Legislative History: Government activity that takes place before a law is finalized and enacted. Documents include legislative drafts, committee meeting minutes, studies, reports, and transcripts from hearings.
Sources for researching Vermont legislative history:
The Vermont Legislature website has documents dating from the 2009 - 2010 legislative sessions to the current session.
Vermont State Archives will have some documents related to the legislative record prior to 2009.
Municipal governments may have their own archives or historic records related to local ordinances and other matters. Contact the Town Clerk for the corresponding town or municipality to find out what they have.
Historic Vermont Statutes: Current and previous versions of laws of the state of Vermont, including statutes, acts or rules that have been amended, overturned, or reorganized.
Sources for researching historic Vermont statutes:
Vermont Statutes Annotated (VSA), commonly referred to as the 'Green Books', lists current laws.
The VSAs date back to 1959 and list changes to each section after the current version of the text, although these books are intended for current law and are not intended to be a historic record.
The Vermont Law School library and every Town Clerk's Office in Vermont has a set of the VSA.
Individual volumes and titles of the VSA are updated irregularly, but each year paper volume supplements are published. The Vermont Law School library collection contains paper supplements from 1970 to the present. For an earlier supplement, you can try contacting the Vermont State Archives.
Acts and Resolves of Vermont is Vermont's historic record of law.
The Vermont Law School library has the Acts and Resolves of Vermont in print format.
A digital version of Acts and Resolves of Vermont is available through HeinOnline. If you know which document you need, you can request it by email: clic@vermontlaw.edu , or if you wish to browse HeinOnline, use that email address to make a virtual reference appointment with a librarian.
Historic Vermont code compliations are published in the following volumes, as well as by subscription through HeinOnline.,
Laws of the State of Vermont (1798, 1808, 1817).
Laws of Vermont of a Publick and Permanent Nature,
Coming Down to, and Including, the Year 1824 (1825).
Revised Statutes of the State of Vermont (1840).
Williams Compilation of the Laws of Vermont 1839 to 1850 (1850).
General Statutes of the Laws of Vermont (1863,1877).
Revised Laws of Vermont 1880 (1881).
The Vermont Statutes 1894 (1895).
Public Statutes of Vermont 1906 (1907).
General Laws of Vermont 1917 (1918).
Public laws of Vermont 1933 (1934).
Vermont Statutes, Revision of 1947 (1947).