Criminal Justice (Law Enforcement)

introduced · Vermont · House Jan 9, 2026

H 636: An act relating to an independent monitoring board for body-worn camera footage

H 636 would create a five-member independent civilian board to oversee police body camera footage in Vermont. The board, appointed by all three branches of government, would review public requests for footage, control access to stored recordings, and redact sensitive information before releasing any material. This directly affects law enforcement agencies (which must provide footage to the board) and the public (which can request access to recordings). The bill establishes a formal process for managing bodycam data without changing how police use the cameras.

Topics ✓ Criminal JusticeSupports Criminal JusticeCreates independent civilian board to oversee police body camera footage, enhancing police accountability and transparency - directly advancing criminal justice reform through oversight.95% confidence

Sub-Topics Law Enforcement Policing

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signed · Vermont · Senate May 29, 2026

S 209: An act relating to prohibiting civil arrest in sensitive locations

This bill prohibits civil arrests (arrests for civil matters like court appearances) in specific sensitive locations, including schools, shelters, health care facilities, government buildings, and court proceedings. It directly affects individuals visiting these locations, law enforcement officers, and civil courts by restricting arrests in those settings. Key provisions define "civil arrest" and allow exceptions for judicial warrants, contempt of court, or maintaining safety in court. Violations could lead to contempt charges or civil lawsuits for false imprisonment. The law applies immediately upon passage.

Topics ✓ Criminal JusticeSupports Criminal JusticeProhibits civil arrests in sensitive locations (schools, hospitals, courts), protecting vulnerable individuals and reducing unnecessary law enforcement interactions in court settings, aligning with criminal justice reform goals.95% confidence ✓ ImmigrationSupports ImmigrationProhibits civil arrests in shelters (common immigrant locations), limiting state cooperation with federal immigration enforcement and protecting immigrants from potential arrests in sensitive settings.85% confidence

Sub-Topics Courts Law Enforcement Sanctuary Policies

signed · Vermont · House Apr 29, 2026

H 744: An act relating to procedures for release after arrest

This bill (H.744) requires law enforcement officers making warrantless arrests to include specific details in their written statements to judges. Specifically, officers must state the crime they intend to charge and any requested bail or release conditions the prosecutor is seeking. This applies when officers seek a judge's immediate decision on temporary release after an arrest without a warrant. The change aims to provide judges with clearer information upfront to make release decisions, affecting both arresting officers and judicial officers reviewing cases.

Topics ✓ Criminal JusticeSupports Criminal JusticeRequires warrantless arrest details for judges' release decisions, enhancing transparency and accountability in criminal justice proceedings.95% confidence

Sub-Topics Judges Law Enforcement

introduced · Vermont · House Feb 11, 2025

H 189: An act relating to funding support services for persons who use drugs and eliminating misdemeanor criminal penalties for possessing or dispensing a personal use drug supply

H.189 eliminates criminal penalties for possessing or dispensing small personal amounts of drugs in Vermont, directly affecting individuals currently facing misdemeanor charges for such activities. It creates the Community Care, Health, and Safety Special Fund, using 40% of cannabis tax revenue and opioid settlement funds to support community-based harm reduction services, overdose prevention, and substance use treatment. The bill requires law enforcement to provide service referrals (like treatment or harm reduction resources) instead of arresting people for small drug amounts, and establishes a new advisory board to define "personal use" quantities. This shift aims to reduce overdose deaths and racial disparities in drug enforcement while redirecting resources from prosecution toward public health services.

Topics ✓ Budget & TaxesSupports Budget & TaxesUses 40% of cannabis tax revenue to fund harm reduction services, directing existing tax funds toward essential community health programs.95% confidence ✓ Criminal JusticeSupports Criminal JusticeEliminates misdemeanor drug possession penalties, redirects funds to harm reduction/treatment instead of criminalization, aligning with reform goals like reducing recidivism.95% confidence ✓ HealthcareSupports HealthcareBill allocates cannabis tax and opioid settlement funds to fund harm reduction, overdose prevention, and substance use treatment services, directly advancing healthcare access for substance use disorders.90% confidence

Sub-Topics Revenue Drug Policy Law Enforcement Public Health Substance Abuse

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introduced · Vermont · House Feb 12, 2025

H 213: An act relating to amending the bases and process of child abuse and neglect investigations

This bill (H 213) expands Vermont's legal definitions of child abuse and neglect to include "torture of a child" and specific new investigatory bases like lewd conduct involving children, domestic violence occurring in front of a child, and sexual offenses. It requires child protective services to collaborate with child advocacy centers and multidisciplinary teams during investigations and clarifies when investigations - not just assessments - are needed (e.g., for sexual abuse, abandonment, or serious injury). The bill directly affects child protective agencies, law enforcement, and child advocacy centers by modifying their processes for responding to reports. It creates concrete policy changes in how cases are categorized and handled, without altering penalties for existing offenses.

Topics ✓ Criminal JusticeSupports Criminal JusticeBill expands legal definitions and mandates collaborative investigations for child abuse cases, strengthening systemic response to criminal offenses against children within the justice framework.85% confidence

Sub-Topics Domestic Violence Law Enforcement

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introduced · Vermont · House Apr 1, 2025

H 500: An act relating to automated license plate recognition systems

This bill (H.500) prevents the repeal of existing Vermont regulations governing automated license plate recognition (ALPR) systems used by law enforcement. It specifically preserves provisions in 23 V.S.A. chapter 15, subchapter 2 that regulate how police can use ALPR data, including rules for data retention and permissible uses. The bill directly affects Vermont law enforcement agencies that deploy ALPR technology. It maintains current restrictions on how long license plate data can be stored and how it may be accessed or shared, without creating new requirements. The legislation is procedural, aiming to keep existing privacy safeguards in place.

Topics ✓ Criminal JusticeSupports Criminal JusticePreserves ALPR data restrictions, maintaining civil rights protections in law enforcement surveillance per 23 V.S.A. chapter 15.95% confidence ✓ TechnologySupports TechnologyPreserves Vermont's ALPR data retention and usage rules, maintaining existing privacy protections for license plate data collected via law enforcement technology.95% confidence

Sub-Topics Law Enforcement Policing

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signed · Vermont · Senate May 20, 2026

S 89: An act relating to expanding survivor benefits

S.89, "Jessica’s Law," expands Vermont's survivor benefits to cover families of law enforcement officers, Department of Corrections employees (in direct security/treatment roles), Family Services Division staff, and employees at state-operated therapeutic communities or inpatient psychiatric hospitals who die while on duty or from work-related illnesses. The bill adds these groups to the existing definition of "emergency personnel" under Vermont law, ensuring they qualify for the same survivor benefits previously available to firefighters and emergency medical staff. Benefits would be paid to surviving spouses, then children, then parents if no immediate family remains, following current distribution rules. The law takes effect on July 1, 2025.

Topics ✓ Criminal JusticeSupports Criminal JusticeExpands survivor benefits to law enforcement and corrections staff, directly supporting personnel in criminal justice roles through enhanced benefits for families of on-duty deaths.95% confidence ✓ Labor & EmploymentSupports Labor & EmploymentExpands survivor benefits to additional state workers (including on-duty fatalities), strengthening employment protections and financial security for families.95% confidence

Sub-Topics Corrections Law Enforcement

introduced · Vermont · Senate Feb 28, 2025

S 97: An act relating to creating municipal and regional civilian oversight of law enforcement

S 97 creates municipal and regional civilian oversight boards to handle complaints against local law enforcement agencies and officers in Vermont. These boards will independently investigate complaints (in addition to agency investigations), publish public reports, and make recommendations on disciplinary actions for the Vermont Criminal Justice Council to consider. The law mandates that agencies must report certain serious complaints to the oversight boards within seven business days and requires the Council to give deference to the boards' recommendations. The bill also establishes a $500,000 grant program to help municipalities implement these oversight structures. This affects all municipal police departments, sheriff's offices, and regional law enforcement agencies covered by the law.

Topics ✓ Criminal JusticeSupports Criminal JusticeCreates civilian oversight boards for law enforcement complaints, independently investigating and recommending discipline, enhancing police accountability and transparency in criminal justice.90% confidence

Sub-Topics Law Enforcement Policing

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introduced · Vermont · House Feb 26, 2025

H 395: An act relating to creating the Municipal Law Enforcement Assistance Program

H 395 creates a Municipal Law Enforcement Assistance Program allowing Vermont towns and cities to vote to add a $75 surcharge on civil penalties collected by the Judicial Bureau for violations occurring within their borders. Municipalities must first approve the surcharge via voter vote, and the Judicial Bureau would collect the surcharge (keeping $5 for administration) and remit the rest quarterly to the municipality. Funds received must be used exclusively for local law enforcement services like staffing, equipment, or training. The bill requires municipalities to notify the Judicial Bureau within 10 days of approval, with the program effective July 1, 2025, pending committee review and passage. This applies only to communities choosing to adopt the surcharge.

Topics ✓ Criminal JusticeSupports Criminal JusticeCreates surcharge funding exclusively for local law enforcement services, directly advancing resource allocation to criminal justice operations.95% confidence

Sub-Topics Law Enforcement

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introduced · Vermont · House Feb 14, 2025

H 223: An act relating to stalking through the use of tracking technology

This bill (H 223) clarifies that using tracking technology without consent to follow someone’s movements - such as via GPS in a vehicle - counts as stalking under Vermont law. It prohibits installing or using tracking devices in vehicles without the operator’s and all occupants’ consent, with limited exceptions for law enforcement, parents monitoring minors, and vehicle dealers. The bill also allows courts to grant abuse survivors temporary vehicle possession for safety and creates a process for survivors to quickly disable an abuser’s access to a vehicle’s connected tracking services, even if the abuser owns the account. It directly affects domestic violence survivors, victims of stalking, and individuals using vehicles in abusive situations.

Topics ✓ Criminal JusticeSupports Criminal JusticeClarifies unauthorized tracking as stalking, strengthens victim protections under criminal law, aligns with civil rights safeguards in criminal justice reform95% confidence ✓ TechnologySupports TechnologyProhibits unauthorized tracking tech use without consent, requiring explicit permission to protect data privacy and prevent stalking via GPS monitoring.95% confidence

Sub-Topics Domestic Violence Drug Policy Law Enforcement

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