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Read. Follow. Verify.Vermont Bill S.322 Bars Corporations and Business Entities from Political Spending Starting January 1, 2027
Last action · February 18, 2026: Committee on Government Operations relieved; bill committed to Committee on Judiciary on motion of Senator CollamoreSponsors: Anne Watson and 1 other
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What This Bill Would Do
Vermont Senate Bill 322 prohibits corporations, limited liability companies, partnerships, and other artificial legal entities from spending money on election activities and ballot-issue measures, effective January 1, 2027. The legislation revokes existing broad corporate powers, redefines entity privileges, and requires entities that violate the ban to remit payments equal to their unlawful expenditures to the State Treasurer. Existing contracts entered into on or before December 31, 2026, remain legally protected.
Business entities operating in Vermont lose their implied legal authority to finance political campaigns, ballot measures, and candidate committees, shifting the legal scope of corporate political participation.
- Corporations and other artificial legal entities in Vermont have historically operated under broad statutory powers that courts and entities have construed to include political and ballot-measure spending. context
- The Vermont General Assembly holds the constitutional authority under Chapter II, §§ 6 and 69 of the Vermont Constitution to alter, limit, or revoke corporate charters and statutory powers. 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.
Vermont Corporations and Business Entities
Their corporate powers are reset to exclude political spending, and unlawful election expenditures trigger forfeiture of charter privileges and mandatory remittances to the State Treasurer.
Office of the State Treasurer
The office receives payments equal to the value of unlawful election or ballot-issue expenditures made by penalized business entities.
Secretary of State
The office is authorized to adopt rules defining election activity, ballot-issue activity, and parameters for de minimis exceptions.
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 types of business entities are affected by this bill?
Does this bill ban corporations from endorsing candidates or ballot measures?
What happens if a corporation violates the political spending ban?
When does the law take effect?
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
2 actions- Feb 18, 2026SenateCommitteeCommittee on Government Operations relieved; bill committed to Committee on Judiciary on motion of Senator Collamore
- Jan 27, 2026SenateIntroducedRead 1st time & referred to Committee on Government Operations
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.
Comprehensive Reset of Corporate Powers
The bill systemically revokes implied broad powers across multiple entity statutes (Titles 11, 11A, 11B, and 11C) to eradicate corporate political and ballot-measure spending authority.
Connected Entities
Sources
legislature.vermont.gov
Analysis Score
0–100- Significance85How much this matters to a regular citizen
- Controversy90Intensity of disagreement among stakeholders
- Entertainment10Compellingness for a non-policy-wonk reader
- Buzz65Current news / social attention level
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