Bill H.919 proposes to classify incarcerated individuals who perform labor under the Vermont Department of Corrections as temporary State employees. This classification aims to extend various labor and employment-related rights, protections, and benefits to these individuals, including adherence to wage and hour laws, access to workers' compensation, unemployment insurance, and the ability to engage in collective bargaining.

The bill seeks to ensure that incarcerated individuals are recognized as temporary employees for the duration of their labor, thereby providing them with the same legal protections afforded to other temporary State employees. This initiative reflects a broader effort to improve the working conditions and rights of those incarcerated while contributing to their rehabilitation and reintegration into society.