ACTION TAKEN BY GOVERNOR PHIL SCOTT ON LEGISLATION - JUNE 2, 2022

Press Release

Governor Phil Scott announced action on the following bills, passed by the General Assembly.

On June 2, Governor Scott signed bills of the following titles:

H.74, An act relating to making miscellaneous changes concerning self-storage businesses
H.244, An act relating to authorizing the natural organic reduction of human remains
H.446, An act relating to miscellaneous natural resources and development subjects
H.512, An act relating to modernizing land records and notarial acts law
H.518, An act relating to municipal energy resilience initiatives
H.572, An act relating to the retirement allowance for interim educators
H.709, An act relating to miscellaneous agricultural subjects
H.716, An act relating to making miscellaneous changes in education law
On June 2, Governor Phil Scott returned without signature and vetoed H.606 and sent the following letter to the General Assembly:

June 2, 2022

The Honorable BetsyAnn Wrask

Clerk of the Vermont House of Representatives

115 State Street

Montpelier, VT 05633

Dear Ms. Wrask:

Pursuant to Chapter II, Section 11 of the Vermont Constitution, I am returning H.606, An act relating to community resilience and biodiversity protection, without my signature.

Vermont has a long history of effective land conservation that has significantly contributed to the state's vibrant, resilient working landscape of farms and forests, vast natural areas, and world class opportunities for outdoor recreation. This is a result of flexible and innovative tools like our current use program and the payment-for-ecosystem-services model. These programs are critical to achieving our conservation priorities because they combine conservation planning with incentives -- making it more attractive and affordable for Vermont families to keep and conserve their land, farms and forests.

Over the course of the legislative session, the Agency of Natural Resources testified multiple times against this bill. Among the objections, the Agency pointed to the conservation goals established in H.606 are unnecessarily tied to -- and unreasonably limited to -- permanent protection. The Agency has repeatedly said that permanent preservation has not been, and cannot be, the state's exclusive conservation tool and this bill, intentional or not, would diminish the existing and successful conservation tools we have.

Based on the objections outlined above, I am returning this legislation without my signature pursuant to Chapter II, Section 11 of the Vermont Constitution.

Sincerely,

/s/

Philip B. Scott

Governor

To view a complete list of action on bills passed during the 2022 legislative session, click here.

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