Vermont § 1389a - Clean Water Investment Report

§ 1389a. Clean Water Investment Report

• (a) Beginning on January 15, 2017, and annually thereafter, the Secretary of Administration
  shall publish the Clean Water Investment Report. The Report shall summarize all investments,
  including their cost-effectiveness, made by the Clean Water Board and other State
  agencies for clean water restoration over the prior fiscal year. The Report shall
  include expenditures from the Clean Water Fund, the General Fund, the Transportation
  Fund, and any other State expenditures for clean water restoration, regardless of
  funding source. (b) The Report shall include: (1) Documentation of progress or shortcomings in meeting established indicators for clean
  water restoration. (2) [Repealed.] (3) A summary of water quality problems or concerns in each watershed basin of the State,
  a list of water quality projects identified as necessary in each basin of the State,
  and how identified projects have been prioritized for implementation. The water quality
  problems and projects identified under this subdivision shall include programs or
  projects identified across State government and shall not be limited to projects listed
  by the Agency of Natural Resources in its watershed projects database. (4) A summary of any changes to applicable federal law or policy related to the State’s
  water quality improvement efforts, including any changes to requirements to implement
  total maximum daily load plans in the State. (5) [Repealed.] (6) Beginning on January 2024, a summary of the administration of the grant programs established
  under sections 925–928 of this title, including whether these grant programs are adequately funding implementation of
  the Clean Water Initiative and whether the funding limits for the Water Quality Enhancement
  Grants under subdivision 1389(e)(1)(D) of this title should be amended to improve State implementation of the Clean Water Initiative. (7) Beginning in January 2028 and every four years thereafter, a review of the sufficiency
  of the Clean Water Surcharge to the Property Transfer Tax under 32 V.S.A. § 9602a, including an assessment of whether the revenue generated by the surcharge remains
  necessary to fulfill the State’s clean water initiatives. The review shall include
  an assessment of whether the Clean Water Surcharge should be continued, whether the
  amount of the surcharge should be adjusted, and whether the surcharge should be repealed
  at a specified date. (c) The Report may also provide an overview of additional funding necessary to meet objectives
  established for clean water restoration and recommendations for additional revenue
  to meet those restoration objectives. The provisions of 2 V.S.A. § 20(d), expiration of required reports, shall not apply to the report required by this section. (d)(1) The Secretary of Administration shall develop and use a results-based accountability
  process in publishing the annual report required by subsection (a) of this section. (2) The Secretary of Administration shall develop user-friendly issue briefs, tables,
  or executive summaries that make the information required under subdivision (b)(3)
  of this section available to the public separately from the report required by this
  section. (3) On or before September 1 of each year, the Secretary of Administration shall submit
  to the Joint Fiscal Committee a summary of available federal funding related to or
  for water quality efforts in the State. (Added 2015, No. 64, § 37, eff. June 16, 2015; amended 2017, No. 85, § E.700.1; 2017, No. 168 (Adj. Sess.), § 2, eff. May 22, 2018; 2019, No. 76, § 10; 2021, No. 170 (Adj. Sess.), § 3, eff. July 1, 2022; 2023, No. 79, § 9, eff. July 1, 2023; 2025, No. 37, § 7a, eff. July 1, 2025.)