20 V.S.A. § ___ § 2901
Access Board
Operative Text
(a) An access board is created consisting of ten members. The members of the board shall be the Commissioner of Public Safety or designee; the Chair of the House Committee on Corrections and Institutions or designee; the Chair of the Senate Committee on Institutions or designee; the Commissioner of Buildings and General Services or designee; the State Historic Preservation Officer or designee; and five members appointed by the Governor, including an independent architect, a builder or contractor, and three individuals with disabilities representing organizations for persons with disabilities in this State, appointed by the Governor. The Governor shall also appoint one additional individual with a disability to act as an alternate for the three members with disabilities in the event one of those members is unable to attend a Board meeting. The alternate may attend all meetings and shall be paid a per diem for those meetings attended. The alternate shall vote only in the absence of an appointed member with a disability. Members and the alternate appointed by the Governor shall serve for a term of six years. (b) The Commissioner of Public Safety or designee, shall be the Chair of the Access Board and shall convene the Board whenever an application is made for a variance. Five members of the Board shall constitute a quorum. A decision of the Board based upon a majority vote of members present shall be binding. Members of the Board who are not State employees shall receive a per diem of $50.00 for each day devoted to official duties and reimbursement for actual and necessary expenses. These expenses shall be reimbursed from the appropriation to the Department of Public Safety. (c) The Access Board may adopt, amend, and repeal rules under 3 V.S.A. chapter 25 to carry out the provisions of this chapter. (Added 2003, No. 141 (Adj. Sess.), § 5, eff. April 1, 2005.)
Vermont's 20 V.S.A. ch. 174 § 2901 establishes a ten-member Access Board responsible for overseeing accessibility standards under this chapter. The Board is composed of designated state officials and Governor-appointed members, including an architect, a builder or contractor, and individuals with disabilities. It convenes primarily to hear variance applications, operates by majority vote of a quorum of five, and has authority to adopt, amend, and repeal rules governing accessibility requirements.
Plain English — not legal advice.
Under 20 V.S.A. ch. 174 § 2901, property owners and managers who seek a variance from the accessibility requirements governed by this chapter would direct that application to the Access Board, which is the body empowered to convene and decide on such requests. Operators familiar with this chapter generally track the Board's rulemaking activity, since the Board may adopt or amend rules that affect compliance obligations. Staying current with any rules issued under this provision helps ensure that building and renovation decisions align with the standards the Board enforces.
General guidance for property managers — not legal advice for your specific situation. Consult an attorney for advice on your case.
20 V.S.A. ch. 174 § 2901 establishes the Access Board as the governing body for accessibility rules under this chapter, which can be relevant to tenants with disabilities who encounter barriers in housing subject to these standards. The Board's composition—including members who are themselves individuals with disabilities representing Vermont disability organizations—provides a channel through which accessibility concerns may be raised in the rulemaking process. Tenants who believe a property's accessibility features fall short of standards set under this chapter may wish to consult a tenant-rights organization or disability advocacy group familiar with the Board's rules and variance decisions.
General guidance for tenants — not legal advice for your specific situation. Consult a tenant-rights organization or attorney for advice on your case.
Generated October 18, 2026 — auto-generated, not yet human-reviewed. See /transparency for methodology.
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