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No. 177. An act relating to transforming Vermont’s career technical
education system.
                                     (S.313)
It is hereby enacted by the General Assembly of the State of Vermont:
Sec. 1. FINDINGS
   The General Assembly finds that:
      (1) Vermont has unmet workforce needs and skills gaps, while a
growing percentage of the decreasing school-aged population is not continuing
on to further their education.
      (2) To help reverse these trends, every student should graduate with a
plan for what comes next after high school, whether that is continued education
or training, military service, or entering the workforce.
      (3) A growing body of research shows that the fulfillment of this vision
requires the creation of a career navigation system that includes intentional,
coordinated, and equitable local, regional, and statewide programming from
elementary school through high school. The system should ensure that
students gain awareness of post–high school career and education opportunities
through career exploration, personalized guidance, work-based learning,
flexible pathways programming, and credentials of value that support
successful transitions beyond high school.
      (4) CTE is an essential tool to realize this vision. CTE engages students
in hands-on instruction and applied learning that builds practical skills,
develops career readiness, and provides pathways to industry-recognized
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credentials and postsecondary credit. Vermont’s CTE system must ensure that
every student, regardless of geography, identity, or school, has access to high-
quality career technical education opportunities.
Sec. 2. CAREER TECHNICAL EDUCATION SYSTEM
          TRANSFORMATION; LEGISLATIVE INTENT
   To realize a strong statewide career preparation system, it is the intent of the
General Assembly to transform Vermont’s career technical education (CTE)
system as follows:
      (1) Provide universal access to CTE, ensuring that every student can
participate in CTE programming, including pretech and foundations courses,
by:
          (A) increasing exposure to and early awareness of CTE in middle
school and the first two years of high school;
          (B) addressing barriers such as transportation, scheduling conflicts,
and awareness;
          (C) providing consistency in admissions policies while allowing for
program-specific requirements related to readiness, sequencing, and safety;
and
          (D) ensuring that no student may be placed on a waitlist or prevented
from accessing CTE for lack of capacity where there is a viable alternative
program that aligns with the student’s intended program of study and meets
program requirements, including sequencing and safety concerns, through the
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provision of transportation, supported through a state-level funding or
coordination mechanism.
      (2) Enable flexible delivery models, expanding beyond regional
technical centers to offer multiple pathways for students to access CTE
programming and graduate with required high school courses by:
          (A) delivering programs at sending high schools or in a hybrid format
where appropriate, provided that program quality, industry alignment, and
access to necessary equipment and facilities are maintained; and
          (B) utilizing shared resources and technology to improve educational
access and limit transportation needs.
      (3) Align the CTE system with workforce needs by designing and
evaluating programs based on current and emerging Vermont labor market
demands, continue robust evaluation of the system through the Comprehensive
Local Needs Assessment process, and utilize statewide research from
Vermont’s Most Promising Jobs and VT Labor Market Information to assess
student outcomes in continuing to the workforce.
      (4) Create a sustainable, student-centered funding system that removes
disincentives for participation and supports program growth and innovation.
Flexible delivery models and access must be taken into consideration to ensure
the sustainability of program delivery.
      (5) Explore the viability and impact of CTE centers becoming diploma-
conferring institutions or comprehensive high schools. In situations where this
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is not possible, high schools shall be required to award the credits
recommended by a CTE center.
      (6) Maintain a strong adult CTE system by building robust adult and
continuing education pathways within CTE that meet Vermont’s upskilling,
reskilling, and workforce development needs while connecting seamlessly with
secondary programs and regional workforce partners. Such a system shall
have a governance and funding model that promotes coordination, quality,
program consistency, and sustainability.
      (7) Coordinate CTE governance by establishing governance approaches
that strengthen collaboration across districts, improve consistency and program
quality, and better support positive student outcomes. CTE governance should
align with the ongoing education transportation process, with the above goals
as the lens through which decisions are made.
Sec. 3. CAREER TECHNICAL EDUCATION; GUIDANCE
   On or before September 18, 2026, the Agency of Education, in
collaboration with the Vermont Association of Career and Technical Directors
and the Vermont Superintendents Association, shall issue guidance on the
following topics, which shall reflect the current career technical education
system as it exists on July 1, 2026, in an effort to provide clarity to the field
prior to updates to the career and technical education rules:
      (1) updates to definitions, including definitions for “CTE programs,”
“credentials,” “embedded academics,” and “satellite models”;
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      (2) credit standards and competency-based pathways;
      (3) work-based learning sequencing aligned with Occupational Safety
and Health Administration standards and federal hazard orders;
      (4) minimum safety, space, and equipment standards;
      (5) data and reporting alignment with Perkins V; and
      (6) explicit allowance for differentiated regional delivery models.
Sec. 4. 16 V.S.A. § 1532 is amended to read:
§ 1532. MINIMUM STANDARDS; MEASUREMENT OF STANDARDS;
          RULES
   (a) The State Board shall adopt by rule:
                                      ***
   (b) The following shall be adopted by procedure or rule:
                                      ***
   (c) The State Board shall review the rules and procedures adopted pursuant
to this section not less than every five years and shall update the rules and
procedures as necessary.
Sec. 5. AGENCY OF EDUCATION RECOMMENDATIONS; LICENSING
          OF CAREER AND TECHNICAL EDUCATION EDUCATORS;
          ENFORCEMENT INTERVENTION PATHWAY; FLEXIBLE
          PATHWAYS; REPORT
   On or before January 15, 2027, the Agency of Education shall submit a
written report to the House Committees on Commerce and Economic
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Development and on Education and the Senate Committees on Economic
Development, Housing and General Affairs and on Education, with
recommendations for the following:
      (1) In collaboration with the Standards Board for Professional
Educators, recommendations regarding career technical education (CTE)
educator endorsement requirements that will balance the need for increased
access to CTE educators with industry expertise and experience with the need
for ensuring CTE educators are qualified to provide education in their specialty
fields, without unintentionally creating additional barriers or complexity. Such
recommendations shall include both necessary statutory changes as well as
recommended changes to applicable State Board of Education rules.
      (2) A pre-enforcement intervention pathway that is responsible for:
           (A) supporting interpretation and implementation of CTE rules and
statute;
           (B) providing early-stage mediation between CTE centers and
sending districts;
           (C) documenting patterns of noncompliance or systemic barriers; and
           (D) escalating unresolved or repeated issues for formal enforcement.
      (3) Updates to the Flexible Pathways Initiative created within the
Agency pursuant to 16 V.S.A. § 941 that alleviate statewide inconsistencies
with how flexible pathways are accessed and how personalized learning plans
are created, updated, and utilized, including:
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           (A) recommendations for a statewide framework for career
navigation consistent with the requirements of 16 V.S.A. chapter 23,
subchapter 2, including:
             (i) grade-level competency standards for students in
prekindergarten through grade 12 related to career exploration and planning
that are designed to ensure that each student develops the knowledge, skills,
and experiences necessary to graduate with a clear, actionable, and adaptable
plan for career and educational next steps; and
             (ii) evidence-informed educational resources, activities, and
curricula that support opportunities for awareness and exploration of and
planning for career and education pathways both in and out of the classroom
setting;
           (B) recommendations for statewide professional development
programming to help individuals within the public education system who have
direct contact with students build role-specific knowledge and skills necessary
to support students in developing post–high school career and education plans;
           (C) recommendations for a model career navigation policy that is
integrated within comprehensive system improvement efforts to strengthen
prekindergarten through grade 12 academic proficiency and that:
             (i) establishes a framework for school districts to embed grade-
level competencies related to career exploration directly into core academic
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instruction, ensuring that career-aligned learning supports the attainment of
rigorous student performance standards;
             (ii) ensures that students engage in meaningful career education
exploration and planning activities that reinforce academic growth and the
real-world application of classroom learning; and
             (iii) utilizes a process by which each student develops and updates
a personalized learning plan in accordance with 16 V.S.A. § 941(b)(2), serving
as a primary tool for tracking both academic proficiency and evolving career
interests; and
          (D) an analysis of data collection system capabilities and gaps related
to flexible pathways, personalized learning plans, and college and career
readiness.
      (4) Recommendations for ensuring Adult Diploma Program (ADP)
participants have access to the educational programs that best serve their
needs, including career technical education, while also complying with federal
and State requirements for adult education, as well as recommendations for
how access to such educational programs shall be funded through the use of
State funds. If federal or State law is identified as a barrier, the report shall
cite the applicable law and explain how it is a barrier to ADP participants’
access to the educational program at issue.
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Sec. 6. COMPREHENSIVE HIGH SCHOOLS REDEFINED; INTENT
   (a) 16 V.S.A. § 1522(14) defines a comprehensive high school as “a public
or independent school other than a career technical center that provides
secondary career technical education approved under section 1533 of this
title.” As Vermont works to transform its career technical education (CTE)
system to increase the access, quality, and opportunity of CTE programming
available to Vermont students, the concept of a comprehensive high school
could be expanded to achieve these goals. It is the intent of the General
Assembly to move toward a model of comprehensive high schools that would
offer all opportunities available to students within the public education system,
to be defined as “a public or independent school other than a career technical
center that fully integrates the provision of career technical education with the
provision of general education in one school building or on one school campus,
with a single budget for both CTE education and general education.”
   (b) Any recommendations issued to the General Assembly regarding how
to achieve regional high schools, how to achieve more comprehensive high
schools, or how to embed career technical education within secondary schools
shall consider the definition of comprehensive high school the General
Assembly intends to move toward pursuant to subsection (a) of this section, or
any other model that creates high schools that share operational costs, expand
opportunities, and improve educational equity across a broad geographical
area, to guide such recommendations.
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Sec. 7. 16 V.S.A. § 1545 is amended to read:
§ 1545. CREDITS AND GRADES EARNED
   (a) Grades Credits or proficiencies and grades earned in a course offered
within a CTE program approved by the State Board shall not be altered by any
public school or approved or recognized independent school in Vermont and
shall be applied by the school toward any State graduation requirements in
accordance with rules adopted by the State Board. Any State Board rules
regarding earning of credits or proficiencies shall allow flexibility with respect
to the integration of CTE education and other academic courses.
   (b) The credits or proficiencies earned for a career technical education
program approved by the State Board shall be honored by any public or
independent school within Vermont. If necessary to enable a student to
participate in career technical education and graduate with his or her the
student’s class, the credits or proficiencies earned shall be applied toward any
school district or independent school graduation requirements exceeding the
minimum number of credits or proficiencies required by the State Board. The
school board of the high school from which the student wishes to graduate
shall make a determination as to whether the credits shall be applied apply
credits or proficiencies earned for a career technical education program
approved by the State Board toward graduation requirements. A decision of a
school board may be appealed to the Secretary who shall construe this section
to favor participation in career technical education.
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   (c) For any student attending the Vermont Academy for Science and
Technology pursuant to subsection 4011(e) of this title, the credits or
proficiencies and grades earned shall, upon request of the student or the
student’s parent or guardian, be applied toward graduation requirements at the
Vermont high school that the student attended prior to enrolling in the
Academy.
Sec. 8. [Deleted.]
Sec. 8a. 21 V.S.A. § 471 is amended to read:
§ 471. DEFINITIONS
   As used in this subchapter:
                                      ***
      (5) “Employee” means a person who, in consideration of direct or
indirect gain or profit, has been continuously employed by the same employer
for a period of one year for an average of at least 30 hours per week or meets
the service requirement set forth in 29 C.F.R. § 825.801 (airline flight crew
employees) or 29 C.F.R. § 825.110(c)(3) (full-time teachers, as defined in 29
C.F.R. § 825.102, of an elementary or secondary school system or institution
of higher education).
                                      ***
Sec. 8b. 21 V.S.A. § 495d is amended to read:
§ 495d. DEFINITIONS
   As used in this subchapter:
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                                       ***
      (15) “Crime victim” means any of the following:
          (A) a person who has obtained a relief from abuse order issued under
15 V.S.A. § 1103;
          (B) a person who has obtained an order against stalking or sexual
assault issued under 12 V.S.A. chapter 178;
          (C) a person who has obtained an order against abuse of a vulnerable
adult issued under 33 V.S.A. chapter 69; or
          (D)(i) a victim as defined in 13 V.S.A. § 5301, provided that the
victim is identified as a crime victim in an affidavit filed by a law enforcement
official with a prosecuting attorney of competent state or federal jurisdiction;
and
             (ii) shall include the victim’s child, foster child, parent, spouse,
stepchild or ward of the victim who lives with the victim, or a parent of the
victim’s spouse, provided that the individual is not identified in the affidavit as
the defendant; or
          (E) a person who is a survivor of domestic violence, sexual assault,
or stalking and who has supporting documentation from any one of the
following sources:
             (i) a court or law enforcement or other government agency;
             (ii) a domestic violence, sexual assault, or stalking assistance
program;
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            (iii) a legal, clerical, medical, or other professional from whom the
person has received counseling or other assistance concerning domestic
violence, sexual assault, or stalking; or
            (iv) a self-attestation by the person describing the circumstances
supporting the person’s status as a survivor of domestic violence, sexual
assault, and stalking for which no further corroboration shall be required unless
otherwise mandated by law.
                                       ***
      (18) “Domestic violence” has the same meaning as in 15 V.S.A. § 1151
and includes the definition of “abuse” in 15 V.S.A. § 1101.
      (19) “Sexual assault” has the same meaning as in 12 V.S.A. § 5131.
      (20) “Stalking” has the same meaning as in 12 V.S.A. § 5131.
Sec. 8c. 21 V.S.A. § 495g is amended to read:
§ 495g. PROVISION APPLICABLE TO COLLEGE PROFESSORS
   Nothing in this subchapter shall be construed to prohibit any institution of
higher education as defined by section 1201(a) of the federal Higher Education
Act of 1965 from retiring any employee who is serving under a contract of
unlimited tenure, who attains 70 years of age. Any employee whose tenure
contract is terminated may, in the discretion of the institution, be allowed to
continue in the employ of the institution on a nontenured basis. [Repealed.]
Sec. 8d. 21 V.S.A. § 383 is amended to read:
§ 383. DEFINITIONS
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   As used in this subchapter:
      (1) “Commissioner” means the Commissioner of Labor or designee.
      (2) “Employee” means any individual employed or permitted to work by
an employer except:
                                      ***
          (H) outside salespersons; and
          (I) students working during all or any part of the school year or
regular vacation periods; and
          (J) elected and appointed municipal officers.
                                      ***
Sec. 8e. 21 V.S.A. § 495q is added to read:
§ 495q. AGREEMENTS WITH HEALTH CARE PROVIDERS
   (a) Any provision in a contract or agreement that creates or establishes the
terms of a partnership, employment, or any other form of professional
relationship with a health care provider regarding the health care provider’s
provision of health care services in Vermont shall be void and unenforceable if
the provision:
      (1) includes a restriction on the right of the health care provider to
provide health care services in any geographical area for any period of time
after the termination of such partnership, agreement, or professional
relationship;
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      (2) limits the ability of a separating health care provider to provide
notice of the provider’s change of employment to individuals to whom the
separating provider provided direct health care services;
      (3) restricts a health care provider from making disparaging statements
about another party to the contract or agreement or about another person
specified in the agreement as a third-party beneficiary of the agreement;
      (4) is inconsistent with Vermont law; or
      (5) requires litigation arising from the performance of the contract or
agreement in Vermont to be conducted in another state.
   (b) The notice provided in subdivision (a)(2) of this section may include
the following information:
      (1) that the health care provider is continuing to practice the provider’s
profession;
      (2) the health care provider’s new professional contact information; and
      (3) the recipient’s right to choose a health care provider.
   (c) The provisions in subsection (a) of this section do not apply to
restrictions that limit a health care provider who contracts with a third-party
company for nonclinical business support services from opening a business
within a specific territory supported by a different third-party company
providing nonclinical services.
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   (d) “Health care provider” means a person licensed, certified, or authorized
by law to provide professional health care service in this State to an individual
during that individual’s medical care, treatment, or confinement.
   (e) An employer shall not discharge or in any other manner retaliate against
an employee who exercises or attempts to exercise the employee’s rights under
this section. The provisions against retaliation in subdivision 495(a)(8) of this
subchapter and the penalty and enforcement provisions of section 495b of this
subchapter shall apply to this section.
   (f) This section shall apply to contracts and agreements entered into on or
after July 1, 2026.
Sec. 9. EFFECTIVE DATE
   This act shall take effect on passage.
Date Governor signed bill: June 18, 2026
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