[{"_1":2,"_99":-5,"_100":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,75,87],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":46,"_47":48,"_49":50,"_51":52,"_53":54,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":60,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":66,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":56,"_74":56},"mediaId",6080407,"mediaKeyId","2947342-7ca9b25657604e502e1de961d5f389ec","parentId",2947342,"title","Committee OKs draft H.230 change to treat many fish-and-wildlife offenses as civil minor violations","audioSeconds",662,"startMs",2185000,"endMs",2847000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=2947342-7ca9b25657604e502e1de961d5f389ec&start=2185&end=2847","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2947342-7ca9b25657604e502e1de961d5f389ec/thumbnail_2185000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6080407/Vermont/Committee-OKs-draft-H230-change-to-treat-many-fish-and-wildlife-offenses-as-civil-minor-violations","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6080407-3b2ed40f89dc742b7794f3073e84bb7d/orig.mp4?Expires=1775374003&Signature=PhcWTWvW9mgyXMWlzVdhpHyy5AjQwY7hPeXNvhHYtrP8lygaFNNMdIl~zvvGCWXxn7z7Xy0HpLvXeZRR~6KWoGMQmYzdFOi0sSK-3nqQX3sI2i1YEr5hnLR5mWzFlRXX9th0eGB7VzCyfn-E3PXwie3VRkVUSqgMmOQ8pJNKfQhY1JntGrzKuL-yareLG-Gvwu3ZlJQu4lSZ8dcV2IfoJxBjkl~5XBJZqs2u6zmynj8XW2NVRUth7d9PMy4poKxq9UouqXS4Moyx1VRawnWxYhVb74U917JGOJLbJh6t0SHg48OqJSr6auCU2XF6sR50b5epF2wU1hTc9WAV74N-zA__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","","date","2025-04-10T16:09:06.497Z","article","The Judiciary Committee on April 10 voted to find draft number 2.1 of H.230 favorable after a focused discussion about creating a civil “minor violation” pathway for many fish-and-wildlife offenses.

Hannah Smith, general counsel for the Vermont Department of Fish and Wildlife, described the revised text and noted small wording changes that make the standard broader: the bill would allow an offense to be treated as a minor violation if (a) the offender has no prior history of fish-and-wildlife violations, (b) no evidence was seized in relation to the violation, and (c) a criminal warrant was not used in relation to the violation. Smith said the department is “fine with these changes” and that the draft reflects testimony the committee heard earlier in the week.

Justin Steffen, identified in the record as a department director, said he did not “see a significant difference” between the prior wording and the proposed change and described the drafting goal as making enforcement proportional so wardens can issue civil tickets instead of criminal informations in routine cases. Committee members framed the change as providing an intermediate enforcement tool between a warning and a criminal charge; the chair noted this would affect “about 85% of our violations” that are in the category covered by the change.

After discussion the chair moved to find draft number 2.1 of H.230 favorable and a second was recorded on the floor. The chair subsequently called for those in favor to raise their hands; the chair observed the finding as unanimous and said the committee would transmit the language to the bill sponsor for further work.

Ending: The committee’s finding advances H.230 to the next stage; members and agency counsel said they will continue technical review but that the draft’s language achieves the stated goal of permitting civil tickets where appropriate and avoiding unnecessary criminal prosecutions.

","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","House Judiciary - 2025-04-10 - 11:05 AM","oneSentenceSummary","The Judiciary Committee found draft 2.1 of H.230 favorable after witnesses and agency counsel agreed language will allow wardens to issue civil tickets rather than criminal information when criteria are met and no evidence was seized or criminal warrants used.","taxTitle","Judiciary, HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES, Committees, Legislative , Vermont","taxId",35152,"location","Vermont","headline","shortSummary",{"_33":76,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":77,"_41":78,"_43":79,"_45":80,"_47":81,"_49":82,"_51":83,"_53":84,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":85,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":86,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":56,"_74":56},6080412,"Victim-notification, VINE improvements and marriage-license fee repeal win support in S.109 testimony",76,116000,192000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2947342-7ca9b25657604e502e1de961d5f389ec&start=116&end=192","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2947342-7ca9b25657604e502e1de961d5f389ec/thumbnail_116000.jpg","/articles/6080412/Vermont/Victim-notification-VINE-improvements-and-marriage-license-fee-repeal-win-support-in-S109-testimony","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6080412-24fcbc14003b547188d12d853edd0751/orig.mp4?Expires=1775374003&Signature=oifHVd4frFkP-L8-n1hhJYUmiGJ7hTfzuyJB9mZBAZTTR9bvNywZ70WmHDozGoqw4Ss1my4dNctZzGk1hr7i1l85pEOguuVBOmkKZIpJ5-dVHk1ShlmBxyDYCHz2uBMy6ijXPbqFrJdMoYe-oPlDkifu4xXEDp3TjNFEJEYqepg9D83Bk9wTb3cJXEl~NkkjF0Q91eG4rsa8YJkmTsDrJcAuaZfRyqm-3VAPiQLukJ1MCPKvLykoHUGvJxLLDPAayM~t3pszYbfY9mlKu0DuV1AzCxKbCeEOL0NgQnuPO7cBq2NNhIAsVuobi~N7l9ejlNouj5Sri0Q7o~sW4PbLUA__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Committee testimony on April 10 included several provisions in draft S.109 that affect victims’ services and court funding. Charlie Glisserman, policy director at the Vermont Network Against Domestic and Sexual Violence, told lawmakers the network supports language in Section 31 that would improve victim notification of earned time and supports Section 32, which creates a task force to review VINE, Vermont’s victim-notification system.

“I feel it is important that victims should have access to timely notification on earned time reduction if they choose it,” Glisserman said. He said VINE serves many victims well but also has gaps that can “negatively impact victims' experience with a criminal justice system, or even potentially compromise their safety.” Glisserman requested that “a designee of the Vermont network be added to the task force,” saying the network represents 15 member organizations that provide direct services statewide and can bring survivors’ perspectives to system design.

Glisserman also expressed appreciation that the revised bill includes repeal of the sunset on marriage-license fees; he described that change as supporting “stable funding” and thanked the committee for preserving that revenue source.

Committee members asked that the task force and any legislative recommendations clearly consider both technical fixes to VINE and the need for timely, survivor-centered notification. No formal action on these sections was taken during the hearing; committee members indicated they would incorporate feedback into drafting and membership language for the task force.

Ending: Witnesses asked the committee to ensure victims’ advocates have a designated seat or clear consultative role on the VINE task force and to keep the marriage-license fee repeal in the bill to maintain stable funding.","Witnesses told the Judiciary Committee they support Section 31 (earned-time victim notification) and Section 32 (a VINE improvements task force) in draft S.109, and thanked the committee for removing the sunset on marriage-license fees in the revised bill.",{"_33":88,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":89,"_41":90,"_43":91,"_45":92,"_47":93,"_49":94,"_51":95,"_53":96,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":97,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":98,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":56,"_74":56},6080417,"Legislation would create working group to standardize firearm-surrender process; stakeholders press to add FFLs",2196,0,2196000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2947342-7ca9b25657604e502e1de961d5f389ec&start=0&end=2196","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2947342-7ca9b25657604e502e1de961d5f389ec/thumbnail_0.jpg","/articles/6080417/Vermont/Legislation-would-create-working-group-to-standardize-firearm-surrender-process-stakeholders-press-to-add-FFLs","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6080417-5265147471cf2c1386abc880c1c2180a/orig.mp4?Expires=1775374003&Signature=Rp77h5Ac~l4UMlzNN0Pt3SxxKOpn7W4jsEbkpeYYv4tJ7~jIbseRJuiuhkMDlNzsZoB58kYnU6vWNB4ypj5kbBKW5QsV-cw4pIP7-1tb2ulSUHEME3mm~Ku-Y~GeQaCApWFQ0jxy3e6XpE19~8gEQwbvEm3FAqu5BBgT7djifDJgRsqvVOLdi~kuEkidGEWIGoIKzhfJaLrrN7WqLu26Tjt7rfqlqNXyV5xhCNxoEoNg4A6-lMNsQc8K2LkxE6z8I4SElquFvdZ8F~ByFEJmEWkQNtI1V7WbRW2aGqpju77BVOm54pTzmXOZpD91iNIRd7l2joGAYav6BjocfWOX8w__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","The Vermont Judiciary Committee on April 10 heard testimony supporting Section 25 of draft S.109, which would create a working group to recommend a uniform process for executing court-ordered firearm surrenders.

Committee Chair opened the discussion of Section 25 and invited testimony. Charlie Glisserman, policy director at the Vermont Network Against Domestic and Sexual Violence, told the committee the network is “generally supportive of the revised working group language.” He said the group should “recommend a uniform process for executing existing laws on firearm surrender orders” and endorsed adding a federal firearms licensee (FFL) to the working group for technical expertise.

The case for including FFLs was pressed by Chris Bradley, president and executive director of the Vermont Federation of Sportsmen’s Clubs. “We support s 1 0 9,” Bradley said. He told the committee that the problem is not only ensuring firearms are taken when ordered but also fixing the “back end” — how seized firearms are stored, tracked and returned. He described a case involving Green Mountain Sporting Goods, where 19 firearms were taken from an accused and transported in a patrol car to an FFL; the FFL later sold one firearm, triggering a consumer-protection lawsuit that left the FFL and the state defending actions taken under existing law. Bradley said that experience shows FFLs need indemnification and clearer procedures before more dealers will accept surrendered weapons.

Todd Dalles of the Attorney General’s Office said the Fatality Review Commission recommended a technical working group and urged the committee to include participants who can address both front-end relinquishment and back-end storage, liability and return. “This is really, our goal was to have a very technical working group that was gonna look at each step along the way of these relinquishment orders,” Dalles said. He proposed members including a superior court judge, the defender general, state’s attorneys, the Vermont State Police or local law enforcement, the Vermont Center for Crime Victim Services (in a consultative role), and an FFL with direct technical knowledge.

Committee members asked practical questions about how to identify FFLs and whether to make them voting working-group members or consultative witnesses. Bradley said the federation has compiled a list of about 10 storefront FFLs in Vermont and offered the federation’s help in identifying licensees; he also urged that the federation itself be named to the working group for its expertise. Several lawmakers said they would prefer naming an organization with a designee or permitting the federation to recommend an FFL while keeping other licensees available for wider consultation.

Witnesses and members repeatedly emphasized two goals: (1) ensure courts and law enforcement can obtain firearms reliably under relinquishment orders, and (2) ensure a predictable, secure and legally defensible process for storing and returning property so lawful owners are not improperly deprived and storage providers are not exposed to enforcement risk. Dalles underscored that FFLs are not the only storage option and suggested the working group examine alternative avenues in addition to FFL participation.

The discussion produced several specific drafting suggestions: add clearer language about the working group’s charge to address both front-end execution and the back-end storing/return process; specify that support entities “charged with storing surrendered firearms pursuant to court orders” be included; and, where appointing authority is unclear, allow entities to designate designees. Committee members said they will refine appointments language so the working group includes victims’ advocates, court representatives and one or more technical FFL participants either as members or named consultants.

With witnesses’ offers to convene additional FFLs and to help draft implementation steps, committee members signaled support to adjust Section 25’s membership language before the bill moves forward. The committee then moved on to other agenda items.

Ending: The record shows broad stakeholder support for creating a technical working group under Section 25 of draft S.109 and repeated calls from witnesses that at least one FFL — or a federation-appointed designee plus wider FFL consultation — be part of the group to address storage, liability and return procedures.","Witnesses at the Vermont Judiciary Committee hearing endorsed Section 25 of draft S.109 to create a technical working group on firearm-surrender orders and urged the committee to include or consult federal firearms licensees to solve storage, liability and return issues exposed by past cases.","actionData","errors"]

Article not found

Committee OKs draft H.230 change to treat many fish-and-wildlife offenses as civil minor violations

Victim-notification, VINE improvements and marriage-license fee repeal win support in S.109 testimony

Legislation would create working group to standardize firearm-surrender process; stakeholders press to add FFLs