The bill H.400 proposes significant changes to the procedures for housing appeals in the Environmental Division of the Superior Court in Vermont. It mandates that the court must hear appeals related to housing within 30 days of filing and issue a decision within 120 days after the hearing. Additionally, the bill aims to enhance the court's capacity by creating one new Superior Court Judge position and one new law clerk position, with an appropriation of $300,000 allocated for these roles in fiscal year 2026.

To implement these changes, the bill amends current law by removing the previous goal of timely hearings and decisions and replacing it with a definitive requirement for the court to act within the specified timeframes. The effective date for these provisions is set for July 1, 2025. Overall, the bill seeks to streamline the housing appeal process and improve judicial resources to better handle these cases.

Statutes affected:
As Introduced: 10-8504