We have officially passed a pivotal point in the legislative calendar- crossover week! This is the week when policy bills have to pass out of committee in order to make it past the finish line for the session. If a bill doesn’t make this deadline, it is still possible for the bill to pass – but it means a much narrower path and often requires some creative maneuvering by the legislature.

The Vermont Network policy team has had quite a busy session already! Over this biennium we have actively worked on and monitored over 150 different bills that would impact survivors in Vermont. Here is a quick look at some of the important work our policy team has been involved in so far this session:

Appropriations: The FY22 budget adjustment and the FY23 budget both contain critical funding requests to support victim services in Vermont. The Vermont Network has worked to prioritize funding for core services provided by our Member Organizations, Justice Reinvestment recommendations for domestic violence accountability programming and preserving the availability of legal services in Vermont.

Firearms Protections: S.30 passed both the House and Senate but was vetoed by the Governor. In his veto message, the Governor Scott indicated a willingness to sign the bill if the time limit on the so-called “Charleston Loophole” was changed to 7 days. The Senate quickly passed S. 4, which includes all elements of S. 30 with the requested change. The House promptly followed, and the bill has now been sent to the Governor where it awaits his signature. You can find our final testimony on S. 4 in House Judiciary here, starting at minute 11.

Juvenile Proceedings: S. 224 passed the Senate and is now being worked on in the House Judiciary committee. This bill pauses the process to send most cases involving 19-year-olds to family court, rather than criminal court for one more year and enhances the rights of victims in juvenile and youthful offender proceedings in several key ways. The bill ensures that victims in juvenile proceedings have access to victims compensation funds and restitution, and that they will be notified of all court proceedings as well as releases from custody back into the community.

Relief From Abuse Access: H. 729 includes several judiciary-related items – including an important change to improve access to relief from abuse orders. This bill will permit individuals who seek an emergency relief from abuse order curing court hours to apply fully remotely. Currently, survivors can apply remotely after court hours but need to apply in person during court hours.

Amending Discrimination Statutes: H.329 creates greater protections from discrimination and harassment in housing and employment. The bill changes the legal standard to amend discrimination statutes to clarify that harassment need not be severe or pervasive to constitute discrimination. This bill did not make crossover, but the House General, Housing and Military Affairs Committee continues to work on this bill and hopes to advance it by attaching it to another bill.

Housing: S.210 passed the Senate and is on its way to the house. The bill includes language related to health and safety of rental units, a rental registry, as well as the Vermont Housing Investment Program (VHIP) which would give loans and grants in order to rehab rental units and create accessory dwellings.

Drug Decriminalization: H.505 proposes to move away from criminalizing substance use to a public health-informed approach by reclassifying the penalties for unlawfully possessing, dispensing, and selling a regulated drug. The bill also includes the creation of a Drug Use Standards Advisory Board. It passed the House and is now being considered by the Senate.

While this is just a quick highlight of the many bills we are actively working on or following this session, we hope that you will be able to join us on April 26th for our Legislative Advocacy day to hear more about the impactful work being done for survivors across the state!

We hope to see you there!

The Vermont Network Policy Team

Sarah Robinson, Deputy Director

Jessica Barquist, Director of Policy & Organizing

Kara Casey, Director of Economic Empowerment