the executive and judicial branches of state government, and members of the public.  The committee shall provide the house and senate committees on government operations with copies of the plan and any amendment to the plan.

Sec. 7.  18 V.S.A. § 5002 is amended to read:

§ 5002.  RETURNS; TABLES

The health commissioner shall prepare from the returns of births, marriages, civil unions, deaths, fetal deaths, and divorces required by law to be transmitted to the commissioner such tables and append thereto such recommendations as he or she deems proper, and during the month of July in each even year, shall cause the same to be published as directed by the board.  The commissioner shall file and preserve all such returns.  The commissioner shall periodically transmit the original returns or photostatic or photographic copies to the director of public records state archivist who shall keep the returns, or photostatic or photographic copies of the returns, on file for use by the public.  The commissioner and the director of public records state archivist shall each, independently of the other, have power to issue certified copies of such records.

Sec. 8.  18 V.S.A. § 5008 is amended to read:

§ 5008.  TOWN CLERK; RECORDING AND INDEXING PROCEDURES

A town clerk shall file for record and index in volumes all certificates and permits received in a manner prescribed by the public records director state archivist.  Each volume or series shall contain an alphabetical index.  Marriage certificates shall be filed for record in one volume or series, civil unions in another, birth certificates in another, and death certificates and burial-transit and removal permits in another.  However, in a town having less than 500 inhabitants, the town clerk may cause marriage, civil union, birth and death certificates, and burial-transit and removal permits to be filed for record in one volume, provided that none of such volumes shall contain more than 250 certificates and permits.  All volumes shall be maintained in the town clerk’s office as permanent records.

Sec. 9.  18 V.S.A. § 5148 is amended to read:

§ 5148.  EVIDENCE OF MARRIAGE

A copy of the record of the marriage made by a person required by law at the time the marriage was solemnized, to make and keep the record certified by such person, or by the town or county clerk or the commissioner of health or the director of public records state archivist, if the record is in his or her office, shall be in all courts presumptive evidence of the fact of such marriage.

Sec. 10.  18 V.S.A. § 5167 is amended to read:

§ 5167.  EVIDENCE OF CIVIL UNION

A copy of the record of the civil union received from the town or county clerk, the commissioner of health or the director of public records state archivist shall be presumptive evidence of the civil union in all courts.

Sec. 11.  24 V.S.A. § 1161 is amended to read:

§ 1161.  GENERAL INDEX

(a)(1)  A town clerk shall keep a general index of transactions affecting the title to real estate wherein he or she shall enter in one column, in alphabetical order, the name of the grantor to the grantee and, in a parallel column, the name of the grantee from the grantor, of every deed, conveyance, mortgage, lease or other instrument affecting the title to real estate, and each writ of attachment, notice of lien or other instrument evidencing or giving notice of an encumbrance on real estate which is filed or recorded in the town clerk’s office, with the name of the book, volume, or other manner of recording and the page of record in the following form:

* * *

(2)  If the instrument is executed on behalf of, or to convey the interest of another party, the same shall be indexed in the name of the other party as grantor.  In case the instrument is executed by more than one grantor and to more than one grantee, the name of each grantor and each grantee shall be indexed.  When the party is a natural person the name shall be indexed under the first letter of such person’s surname, and when the party is a corporation the name shall be indexed under the first letter of the first word of its name disregarding articles and initials.  For purposes of this section, a defendant against whose property a writ of attachment is filed or a person against whose property a lien is asserted, shall be considered a grantor, and a plaintiff filing a writ, or a person asserting a lien shall be considered a grantee.  Land plats filed in the office shall be indexed in such manner as the public records director state archivist shall by rule prescribe.  The general index may be kept electronically.

* * *

Sec. 12.  TRANSFER AND FUNDS AND POSITIONS

All employees, positions, and equipment and the remaining balances of the appropriation for public records are transferred from the department of buildings and general services to the office of the secretary of state.  The department of buildings and general services’ vital records special fund and the department of buildings and general services’ public records special fund along with monies in them shall be transferred to the office of the secretary of state and renamed the vital records special fund and public records special fund.

Rep. Hutchinson of Randolph, for the committee on Appropriations, recommended the bill ought to pass in concurrence with proposals of amendment as recommended by the committee on Government Operations.

The bill, having appeared on the Calendar one day for notice, was taken up, read the second time and the report of the committees on Government Operations and Appropriations agreed to and third reading ordered.

Resolution Amended; Third Reading Ordered

J.R.H. 53

Rep. Marcotte of Coventry, for the committee on Commerce, to which had been referred Joint resolution, entitled

Joint resolution urging Congress to address the dramatic rise of electronic payment interchange rates that merchants and consumer are assessed;

Reported in favor of its passage when amended by striking the resolution in its entirety and inserting in lieu thereof the following:

Joint resolution urging Congress to address the detrimental rise of credit and debit-card-related fees and interest rates 

Whereas, consumers are increasingly using credit and debit cards to purchase goods and services, and nationally, these purchases now exceed the annual number of check transactions, and

Whereas, merchants accepting credit and debit card payments are required to pay interchange fees to banks and credit card providers, and

Whereas, the rules governing interchange fees may only be released to merchants on a restricted basis, and any disclosure to consumers is prohibited, and

Whereas, the billing statements that both third party providers and credit card companies produce are excessively complex, and

Whereas, the interchange fees are ultimately passed to the consumers, including those who pay with cash or a check and who, in effect, subsidize rewards given to credit card customers, and

Whereas, it is not unusual for the interchange fees to exceed the profit margins of the merchant, and

Whereas, traditional economic models are not applicable because Visa and MasterCard are responsible for approximately 80 percent of all credit card transactions, and

Whereas, small businesses struggle to absorb the constant increases in the cost of accepting electronic payments, and

Whereas, the number of rewards cards encouraging credit card purchases is rapidly increasing, and the new rewards cards are more costly for both merchants and consumers, and

Whereas, parallel with the increase in interchange fees, and costs related to reward cards, is the dramatic rise in the interest fees that consumers pay to maintain their credit cards, and

Whereas, the interest rates charged to an increasing number of consumers have reached the 25-percent level, a rate that is extremely burdensome, and

Whereas, these extremely high interest rates are having a significant economic impact on Vermont consumers and merchants, now therefore be it

Resolved by the Senate and House of Representatives:

That the General Assembly urges Congress to address this acute situation, and be it further

Resolved:  That the secretary of state be directed to send a copy of this resolution to the Vermont Congressional Delegation.

The resolution, having appeared on the Calendar one day for notice, was taken up, read the second time, report of the committee on Commerce agreed to and third reading ordered.

Favorable Reports; Third Reading Ordered

House and Senate bills of the following titles were severally reported favorably from the Committees to which they had been referred, and the bills, having appeared on the Calendar one day for notice, were taken up, read the second time and third reading ordered:

H. 432

Rep. Pearson of Burlington, reported for the committee on Government Operations on House bill, entitled

An act relating to establishing Juneteenth National Freedom Day;

H. 775

By Rep. Consejo of Shelton, reported for the committee on Commerce on House bill, entitled,

An act relating to low-profit limited liability companies;

S. 257

By Rep. Milkey of Brattleboro, reported for the committee on Health Care on Senate bill, entitled,

An act relating to Medicaid coverage of Naturopathic physicians.

Message from the Senate No. 27

     A message was received from the Senate by Mr. Marshall, its Assistant Secretary, as follows:

Madam Speaker:

I am directed to inform the House that the Senate has on its part passed Senate bills of the following titles:

S. 146.  An act relating to advertising and producing musical performances.

S. 220.  An act relating to the confidentiality of library patron records.

In the passage of which the concurrence of the House is requested.

The Senate has on its part adopted a joint resolution of the following title:

J.R.S. 54.  Joint resolution urging Congress to reauthorize the Debbie Smith DNA backlog grant program at current or increased funding levels.

In the adoption of which the concurrence of the House is requested.

Adjournment

At eleven o’clock in the forenoon, on motion of Rep. Komline of Dorset, the House adjourned until tomorrow at ten o’clock in the forenoon.