Advocating for Change
Our purpose is to create a world free of oppression where actions, beliefs, and systems support all people to thrive.
The Vermont Network’s 2026 Legislative Agenda features state-level policies that seek to uproot the causes of violence and support the well-being of survivors, their families, and Vermont communities.
Read more about our legislative priorities and how to get involved below.
Our 2026 Legislative Agenda
issue
Funding Survivor Support Services
background
Our member organizations provide life-saving services that support the physical, emotional, and financial safety of thousands of survivors every year.
Their primary state funding source faces ongoing deficits and instability—putting these essential services at risk.
solution
Sustainably fund Vermont’s Domestic and Sexual Violence Fund.
At a minimum, appropriate funds to maintain FY26 funding levels and cover future deficits to ensure consistent services for survivors.
issue
Victim Voice and Safety in the Criminal Legal System
background
A victim’s ability to be notified of updates and heard in a criminal proceeding profoundly shapes their sense of justice.
Gaps in notification erode trust and limit a victim’s ability to make informed decisions about personal safety.
solution
Make targeted improvements to victim notification procedures across the life of a case.
Create a forensic liaison within the Department of Mental Health to support victims when the person who caused harm is found incompetent or not guilty by reason of insanity.
issue
Legal Protections for Victims of Image-Based Abuse
background
The non-consensual recording and sharing of explicit images—sometimes called image-based abuse—can cause a victim severe and lasting harm.
In many cases, these images circulate for years unnoticed, leaving victims without a fair opportunity to seek justice.
solution
Amend Vermont law to start the statute of limitations when a victim discovers the violation, ensuring they have time to pursue justice.
Recognize the harm of image-based abuse by allowing victims to seek accountability and repair for the severe emotional damage it causes in civil court.
issue
Statewide Supervised Visitation
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Supervised visitation provides a safe, structured space for children to maintain relationships with a parent when safety concerns are present, like in cases involving domestic violence. This service is often ordered by a court or the Department of Children and Families.
solution
Support and fund a statewide system of accessible, high-quality supervised visitation programs for Vermont families.
issue
Coerced Debt Protections
background
When an abusive partner takes out debt in a survivor’s name without consent, it can destroy a survivor’s credit, limit access to housing or education, and undermine their safety and independence for years.
solution
Establish a clear and accessible process to release survivors from responsibility for coerced debts and restore their credit records.
issue
Improving Outcomes for Justice-Involved Women
background
Most incarcerated women are survivors of domestic or sexual violence. Despite great need, few have access to the rehabilitation and re-entry support needed for a successful return to their communities.
solution
Replace the Chittenden Regional Correctional Facility with a smaller, gender-responsive facility and expand rehabilitative and re-entry programming for justice-involved women.
issue
Safe Housing for Survivors
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Without safe, stable housing, survivors often face an impossible choice between homelessness and staying in an abusive relationship or unsafe housing.
solution
Protect survivors’ access to housing, including emergency and temporary housing through the General Assistance Housing Program and Housing Opportunity Grant Program (HOP).