After years of stalled attempts to modernize Act 250, the 50-year-old land use law, legislators and advocates seem hopeful that this could be the year, though the path toward modernization is unclear at this point. This week, two bills that emphasize housing development were reviewed. Both bills would change how Act 250 is applied in designated downtowns and Neighborhood Development Areas and reduce Act 250 responsibilities for developers, while creating additional work for municipalities beyond the designations that they have already received. The Vermont Chamber will continue to advocate for Act 250 modernization that will reduce redundancies for all parties and make permitting more predictable and less costly.