House Judiciary Work:

This past Friday was crossover. That means that a House committee must vote out any bill that it wants the Senate to consider. We passed out two bills this week, H.147 Highway Safety and H.34 An Act Relating to Autom ated External Defibrillators.

We also spent quite a bit of time on H.310 that proposes to establish a process to provide for receivership of a long-term care facility that files for bankruptcy. This is an extremely completed bill that needs more testimony and work. The Senate will give us more time on this, as we could not meet crossover.

We also looked at the issue of if a pension can be revoke or reduce when the beneficiary is convicted of a crime. This arose when it became public knowledge that the former Braford Elementary School teacher imprisoned for sexual misconduct with his students will accumulate nearly $260,000 in pension payments by the time his sentence expires in about 20 years. We will continue to look at this as we continue our work on sex offenders when we receive the Adam Walsh and other sex offender bills from the Senate.

H.34 34 An Act Relating to

Automated External

Defibrillators (AED's) H.34 amends existing law on AED's to eliminate barriers to their use and encourage the public to use them when someone appears to be in cardiac arrest. More and more public places have installed AED's and businesses are investing in them as well.

The current law states that only someone who has completed training approved by the American Red Cross, the American Heart Association or by the health department may use the devices.H.34 removes this requirement. According to testimony by EMT's and the American Heart Association (AHA), the devices are nearly foolproof and very easy to use. The AHA wants the untrained public to be able to use them. The law grants immunity from civil damages so long as the person using the AED was not acting grossly negligent or willful and wanton.

H.147 Highway Safety:

This bill is identical to the bill that passed the House last year but died in conference committee when the Senate wanted to relax current junior operator laws and opposed a primary seat belt law. I will report the bill on the House floor this week.

Judicial Restructuring:

We heard from the acting Court Administrator on the status of the work on judicial restructuring. There is a committee that will be making recommendations to the legislature. The committee will next meet in mid April. This is a very complex issue involving many interests. We heard testimony that the committee will be ready for us to act next year when we return. It is likely that my committee and other committees such as Government Operations will follow the discussion throughout the summer and fall.

Economic Development

The House Committee on Commerce and Economic Development is considering an omnibus economic development bill. The three core purposes of the bill are:

1. To establish a statewide policy to guide economic development based on the four principal goals adopted by the Commission on the future of economic Development ("CFED").

2. To promote near-term economic development through collaboration and unified proposals by government and the private sector to ensure that Vermont gets the maximum available benefits from federal stimulus legislation.

3. To promote long-term economic development by creating new programs, and enhancing existing programs, that will most effectively promote the four principal CFED goals and will have the most significant measurable near-term and long-term economic development impacts in Vermont.

Please let me know if you would like more information on CFED's recommendations.

American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) (federal stimulus package):

It compiles information on programs funded by the ARRA and opportunities available to individuals, communities and businesses in Vermont. It is available thorough his office toll free at (888) 605-7270 or on line a t http://www.welch.house.gov/r ecovery.

Please stay in touch. 828- 2228. maxjg@wcvt.com.