---
type: "Bill"
title: "An act relating to water quality of the waters of Vermont"
description: "An act relating to water quality of the waters of Vermont"
jurisdiction: "us/states/vt"
legislature: "Vermont General Assembly"
session: "2025-2026"
identifier: "S 223"
citation: "Vermont S 223 (2025-2026)"
classification: ["bill"]
subjects: []
status: "enacted"
primary_sponsors: ["Seth Bongartz"]
version_count: 8
action_count: 68
vote_count: 0
first_action: "2026-01-08"
last_action: "2026-05-29"
source: "openstates"
source_identifier: "ocd-bill/8a275b90-b901-4aa2-8fd2-da667033ea63"
source_url: "http://legislature.vermont.gov/bill/loadBillDetailedStatus/2026/1319"
source_hash: "f43a32243a57a30fe603fdcc16e4fc0de459aa4939679e240c4bdb9f637c9034"
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 223 (2025-2026) — An act relating to water quality of the waters of Vermont

## 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/2026/Docs/BILLS/S-0223/S-0223%20As%20Introduced.pdf)
2. **As Enacted** (committee substitute) — [source](https://legislature.vermont.gov/Documents/2026/Docs/ACTS/ACT175/ACT175%20As%20Enacted.pdf)
3. **As Passed By the Senate (Official)** (committee substitute) — [source](https://legislature.vermont.gov/Documents/2026/Docs/BILLS/S-0223/S-0223%20As%20passed%20by%20the%20Senate%20Official.pdf)
4. **As Passed By the Senate (Unofficial)** (committee substitute) — [source](https://legislature.vermont.gov/Documents/2026/Docs/BILLS/S-0223/S-0223%20As%20Passed%20by%20the%20Senate%20Unofficial.pdf)
5. **As Passed by Both House and Senate (Official)** (committee substitute) — [source](https://legislature.vermont.gov/Documents/2026/Docs/BILLS/S-0223/S-0223%20As%20Passed%20by%20Both%20House%20and%20Senate%20Official.pdf)
6. **As Passed by Both House and Senate (Unofficial)** (committee substitute) — [source](https://legislature.vermont.gov/Documents/2026/Docs/BILLS/S-0223/S-0223%20As%20Passed%20by%20Both%20House%20and%20Senate%20Unofficial.pdf)
7. **House Proposal of Amendment (Official)** (committee substitute) — [source](https://legislature.vermont.gov/Documents/2026/Docs/BILLS/S-0223/S-0223%20House%20proposal%20of%20amendment%20Official.pdf)
8. **House Proposal of Amendment (Unofficial)** (committee substitute) — [source](https://legislature.vermont.gov/Documents/2026/Docs/BILLS/S-0223/S-0223%20House%20Proposal%20of%20Amendment%20Unofficial.pdf)

## Sponsors

- Seth Bongartz — primary (person)
- Anne Watson — cosponsor (person)

## Timeline

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

- **2026-01-08** Read 1st time & referred to Committee on Natural Resources and Energy `introduction`
- **2026-02-25** Entered on Notice Calendar
- **2026-02-25** Second Reading `reading-2`
- **2026-02-25** Favorable report with recommendation of amendment by Committee on Natural Resources and Energy `committee-passage`
- **2026-02-25** Referred to Committee on Appropriations per Senate Rule 31
- **2026-03-10** Entered on Notice Calendar
- **2026-03-10** Second Reading `reading-2`
- **2026-03-10** Favorable report with recommendation of amendment by Committee on Natural Resources and Energy `committee-passage`
- **2026-03-10** Favorable report with recommendation of amendment by Committee on Appropriations `committee-passage`
- **2026-03-11** New Business/Second Reading `reading-2`
- **2026-03-11** Favorable report with recommendation of amendment by Committee on Natural Resources and Energy `committee-passage`
- **2026-03-11** Favorable report with recommendation of amendment by Committee on Appropriations `committee-passage`
- **2026-03-11** Read 2nd time, reported favorably with recommendation of amendment by Senator Bongartz for Committee on Natural Resources and Energy `committee-passage-favorable, reading-2`
- **2026-03-11** Reported favorably by Senator Watson for Committee on Appropriations with recommendation of amendment `committee-passage-favorable`
- **2026-03-11** Recommendation of amendment by Committee on Natural Resources and Energy amended as recommended by Committee on Appropriations
- **2026-03-11** Recommendation of amendment by Committee on Natural Resources and Energy, as amended, agreed to
- **2026-03-11** 3rd reading ordered
- **2026-03-12** New Business/Third Reading `reading-3`
- **2026-03-12** Read 3rd time & passed `reading-3`
- **2026-03-17** Read first time and referred to the Committee on Environment `introduction`
- **2026-04-24** Notice Calendar: Favorable with Amendment
- **2026-04-24** Referred to Committee on Appropriations per Rule 35(a)
- **2026-04-29** Notice Calendar: Favorable with Amendment
- **2026-04-30** Action Calendar: Favorable with Amendment
- **2026-04-30** Rep. Sheldon of Middlebury moved to postpone action until May 5, 2026, which was agreed to
- **2026-05-01** Action Calendar: Action postponed until May 5, 2026
- **2026-05-05** Action Calendar: Action postponed until May 5, 2026
- **2026-05-05** Read second time `reading-2`
- **2026-05-05** Rep. Hoyt of Hartford reported for the Committee on Environment
- **2026-05-05** Rep. Squirrell of Underhill recommended for the Committee on Appropriations
- **2026-05-05** Report of Committee on Environment amended as recommended by Committee on Appropriations
- **2026-05-05** Rep. Page of Newport City moved to amend the report of the Committee on Environment, as amended, which was agreed to
- **2026-05-05** Rep. Page of Newport City moved to amend the report of the Committee on Environment, as amended
- **2026-05-05** Rep. Page of Newport City asked and was granted leave to withdraw amendment
- **2026-05-05** Report of Committee on Environment, as amended, agreed to
- **2026-05-05** Third Reading ordered `reading-3`
- **2026-05-06** Action Calendar: Third Reading `reading-3`
- **2026-05-06** Rep. Hoyt of Hartford moved to amend the House proposal of amendment `amendment-introduction`
- **2026-05-06** Rep. Hoyt of Hartford asked and was granted leave to withdraw amendment
- **2026-05-06** Read third time and passed in concurrence with proposal of amendment `amendment-introduction, reading-3`
- **2026-05-08** House message: House passed bill in concurrence with proposal(s) of amendment
- **2026-05-08** Entered on Notice Calendar
- **2026-05-08** House proposal of amendment `amendment-introduction`
- **2026-05-12** House proposal of amendment `amendment-introduction`
- **2026-05-13** Unfinished Business/House Proposal of Amendment `amendment-introduction`
- **2026-05-13** House proposal of amendment; text `amendment-introduction`
- **2026-05-13** House proposal of amendment not concurred in; Committee of Conference requested, on motion of Senator Watson `amendment-introduction`
- **2026-05-13** Committee of Conference appointed: Senators Watson, Bongartz, and Williams
- **2026-05-13** Rules suspended & messaged to House forthwith, on motion of Senator Baruth `passage`
- **2026-05-13** Senate Message: Committee of Conference members appointed
- **2026-05-13** Speaker appointed Reps. Sheldon of Middlebury, Labor of Morgan, and Satcowitz of Randolph as members of the Committee of Conference on the part of the House
- **2026-05-14** House message: House appointed Conference Committee members
- **2026-05-21** Notice Calendar: Report of Committee of Conference
- **2026-05-21** Rules suspended and taken up for immediate consideration as moved by Rep. McCoy of Poultney
- **2026-05-21** Committee of Conference report adopted (Senate bill) `passage`
- **2026-05-21** Rules suspended and bill messaged forthwith to the Senate as moved by Rep. McCoy of Poultney
- **2026-05-22** House message: House adopted Conference Committee report
- **2026-05-22** Entered on Notice Calendar
- **2026-05-22** Committee of Conference report
- **2026-05-26** Committee of Conference report
- **2026-05-26** Committee of Conference report submitted by Senator Bongartz for Committee, text
- **2026-05-26** Committee of Conference report adopted
- **2026-05-26** Senate Message: Report of Committee of Conference adopted
- **2026-05-26** As passed by Senate and House `passage`
- **2026-05-26** Rules suspended & messaged to House forthwith, on motion of Senator Baruth `passage`
- **2026-05-29** Delivered to Governor on June 12, 2026 `executive-receipt`
- **2026-05-29** Signed by Governor on June 18, 2026 `executive-signature`
- **2026-05-29** Senate Message: Signed by Governor June 18, 2026 `executive-signature`

## Source

OpenStates / OpenCivicData bulk snapshot [2026-07-01](https://data.openstates.org/daily/2026-07-01/public.pgdump); origin `ocd-bill/8a275b90-b901-4aa2-8fd2-da667033ea63`. Confidence: reported (aggregated from official Vermont legislature records).