2026 Legislative Policy Wrap Up
- VOBA
- 3 days ago
- 5 min read
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VOBA 2026 Wins & Headwinds Report by Maidstone Public Relations The Vermont Outdoor Business Alliance (VOBA) began the 2026 legislative session strong, being asked to share VOBA's 2026 Policy Platform across multiple legislative committees, including the House Commerce and Senate Economic Development Committees. VOBA also testified in several committees on a key priority for our membership, the sector's role in the Climate Outdoors Workforce Initiative (COWI) as linked to the Vermont Resilience Implementation Strategy. VOBA led on the development of the COWI in 2025 with a $250,000 proposal we presented to the Senate Economic Development Committee that included funding for VOBA's climate workforce and technical assistance programs. In 2026, with strong support and leadership from the Chair of the Senate Economic Development Committee, Senator Alison Clarkson introduced S.327, an economic development bill that included $200,000 for a comprehensive outdoor recreation impact study. Kelly Ault, VOBA Executive Director, testified in support of $500,000 for the Vermont Outdoor Recreation Economic Collaborative (VOREC) community grant program, which was included in the Governor's Recommended Budget for the Department of Forests, Parks and Recreation. Kelly also made the case for a $100,000 appropriation aimed at supporting VOBA's Outdoor Entrepreneur Business Technical Assistance Program later in the session in the House Commerce Committee, click here for the presentation. With the extreme austere fiscal environment, the Senate Appropriations Committee ultimately removed all of the funding from this bill and added instead no-cost studies aimed at improving economic development in Vermont broadly. The VOREC appropriation was moved to the FY27 Budget and passed the Legislature with $200,000 allocated to the program. Another win for VOBA was the co-leadership role in the convening of the Act 59 Outdoor Recreation Listening Session on March 9, 2026, along with the Vermont Trails and Greenways Council and the Vermont Recreation and Parks Association, to provide substantive feedback on the Vermont Conservation Plan (VCP) Draft Framework. Along with 26 attendees, VOBA expressed strong support for the VCP (January 2026 draft version) & appreciation that outdoor recreation was included as a specific pathway for this voluntary conservation program and that the plan shared common goals with Move Forward Together Vermont: Key Takeaways from Coalition comments:
Key Takeaways from VOBA comments:
Bill Details and Status Economic Development Bill Not Funded 2-years in a Row S.327, this year's economic development bill, was again not funded as resources were devoted to buying down the property tax and bailing out other critical systems no longer funded by the federal government. This bill originally included:
$100,000 for VOBA’s Outdoor Entrepreneur Program to facilitate technical assistance to small- and mid- sized companies at all stages of development for strategic and financial planning, market analysis and access, and climate adaptation and resilience, was not included in the language but there is a movement toward funding a broader technical assistance program being discussed in the Caucus for Vermont's Economy. Due to financial constraints what ultimately passed:
CTE Bill Passes House and Senate, Signed by Governor Scott S.313, the Career & Technical Education (CTE) funding bill that was a priority of Rep. Mike Marcotte (retired Chair of the House Commerce Committee) aims to provide universal access to CTE and also:
The bill creates a CTE Legislative Working Group to determine the timeline of the new system and recommendations for the new CTE programming and infrastructure with the first report due to the Legislature by January 15, 2027. S.325 Repealing Tier 3 and the Road Rule Passed House and Senate, Signed by Governor Scott S.325 repealed the Tier 3 rules and the Road Rule originally included in Act 181 of 2024 and moved the deadlines back to 2028 and 2030 respectfully. The Conference Committee report for this bill now includes some significant reporting on any land use law changes and a new protocol to involve the general public on the frontend of all land use policies. Here are some FAQ's related to the Act 181 repeal: Legislation and Regulation
Road Rule (proposed) Tier 3 Rulemaking (proposed) Recent Press and Relevant Links Seven Days: Repeal of Some of Act 250 Reforms Appears Likely 4.14.2026 VTDigger Commentary: Rural Vermont Showed Up. And Montpelier Listened. 4.20.2026 - Neil Ryan VT Public: In Review: Lawmakers reconsider Act 181, House advances ed reform bill, Vt. cannabis market matures 4.17.2026
S.71 Data Privacy Bill Passed House and Senate, Signed by Governor Scott Another potential headwind facing the VOBA business community is S.71, a data privacy bill that passed late in the session. VOBA was informed about this legislation by business partner organizations Ski Vermont and the Vermont Chamber of Commerce. The bill, which aims to align Vermont with regional data privacy standards and provide consumers with clear data protections, could have unintended consequences for Vermont businesses potentially limiting our ability to do target advertising. VOBA will work partners and legislators to better understand the impacts of this law which has 18 months before it goes into effect. Outdoor Recreation Day at the State House A Huge Success A huge success for VOBA was the turnout for the 3rd annual Vermont Outdoor Rec Day, which was held at the Vermont Statehouse on February 5th. With over 100 attendees, VOBA's business leaders participated in a listening session with the newly formed Caucus for Vermont's Economy, a joint hearing with the House and Senate Commerce Committees, 3 roundtables and speakers that include Governor Scott, Lt. Gov. John Rodgers and Treasurer Mike Pieciak. VOBA also spoke at a press conference with Treasurer Pieciak, seeking support for H.760, a bill did not make it across the finish line this year, but would have established a "Vermont Green FC (Football Club)" license plate. The bill would have directed funds generated by the sale of the license plates to support environmental justice and the outdoor recreation economy. We are so thankful to our organizational partners, Vermont Trails and Greenways Council (VTGC), Ski Vermont, VOREC, Vermont Recreation and Parks Association (VRPA), and the Unlikely Riders, and to all that contributed their expertise and enthusiasm for advocacy for Vermont's outdoor economy! |
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