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Read. Follow. Verify.Vermont establishes consumer protections, net neutrality compliance, and market monitoring for broadband and VoIP services
Last action · January 9, 2025: Read first time and referred to the Committee on Energy and Digital InfrastructureSponsor: Laura Sibilia
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What This Bill Would Do
Vermont establishes comprehensive consumer protections for broadband and services, requiring providers to meet performance standards, maintain compliance starting October 1, 2025, and submit annual complaint and pricing reports to the Attorney General beginning January 1, 2027.
Broadband providers face strict new operational requirements, restrictions, and liability for unfair practices under Vermont consumer protection laws, while consumers gain formal mechanisms for filing grievances and reimbursement for underperforming services.
- The Vermont General Assembly is the state legislature responsible for enacting laws regarding commerce, telecommunications, and consumer protections in the state. context
- The Vermont Office of the Attorney General serves as the chief law enforcement office advocating for consumers and enforcing state consumer protection and trade practices laws. 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.
Broadband providers
Providers must comply with net neutrality certification rules, submit annual data reports verified under oath, maintain complaint logs, and adhere to prohibitions on data caps and deceptive marketing.
VoIP providers
VoIP providers must submit annual statements certifying compliance with FCC E-911 and battery backup power requirements.
Vermont broadband consumers
Consumers gain protection against deceptive practices, guaranteed service performance standards with installation cost reimbursement rights, emergency disconnection protections, and accessible complaint tracking.
Key Facts
- Beginning October 1, 2025, broadband providers must obtain a valid certificate of net neutrality compliance from the Secretary of Administration.
- Broadband providers are prohibited from failing to provide service that meets or exceeds performance characteristics sold to the consumer's service location.
- Providers must reimburse consumers for installation costs if service is discontinued because it failed to meet promised performance characteristics.
- Imposing predatory data caps or excessive termination fees is prohibited, except when tailored for reasonable network management like congestion control.
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- Beginning January 1, 2026, broadband providers must maintain complete records of consumer complaints, submitting a copy annually to the Attorney General starting January 1, 2027.
- Each broadband provider must submit an annual fixed broadband service report to the Attorney General by October 1, 2025, and annually thereafter, verified under oath by two executive officers.
- During a declared state of emergency for an all-hazards event causing financial hardship, broadband providers are prohibited from disconnecting service, charging unconscionably high prices, or imposing data usage limits.
- The Commissioner of Public Service must establish a monitoring program for VoIP service health and public safety risks during power outages, including quarterly reviews of E-911 outage reports.
- VoIP providers must submit annual statements certifying compliance with FCC E-911 and battery backup power requirements.
- A violation of any provision of this subchapter constitutes an unlawful act under Vermont consumer fraud law (9 V.S.A. § 2453).
Frequently Asked Questions
What happens if my broadband service does not reach the speeds I was promised?
Can my broadband provider disconnect my service or impose data caps during a state of emergency?
What reporting requirements do broadband providers have to follow?
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 9, 2025HouseIntroducedRead first time and referred to the Committee on Energy and Digital Infrastructure
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.
Consolidation of Consumer Protection Oversight
The bill repeals existing narrow review rules and consolidates broadband consumer protection, market monitoring, complaint tracking, and net neutrality enforcement primarily under the Office of the Attorney General and Department of Public Service.
Connected Entities
Sources
legislature.vermont.gov
Analysis Score
0–100- Significance85How much this matters to a regular citizen
- Controversy65Intensity of disagreement among stakeholders
- Entertainment10Compellingness for a non-policy-wonk reader
- Buzz40Current news / social attention level
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