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Synopsis:
Note: State Legislative bills’ status is progressively quicker. We step up and respond to the legislative bill rapidly.
Support Service Program (SSP) budget (B.311) remains in the state budget proposal, but we need to take action by contacting your legislators and representatives in your county. Share your perspective on how this budget proposal impacts our VT Deaf/DeafBlind/DeafDisabled/Hard of Hearing communities. Advocate for this B.311 to be part of the Vermont State budget FY2027.
H.861: It would create an ADA coordinator position in the Agency of Administration to help coordinate disability services across state agencies, with four disability organizations involved in hiring. This bill is authored by Representative Elizabeth Burrows of West Windsor, her link: Vermont legislator bio. Her testimony is powerful in the House Meeting: YouTube Video with ASL (start at 30:00). H.861 is UNANIMOUSLY passed at the House level and proceeds to the Senate Government Operations Committee.
PLEASE CONTACT THE COMMITTEE MEMBERS TO SEND YOUR SUPPORT FOR THIS BILL.
Chair: Sen. Brian Kolamore (Rutland)
Vice Chair: Sen. Tanya Vyhovsky (Chittenden Central)
Committee page: https://legislature.vermont.gov/committee/detail/2026/26
S.297- Electronic Ballot Return / Mobile Voting. This bill focuses on why accessible voting options matter for Vermont’s disability community, including Deaf/DeafBlind/Deaf/DeafBlind/DeafDisabled/Hard of Hearing members. This bill enables our decision to vote at the municipalities, counties, and state without any barriers.
Vermont ranks 49th in the country for voting accessibility for people with disabilities (MIT study). A bill proposal also allows municipalities to experiment with secure electronic ballot return. It was introduced but scaled back. Advocacy will continue next year — letters and support help keep this issue alive.
• MIT data: https://elections.mit.edu/#/data/map
• Vermont Public context: https://www.vermontpublic.org/local-news/2024-10-17/voting-accessibility-gaps-remain
Please email me, vtad.president@gmail.com, if any questions or discussion. I’m looking forward to listen your ideas.