The COVID Project
The record
- Jurisdiction
- Vermont
- Level
- State
- Authority
- police power of the State; 18 V.S.A. sec. 601 (local health officers appointed by the Commissioner on recommendation of the selectboard)
- Issued
- 2022-07-01 July 1, 2022
- Effective
- standing; subdivisions (a)(1)-(4) and (b) in force throughout March 2020 to September 2021 (read as 2022-07-01)
- End
- standing
- In force
- Standing since July 1, 2022 (a statutory duty; in force throughout the six quarters)
- Quarters
- 2020 Q22020 Q32020 Q42021 Q12021 Q22021 Q3
2020 Q22020 Q32020 Q42021 Q12021 Q22021 Q3
- Limitation types
- Emergency declarationStanding duty
- Addressees
- local health officers (the enforcement duty); through them, persons generally, employers, owners or persons in control of premises, and food and lodging establishments
- Character
- sanitary code duty
- Collection
- Standing duties: Vermont DUT-VT
Operative words
A local health officer... shall: (1) upon receipt of information regarding a condition that may be a public health hazard, conduct an investigation; (2) enforce the provisions of this title... (3) prevent, remove, or destroy any public health hazard... (4) in consultation with the Department, take the steps necessary to enforce all orders issued pursuant to chapter 3
Penalty
enforced through 18 V.S.A. secs. 127 (emergency health orders), 130 (civil) and 131 (criminal); sec. 617: a sheriff, constable or police officer who refuses assistance is fined up to $200
What it required
Every town health officer to investigate every reported condition that may be a public health hazard (a complaint against a business among them), to enforce Title 18 and its rules and permits, to prevent, remove or destroy hazards and mitigate significant risks, and, in consultation with the Department, to enforce every health order and emergency health order; to notify the Division of Environmental Health immediately of any violation or hazard involving 'a food or lodging establishment' and within 48 hours of any other.
Retrieval noteCurrent text rendered September 29, 2026; subdivision (a)(5) (rental housing inspections) was added effective July 1, 2022 and is not relied on. Executive Order 01-20 para. 14 directed that 'Town health officers shall work with and abide by the direction of the Commissioner of Health' on isolation and quarantine (Ex. VT-001), and EO 06-21 para. 1(b) continued the direction after June 15, 2021 (Ex. VT-044). Vermont counties have no health powers; the local layer is the town health officer and the selectboard acting as local board of health under 18 V.S.A. secs. 604 and 613.