---
type: "Bill"
title: "An act relating to climate change cost recovery"
description: "An act relating to climate change cost recovery"
jurisdiction: "us/states/vt"
legislature: "Vermont General Assembly"
session: "2023-2024"
identifier: "S 259"
citation: "Vermont S 259 (2023-2024)"
classification: ["bill"]
subjects: []
status: "enacted"
primary_sponsors: ["Anne Watson", "Richard Sears Jr."]
version_count: 9
action_count: 77
vote_count: 4
first_action: "2024-01-12"
last_action: "2024-05-10"
source: "openstates"
source_identifier: "ocd-bill/f082b2d0-8798-4a31-80f9-d2c4477d4666"
source_url: "http://legislature.vermont.gov/bill/loadBillDetailedStatus/2024/1341"
source_hash: "da36aebe232f05e5765f6cbea0c68d3e2b28d92a4eb902d5fdc1d909dfb6e51c"
vintage: "2026-07-01"
source_snapshot: "https://data.openstates.org/daily/2026-07-01/public.pgdump"
retrieved_at: "2026-07-06"
confidence: "reported"
tags: ["legislation", "bill", "us-vt"]
---

# Vermont S 259 (2023-2024) — An act relating to climate change cost recovery

## Version chain

The bill's text revisions, in order — the diff chain from filing to enrollment.

1. **As Introduced** (filed) — [source](https://legislature.vermont.gov/Documents/2024/Docs/BILLS/S-0259/S-0259%20As%20Introduced.pdf)
2. **Act Summary** (committee substitute) — [source](https://legislature.vermont.gov/Documents/2024/Docs/ACTS/ACT122/ACT122%20Act%20Summary.pdf)
3. **As Enacted** (committee substitute) — [source](https://legislature.vermont.gov/Documents/2024/Docs/ACTS/ACT122/ACT122%20As%20Enacted.pdf)
4. **As Passed By the Senate (Official)** (committee substitute) — [source](https://legislature.vermont.gov/Documents/2024/Docs/BILLS/S-0259/S-0259%20As%20passed%20by%20the%20Senate%20Official.pdf)
5. **As Passed By the Senate (Unofficial)** (committee substitute) — [source](https://legislature.vermont.gov/Documents/2024/Docs/BILLS/S-0259/S-0259%20As%20Passed%20by%20the%20Senate%20Unofficial.pdf)
6. **As Passed by Both House and Senate (Official)** (committee substitute) — [source](https://legislature.vermont.gov/Documents/2024/Docs/BILLS/S-0259/S-0259%20As%20Passed%20by%20Both%20House%20and%20Senate%20Official.pdf)
7. **As Passed by Both House and Senate (Unofficial)** (committee substitute) — [source](https://legislature.vermont.gov/Documents/2024/Docs/BILLS/S-0259/S-0259%20As%20Passed%20by%20Both%20House%20and%20Senate%20Unofficial.pdf)
8. **House Proposal of Amendment (Official)** (committee substitute) — [source](https://legislature.vermont.gov/Documents/2024/Docs/BILLS/S-0259/S-0259%20House%20proposal%20of%20amendment%20Official.pdf)
9. **House Proposal of Amendment (Unofficial)** (committee substitute) — [source](https://legislature.vermont.gov/Documents/2024/Docs/BILLS/S-0259/S-0259%20House%20Proposal%20of%20Amendment%20Unofficial.pdf)

## Votes

- Passed on roll call, requested by Senator Watson, Passed -- Needed 15 of 29 to Pass -- Yeas = 26, Nays = 3 — **26–3** (pass) · upper
- Roll Call Results Passed -- Needed 66 of 132 to Pass -- Yeas = 93, Nays = 39 — **93–39** (pass) · lower
- Roll Call, requested by Senator Watson, Passed -- Needed 13 of 26 to Pass -- Yeas = 21, Nays = 5 — **21–5** (pass) · upper
- Roll Call Results Passed -- Needed 67 of 133 to Pass -- Yeas = 100, Nays = 33 — **100–33** (pass) · lower

## Sponsors

- Anne Watson — primary (person)
- Richard Sears Jr. — primary (person)
- Alison Clarkson — cosponsor (person)
- Andrew Perchlik — cosponsor (person)
- Ann Cummings — cosponsor (person)
- Brian Campion — cosponsor (person)
- Christopher Bray — cosponsor (person)
- Irene Wrenner — cosponsor (person)
- Kesha Ram Hinsdale — cosponsor (person)
- M. Jane Kitchel — cosponsor (person)
- Mark MacDonald — cosponsor (person)
- Martine Gulick — cosponsor (person)
- Nader Hashim — cosponsor (person)
- Rebecca White — cosponsor (person)
- Richard McCormack — cosponsor (person)
- Ruth Hardy — cosponsor (person)
- Tanya Vyhovsky — cosponsor (person)
- Thomas Chittenden — cosponsor (person)
- Virginia Lyons — cosponsor (person)
- Wendy Harrison — cosponsor (person)

## Timeline

The legislative action history — every referral, reading, and vote.

- **2024-01-12** Read 1st time & referred to Committee on Judiciary `introduction`
- **2024-03-19** Entered on Notice Calendar
- **2024-03-19** Second Reading `reading-2`
- **2024-03-19** Favorable report with recommendation of amendment by Committee on Judiciary `committee-passage`
- **2024-03-19** Referred to Committee on Finance per Senate Rule 31
- **2024-03-22** Entered on Notice Calendar
- **2024-03-22** Second Reading `reading-2`
- **2024-03-22** Favorable report with recommendation of amendment by Committee on Judiciary `committee-passage`
- **2024-03-22** Favorable report by Committee on Finance `committee-passage`
- **2024-03-22** Referred to Committee on Appropriations per Senate Rule 31
- **2024-03-26** Entered on Notice Calendar
- **2024-03-26** Second Reading `reading-2`
- **2024-03-26** Favorable report with recommendation of amendment by Committee on Judiciary `committee-passage`
- **2024-03-26** Favorable report by Committee on Finance `committee-passage`
- **2024-03-26** Favorable report with recommendation of amendment by Committee on Appropriations `committee-passage`
- **2024-03-27** New Business/Second Reading `reading-2`
- **2024-03-27** Favorable report with recommendation of amendment by Committee on Judiciary `committee-passage`
- **2024-03-27** Favorable report by Committee on Finance `committee-passage`
- **2024-03-27** Favorable report with recommendation of amendment by Committee on Appropriations `committee-passage`
- **2024-03-28** Unfinished Business/Second Reading `reading-2`
- **2024-03-28** Favorable report with recommendation of amendment by Committee on Judiciary `committee-passage`
- **2024-03-28** Favorable report by Committee on Finance `committee-passage`
- **2024-03-28** Favorable report with recommendation of amendment by Committee on Appropriations `committee-passage`
- **2024-03-29** Unfinished Business/Second Reading `reading-2`
- **2024-03-29** Favorable report with recommendation of amendment by Committee on Judiciary `committee-passage`
- **2024-03-29** Favorable report by Committee on Finance `committee-passage`
- **2024-03-29** Favorable report with recommendation of amendment by Committee on Appropriations `committee-passage`
- **2024-03-29** Read 2nd time, reported favorably with recommendation of amendment by Senator Hashim for Committee on Judiciary `committee-passage-favorable, reading-2`
- **2024-03-29** Reported favorably by Senator Bray for Committee on Finance `committee-passage-favorable`
- **2024-03-29** Reported favorably by Senator Sears for Committee on Appropriations with recommendation of amendment `committee-passage-favorable`
- **2024-03-29** Recommendation of amendment by Committee on Judiciary amended as recommended by Committee on Appropriations
- **2024-03-29** Recommendation of amendment by Committee on Judiciary, as amended, agreed to
- **2024-03-29** Roll Call, requested by Senator Watson, Passed -- Needed 13 of 26 to Pass -- Yeas = 21, Nays = 5
- **2024-03-29** Senator Brock explained vote
- **2024-03-29** 3rd reading ordered
- **2024-04-02** New Business/Third Reading `reading-3`
- **2024-04-02** Pending third reading, bill amended as moved by Senator(s) Sears and Kitchel `reading-3`
- **2024-04-02** Read 3rd time `reading-3`
- **2024-04-02** Passed on roll call, requested by Senator Watson, Passed -- Needed 15 of 29 to Pass -- Yeas = 26, Nays = 3 `passage`
- **2024-04-02** Senator White explained vote
- **2024-04-04** Read first time and referred to the Committee on Environment and Energy `introduction`
- **2024-04-19** Notice Calendar: Favorable with Amendment
- **2024-04-22** Action Calendar: Favorable with Amendment
- **2024-04-23** Action Calendar: Unfinished Business
- **2024-04-23** Rep. Sheldon of Middlebury moved to commit bill to the Committee on Judiciary, which was agreed to
- **2024-04-24** Pending entry on Notice Calendar, referred to Committee on Ways and Means per Rule 35(a)
- **2024-04-26** Notice Calendar: Favorable with Amendment
- **2024-04-26** Referred to Committee on Appropriations per Rule 35(a)
- **2024-05-02** Notice Calendar: Favorable with Amendment
- **2024-05-03** Action Calendar: Favorable with Amendment
- **2024-05-03** Read second time `reading-2`
- **2024-05-03** Rep. Sheldon of Middlebury reported for the Committee on Environment and Energy
- **2024-05-03** Rep. Christie of Hartford reported for the Committee on Judiciary
- **2024-05-03** Rep. Taylor of Colchester recommended for the Committee on Ways and Means
- **2024-05-03** Rep. Squirrell of Underhill recommended for the Committee on Appropriations
- **2024-05-03** Report of Committee on Environment and Energy agreed to
- **2024-05-03** Rep. Sheldon of Middlebury demanded yeas and nays
- **2024-05-03** Roll Call Results Passed -- Needed 67 of 133 to Pass -- Yeas = 100, Nays = 33
- **2024-05-03** Third Reading ordered `reading-3`
- **2024-05-04** Action Calendar: Third Reading `reading-3`
- **2024-05-06** Action Calendar: Unfinished Business
- **2024-05-06** Read third time `reading-3`
- **2024-05-06** Rep. Higley of Lowell demanded yeas and nays
- **2024-05-06** Roll Call Results Passed -- Needed 66 of 132 to Pass -- Yeas = 93, Nays = 39
- **2024-05-06** Passed in concurrence with proposal of amendment `amendment-introduction`
- **2024-05-06** Rep. Donahue of Northfield asked and was granted leave to change roll call vote pursuant to Rule 74
- **2024-05-08** House message: House passed bill in concurrence with proposal(s) of amendment
- **2024-05-09** House proposal of amendment `amendment-introduction`
- **2024-05-10** House proposal of amendment `amendment-introduction`
- **2024-05-10** House proposal of amendment; text `amendment-introduction`
- **2024-05-10** House proposal of amendment concurred in `amendment-introduction`
- **2024-05-10** As passed by Senate and House `passage`
- **2024-05-10** Rules suspended & action messaged to House forthwith, on motion of Senator Baruth
- **2024-05-10** Senate Message: House proposal of amendment concurred in `amendment-introduction`
- **2024-05-10** Delivered to Governor on May 24, 2024 `executive-receipt`
- **2024-05-10** Allowed to become law without signature of Governor on May 30, 2024 `became-law`
- **2024-05-10** Senate Message: Allowed to become law without Governor's signature on May 30, 2024

## Source

OpenStates / OpenCivicData bulk snapshot [2026-07-01](https://data.openstates.org/daily/2026-07-01/public.pgdump); origin `ocd-bill/f082b2d0-8798-4a31-80f9-d2c4477d4666`. Confidence: reported (aggregated from official Vermont legislature records).