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Constitutional Amendment Process

The process for amending the Vermont Constitution can be found in Chapter II, Sec. 72. This is an overview of the process for an amendment proposal to pass in the state of Vermont.

A standing committee or member of the Senate may propose an amendment to the constitution every fourth year (Next opening is 2007).
The amendment is read to the Senate then referred to the appropriate committee for discussion and recommendations
The committee can report its recommendations to the Senate for the second reading of the bill or can decide not to take action on a bill. Upon the second reading, senators may offer amendments to the proposal.
The amendment is read for the final times and requires a two-thirds approval by the Senate. If approved the bill is sent to the House.
The proposal is read first by the Speaker of the House, who then assigns the proposal to a committee. The committee may not change or alter the proposal. The committee however may act or not act on the proposal. They report their recommendations to the House.
After the second reading of the proposal by the committee to the House, the House is prohibited from changing the proposal and must vote on the same proposal that was voted on by the Senate. A majority vote is required for passage.
If the proposal passes, the succeeding legislature receives the proposal and must pass by a majority vote in the Senate and a majority vote in the House before going to the voters, who must ratify the amendment by a majority vote.

Links:
Amending the Constitution, Gregory Sanford (PDF)
Proposals of Amending, Gregory Sanford (PDF)
Senate Amendment Rules, Gregory Sanford (PDF)
Can the House Amend a Proposal of Amendment, Jim Jeffords (PDF)