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Read. Follow. Verify.Vermont Senate Bill 169 Transfers Act 250 Permit Appeals to the Land Use Review Board
Last action · January 6, 2026: Read 1st time & referred to Committee on Natural Resources and EnergySponsors: Alison Clarkson and 1 other
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What This Bill Would Do
Senator Alison Clarkson introduced S. 169 to move Act 250 permit appeals from the Environmental Division of the Superior Court to the Land Use Review Board, effective July 1, 2026. The bill establishes new procedural rules for Board hearings, sets a $295 appeal filing fee, and appropriates $300,000 from the General Fund for 2027 to cover setup costs and a new Legal Services Specialist position.
Property owners, developers, and municipalities must redirect Act 250 permit appeals from the Superior Court to the Land Use Review Board, paying a $295 filing fee and following new prehearing discovery and rules starting July 1, 2026.
- Act 250 is Vermont's landmark state land use and development law, enacted in 1970 to regulate large-scale commercial and residential developments. context
- The Land Use Review Board functions as an administrative body overseeing regional plans and Act 250 processes in Vermont. context
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.
Land Use Review Board
The Board assumes new jurisdiction over Act 250 permit appeals, adopts procedural rules, receives funding appropriations, and hires a new Legal Services Specialist.
Environmental Division of the Superior Court
The division loses its jurisdiction over new Act 250 permit appeals while retaining authority to complete pending cases filed by July 1, 2028.
Appellants and Permit Applicants
Appellants must file appeals and a $295 fee with the Land Use Review Board rather than the Superior Court and must follow the Board's de novo hearing procedures.
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
Where should I file an Act 250 permit appeal under this bill?
What happens to Act 250 appeals currently pending in court?
What else do you want to know?
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 6, 2026SenateIntroducedRead 1st time & referred to Committee on Natural Resources and Energy
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.
Centralization of Environmental Appeals
The legislation represents a structural pivot from judicial court review to administrative board adjudication for Act 250 land use permits.
Connected Entities
Sources
legislature.vermont.gov
Analysis Score
0–100- Significance80How much this matters to a regular citizen
- Controversy45Intensity of disagreement among stakeholders
- Entertainment5Compellingness for a non-policy-wonk reader
- Buzz30Current news / social attention level
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