Criminal Justice

This bill raises Vermont's minimum age for juvenile delinquency proceedings from 10 to 12 years old. It also increases the age threshold for transferring youth to adult court from 19 to 20 years old, meaning youth aged 16-17 committing offenses will now remain in juvenile court until age 21 (previously 20), and those aged 18 will stay until age 22 (previously 21). The law directly affects youth aged 12-20 involved in delinquency cases, keeping them in the juvenile justice system longer. Implementation requires the Agency of Human Services to report progress on facility and program expansions by 2026, with full implementation effective July 1, 2027.