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Read. Follow. Verify.Vermont requires school counselors to spend 80 percent of time on student services
Last action · January 16, 2026: Read 1st time & referred to Committee on EducationSponsors: Martine Gulick and 1 other
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What This Bill Would Do
Vermont requires school counselors to spend at least 80 percent of their working time providing direct or to students, capping non-counseling support activities at 20 percent starting July 1, 2026.
School counselors in Vermont will be legally restricted from taking on administrative tasks like testing coordination or substitute teaching that exceed 20 percent of their hours, directly changing their daily job duties.
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.
school counselors
School counselors must allocate at least 80 percent of their work time to direct or indirect student services and limit administrative support duties to 20 percent.
students
Students will receive increased access to direct and indirect counseling services dedicated to academic, career, and social-emotional development.
Key Facts
- School counselors must spend at least 80 percent of their time providing direct or indirect services to students.
- School counselors are limited to spending no more than 20 percent of their time on school support services.
- Direct services are defined as face-to-face or virtual interactions supporting academic, career, and social and emotional development.
- Indirect services are services provided on behalf of students resulting from counselor interactions.
Show all 6 facts
- A school counselor must be licensed by the Standards Board for Professional Educations or possess a minimum of a master's degree in guidance and counseling.
- The act takes effect on July 1, 2026.
Frequently Asked Questions
What counts as a direct service for a school counselor?
Can school counselors serve as substitute teachers under this bill?
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News Coverage
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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 16, 2026SenateIntroducedRead 1st time & referred to Committee on Education
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
Discoveries
Patterns POLISCOPE noticed across the record. These are observations to investigate, not conclusions.
Codification of ASCA Standards into State Law
The bill explicitly translates national professional recommendations from the American School Counselors Association into a binding statutory requirement for Vermont schools.
Connected Entities
Sources
legislature.vermont.gov
Analysis Score
0–100- Significance50How much this matters to a regular citizen
- Controversy15Intensity of disagreement among stakeholders
- Entertainment5Compellingness for a non-policy-wonk reader
- Buzz20Current news / social attention level
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