Last week, the Vermont Legislature adjourned marking the end of the regular 2023 legislative session. If I had to sum up the past 18 weeks in one word, it would be FULL. With many new faces in the building and strong interest in issues impacting survivors, this session contained a little bit of everything- hope, promise, joy and also some disappointments.

The building and our hearts were FULL as we once again welcomed survivors and advocates to the State House for the first time in several years.

Survivors gathered in the cedar creek room with Representative Rachelson on Start by Believing Day

The first week of April, Survivors Uplift Vermont partnered with Representative Rachelson of Burlington to honor and recognize Start by Believing Day. One UVM student who attended remarked, “Going to the Vermont State House for the first time and having legislators clap for us will always be a favorite memory of mine from college.”

Advocates in the House Chambers on Member Organization Legislative Advocacy Day. Photo by Kelli Prescott

Later that month, advocates travelled from all across the state to join us in Montpelier for Member Organization Legislative Advocacy Day. Legislative committee rooms were packed FULL to capacity with advocates who were there to speak with their own legislators about issues impacting survivors in their communities.

Our schedules were FULL most weeks as legislators recognized and prioritized the needs of survivors in many key ways. We actively worked on or monitored 115 separate bills this session. Some of these bills crossed the finish line while many others are still in process, and we will continue to work on them next year.  Here is a very brief look at just a few of our priority bills that made it through the House and Senate this year. After passage, the bills head to the Governor’s desk. Some have already been signed while others await the Governor’s action.

H. 41: This bill seeks to expand restorative justice options for survivors. Through this bill, statewide guidance will be established to allow community justice centers to partner with local domestic and sexual violence organizations to develop and provide restorative justice options to domestic and sexual violence survivors. This bill has already been signed into law by Governor Scott!

H. 45: This legislation will help prevent abusive partners from using the court system to maintain contact with their former partners. This new law will allow survivors who are experiencing litigation abuse to obtain relief from the courts which will require that future court filings are first reviewed by a judge and do not require a survivor to respond to it.

S. 100: is a wide-ranging bill that among other things changes zoning laws to make it easier to build housing and shelter, increases criminal fines for violation of the Fair Housing Act and Public Accommodations Act and requires that a utility provide notice to the property owner if utility service to the property has been disconnected. It also includes language supporting appropriation of funds for many housing programs including homesharing, VHFA’s first generation homebuyer program, Vermont Housing and Conservation Board (VHCB) and Vermont Housing Improvement Program (VHIP).

H. 89 and S. 37:  These bills work in tandem and are commonly referred to as “shield laws”. Together they strengthen Vermonters’ rights to gender-affirming and reproductive healthcare by adding them to the definition of legally protected healthcare activity. This legislation also protects healthcare providers who provide these services and opens up the Safe at Home Address Confidentiality program to essential health care providers. These bills have both been signed into law by Governor Scott!

None of this work would be possible without all of you.Survivors, activists, and advocates play a crucial role in making the changes we need to ensure a Vermont where all people can thrive. Every time you share your stories with us, send a message to an elected official, or come to the state house, it makes a big difference in our small state. Thank you!

Our policy team is already feeling FULL of ideas and the promise that next year holds for our legislative advocacy work. We cannot do this work alone and there are opportunities for everyone to engage in the process! If you would like to be more involved in legislative advocacy, please reach out to us anytime by emailing me at jessica@vtnetwork.org.

In Community,

Jessica Barquist

Policy and Organizing Director

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