Vermont governor signs bill to pay people $10K to move to state and work remotely

Vermont Gov. Phil Scott (R) has signed a bill into law that will pay people $10,000 if they move to the state and work for an out-of-state employer remotely.

The bill, which is scheduled to take effect on Jan. 1, 2019, has budgeted grants for nearly 100 new remote workers in the first three years of the program, and 20 more workers per year for every year afterward.

{mosads}Under the terms of bill, a new remote worker may be eligible for a grant under the program “for qualifying remote worker expenses in the amount of not more than $5,000.00 per year, not to exceed a total of $10,000.00 per individual new remote worker over the life of the program.”

Remote worker expenses that qualify for the grant include the purchase of computer software and hardware, broadband access or upgrade, and membership in a co-working or similar space.

The legislation is just one of the northeastern state’s latest efforts to counter its aging population.

In addition to the program, Vermont has also launched another program, called Stay to Stay Weekends, that is aimed at getting the state’s 13 million annual tourists to relocate to Vermont.

Tourists who plan their trips to the state during one of the designated weekends from April to October have the opportunity to network with employers, entrepreneurs, and realtors.