Advocacy Agenda Overview

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 focused on Workforce and Climate Resilience.

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.

See a recap of of our 2025 Legislative Session impacts here!

Climate Resilience: Champion business input in the updating and implementation 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 resilience policy
- Continue to offer VBSR’s ClimateReadyVT program to promote climate resilience for businesses in the face of climate disruptions.

Child Care: Support new legislation to establish standards and pathways to promote a well-trained early childhood educator workforce in VT.
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.
Career and Training Pipelines: Encourage a strong workforce through the development of education, training and career pipeline creation in Vermont.
2025-2026 Goals:
- Uphold implementation of Act 76, VT’s historic child care legislation (2023)
- Continue to support workforce development efforts, including a state licensure program for Early Childhood Educators.
- 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 reducing the cost of prescription drugs.
- Improve affordable access to quality healthcare in Vermont, including primary care and reproductive care.
- 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.

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 Executive Director, Chelsea Bardot Lewis, with questions, comments, or concerns.