Rep_John_Bartholomew - Committee Assignments

Committee Assignment

Much of the work of the legislature is carried out in committees. Here issues are studied, policy is formed, and legislation is drafted to implement those policies. Committees often spend much time preparing bills and listening to testimony before presenting proposed new legislation to the full House of Representatives.

I serve as Vice Chair on the House Committee on Agriculture, Food Resiliency, and Forestry. I also was elected to serve on the House Rules Committee.

In previous years I have served on the House Committee on Transportation and the House Committee on Environment.

The House Committee on Agriculture, Food Resiliency, and Forestry considers matters relating to agriculture, food resiliency, climate change mitigation and adaptation, forestry and forest products, State parks and lands, and other similar policies.

The House Committee on Agriculture, Food Resiliency, and Forestry passed critical legislation during the past biennium to protect Vermonters’ health and safety, keep our farms and working lands viable, and help families struggling with the rising cost of groceries.

H.739/Act 112 (An act relating to prohibiting the use and sale of the herbicide paraquat) bans the use of paraquat, a highly toxic herbicide linked to Parkinson's disease through wind-borne dispersion. Although paraquat is outlawed in over 70 countries, Vermont will be the first state in the nation to prohibit its use. The bill passed the House and Senate, and was signed into law by the Governor on 26 May 2026.

H.536/Act 110 (An act relating to toxic heavy metals in baby food products) requires manufacturers of baby food and infant formula to test their products for lead, mercury, and other toxic heavy metals, and to make the results of those tests readily accessible to consumers online and through package labeling. The bill passed the House and Senate, and was signed into law by the Governor on 26 May 2026.

H.941/Act 166 (An act relating to municipal regulation of agriculture) protects farms from municipal overreach, and clarifies that regulation of agriculture is generally the responsibility of the state, specifically the Agency of Agriculture, Food, and Markets. Cities and towns may elect to regulate farming businesses on lots smaller than one acre, but may not prevent individuals from growing their own food.

The bill adds these new protections for Vermonters who want to grow and raise their own food. Towns and cities will not be able to impose restrictions on vegetable gardens and must allow small poultry flocks, including at least a dozen chickens. The bill passed the House and Senate, and was signed into law by the Governor on 18 June 2026.

S.45/Act 61 (An act relating to protection from nuisance suits for agricultural activities) updates Vermont's Right to Farm law, strengthening protections against nuisance lawsuits. Act 61 recognizes the importance of Vermont's agricultural economy and the many challenges confronting our farms. The bill passed the House and Senate, and was signed into law by the Governor on 12 June 2025.

S.60/Act 78 (An act relating to establishing the Farm and Forestry Operations Security Special Fund to provide payments for farm and forestry operation losses due to weather conditions) creates a new emergency fund and streamlines the application process for farmers who have been victims of severe storms, drought, or other climate-related disasters. The bill passed the House and Senate, and was signed into law by the Governor on 26 March 2026.

In 2025, the Committee and the General Assembly reaffirmed our previous commitment to Universal School Meals by rejecting the Governor's attempt to repeal Act 64 of 2023 (An act relating to school food programs and universal school meals). With federal funding increasingly unreliable and more children at risk of going hungry, Act 64 ensures that students have access to healthy meals, helps families struggling to keep up with rising food costs, and improves educational outcomes.

H.167/Act 34 (An act relating to establishing the Vermonters Feeding Vermonters Grant at the Agency of Agriculture, Food, and Markets) created the new Vermonters Feeding Vermonters grant program. The legislation builds on an established program run by the Vermont Foodbank that provides food-insecure Vermonters with access to local produce, meat, and eggs, while providing a steady market for 300 Vermont farmers. Most of the farm products purchased through this program go directly to food pantries in communities across the state, while a portion of the funding is used to purchase Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) shares at participating farms. The bill passed the House and Senate, and was signed into law by the Governor on 27 May 2025.

Required Agricultural Practices - Act 64 (An act relating to improving the quality of State waters)

Vermont began a long process in 2015 of improving the quality of our state’s waterways. Rethinking and revising our forestry and farming practices are an important part of this work. The Agency of Agriculture released Required Agricultural Practices (RAPs), sparking thoughtful conversations about how best to improve the health and productivity of our soil and water. Small farmers, in particular, are engaged and working to ensure that the new rules recognize that regenerative agricultural practices are the most sustainable approach to striking this balance.

Developing the RAPs presents an opportunity for farmers to participate in the process as we work to improve water quality in Vermont. Farmers have access to technical and financial assistance, incentives, and other types of support as they come into compliance with water quality standards.

Vermont’s Working Landscape

Vermonters overwhelmingly identify the working landscape as one of the aspects of our state that they value most. According to the Vermont Council on Rural Development, over 97% of Vermonters believe that our working landscape is key to our future. Our working farms, bountiful forests, and value-added products hold tremendous opportunity for job creation and rural revitalization. We are in the midst of an agricultural renaissance that is sparking new economic growth and shaping our legacy for future generations. Our successes have been due to the efforts of skilled and dedicated farmers, creative entrepreneurs, and the strategic investment of private and public funds.

Recognizing that Vermont’s most reliable assets are our people, our natural resources and our brand, the Working Lands bill stimulates economic development, encouraging entrepreneurism and job creation in agriculture and in Vermont's forest products industry. The Working Landscapes Enterprise Board, mplements the policy, making determinations on funding and resources for those who want to start up, expand, or branch out in agriculture and forestry. The board considers enterprise grants, infrastructure investments, capital for a business’s growth phase, and business planning and startup help, as well as wraparound services, technical assistance, and financial packaging. Available funds may be leveraged through private funders and foundations.

This is a transformational piece of legislation that can help insure that Vermont still has vibrant agricultural and forest activity in 20 years.

Vermont without farms could be a good place…but it could never be Vermont; and while there are lots of good places, there is only one Vermont.

– Frank and Melissa Byran

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