Terms Used In Vermont Statutes > Title 2 > Chapter 13 - Office of Legislative Counsel

• Accountability: means the degree to which the holder of a position is accountable for the end results of his or her job performance. See
• Agency: means the Agency of Transportation. See
• Agency: means any agency, board, department, commission, committee, or authority of the Executive Branch of State government. 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
• Aircraft: means a contrivance used or designed for navigation of or flight in the air and specifically includes ultralight aircraft. See
• Airman: means an individual:

• 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
• Airport manager: means the owner of an airport in this State or an agent authorized to act on behalf of an airport owner. 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.
• Amortization: Paying off a loan by regular installments.
• 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.
• Appropriation: The provision of funds, through an annual appropriations act or a permanent law, for federal agencies to make payments out of the Treasury for specified purposes. The formal federal spending process consists of two sequential steps: authorization
• Arraignment: A proceeding in which an individual who is accused of committing a crime is brought into court, told of the charges, and asked to plead guilty or not guilty.
• Arrest: Taking physical custody of a person by lawful authority.
• 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.
• 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}
• biennially: shall mean the year in which a regular session of the General Assembly is held. See
• Board: means the Transportation Board. See
• Bona fide emergency: means an unanticipated need for short-term staffing:

• Chambers: A judge's office.
• Class: means one or more positions sufficiently similar in nature, scope, and accountability that the same title, test of fitness, and schedule of compensation may be applied to each position. See
• Commission: means the Vermont Pension Investment Commission. See
• Complaint: A written statement by the plaintiff stating the wrongs allegedly committed by the defendant.
• Contract: A legal written agreement that becomes binding when signed.
• Contract for services: means an agreement or combination or series of agreements by which an entity or individual agrees with an agency to provide services as a contractor, rather than as an employee. See
• Contribution level: means the contribution rate for the participant that may be expressed as one of the following:

• Conviction: A judgement of guilt against a criminal defendant.
• 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.
• Covered employee: means an individual who is 18 years of age or older who is employed by a covered employer and who has wages or other compensation that are allocable to the State during a calendar year. See
• Covered employer: means a person, entity, or subsidiary engaged in a business, industry, profession, trade, or other enterprise in the State, whether for profit or not for profit, that has not offered to an employee, or is within a control group that maintains or contributes to, effective in form or operation at any time within the current calendar year or two preceding calendar years, a specified tax-favored retirement plan. 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.
• 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}
• ERISA: means the federal Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974, as amended, 29 U. See
• 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.
• Ex officio: Literally, by virtue of one's office.
• Fees: shall mean earnings due for official services, aside from salaries or per diem compensation. See
• Fiduciary: A trustee, executor, or administrator.
• Financial expert: means an individual with material expertise and experience in institutional fund management or other significant pension or other relevant financial expertise. 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
• Fraud: Intentional deception resulting in injury to another.
• General election: shall mean any election of State and county officers, Representatives to the General Assembly, U. See
• Gift: A voluntary transfer or conveyance of property without consideration, or for less than full and adequate consideration based on fair market value.
• Grantor: The person who establishes a trust and places property into it.
• Independent: means an individual who does not have a direct or indirect material interest in the Plans. 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
• Interest rate: The amount paid by a borrower to a lender in exchange for the use of the lender's money for a certain period of time. Interest is paid on loans or on debt instruments, such as notes or bonds, either at regular intervals or as part of a lump sum payment when the issue matures. ^{Source: OCC}
• Internal Revenue Code: means the U. See
• IRA: means a traditional IRA or a Roth IRA. See
• Job evaluation: means the systematic method used to determine the value of each job in relation to other jobs within the State service. 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.
• 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 session: That part of a chamber's daily session in which it considers legislative business (bills, resolutions, and actions related thereto).
• 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.
• Local election: shall mean any election of town or village officers in towns or villages having more than 4,000 inhabitants. See
• 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
• Oath: shall include affirmation where by law an affirmation may be substituted. See
• Oath: A promise to tell the truth.
• 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.
• Oversight: Committee review of the activities of a Federal agency or program.
• Participant: means an individual who has an IRA under the Program. See
• 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.
• 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
• Personal property: All property that is not real property.
• Plans: means the Vermont State Teachers' Retirement System, the Vermont State Employees' Retirement System, and the Vermont Municipal Employees' Retirement System pursuant to section 472 of this title, 16 V. See
• President pro tempore: A constitutionally recognized officer of the Senate who presides over the chamber in the absence of the Vice President. The President Pro Tempore (or, "president for a time") is elected by the Senate and is, by custom, the Senator of the majority party with the longest record of continuous service.
• Presiding officer: A majority-party Senator who presides over the Senate and is charged with maintaining order and decorum, recognizing Members to speak, and interpreting the Senate's rules, practices and precedents.
• Privatization contract: means a contract for services valued at $25,000. See
• Probate: Proving a will
• Probation: A sentencing alternative to imprisonment in which the court releases convicted defendants under supervision as long as certain conditions are observed.
• Program: means the VT Saves Program established in accordance with this chapter. See
• Quorum: The number of legislators that must be present to do business.
• 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.
• Remand: When an appellate court sends a case back to a lower court for further proceedings.
• Reporter: Makes a record of court proceedings and prepares a transcript, and also publishes the court's opinions or decisions (in the courts of appeals).
• Restricted landing area: means an area of land or water, or both, that is used or is made available for the landing and take-off of aircraft, the use of which, except in case of emergency, shall be only as provided from time to time by the Board. See
• road: shall include bridges thereon and their approaches. See
• Roth IRA: means a Roth individual retirement account or Roth individual retirement annuity described in Section 408A of the Internal Revenue Code. See
• Seasonal employment: means employment in a temporary position with a specific start date and anticipated end date for a period of not more than seven months in any 12-month period or employment in a temporary position with a specific start date and anticipated end date for a period of more than seven months that has been approved by the Commissioner of Human Resources pursuant to subdivision 331(c)(3) of this chapter. See
• Secretary: means the Secretary of Transportation. See
• Secretary: means the Secretary of Agriculture, Food and Markets or his or her designee. See
• Specified tax-favored retirement plan: means a plan, program, or arrangement that is tax qualified under or described in, and satisfies the requirements of, Section 401(a), Section 401(k), Section 403(a), Section 403(b), Section 408(k), Section 408(p), or Section 457(b) of the Internal Revenue Code, without regard to whether it constitutes an employee benefit plan under ERISA. See
• 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
• Statute: A law passed by a legislature.
• Storage operator: means a person who stores an aircraft or aircraft component at the request of an airport manager. See
• Structure: means any object constructed or installed by man, including buildings, towers, smokestacks, and overhead transmission lines. See
• Subpoena: A command to a witness to appear and give testimony.
• Testimony: Evidence presented orally by witnesses during trials or before grand juries.
• 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
• Trial: A hearing that takes place when the defendant pleads "not guilty" and witnesses are required to come to court to give evidence.
• Trust: means the trust in which the assets of the Program are held. See
• Trustee: A person or institution holding and administering property in trust.
• Vendor: means :

• Vermont Retirement Security Fund: means the fund established in section 534 of this chapter for the sole purpose of paying the administrative costs and expenses of the Program. See
• Village: shall mean an incorporated village. See
• Wages: means any compensation within the meaning of Section 219(f)(1) of the Internal Revenue Code that is received by an employee from an employer during a calendar year. See
• Writ: A formal written command, issued from the court, requiring the performance of a specific act.