Bill Summary – FastDemocracy

Act No. 68                                                                                    Page 1 of 2
2023
This act summary is provided for the convenience of the public and members of the General Assembly. It
is intended to provide a general summary of the act and may not be exhaustive. It has been prepared by the
staff of the Office of Legislative Counsel without input from members of the General Assembly. It is not
intended to aid in the interpretation of legislation or to serve as a source of legislative intent.
Act No. 68 (H.480). An act relating to property valuation and reappraisals
        Subjects: Taxation; property tax; reports; reappraisals
           This act repeals the common level of appraisal (CLA) as a trigger for town
        reappraisals, effective retroactively for grand lists lodged on and after April 1, 2022.
        Beginning on January 1, 2025, this act requires municipalities to conduct full reappraisals
        every six years unless a longer period of time is approved by the Vermont Department of
        Taxes, Division of Property Valuation and Review. The Division of Property Valuation
        and Review is required to propose a schedule for reappraisals to the General Assembly on
        or before December 15, 2023 that phases in full reappraisals for each municipality every
        six years with the first municipalities scheduled to complete reappraisals on or before
        April 1, 2027.
           This act requires the Vermont Department of Taxes to submit written reports to the
        House Committees on Government Operations and Military Affairs and on Ways and
        Means and the Senate Committees on Finance and on Government Operations. The first
        submission is a progress report due on or before December 15, 2023 regarding the
        Department’s first six months of work done on the following:
               •   An implementation proposal for conduction State reappraisals.
               •   Distinguishing between different types and characteristics of property and their
                   uses.
               •   Implicit bias reduction training for listers and assessors.
               •   Considerations for changing the annual date to lodge grand lists from April 1
                   to January 1 or another date.
           The second submission is in two parts due on or before December 15, 2024. The first
        part is a detailed implementation proposal developed with relevant stakeholders on
        transitioning from municipal to State reappraisals. The second part is a set of
        recommendations and considerations for distinguishing between different types and
        characteristics of property and their uses, and how different property data could be used
        to make policy decisions. This act appropriates $50,000.00 to the Vermont Department
        of Taxes to contract for outside reappraisal expertise to assist the Department in
        preparing the required written reports to General Assembly.
           This act makes multiple changes regarding assessor and lister hiring and
        qualifications. This act requires the Vermont Department of Taxes, Division of Property
        Valuation and Review to provide certified assessment education programs on racial
        disparities in property valuation and on-going bias reduction training. This act clarifies
        that municipalities may only employ or contract with an assessor if the Division of
        Property Valuation and Review approves the assessor’s qualifications as fulfilling the
        Division’s training requirements. This act requires selectboards to notify the Division of
        Property Valuation and Review within 14 days of a vote to eliminate the office of lister
                                                                                          VT LEG #370871 v.2
Act No. 68                                                                             Page 2 of 2
2023
      and hire an assessor. This act expands the authority for towns to vote to eliminate the
      office of lister at special meetings in addition to annual meetings.
         Beginning on January 1, 2026, this act requires elected listers to meet the same
      qualifications and training requirements required for hired assessors. This act allows
      elected listers who do not meet those training requirements at the time of their election
      one year from taking office to comply with the training requirements.
          This act recodifies the $100,000.00 appropriation to the Vermont Department of
      Taxes, Division of Property Valuation and Review to provide assessment education to
      listers and assessors, by repealing it from one section of statute and codifying it in
      another section of statute.
          This act repeals the contingent effective date of the State appraisal and litigation
      program, which is State assistance provided to towns that request it for the valuation and
      litigation to defend those valuations of unique and complex properties only.
      Effective Date: Multiple effective dates beginning on July 1, 2023
                                                                                   VT LEG #370871 v.2
Statutes affected: 
As Introduced: 32-4041a, 32-4041a(a), 32-5413, 32-5405(f), 32-5405, 32-3436, 32-4052, 17-2651c
As Passed By the House -- Official: 32-4041a, 32-4041a(a), 32-5413, 32-5405(f), 32-5405, 32-3436, 32-4052, 17-2651c
As Passed By the House -- Unofficial: 32-4041a, 32-4041a(a), 32-5413, 32-5405(f), 32-5405, 32-3436, 32-4052, 17-2651c
As Passed by Both House and Senate -- Official: 32-4041a, 32-4041a(a), 32-5413, 32-5405(f), 32-5405, 32-3436, 32-4052, 17-2651c
As Passed by Both House and Senate -- Unofficial: 32-4041a, 32-3436, 32-4052, 17-2651c
As Enacted: 32-4041a, 32-3436, 32-4052, 17-2651c