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.
This bill restricts Vermont's Department of Corrections (DOC) from cooperating with federal immigration authorities. It prohibits DOC staff from contacting federal agencies about an individual's immigration status, prolonging detention to investigate status, or accepting requests for immigration enforcement support. The DOC must terminate existing agreements with federal immigration authorities within 30 days and submit annual reports to legislative committees detailing any federal requests for assistance. Additionally, the DOC must create staff training protocols and penalties for noncompliance with these restrictions.
H 219 establishes the Department of Corrections’ Family Support Program, providing free parenting and trauma-informed family support services to all incarcerated individuals who are parents or guardians. The program aims to increase parents' knowledge and skills, offer resources for communicating with their children and caregivers, and create child-friendly visitation spaces. It also includes outreach for children's services and reentry support for parents. The bill directs the Department to include funding for these services in its annual budget, with initial implementation at the Chittenden Regional and Northern State Correctional Facilities and an intent to expand statewide by 2028, contingent on appropriated funds.
H 176 requires Vermont's Department of Corrections to reinstate its community work program (called "work crew") by July 1, 2025, after it was discontinued in 2023. The bill mandates reinstating prior policies and sets minimum requirements: offenders must be assigned at least 20 work crew days per court order, or 60 days total across multiple orders. This directly affects individuals sentenced to community restitution and the Department of Corrections, which must implement the program by the deadline. The law takes effect upon passage.
H.18 would reclassify third-time nonmoving license violations (such as parking tickets) as civil offenses instead of criminal ones for drivers with suspended licenses. Specifically, it changes penalties for individuals who operate a vehicle with a suspended license after their third nonmoving violation within a two-year period, shifting from potential jail time or large fines to civil penalties like fines and community service. This applies only to nonmoving violations (not moving traffic offenses like speeding), affecting repeat offenders who commit nonmoving violations after multiple license suspensions. The bill, if passed, would take effect July 1, 2025.
H 200 prohibits Vermont residents found by a court to pose a danger to themselves or others due to mental illness from possessing firearms. This new rule applies to individuals under specific court orders for mental health treatment or hospitalization, aligning Vermont law with federal standards. The bill also increases penalties for second or subsequent offenses of firearm possession by prohibited persons, raising the maximum penalty to three years in jail or a $5,000 fine. It does not change existing prohibitions for other reasons, such as violent crime convictions.
H 490 would reduce the required community service hours for individuals convicted of a second impaired driving offense under Vermont law. It specifically targets people sentenced for a second offense under 23 V.S.A. § 1210(c), aiming to make community service a more appealing sentencing option compared to jail time. The bill cites Vermont’s Restorative Justice Policy (28 V.S.A. § 2a) as justification, arguing aligning the hours encourages community service use. It also references Department of Corrections data to measure potential impacts on incarceration rates, though the bill itself only changes the sentencing requirement.
H.192 prohibits the use of solitary or room confinement for children in secure facilities (like detention centers) except as a temporary measure when a child poses an immediate risk of physical harm to themselves or others. The bill requires staff to first attempt de-escalation techniques, such as talking with the child or involving a mental health professional, before confinement. It limits confinement time to a maximum of 30 minutes for self-harm risks or 3 hours for risks to others, mandates 15-minute check-ins, and requires release when the risk subsides. The law takes effect July 1, 2025, and excludes regular sleeping hours and single-occupancy rooms not used for confinement.
H 379 creates a "second look" sentencing process in Vermont for incarcerated individuals serving 15+ years. It allows people who have served at least 15 years to petition their original sentencing court for a sentence reduction, directly affecting those currently serving long sentences (including life sentences or 50+ year terms). Key mechanisms include mandatory notice to the court, prosecutor, and public defender after 15 years of incarceration, a structured petition process with required documentation, and expedited hearings for those with serious health conditions or who are 60+ years old after 25 years served. The bill aims to reduce Vermont's high rate of life-sentence inmates (20% of the incarcerated population) and lower annual incarceration costs ($134,218 per person).
H 264 requires Vermont firearm owners to store guns securely - locked and separate from ammunition - when children or prohibited persons (e.g., those banned by law from owning guns) might access them. It directly affects all gun owners in homes or premises under their control. Key provisions include fines up to $1,000 or jail time for negligence leading to a crime, and up to $5,000 or five years in jail if access causes death or serious injury. Dealers must post mandatory safety signs about risks like accidental child access or suicide. The law takes effect upon passage.
