Senate judiciary committee backs expanding fatality review commission to include near-fatal incidents and new members

The Vermont Senate Judiciary Committee reported favorably on H.27, a bill that expands the Domestic Violence Fatality Review Commission to include near-fatal incidents and increases membership from 17 to 23 with additional representatives from restorative justice and victim services.

Senator Vihofsky, presenting the committee report, said the commission currently examines patterns and trends in domestic-violence fatalities to identify barriers to safety and to recommend policies and practices. H.27 adds near-fatal incidents so the commission can track and learn from cases where the outcome was close to fatal. "Sometimes the difference between a fatal instance and a near fatal instance is simply a slight circumstance," Vihofsky said, adding that underlying issues remain the same and should be tracked.

The bill directs appointing authorities to strive for diverse representation, including persons from different racial and ethnic backgrounds, persons with disabilities and people who identify as LGBTQ+. The committee recommended adding specific seats: a sheriff with domestic-violence experience (appointed by the Vermont Sheriffs Association), a restorative-justice practitioner from the Community Justice Center (appointed by the attorney general), the director of victim services for the Vermont State Police (or designee), the executive director of the Vermont Center for Crime Victim Services (or designee), a state's attorney's victim advocate (appointed by the Department of State's Attorneys and Sheriffs), and the director of victim services for the Department of Corrections (or designee).

Vihofsky said the committee discussed the commission's larger size but concluded the additional members were critical. The Judiciary Committee voted 5-0 in favor of the bill. On the floor the Senate ordered the bill to third reading by voice vote.