Our Advocacy Agenda

VBSR's mission is to leverage the power of business for positive social and environmental impact. We advance our mission through shared learning, connection-building, and collective action.

For over 30 years, we have harnessed the power of the business community to galvanize change in the Vermont State House and drive our state toward a new paradigm: a just, thriving, and transformative economy for all people and the planet.

In support of this vision, each year VBSR selects a few policy priorities to focus on during the annual legislative session.

VBSR's 2025-2026 Advocacy Agenda is:

Our Climate Future
Care Economy
Employee Basic Needs

These priorities have been democratically developed, beginning with input from our membership through two separate membership surveys, then with extensive discussion among members of VBSR's Public Policy Committee, and ultimately the approval of VBSR’s Board of Directors.

Climate Resilience: Champion business input as part of the update to VT’s Climate Action Plan and Resilience Implementation Strategy.
Climate Mitigation: Defend bedrock climate legislation to reduce climate emissions in VT while advancing the Global Warming Solutions Act.
2025-2026 Goals:
- Support the implementation of VT’s Global Warming Solutions Act
- Support the development & passage of new state-level climate mitigation policy
- Support the development & passage of new state-level climate resilience policy
- Continue to offer VBSR’s ClimateReadyVT program

Child Care: Support new legislation to establish standards and pathways to promote a well-trained early childhood educator workforce in VT.
2025-2026 Goals:
- Uphold implementation of Act 76, VT’s historic child care legislation (2023)
- Support the development of a new child care bill building upon Act 76, including Early Childhood Educator workforce development
- Support the implementation Let’s Grow Kids’ continuity plan related to the organization’s sunset in December 2025
- Support opportunities to expand Vermont's Paid Family and Medical Leave program, while continuing to work towards our ultimate goal of a robust Paid Family and Medical Leave program for all Vermonters

Housing: Incentivize and support efforts to promote the development of affordable housing for low-and-middle-income Vermonters.
Healthcare: Support legislative and administrative efforts in 2025 related to maintaining our existing emergency and maternity health services at rural hospitals.
2025-2026 Goals:
- Advocate for affordability of programs/services supporting employee basic needs
- Support legislation to incentivize affordable housing development in towns seeking development as a result of the Act 250 housing exemption (2024)
- Pursue opportunities to support access to affordable healthcare, including preserving emergency and maternity care in our more rural communities
- Work toward our ultimate goal of decoupling health insurance from employment

Overview: Comprising business and community leaders from across the state, VBSR’s Public Policy Committee (PPC) is tasked with steering the organization’s advocacy work over the course of the session, vetting existing policies, and creating innovative new initiatives as well.

Setting VBSR’s Public Policy Agenda: Before the start of each session, the PPC is responsible for developing and voting on recommended legislative agenda meanwhile VBSR staff are responsible for supporting this process and for helping the Policy Committee to right-size the agenda given capacity limitations.

Please note that since 2020 we have incorporated member feedback received via our membership survey which asks folks what issues they felt VBSR should prioritize for the coming year.

Interested in learning more? Please contact our Public Policy Manager, Johanna de Graffenreid at JohannaD@vbsr.org with questions, comments, or concerns.