House committee-backed retail-theft bill would aggregate shoplifting and create community restitution program; felony threshold and decades‑long sentence limits

Rep. Knott, speaking for the House Judiciary Committee, described H 534 as a two‑part response to repeat retail theft: allow retailers and prosecutors to aggregate multiple incidents occurring in a single county over a 14‑day period so that the total value can exceed the $900 felony threshold, and direct the Department of Corrections to establish a community restitution program as an alternative to fines and incarceration.

"What the bill does in its first part would create circumstances where retail theft that occurs over a 14 day period could be combined into a single offense," the member from Rutland City said, adding that the aggregated offenses must occur within a single county and that the measure carries a sunset date of July 1, 2027.

The bill’s second component would ask DOC to create a community restitution program that the committee and witnesses characterized as broader than the old "work crew" model. The program would include community service, classes, substance‑use disorder treatment, and other restorative activities; Judiciary said DOC believes it can administer the program using existing offices and resources and without additional staff costs.

Supporters argued the bill gives courts a more meaningful initial docket and tools to hold repeat offenders to account. "It would combine smaller charges into one more serious charge with more serious consequences potentially, and it would mean someone at an initial court appearance have more to answer for than just a single light charge," the sponsor said.

Opponents press…