BILL AS INTRODUCED H.810
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1 H.810
2 Introduced by Representatives Cole of Hartford, Farlice-Rubio of Barnet,
3 Anthony of Barre City, Austin of Colchester, Buss of
4 Woodstock, Carpenter of Hyde Park, Chase of Colchester,
5 Dodge of Essex, Elder of Starksboro, Garofano of Essex,
6 Goldman of Rockingham, Graham of Williamstown, Leavitt of
7 Grand Isle, Lipsky of Stowe, Minier of South Burlington,
8 O’Brien of Tunbridge, Pearl of Danville, Rice of Dorset,
9 Surprenant of Barnard, Templeman of Brownington, Torre of
10 Moretown, Whitman of Bennington, and Williams of Barre City
11 Referred to Committee on
12 Date:
13 Subject: Agriculture; workforce; housing; registry
14 Statement of purpose of bill as introduced: This bill proposes to require the
15 Secretary of Agriculture, Food and Markets to establish and administer the
16 Agricultural Workforce and Housing Directory, where a farm in Vermont
17 could list available employment opportunities on that farm. Farms listing jobs
18 on the Directory would be required to provide employees with affordable
19 housing on the farm or off the farm.
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1 An act relating to establishing the Agricultural Workforce and Housing
2 Directory
3 It is hereby enacted by the General Assembly of the State of Vermont:
4 Sec. 1. 6 V.S.A. § 24 is added to read:
5 § 24. AGRICULTURAL WORKFORCE AND HOUSING DIRECTORY
6 (a) The Secretary of Agriculture, Food and Markets shall establish and
7 administer the Agricultural Workforce and Housing Directory, where a farm in
8 Vermont could list available employment opportunities on that farm. A farm
9 posting a job on the Directory shall provide the employee with housing at
10 affordable rates either on the farm or off the farm at a location nearby the farm.
11 (b) When an employment opportunity is listed on the Directory, the listing
12 farm shall be required to provide all the following information and the
13 Secretary shall provide the information in a searchable and sortable format:
14 (1) the location of the available employment;
15 (2) how the farm will provide housing for the employee either on the
16 farm or off the farm;
17 (3) the type of farming to be conducted, including the type of
18 agricultural commodities produced and whether the farm practices
19 conventional, organic, or regenerative agricultural practices;
20 (4) a summary of the available position, including an accurate
21 assessment of the nature, quantity, and hours of work required; and
22 (5) the hourly rate of compensation provided for work.
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1 (c) An applicant or user of the Directory shall be able to set up an online
2 account free of cost that allows for notice of new employment opportunities
3 posted to the Directory.
4 (d) Housing provided under this section shall be safe, clean, and fit for
5 human habitation and shall comply with the requirements of applicable
6 building, housing, and health regulations. A farm operator shall be required to
7 comply with this subsection only if the operator is providing the housing to an
8 employee as the landlord. Any housing under this section shall be governed by
9 the requirements for residential rental agreement under 9 V.S.A chapter 137.
10 Sec. 2. APPROPRIATION
11 In addition to other funds appropriated to the Agency of Agriculture, Food
12 and Markets in fiscal year 2025, $50,000.00 from the General Fund is
13 appropriated to the Agency to implement and administer the Agricultural
14 Workforce and Housing Directory under 6 V.S.A. § 24.
15 Sec. 3. EFFECTIVE DATE
16 This act shall take effect on July 1, 2024.
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