9 V.S.A. § 4129 Vermont-Ireland Trade Commission [Repealed effective June 30, 2030]
4129. Vermont-Ireland Trade Commission [Repealed effective June 30, 2030]
(a) The Vermont-Ireland Trade Commission is established within the State Treasurer’s office to advance bilateral trade and investment between Vermont and Ireland. The Commission shall consist of nine members as follows:
(1) two members, appointed by the Governor;
(2) two members, appointed by the Speaker of the House;
(3) two members, appointed by the Senate Committee on Committees;
(4) the State Treasurer or designee;
(5) the Commissioner of Economic Development or designee; and
(6) the President of the University of Vermont or designee.
(b) The purposes of the Vermont-Ireland Trade Commission are to:
(1) advance bilateral trade and investment between Vermont and Ireland;
(2) initiate joint action on policy issues of mutual interest to Vermont and Ireland;
(3) promote business and academic exchanges between Vermont and Ireland;
(4) encourage mutual economic support between Vermont and Ireland;
(5) encourage mutual investment in the infrastructure of Vermont and Ireland; and
(6) address other issues as determined by the Commission.
(c) The members of the Commission appointed pursuant to subdivisions (a)(1)–(3) of this section:
(1) shall be appointed for terms of four years each and shall continue to serve until their successors are appointed, except that in order to achieve staggered terms, the two members appointed by the Governor shall serve initial terms of two years each and the two members appointed by the Speaker of the House shall serve initial terms of three years each;
(2) may be reappointed upon the expiration of the member’s term;
(3) the S serve at the pleasure of the member’s appointing authority; and
(4) shall consist of not more than two members of the General Assembly.
(d) A vacancy in the membership of the Commission shall be filled by the relevant appointing authority within 90 days after the vacancy.
(e) The Commission shall select a chair from among its members at the first meeting. The Chair, as appropriate, may appoint from among the Commission members subcommittees or a subcommittee at the Chair’s discretion. A majority of the members of the Commission shall constitute a quorum for purposes of transacting the business of the Commission.
(f) The Commission, in coordination with the State Treasurer’s office, shall submit a written report with its findings, results, and recommendations to the Governor and the General Assembly within one year following its initial organizational meeting and on or before December 1 of each succeeding year for the activities of the current calendar year. The report shall also include a:
(1) disclosure listing any in-kind contributions received by specific members of the Commission through their work in the Commission in the current calendar year; and
(2) detailed accounting from the State Treasurer’s office of the:
(A) administrative expenses that have been paid with funds raised by the Commission, pursuant to subsection (g) of this section; and
(B) funds raised and donations, grants, and bequests received through the Commission including the name, country of residence, and amount donated of each contributor.
(g)(1) The Vermont-Ireland Trade Commission is authorized to raise funds, through direct solicitation or other fundraising events, alone or with other groups, and accept donations, grants, and bequests from individuals, corporations, foundations, governmental agencies, and public and private organizations and institutions, to defray the Commission’s administrative expenses.
(2) The funds, donations, grants, or bequests received pursuant to subdivision (1) of this subsection shall be deposited in a bank account and allocated by the State Treasurer’s office to defray the Commission’s administrative expenses. Any monies so withdrawn shall not be used for any purpose other than the payment of administrative expenses incurred pursuant to this section and shall be itemized and tracked for reporting purposes by the State Treasurer’s office. Interest earned shall remain in the bank account. The State Treasurer shall include the balance of the account in the annual reporting required pursuant to subsection (f) of this section.
(3) For purposes of this section, “administrative expenses” does not include any:
(A) expenses related to:
(i) campaign or election activity; or
(ii) food or beverages provided at official Commission meetings; or
(B) other expense that is not specific to the administrative functions of the Commission.
(h) Members of the Commission shall not receive any compensation or be entitled to reimbursement of expenses by the State of Vermont or from the fund managed by the State Treasurer pursuant to subsection (g) of this section for their service on the Commission.
Added 2025, No. 65, § 4, eff. July 1, 2026; amended 2025, No. 157 (Adj. Sess.), § 33, eff. June 17, 2026.