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Senate Institutions hears GLAD testimony on H.550 to codify PREA protections for transgender inmates
Summary
GLAD attorneys told the Senate Institutions Committee that H.550 would codify PREA‑style individualized housing assessments and related protections for transgender incarcerated people, arguing state statute is needed if federal PREA protections are rolled back; DOC said the bill intends to guard against personal bias.
Sen. Wendy Harrison, chair of the Senate Institutions Committee, convened the committee on May 6, 2026, to hear testimony on H.550, a bill described by advocates as a statutory codification of Prison Rape Elimination Act (PREA) standards and related procedures to protect transgender people in Vermont correctional facilities.
Michael Haley, a staff attorney with GLBTQ Legal Advocates and Defenders (GLAD), summarized why the bill would matter at the state level. "All of the available data consistently shows that transgender people are at significantly higher risk of sexual victimization in prisons," Haley said, citing a one‑year estimate that placed the risk for the general incarcerated population at about 4 percent and at around 40 percent for transgender people. He said H.550 largely reflects existing PREA requirements and would put those protections into statute.
Sarah Austin, also a staff…
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