COVID-19 Cross State Travel Restrictions
Our Committee would like to remind all our members to review the State of Vermont Agency of Commerce and Community Development (ACCD) cross state travel information prior to scheduling personal or business travel for the most up to date information. Currently, traveling by car, plane, train or bus, requires quarantine when returning, regardless if it is for business or pleasure. Traveling by personal vehicle allows individuals to perform leisure travel to certain counties in adjacent States if they are under 400 Active Cases per Million. As you can see from the updated map below that this is nearly impossible. Some exceptions do apply, and individuals should make a full review of the ACCD website for the most up to date information including travel for business.
One item of special note is how our leisure travel is more restricted now than it was in previous weeks. As you can see on the updated map below that there are no location in this quadrant of the country that you can travel to or from without having to quarantine.
For the most up to date information visit the following ACCD website for the Cross State Travel Information:
https://accd.vermont.gov/covid-19/restart/cross-state-travel
Legislators Override Governors Global Warming Solutions Act Veto
Last month we reported that the Governor Scott veto of the H.688 Global Warming Solutions Act was overridden with a House and Senate majority vote. That veto occurred on 9/15/2020 and since that time, the House (9/17/20) and Senate (9/22/20).
The new law, ACT 153 “Vermont Global Warming Solutions Act of 2020”, could face a legal challenge from the Governor’s office. “If we cannot work out our differences and our concerns with the Legislature, you know, we may have no choice except to ask for clarity from the judicial branch.” A quote from Susanne Young Gov. Phil Scott’s Secretary of Administration and Chair of the newly created Vermont Climate Council. This is over concerns that the new law may be found unconstitutional and open the state up to lawsuit.
A link to this story as reported by VTDigger.org can be found in the following link:
https://vtdigger.org/2020/11/20/scott-administration-floats-a-court-challenge-to-the-global-warming-solutions-act/
For detailed information on the Act, refer to the following link (Link to the
https://legislature.vermont.gov/Documents/2020/Docs/ACTS/ACT153/ACT153%20As%20Enacted.pdf
US Government Affairs Updates (as reported by ASHRAE.org, 11/12/2020, partial topics listing)
Government Outreach
• ASHRAE Offers Technical Assistance to Biden-Harris COVID-19 Advisory Board
• ETF Chair Dr. Bahnfleth Speaks Before National Academies’ Federal Facilities Council
Federal Government Affairs
• OSHA Cites ASHRAE in Guidance on Ventilation in the Workplace
• US Presidential Election Update
For detailed information on the above topics, visit the ASHRAE Government Affairs Update website page at:
https://www.magnetmail.net/Actions/email_web_version.cfm?publish=newsletter&user_id=ASHRAE&message_id=19533249
Rob Ward
GAC Committee Member