In 2025, the Levin Center conducted a study of all 50 states to examine how legislatures ensure government programs work effectively for citizens. Factors such as legislative oversight committees, routine engagement with executive agencies, collection of casework data, digital transparency tools, and user-centered policy evaluation were of particular importance. The full report can be found here.
State Summary #
The Vermont Legislature lists six oversight committees on its website, all of which are devoted to a specific policy area, like information technology or transportation. Some of these committees appear to have been dormant for some time. Historical press releases and meeting agendas suggest that the Legislature occasionally seeks out public feedback on certain issues through public forums and specific public hearings (including in locations away from the capitol), though these forums appear to be general in nature or focused on specific legislation, rather than oversight issues.
Vermont has an open data portal, though some of the data is more than a few months old and leans in the direction of general lists and statistics rather than specific information on government performance or program implementation.
