Community Media Public Benefit Bill: H.575 and S.181: Vermont Senate Committee on Finance - Testimony of H.657 Modernize Vermont’s Communications Taxes and Fees

Description

Testimony of H.657 a bill meant to modernize Vermont's communications taxes and fees at the Senate Committee on Finance.

On Friday, the Cmte heard from the Department of Taxes, who discussed the challenges inherent in conducting an inventory of the various properties and items in H.657 that would be assessed for fees. This includes the telephone property tax, the Universal Service Charge, and the Right of Way fees. The Cmte asked Leg Counsel to strip out all of these items from the bill, and instead ask VTRANS to conduct a study on what it would take to complete their inventory of poles and wires in the state right of way, and what the cost-benefit analysis would be for completing that inventory, administering fees, and the revenue that would be generated.

H.657: As Passed by the House:
https://legislature.vermont.gov/Documents/2024/WorkGroups/Senate%20Finance/Bills/H.657/Drafts,%20Amendments,%20Other%20Legal%20Documents/H.657~Maria%20Royle~As%20Passed%20by%20the%20House~4-10-2024.pdf