Terms Used In Vermont Statutes > Title 2 > Chapter 11 - Registration of Lobbyists

• Adjournment sine die: The end of a legislative session "without day." These adjournments are used to indicate the final adjournment of an annual or the two-year session of legislature.
• Administrative action: means any action taken by an administrative official or by any agency, department, division, office, board, or commission of State government with regard to any proposal, drafting, development, or consideration of a policy, practice, or rule. See
• Administrative amendment: means an amendment to an individual permit, general permit, or notice of intent under a general permit that corrects typographical errors, changes the name or mailing address of a permittee, authorizes a transfer of a permit when authorized under rule, or makes other similar changes to a permit that do not require technical review of the permitted activity or the imposition of new conditions or requirements. See
• Administrative official: means a State officer, or an officer, employee, or consultant of any agency, department, division, office, board, or commission of State government who as part of his or her official duties participates in any administrative action, other than in a solely clerical, secretarial, or ministerial capacity. See
• Administratively complete application: means an application for a permit for which all initially required documentation has been submitted, and any required permit fee, and the information submitted initially addresses all application requirements but has not yet been subjected to a complete technical review. See
• Affidavit: A written statement of facts confirmed by the oath of the party making it, before a notary or officer having authority to administer oaths.
• Agency: means the Agency of Transportation. See
• Agency issuing the order: means the Secretary when the Secretary has issued an administrative or emergency administrative order under this chapter and the Board when the Board has issued such an order. See
• Air commerce: means the transportation by aircraft of persons or property or any class or classes, including express for compensation or hire, or flights that are certified wholly within the State of Vermont and that are made in serving as a local feeder route or are made by a carrier that does not operate a connecting air route to or from a point outside the State, or to provide excursion or sight-seeing trips. See
• Air navigation: means the operation of aircraft in the air space over this State, or upon any airport or restricted landing area within this State. See
• Airport: means any area of land or water set aside by the Agency, any political subdivision, or person, except a restricted landing area, that is designed for the landing and take-off of aircraft, and used or to be used in the interest of the general public whether or not facilities are provided for the shelter, servicing, or repair of aircraft, or for receiving or discharging passengers or cargo, and all appurtenant areas used or suitable for airport buildings or other airport facilities, including all appurtenant rights-of-way. See
• Amendment: A proposal to alter the text of a pending bill or other measure by striking out some of it, by inserting new language, or both. Before an amendment becomes part of the measure, thelegislature must agree to it.
• Annual meeting: when applied to towns shall mean the annual town meeting in March or an adjournment thereof. See
• Annuity: A periodic (usually annual) payment of a fixed sum of money for either the life of the recipient or for a fixed number of years. A series of payments under a contract from an insurance company, a trust company, or an individual. Annuity payments are made at regular intervals over a period of more than one full year.
• Appeal: A request made after a trial, asking another court (usually the court of appeals) to decide whether the trial was conducted properly. To make such a request is "to appeal" or "to take an appeal." One who appeals is called the appellant.
• Appraisal: A determination of property value.
• articles: include amended and restated articles of incorporation and articles of merger. See
• Articles of incorporation: include amended and restated articles of incorporation, articles of merger, and special charters. See
• Assets: (1) The property comprising the estate of a deceased person, or (2) the property in a trust account.
• Attachment: A procedure by which a person's property is seized to pay judgments levied by the court.
• Bankruptcy: Refers to statutes and judicial proceedings involving persons or businesses that cannot pay their debts and seek the assistance of the court in getting a fresh start. Under the protection of the bankruptcy court, debtors may discharge their debts, perhaps by paying a portion of each debt. Bankruptcy judges preside over these proceedings.
• Beneficiary: A person who is entitled to receive the benefits or proceeds of a will, trust, insurance policy, retirement plan, annuity, or other contract. ^{Source: OCC}
• Benefit corporation: means a corporation as defined in section 1. See
• Benefit director: means :

• benefit enforcement proceeding: means a claim or action against a director or officer for:

• Benefit officer: means the officer of a benefit corporation, if any, designated as the benefit officer as provided in section 21. See
• Board: means the Transportation Board. See
• Board: means the Natural Resources Board defined by subdivision 6001(1) of this title. See
• board of directors: means the board of directors except that no person or group of persons are the board of directors because of powers delegated to that person or group pursuant to section 8. See
• Bylaws: means the code or codes of rules (other than the articles) adopted pursuant to this title for the regulation or management of the affairs of the corporation, stored or depicted in any tangible or electronic medium, and irrespective of the name or names by which such rules are designated. See
• Civil citation: means an environmental citation issued by the Secretary or the Board for a violation of a statute listed under subsection 8003(a) of this title. See
• Class: refers to a group of memberships which have the same rights with respect to voting, dissolution, redemption, and transfer. See
• Clean Air Act: means the federal statutes on air pollution prevention and control, 42 U. See
• Clean Water Act: means the Federal Water Pollution Control Act, 33 U. See
• Common law: The legal system that originated in England and is now in use in the United States. It is based on judicial decisions rather than legislative action.
• Compensation: means any salary, reward, retainer, or reimbursement received or to be received by one acting as a lobbyist, whether in the form of a fee, salary, forbearance, forgiveness, or any other form of recompense, reward, retainer, reimbursement, or combination thereof. See
• Complaint: A written statement by the plaintiff stating the wrongs allegedly committed by the defendant.
• Compliance: means compliance with the statutes specified in section 8003 of this title and with any related rules, permits, assurances, or orders. See
• Contract: A legal written agreement that becomes binding when signed.
• Corporation: A legal entity owned by the holders of shares of stock that have been issued, and that can own, receive, and transfer property, and carry on business in its own name.
• Corporation: means public benefit and mutual benefit corporation. See
• Damages: Money paid by defendants to successful plaintiffs in civil cases to compensate the plaintiffs for their injuries.
• Deed: The legal instrument used to transfer title in real property from one person to another.
• Defendant: In a civil suit, the person complained against; in a criminal case, the person accused of the crime.
• Dependent: A person dependent for support upon another.
• Devise: To gift property by will.
• Directors: means individuals, designated in the articles or bylaws or elected by the incorporators, and their successors and individuals elected or appointed by any other name or title to act as members of the board. See
• Discovery: Lawyers' examination, before trial, of facts and documents in possession of the opponents to help the lawyers prepare for trial.
• Distribution: means the payment of a dividend or any part of the income or profit of a corporation to its members, directors, or officers. See
• Domestic: when applied to a corporation, company, association, or copartnership shall mean organized under the laws of this State; "foreign" when so applied, shall mean organized under the laws of another state, government, or country. See
• Domestic corporation: means a corporation. See
• Donor: The person who makes a gift.
• Economic benefit: means a reasonable approximation of any gain, advantage, wrongful profit, or delayed avoided cost, financial or otherwise, obtained as a result of a violation. See
• Employee: includes an officer but not a director. See
• Employee: includes an officer but not a director. See
• Employer: means any person, other than a lobbying firm, who engages the services of a lobbyist for compensation for the purpose of lobbying. See
• Entity: includes corporation and foreign corporation; not-for-profit corporation; profit and not-for-profit unincorporated association; business trust, estate, partnership, trust, and two or more persons having a joint or common economic interest; and state, United States, and foreign government. See
• Entity: includes corporation and foreign corporation; business corporation and foreign business corporation; profit and nonprofit unincorporated association; business trust, estate, partnership, trust, and two or more persons having a joint or common economic interest; and state, United States; and foreign government. See
• Environmental Division: means the Environmental Division of the Superior Court established by 4 V. See
• Equitable: Pertaining to civil suits in "equity" rather than in "law." In English legal history, the courts of "law" could order the payment of damages and could afford no other remedy. See damages. A separate court of "equity" could order someone to do something or to cease to do something. See, e.g., injunction. In American jurisprudence, the federal courts have both legal and equitable power, but the distinction is still an important one. For example, a trial by jury is normally available in "law" cases but not in "equity" cases. ^{Source: U.S. Courts}
• Escrow: Money given to a third party to be held for payment until certain conditions are met.
• Evidence: Information presented in testimony or in documents that is used to persuade the fact finder (judge or jury) to decide the case for one side or the other.
• Expenditure: includes sums expended in connection with lobbying, including research, consulting, and other lobbying preparation and travel, meals, and lodging. See
• Fair market value: The price at which an asset would change hands in a transaction between a willing, informed buyer and a willing, informed seller.
• Fees: shall mean earnings due for official services, aside from salaries or per diem compensation. See
• Fiduciary: A trustee, executor, or administrator.
• filing: means filed in the Office of the Secretary of State. See
• Fiscal year: The fiscal year is the accounting period for the government. For the federal government, this begins on October 1 and ends on September 30. The fiscal year is designated by the calendar year in which it ends; for example, fiscal year 2006 begins on October 1, 2005 and ends on September 30, 2006.
• following: when used by way of reference to a section of the law shall mean the next preceding or following section. See
• Forbearance: A means of handling a delinquent loan. A
• Foreign corporation: means a corporation organized under a law other than the law of this State which would be a nonprofit corporation if formed under the laws of this State. See
• Fraud: Intentional deception resulting in injury to another.
• General public benefit: means a material positive impact on society and the environment, as measured by a third-party standard, through activities that promote some combination of specific public benefits. See
• Gift: A voluntary transfer or conveyance of property without consideration, or for less than full and adequate consideration based on fair market value.
• Gift: means :

• Immediate family: means a person's spouse or civil union partner, parent, sibling, child, or in-law, including a parent, sibling, or child of a spouse or civil union partner. See
• Independent: means that a person has no material relationship with a benefit corporation or any of its subsidiaries (other than the relationship of serving as the benefit director or benefit officer), either directly or as an owner or manager of an entity that has a material relationship with the benefit corporation or any of its subsidiaries. See
• Individual: includes the estate of an individual who is incompetent or deceased. See
• Individual: includes the estate of an individual who is incompetent. See
• inhabitants: shall mean the population of the political division referred to, as ascertained by the national census last completed before the time when such population is a material fact. See
• Investigator: means an investigator designated and duly authorized by the Secretary or the Board. See
• Joint committee: Committees including membership from both houses of teh legislature. Joint committees are usually established with narrow jurisdictions and normally lack authority to report legislation.
• Joint tenancy: A form of property ownership in which two or more parties hold an undivided interest in the same property that was conveyed under the same instrument at the same time. A joint tenant can sell his (her) interest but not dispose of it by will. Upon the death of a joint tenant, his (her) undivided interest is distributed among the surviving joint tenants.
• Jurisdiction: (1) The legal authority of a court to hear and decide a case. Concurrent jurisdiction exists when two courts have simultaneous responsibility for the same case. (2) The geographic area over which the court has authority to decide cases.
• Justice: when applied to a person, other than a Justice of the Supreme Court, shall mean a justice of the peace for the county for which he or she is elected or appointed. See
• Lease: A contract transferring the use of property or occupancy of land, space, structures, or equipment in consideration of a payment (e.g., rent). ^{Source: OCC}
• Legislative action: means any action by a legislator with regard to introduction of a bill, resolution, or amendment or with regard to any bill, resolution, amendment, report, appointment, recommendation, nomination, election, proposed or final proposed rule, or other matter proposed for consideration by or pending in the General Assembly or in any committee of the General Assembly. See
• Legislative session: That part of a chamber's daily session in which it considers legislative business (bills, resolutions, and actions related thereto).
• Legislator: means any member or member-elect of the General Assembly. See
• Liabilities: The aggregate of all debts and other legal obligations of a particular person or legal entity.
• Lien: A claim against real or personal property in satisfaction of a debt.
• lobbying: means :

• Lobbying firm: means a sole proprietorship, partnership, corporation, limited liability corporation, or unincorporated association which receives or is entitled to receive $500. See
• Lobbyist: means a person who receives or is entitled to receive, either by employment or contract, $500. See
• Magistrate: shall mean any Supreme Court Justice, Superior judge, District judge, or Probate judge. See
• Meeting: means any structured communications conducted by participants in person or through the use of electronic or telecommunications medium permitting simultaneous or sequentially structured communications for the purpose of reaching a collective agreement. See
• Meeting: means any structured communications conducted by participants in person or through the use of an electronic or telecommunications medium permitting simultaneous or sequentially structured communications. See
• Member: means (without regard to what a person is called in the articles or bylaws) any person or persons who on more than one occasion, pursuant to a provision of a corporation's articles or bylaws, have the right to vote for the election of a director or directors. See
• Membership: refers to the rights and obligations a member or members have pursuant to a corporation's articles, bylaws, and this title. See
• Minor amendment: means an amendment to an individual permit or notice of intent under a general permit that requires a change in a condition or requirement, does not necessitate technical review, and is not an administrative amendment. See
• Mortgage: The written agreement pledging property to a creditor as collateral for a loan.
• Municipality: shall include a city, town, town school district, incorporated school or fire district or incorporated village, and all other governmental incorporated units. See
• Municipality: means a county, city, village, town, or any other political subdivision of this State and any public corporation, authority, or district of this State that is or may be authorized by law to acquire, establish, construct, maintain, improve, or operate transportation facilities or services. See
• Mutual benefit corporation: means a domestic corporation which is required to be a mutual benefit corporation pursuant to section 17. See
• Obligation: An order placed, contract awarded, service received, or similar transaction during a given period that will require payments during the same or a future period.
• Partnership: A voluntary contract between two or more persons to pool some or all of their assets into a business, with the agreement that there will be a proportional sharing of profits and losses.
• Permit: includes any permit, certification, license, registration, determination, or similar form of permission required from the Department by law. See
• Permit: means any permit, license, certification, or transitional operational authority issued under any of the statutes specified in section 8003 of this title. See
• Person: shall include any natural person, corporation, municipality, the State of Vermont or any department, agency, or subdivision of the State, and any partnership, unincorporated association, or other legal entity. See
• Person: means an individual, firm, partnership, corporation, company, association, joint stock association, or body politic, including a trustee, receiver, assignee, or other similar representative. See
• Person: includes individual and entity. See
• Person: means any individual, partnership, company, corporation, association, unincorporated association, joint venture, trust, municipality, the State of Vermont or any agency, department, or subdivision of the State, federal agency, or any other legal or commercial entity. See
• Person: includes any individual or entity. See
• Personal estate: shall include all property other than real estate. See
• Personal property: All property that is not real property.
• Plaintiff: The person who files the complaint in a civil lawsuit.
• Post: means :

• Precedent: A court decision in an earlier case with facts and law similar to a dispute currently before a court. Precedent will ordinarily govern the decision of a later similar case, unless a party can show that it was wrongly decided or that it differed in some significant way.
• Principal office: means the office (in or outside this State) so designated in the biennial report filed pursuant to section 16. See
• Proceeding: includes civil suit and criminal, administrative, and investigatory action. See
• Proceeding: includes civil suit and criminal, administrative, and investigatory action. See
• Public benefit corporation: means a domestic corporation which is required to be a public benefit corporation pursuant to section 17. See
• real estate: as used in this chapter shall mean such lands, tenements, rights, and estates as are made liable to execution by section 2781 of this title. See
• Real property: Land, and all immovable fixtures erected on, growing on, or affixed to the land.
• Remainder: An interest in property that takes effect in the future at a specified time or after the occurrence of some event, such as the death of a life tenant.
• Respondent: means a person who has committed or is alleged to have committed a violation. See
• said: when used by way of reference to a person or thing shall apply to the same person or thing last mentioned. See
• seal: shall include an impression of the official seal made upon paper alone or by means of a wafer or wax affixed thereto. See
• Secretary: means the Secretary of Transportation. See
• Secretary: means the Secretary of Natural Resources or designee. See
• Secretary: means the Secretary of Natural Resources or the Secretary's duly authorized representative. See
• Secretary: means the corporate officer to whom the board of directors has delegated responsibility under subsection 8. See
• Secretary: means the corporate officer to whom the board of directors has delegated responsibility under subsection 8. See
• Service of process: The service of writs or summonses to the appropriate party.
• Settlement: Parties to a lawsuit resolve their difference without having a trial. Settlements often involve the payment of compensation by one party in satisfaction of the other party's claims.
• Shareholder: means the person in whose name shares are registered in the records of a corporation or upon presentation for registration are entitled to be registered in the records of a corporation. See
• Specific public benefit: includes :

• State: when applied to the different parts of the United States may apply to the District of Columbia and any territory and the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico. See
• State officer: means the Governor, Lieutenant Governor, Attorney General, Secretary of State, State Treasurer, and Auditor of Accounts. See
• Statute: A law passed by a legislature.
• Subpoena: A command to a witness to appear and give testimony.
• sworn: shall include affirmed. See
• Tenancy in common: A type of property ownership in which two or more individuals have an undivided interest in property. At the death of one tenant in common, his (her) fractional percentage of ownership in the property passes to the decedent
• Third-party standard: means a recognized standard for defining, reporting, and assessing corporate social and environmental performance that:

• Tort: A civil wrong or breach of a duty to another person, as outlined by law. A very common tort is negligent operation of a motor vehicle that results in property damage and personal injury in an automobile accident.
• Town: shall include city and wards or precincts therein; "selectboard members" and "board of civil authority" shall extend to and include the mayor and aldermen of cities; "trustees" shall extend to and include bailiffs of incorporated villages; and the laws applicable to the inhabitants and officers of towns shall be applicable to the inhabitants and similar officers of all municipal corporations. See
• Trust account: A general term that covers all types of accounts in a trust department, such as estates, guardianships, and agencies. ^{Source: OCC}
• Trustee: A person or institution holding and administering property in trust.
• United States: includes district, authority, bureau, commission, department, and any other agency of the United States. See
• Village: shall mean an incorporated village. See
• Violation: means noncompliance with one or more of the statutes specified in section 8003 of this title or any related rules, permits, assurances, or orders. See
• Vote: includes authorization by written ballot and written consent. See
• Voting group: means all shares of one or more classes or series that under the articles of incorporation or this title are entitled to vote and be counted together collectively on a matter at a meeting of shareholders. See
• Writ: A formal written command, issued from the court, requiring the performance of a specific act.