Vermont 2025 2025-2026 Regular Session

Vermont House Bill H0002 Introduced / Bill

Filed 12/30/2024

                    BILL AS INTRODUCED 	H.2 
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VT LEG #378546 v.1 
H.2 1 
Introduced by Representatives LaLonde of South Burlington, Arsenault of 2 
Williston, Dolan of Essex Junction, and Rachelson of 3 
Burlington 4 
Referred to Committee on  5 
Date:  6 
Subject: Delinquency proceedings; minimum age  7 
Statement of purpose of bill as introduced:  This bill proposes to increase the 8 
minimum age at which a child may be subject to juvenile delinquency 9 
proceedings from 10 to 12.   10 
An act relating to increasing the minimum age for delinquency proceedings 11 
It is hereby enacted by the General Assembly of the State of Vermont:  12 
Sec. 1.  33 V.S.A. § 5102 is amended to read: 13 
§ 5102.  DEFINITIONS AND PROVISIONS OF GENERAL APPLICATION 14 
As used in the juvenile judicial proceedings chapters: 15 
* * * 16 
(2)  “Child” means any of the following: 17 
* * * 18 
(C)  An individual who has been alleged to have committed or has 19 
committed an act of delinquency after becoming 10 12 years of age and prior 20  BILL AS INTRODUCED 	H.2 
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VT LEG #378546 v.1 
to becoming 22 years of age, unless otherwise provided in chapter 52 or 52A 1 
of this title; provided, however: 2 
(i)  that an individual who is alleged to have committed an act 3 
before attaining 10 12 years of age that would be murder as defined in 4 
13 V.S.A. § 2301 if committed by an adult may be subject to delinquency 5 
proceedings; and 6 
(ii)  that an individual may be considered a child for the period of 7 
time the court retains jurisdiction under section 5104 of this title. 8 
* * * 9 
Sec. 2.  EFFECTIVE DATE 10 
This act shall take effect on passage. 11