Vermont Senate advances and orders third readings for multiple bills, including measures on IDs and veterans' parking

The Vermont Senate convened on April 15, 2026, held devotional exercises, and proceeded through its calendar, introducing S 3 29 and advancing several House measures by voice vote.

Senator Beiruth introduced S 3 29, 'an act relating to criminal procedures involving firearms,' which received its first reading and was referred to the Senate Judiciary Committee. The chamber then heard multiple third readings and passed a string of House bills by voice vote; the presiding officer repeatedly recorded only the outcome ('Aye' / 'The ayes have it') and the transcript contains no roll-call tallies.

Among measures acted on, the Senate passed H 6 26 on third reading, described in the reading as an act addressing extortion, voyeurism and the disclosure of explicit images without consent. The Senate likewise passed H 7 44 and H 8 49 in concurrence; H 8 49 was described on the floor as creating a civil cause of action for deprivation of federal constitutional rights by government officials.

On H 5 49, which was placed on the calendar for second reading, Senator Punctett, reporting for the Committee on Institutions, said the bill expands eligibility so that people detained six months or longer can apply for a state-issued non-driver identification card and may also seek replacement operator's licenses and learner's permits. "What this bill does is it expands that to include replacement operator's licenses and replacement learner's permits," the senator said, and added that the committee recommended the bill (committee vote reported as "4 0 1").

Senator Chittenton, reporting for Senate Finance, said the Joint Fiscal Office estimated a minimal fiscal impact and that Finance supported the bill by a 7-0-0 vote; the Senate ordered H 5 49 read a third time by voice vote.

The chamber also considered H 9 17, 'an act relating to military affairs.' Senator White, reporting for Government Operations, outlined three primary components: correcting statutory references to the Adjutant General, creating a hiring preference and point-based examination preference for military spouses in certain state hiring processes, and providing free parking at public parking meters for vehicles displaying disabled veteran plates. "We are making it free to park if you're a disabled veteran and I think that's the least we could do to support that community," Senator White said. The committee voted 5-0-0, and section 44 of the bill sets an effective date of July 1, 2026. The Senate then ordered H 9 17 for third reading by voice vote.

A procedural motion from the senator from Windham relieved the Judiciary Committee of H 3 85 (an act related to course of debt) and committed the bill to Senate Finance; the motion carried by voice vote. The Senate concluded business by adopting an adjournment to 1:00 p.m. on April 16, 2026, and announcing committee meeting times.

Why it matters: The session advanced bills that affect criminal procedures, the ability of people detained for extended periods to access state identification documents, veterans' parking benefits and state hiring preferences for military spouses — each of which carries implementation steps that will be handled in committee or during subsequent readings. The transcript records committee recommendations and voice outcomes but does not record roll-call tallies, so individual senator positions on floor passage are not available in the transcript.

Reporting details and attributions in this account follow the Senate transcript: direct quotes and attributions are to named speakers as they appear in the record (Reverend Lee Allison Crawford, Senator Beiruth, Senator Punctett, Senator Chittenton, Senator White); other floor statements without explicit names were recorded as chamber proceedings and are summarized as such. The Senate adjourned until 1:00 p.m., April 16, 2026.