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S 183VERMONTSession 2025-2026State BillVetoed by the governor
Did Not Advance

Vermont penalizes home and land improvement fraud and establishes registry requirements

Original title: An act relating to home improvement and land improvement fraud

Last action · April 28, 2026: Recommitted to Committee on Judiciary on motion of Senator BaruthSponsor: Robert Norris

Bill progressHistory & official text ↓
Introduced
Committee
Floor Vote
Passed
Law

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What This Bill Proposed

Vermont S.183 defines home and land improvement fraud offenses for contracts of $1,000 or more, establishes criminal penalties including imprisonment and fines, creates a public registry maintained by the Office of the Attorney General, and imposes or employment restrictions on convicted individuals effective July 1, 2026.

Why it matters

Contractors and individuals convicted of fraudulent home or land improvement practices face criminal penalties, public registry listing, mandatory bonding requirements of $250,000 to resume work, and up to a three-year ban on receiving State grants or public contracts.

Background
  • The General Assembly of the State of Vermont is the state legislature responsible for enacting statutory laws. context
  • Statutory updates to Title 13 of the Vermont Statutes Annotated govern crimes and criminal procedure within the state. context

Who It Would Have Affected

Groups the bill's text would have affected, as described in the record. Being affected is not a position for or against it.

Directly affected

home improvement contractors

Contractors are subject to new criminal definitions, penalties, registry listing, and bonding requirements for fraudulent contracting practices.

Directly affected

consumers

Consumers gain specific statutory protections, emergency price-gouging limits, and access to a public registry of convicted contractors.

Directly affected

Office of the Attorney General

The Office is required to maintain the fraud registry, receive conviction notices, and manage surety bonds and letters of credit.

Key Facts

You don't have to trust us. Each fact below is taken straight from the official document - click any one to see the exact passage, highlighted in the original.

Frequently Asked Questions

What constitutes home or land improvement fraud under this bill?
An offense occurs when a person knowingly enters into a contract for $1,000 or more (or $2,500 aggregate with multiple owners) and fails to perform, misrepresents material facts, employs deceptive practices, or charges more than double the average price during a declared state of emergency without justification.
What are the requirements for a convicted person to continue working in home or land improvements?
A convicted person may only work if they notify the Office of the Attorney General and work for a company with no prior violations under strict non-family conditions, or if they file a or of at least $250,000 with the Office.

What else do you want to know?

News Coverage

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Where This Stands

This bill did not become law - Vetoed by the governor.

Procedural history

32 actions
  1. Apr 28, 2026SenateCommittee
    Recommitted to Committee on Judiciary on motion of Senator Baruth
  2. Apr 28, 2026Senate
    Governor vetoed bill
  3. Apr 24, 2026Senate
    Governor vetoed bill
  4. Apr 24, 2026Senate
    Entered on Notice Calendar
  5. Apr 23, 2026House
    Senate Message: Vetoed by Governor April 22, 2026
  6. Apr 23, 2026Senate
    Text of Governor's message
Show 26 earlier actions
  1. Apr 23, 2026Senate
    Governor vetoed bill on April 22, 2026
  2. Apr 23, 2026Senate
    Vetoed by Governor & placed on notice calendar for April 24, 2026
  3. Apr 16, 2026Senate
    Delivered to Governor on April 16, 2026
  4. Apr 15, 2026SenateFloor
    As passed by Senate and House
  5. Apr 15, 2026Senate
    House message: House passed bill in concurrence
  6. Apr 10, 2026HouseFloor
    Read third time and passed in concurrence
  7. Apr 10, 2026House
    Action Calendar: Third Reading
  8. Apr 9, 2026House
    Third Reading ordered
  9. Apr 9, 2026House
    Rep. LaLonde of South Burlington reported for the Committee on Judiciary
  10. Apr 9, 2026House
    Read second time
  11. Apr 9, 2026House
    Action Calendar: Favorable
  12. Apr 8, 2026House
    Notice Calendar: Favorable
  13. Mar 17, 2026HouseIntroduced
    Read first time and referred to the Committee on Judiciary
  14. Mar 12, 2026SenateFloor
    Read 3rd time & passed
  15. Mar 12, 2026Senate
    New Business/Third Reading
  16. Mar 11, 2026Senate
    3rd reading ordered
  17. Mar 11, 2026Senate
    Recommendation of amendment by Committee on Judiciary agreed to
  18. Mar 11, 2026Senate
    Read 2nd time, reported favorably with recommendation of amendment by Senator Norris for Committee on Judiciary
  19. Mar 11, 2026Senate
    Favorable report with recommendation of amendment by Committee on Judiciary
  20. Mar 11, 2026Senate
    Unfinished Business/Second Reading
  21. Mar 10, 2026Senate
    Favorable report with recommendation of amendment by Committee on Judiciary
  22. Mar 10, 2026Senate
    New Business/Second Reading
  23. Feb 27, 2026Senate
    Favorable report with recommendation of amendment by Committee on Judiciary
  24. Feb 27, 2026Senate
    Second Reading
  25. Feb 27, 2026Senate
    Entered on Notice Calendar
  26. Jan 6, 2026SenateIntroduced
    Read 1st time & referred to Committee on Judiciary

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

Robert NorrisPrimary sponsor

Discoveries

1 pattern noticed across the record

Patterns POLISCOPE noticed across the record. These are observations to investigate, not conclusions.

policy shift95% confidence

Mandatory Industry Registry and Bonding

The bill shifts enforcement by requiring a dedicated public fraud registry and establishing high financial thresholds ($250,000 bond) for convicted individuals to continue working.

Office of the Attorney General

Connected Entities

Commissioner of Buildings and General Services, Office of the Attorney General
PersonCommissioner of Buildings and General Services“Determines the duration of the prohibition on applying for or receiving State gr”Map →
OrganizationOffice of the Attorney General“Maintains the Home Improvement and Land Improvement Fraud Registry and receives ”Map →

Sources

Open source document

legislature.vermont.gov

Analysis Score

0–100
  • Significance75
    How much this matters to a regular citizen
  • Controversy40
    Intensity of disagreement among stakeholders
  • Entertainment10
    Compellingness for a non-policy-wonk reader
  • Buzz30
    Current news / social attention level

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