Senate advances bill expanding youth substance awareness program, adds license suspensions and reporting requirements

H.105, a bill to expand Vermont's Youth Substance Awareness Safety program, was advanced by the Senate on May 20, 2025, after the Senate Judiciary Committee reported the bill with an amendment and the floor approved the committee's amendment and proposal to the House. The bill, as reported, adds certain impaired-driving and cannabis-possession violations to the civil diversion pathway that YSAS provides and creates procedures for automatic driver's-license suspensions tied to program noncompletion.

The Judiciary Committee report was delivered by Senator Hashim, Senator from Windham District. Hashim said the bill aims to streamline the judicial process so youth can access educational and rehabilitative services instead of or alongside criminal prosecution and to align impaired-driving and underage-substance violations with existing civil diversion treatment. "This bill focuses on the civil track," Hashim said on the floor, noting that the bill does not eliminate criminal prosecution where elements of a crime exist.

The bill adds impaired driving for persons at least 16 but under 21 with a blood-alcohol concentration of 0.02 or greater and certain cannabis-possession violations to the offenses handled through YSAS. Impaired-driving…