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Senate advances bill to expand civil relief for coercive control, orders third reading
Summary
The Senate adopted the Judiciary Committee report on H.27 (coercive controlling behavior) to expand civil relief from abuse definitions to include coercive control, with committee language modeled on Connecticut and Maine; concerns about vagueness and parental‑caregiving exceptions were raised and will be clarified before third reading.
The Senate took up H.27, titled 'an act relating to coercive controlling behavior and abuse prevention orders.' The Judiciary Committee presented a strike‑all amendment that expands the civil statute's definition of abuse to include coercive or controlling behavior for purposes of relief from abuse (civil) orders. Committee reporters said the text was modeled on Connecticut and Maine law and refined to avoid overbreadth.
Committee members and senators debated potential vagueness—asking whether ordinary caregiving actions or parental discipline could be swept in by the new definitions—and cited relevant U.S. and Vermont Supreme Court precedents that guide limits on state intervention in family matters. Committee reporters acknowledged the concerns, noted a Scribner’s error in the calendar language that will be corrected, and said they will consult counsel and the Attorney General’s office before third reading.
The Senate adopted the committee report and ordered the bill read a third time.
What’s next: Technical corrections and counsel clarifications are expected before third reading and final passage.
