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House advances bill expanding scope and membership of Domestic Violence Fatality Review Commission
Summary
The Vermont House amended and advanced House Bill 27 to let the Domestic Violence Fatality Review Commission examine near-fatal incidents, add members and direct appointing authorities to consider diversity; the amendment passed by voice vote and third reading was ordered.
Representative Rachelson of Burlington, reporting for the House Judiciary Committee, told the House that H.27 would expand the Vermont Domestic Violence Fatality Review Commission’s work to include near-fatal instances of domestic violence, add several new member positions and direct appointing authorities to consider diversity when making appointments.
The change to let the commission examine near-fatal incidents was described as central to improving prevention. Representative Rachelson said the commission “was created by statute in 2002” and that from 1994 to 2023 “there were 432 homicides in Vermont. 190, or 44%, of them were determined to be related to domestic violence.” She said examining near-fatal cases and, when possible, survivor interviews, can reveal actions and warning signs that fatalities reviews otherwise would miss.
The bill, as described on the floor, proposes adding a sheriff appointed by the Vermont Sheriffs Association, a restorative-justice practitioner appointed by the attorney general, the director of victim services for the state police (or designee), a state attorney victim advocate, and the director of victim services for the Department of Corrections (or designee). The committee amendment added the executive director of the Vermont Center for Crime Victim Services (or designee) and modified who appoints the state attorney victim advocate, changing that appointment to be made by the executive director of the State Attorneys and Sheriffs Association, as reflected in the committee’s printed amendment.
Representative Rachelson said the commission is required to report findings and recommendations to the governor, the General Assembly, the chief justice of the Vermont Supreme Court and the Vermont Council on Domestic Violence in January of the first year of the biennial session, and that past recommendations have led to legislative and system changes.
On the floor the House asked, “Shall the bill be amended as recommended by the Committee on Judiciary?” The ayes were called and the amendment was adopted by voice vote; the House then ordered third reading. The bill was reported to the chamber with written and in-person testimony from multiple stakeholders, including the commission’s members and the executive director of the Vermont Center for Crime Victim Services (written testimony).
