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Witnesses back H.418, a firearms-and-ammunition excise tax, to stabilize funding for survivors' services
Summary
At a Feb. 12 Ways & Means hearing, bill sponsors and victim-service advocates urged creating an excise tax on firearms and ammunition to provide a permanent revenue stream for the Domestic and Sexual Violence Special Fund, citing chronic annual deficits and models from California and Colorado.
Legislators and survivor-service advocates urged the House Ways & Means Committee on Feb. 12 to consider H.418, a bill that would impose an excise tax on firearms, parts and ammunition to finance Vermont's Domestic and Sexual Violence Special Fund.
Representative Angela R. Snow (for the sponsor'ing presentation) summarized the bill's intent: an excise tax (the bill text in committee materials proposed an 11% rate) levied at retail on firearms, parts and ammunition, payable at the point of sale by dealers and vendors. The stated objective is to create a predictable, ongoing revenue source for the Special Fund, which has experienced repeated annual deficits despite prior changes (including a 2017 surcharge and a later increase in the marriage-license fee) to shore up deposits.
Why it matters: Witnesses told the committee the Special Fund (established in statute at 13 VSA ' 5360) is a critical revenue source for 15 statewide…
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