The civic record
Read. Follow. Verify.Vermont proposes 2 percent meals and rooms tax surcharge to fund school construction aid
Last action · January 21, 2026: Read 1st time & referred to Committee on FinanceSponsors: Martine Gulick and 1 other
Track this bill to get notified when it advances a stage. One tap to stop, anytime.
What This Bill Would Do
Vermont lawmakers introduced a bill to impose a 2 percent surcharge on taxable meals, room rentals, and alcoholic beverage sales, effective August 1, 2026. The collected revenue will be deposited directly into the School Construction Aid to support school facilities.
Increases the total cost for consumers purchasing restaurant meals, hotel stays, and alcoholic beverages in the state by adding a dedicated 2 percent fee directed toward public school building projects.
Who It Would Affect
Groups the bill's text would affect if enacted, as described in the record. Being affected is not a position for or against it.
Operators of taxable meals and room occupancies
Operators are required to collect, itemize, remit, and enforce the 2 percent surcharge on applicable customer transactions.
Consumers purchasing meals, rooms, and alcohol
Consumers will pay an additional 2 percent charge on top of existing taxes for room rentals, taxable meals, and alcoholic beverages.
Key Facts
- Establishes a 2 percent surcharge on taxable room rent, taxable meals, and alcoholic beverages.
- Requires operators to itemize the surcharge on invoices and state that it is for the School Construction Aid Special Fund.
- Directs all revenue generated from the surcharge to the School Construction Aid Special Fund.
- Sets the effective date of the act as August 1, 2026.
Frequently Asked Questions
What items are subject to the new 2 percent surcharge?
Where will the money collected from the surcharge go?
What else do you want to know?
News Coverage
Follow the record
Votes, people, money & the original sourceWhere This Stands
Currently in committee. The next step in the legislative lifecycle is Floor Vote.
Procedural history
1 action- Jan 21, 2026SenateIntroducedRead 1st time & referred to Committee on Finance
Version history
Only one version on file - nothing to compare yet. As later stages (committee substitute, engrossed, enrolled) are captured, the redline appears here.
View official text →Lobbying Activity
No state lobbying filings in our records match this bill. Federal lobbying reports (LDA) cover Congress, so they are not listed on state bills.
Full breakdown
Who this bill affects and the strongest case for and against it, written only from the bill’s own text.
Sponsors
Connected Entities
Sources
legislature.vermont.gov
Analysis Score
0–100- Significance65How much this matters to a regular citizen
- Controversy40Intensity of disagreement among stakeholders
- Entertainment10Compellingness for a non-policy-wonk reader
- Buzz30Current news / social attention level
Publisher tools