20 V.S.A. § 184

All State officers, subject to such exceptions and rules as the Governor, or other official authorized under the Constitution and this chapter or other act to exercise the powers and discharge the duties of the office of, or to act as, Governor, may issue, shall, immediately after the date that they have been appointed and qualified, in addition to any deputy authorized pursuant to law, designate by title emergency interim successors and specify their order of succession. The officer shall, each year, review and revise, as necessary, designations made pursuant to this chapter to ensure his or her current status. Forthwith after such designations are made and after a revision of the designations, the officer shall file copies in the offices of both the Governor and the Secretary of State. The officer shall designate a sufficient number of such emergency interim successors so that, including deputies, there will be not less than five emergency interim successors. In the event that any State officer, or his or her deputy, is unavailable, the powers of the office shall be exercised and its duties shall be discharged by his or her designated emergency interim successors in the order specified. The emergency interim successors shall exercise the powers and discharge the duties only until such time as the Governor, or other official authorized under the Constitution and this chapter or other act to exercise the powers and discharge the duties of the office of, or to act as, Governor, shall, where a vacancy exists, appoint a successor to fill the vacancy or until a successor is otherwise appointed, or elected and qualified as provided by law; or an officer, or his or her deputy or a preceding named emergency interim successor, becomes available to resume the exercise of the powers and discharge the duties of his or her office.