Bill
Bill > H0373
VT H0373
VT H0373An act relating to pilot projects expanding democratic practices in State and local government
summary
Introduced
02/26/2025
02/26/2025
In Committee
02/26/2025
02/26/2025
Crossed Over
Passed
Dead
Introduced Session
2025-2026 Session
Bill Summary
This bill proposes to launch a variety of pilot projects expanding democratic practices in State and local government, including expanding the use of participatory decision-making in existing neighborhood planning assemblies; creating neighborhood planning assemblies in other towns, cities, and villages; creating regional planning assemblies; exploring different processes to increase engagement in Town Meeting Day; exploring the use of sortition (the selection of officials at random from a group) and charrettes (dividing a group into subgroups to deliberate and then present the subgroup’s idea back to the larger group for further consideration) in public bodies and meetings; requiring paid time off to increase participation in elections; exploring ways to increase democratic engagement as a positive social determinant of health; incentivizing engagement by providing goods that improve social determinants of health; providing grants to public schools to use assemblies to make decisions about H.373 policies and practices within schools; and educating the public on skills for advocacy and community organizing.
AI Summary
This bill proposes a comprehensive set of pilot projects aimed at expanding democratic practices and civic engagement at state and local government levels. The proposed initiatives include establishing or expanding neighborhood and regional planning assemblies, creating new mechanisms for community decision-making, and exploring innovative democratic participation methods. Key strategies involve using sortition (randomly selecting officials) and charrettes (collaborative problem-solving techniques), providing paid time off to encourage election participation, and developing programs to increase democratic engagement. The bill also seeks to integrate democratic participation as a potential positive social determinant of health, offering incentives like health-improving goods to boost civic involvement. Additionally, the legislation would provide grants to public schools to implement democratic decision-making processes and develop public education programs focused on advocacy and community organizing skills. By introducing these diverse approaches, the bill aims to enhance citizen participation, broaden democratic representation, and create more inclusive governmental processes at various community levels.
Committee Categories
Government Affairs
Sponsors (4)
Last Action
Read first time and referred to the Committee on Government Operations and Military Affairs (on 02/26/2025)
Official Document
bill text
bill summary
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bill summary
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bill summary
| Document Type | Source Location |
|---|---|
| State Bill Page | https://legislature.vermont.gov/bill/status/2026/H.373 |
| BillText | https://legislature.vermont.gov/Documents/2026/Docs/BILLS/H-0373/H-0373%20As%20Introduced.pdf |
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