Terms Used In Vermont Statutes > Title 3 > Chapter 27 > Subchapter 4A - Whistleblower Protection

• Admitted insurer: means an insurer licensed to transact business in this State. 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
• 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.
• Assets: (1) The property comprising the estate of a deceased person, or (2) the property in a trust account.
• Association: means a joint underwriting association established pursuant to this chapter. See
• Board: means the State Labor Relations Board established under section 921 of this title. See
• Commissioner: means the Commissioner of Financial Regulation. See
• Commissioner: means the Commissioner of Financial Regulation. See
• Commissioner: means the Commissioner of Financial Regulation or a designee. See
• Complaint: A written statement by the plaintiff stating the wrongs allegedly committed by the defendant.
• Continuance: Putting off of a hearing ot trial until a later time.
• 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.
• Damages: Money paid by defendants to successful plaintiffs in civil cases to compensate the plaintiffs for their injuries.
• Department head: means a secretary of an agency, commissioner of a department, director of an office, or any other appointing authority in charge of an agency of State government. See
• Discovery: Lawyers' examination, before trial, of facts and documents in possession of the opponents to help the lawyers prepare for trial.
• 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 insurer: means any insurer that has been chartered by, incorporated, organized, or constituted within or under the laws of this State. See
• Domestic risk: means a subject of insurance that is resident, located, or to be performed in this State. See
• Domestic surplus lines insurer: means a domestic insurer with which insurance coverage may be placed under this chapter. See
• Employee: means a State employee as defined by subdivision (5) of this section except as the context requires otherwise. 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}
• 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.
• Fees: shall mean earnings due for official services, aside from salaries or per diem compensation. See
• Fiduciary: A trustee, executor, or administrator.
• 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.
• Grand jury: agreement providing that a lender will delay exercising its rights (in the case of a mortgage,
• Grievance: means an employee's, group of employees', or the employee's collective bargaining representative's expressed dissatisfaction, presented in writing, with aspects of employment or working conditions under a collective bargaining agreement or the discriminatory application of a rule or regulation, that has not been resolved to a satisfactory result through informal discussion with immediate supervisors. See
• Grievance: means a written complaint submitted to the Department or to the health maintenance organization in accordance with the health maintenance organization's formal grievance procedure by or on behalf of a member regarding any aspect of the health maintenance organization relative to the member. See
• Health care services: means physician, hospitalization, laboratory, x-ray service, and medical equipment and supplies, which may include: medical, surgical, and dental care; psychological, obstetrical, osteopathic, optometric, optic, podiatric, chiropractic, nursing, physical therapy services, and pharmaceutical services; health education; preventive medical, rehabilitative, and home health services; inpatient and outpatient hospital services, extended care, nursing home care, convalescent institutional care, laboratory and ambulance services, appliances, drugs, medicines, and supplies; and any other care, service, or treatment of disease or conditions, or the maintenance of the physical and mental well-being of members. See
• Health maintenance organization: means any person who furnishes, either directly or through arrangements with others, comprehensive health care services to an enrolled member in return for periodic payments; the amounts of said payments are agreed upon prior to the time during which the health care services may be furnished; and who is obligated to the member to arrange for or to provide directly available and accessible health care services. See
• Home state: means , with respect to an insured:

• Illegal order: means a directive to violate, or to assist in violating, a federal, State, or local law. See
• Indemnification: In general, a collateral contract or assurance under which one person agrees to secure another person against either anticipated financial losses or potential adverse legal consequences. ^{Source: FDIC}
• 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
• Liabilities: The aggregate of all debts and other legal obligations of a particular person or legal entity.
• Member: means any individual who has entered into a contract with a health maintenance organization for health care services or for services related to but not limited to processing, administering, or the payment of claims for health care services or on whose behalf such an arrangement has been made. See
• Member: means an insurer that is a member of an association. See
• Month: shall mean a calendar month and "year" shall mean a calendar year and be equivalent to the expression "year of our Lord. See
• NAIC: means the National Association of Insurance Commissioners. 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.
• Oversight: Committee review of the activities of a Federal agency or program.
• 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: includes individuals, partnerships, associations, trusts, and corporations. See
• Person: includes one or more individuals, the State of Vermont, Vermont State Colleges, University of Vermont, Department of State's Attorneys and Sheriffs, employee organizations, labor organizations, partnerships, corporations, legal representatives, trustees, or any other natural or legal entity whatsoever. 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
• Petit jury: A group of citizens who hear the evidence presented by both sides at trial and determine the facts in dispute. Federal criminal juries consist of 12 persons. Federal civil juries consist of six persons.
• Plan: means the plan of operation of the association approved or proposed by the Commissioner pursuant to this chapter. See
• Public body: means :

• Quorum: The number of legislators that must be present to do business.
• real estate: shall include lands, tenements, and hereditaments and all rights thereto and interests therein, and pews or slips in places of public worship shall be treated as real estate. See
• 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.
• Retaliatory action: includes any adverse performance or disciplinary action, including discharge, suspension, reprimand, demotion, denial of promotion, imposition of a performance warning period, or involuntary transfer or reassignment that is given in retaliation for the State employee's involvement in a protected activity, as set forth in section 973 of this title. 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
• Service of process: The service of writs or summonses to the appropriate party.
• 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 employee: means an individual employed on a permanent or limited status basis by the State of Vermont. See
• Surplus lines broker: means an individual licensed under this chapter and chapter 131 of this title. See
• Surplus lines insurance: means coverage not procurable from admitted insurers. See
• Surplus lines insurer: means a non-admitted insurer with which insurance coverage may be placed under this chapter. See
• Testify: Answer questions in court.
• Testimony: Evidence presented orally by witnesses during trials or before grand juries.
• 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
• Trustee: A person or institution holding and administering property in trust.