Last week marked the end of the 2021 Vermont Legislative Session! The work of advocating for survivors in the State House looked a whole lot different this year as the Legislature met fully remotely, but our commitment to ensure that all survivors have what they need to thrive remained the same.

This year, the Vermont Network tracked over 80 bills and championed several major pieces of legislation. Some of these bills passed this year, and others will remain under consideration when the Legislature reconvenes this again.

Here are some key wins from this session:

Comprehensive Sexual Violence Reforms: H. 183 modernizes Vermont’s consent statute, creates data collection requirements to better understand how sexual violence cases move through the legal system, creates a Higher Education Sexual Violence Prevention Council and invests in expanding medical care for sexual assault patients to primary or reproductive health settings.

Benning the Gay Trans Panic Defense: H. 128 (Act 18) prohibits the use of a Gay/Trans panic defense, a legal strategy which asks a jury to find that a victim’s sexual orientation or gender identity is cause for a defendant’s violent reaction.

Menstrual Equity: S. 115 requires Vermont schools to provide free menstrual products in girls’ and gender neutral bathrooms serving students 8 and above. The Legislature also eliminated the luxury tax on menstrual products.

Victim Notification: The VT Network worked on three bills this year that strengthen victim notification in criminal proceedings.

• S. 3 : Strengthens notification for victims when the person who caused them harm is in the care and custody of the Department of Mental Health.

• S. 18 (Act 12): Limits the crimes which are eligible for earned time reduction on incarceration. Prosecutors are now required to inform victims about any potential earned time reductions before the sentencing process. Victims will also be notified about whether offenders accrue earned time.

• S.45 (Act 24): Strengthens victim notification during a midpoint review and discharge from probation.

Appropriations: The Network secured State investments for the local organizations which provide direct services for victims of domestic and sexual violence and worked to maintain the solvency of important special funds which serve victims and where revenues were impacted by the pandemic.

Housing: The Legislature made historic investments in affordable housing. The Network worked with our partners and allies to advance this investment. The Legislature directed the Department for Children and Families to continue to use the General Assistance Emergency Housing Workgroup, convened in March 2021, to make recommendations to the Commissioner for Children and Families on the design and implementation of a sustainable, long-term plan for providing emergency housing for fiscal year 2023. They also approved the new eligibility criteria for the GA Motel Voucher Program for fiscal year 2022.

As we close out this legislative session, we want to thank all of you who participated in the process of advocating for survivors. The emails, phone calls, and support you show goes a long way in making a difference. Legislative advocacy is a community effort, and we cannot do what we do without each and every one of you!

The VT Network Policy Team,

Sarah, Jessica, & Kara

P.S. Want to get more involved in making change in your community? Join our Uplift VT campaign at vtnetwork.org/uplift