BILLASPASSEDBYTHEHOUSEANDSENATE H.118
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H.118
IntroducedbyRepresentativesArsenaultofWillistonandLaLondeofSouth
Burlington
ReferredtoCommitteeon
Date:
Subject:Crimesandcriminalprocedure;hate-motivatedcrimes
Statementofpurposeofbillasintroduced:Thisbillproposestoexpandthe
scopeofhate-motivatedcrimestoincludeunlawfulconductdirectedatagroup
ofparticularpersonsratherthanjustasingularvictim.
Anactrelatingtoexpandingthescopeofhate-motivatedcrimes
ItisherebyenactedbytheGeneralAssemblyoftheStateofVermont:
Sec.1.13V.S.A.§ 1455isamendedtoread:
§1455.HATE-MOTIVATEDCRIMES
(a)Apersonwhocommits,causestobecommitted,orattemptstocommit
anycrimeandwhoseconductismotivated,inwholeorinpart,bythevictim’s
anotherperson’soragroupofparticularpersons’actualorperceived
membershipinaprotectedcategoryshallbesubjecttothefollowingpenalties:
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(1)Ifthemaximumpenaltyfortheunderlyingcrimeisoneyearorless,
thepenaltyforaviolationofthissectionshallbeimprisonmentfornotmore
thantwoyearsorafineofnotmorethan$2,000.00,orboth.
(2)Ifthemaximumpenaltyfortheunderlyingcrimeismorethanone
yearbutlessthanfiveyears,thepenaltyforaviolationofthissectionshallbe
imprisonmentfornotmorethanfiveyearsorafineofnotmorethan
$10,000.00,orboth.
(3)Ifthemaximumpenaltyfortheunderlyingcrimeisfiveyearsor
more,thepenaltyfortheunderlyingcrimeshallapply;however,thecourt
shallconsiderthemotivationofthedefendantasafactorinsentencing.
(b)Thevictim’sAperson’soragroupofparticularpersons’actualor
perceivedmembershipinaprotectedcategoryorcategoriesneednotbethe
predominantreasonorthesolereasonforthedefendant’sconduct.
(c)Asusedinthissection,“protectedcategory”includesrace,color,
religion,nationalorigin,sex,ancestry,age,serviceintheU.S.ArmedForces
ortheNationalGuard,disabilityasdefinedby21V.S.A.§495d(5),sexual
orientation,genderidentity,andperceivedmembershipinanysuchgroup.
Sec.2.EFFECTIVEDATE
ThisactshalltakeeffectonJuly1,2025.
Sec.1.13V.S.A.§ 1455isamendedtoread:
§1455.HATE-MOTIVATEDCRIMES
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(a)Apersonwhocommits,causestobecommitted,orattemptstocommit
anycrimeandwhoseconductismotivated,inwholeorinpart,bythevictim’s
anotherperson’soragroupofpersons’actualorperceivedmembershipina
protectedcategoryshallbesubjecttothefollowingpenalties:
(1)Ifthemaximumpenaltyfortheunderlyingcrimeisoneyearorless,
thepenaltyforaviolationofthissectionshallbeimprisonmentfornotmore
thantwoyearsorafineofnotmorethan$2,000.00,orboth.
(2)Ifthemaximumpenaltyfortheunderlyingcrimeismorethanone
yearbutlessthanfiveyears,thepenaltyforaviolationofthissectionshallbe
imprisonmentfornotmorethanfiveyearsorafineofnotmorethan
$10,000.00,orboth.
(3)Ifthemaximumpenaltyfortheunderlyingcrimeisfiveyearsor
more,thepenaltyfortheunderlyingcrimeshallapply;however,thecourtshall
considerthemotivationofthedefendantasafactorinsentencing.
(b)Thevictim’sAperson’soragroupofpersons’actualorperceived
membershipinaprotectedcategoryorcategoriesneednotbethepredominant
reasonorthesolereasonforthedefendant’sconduct.
(c)Asusedinthissection,“protectedcategory”includesrace,color,
religion,nationalorigin,sex,ancestry,age,serviceintheU.S.ArmedForces
ortheNationalGuard,disabilityasdefinedby21V.S.A.§495d(5),sexual
orientation,genderidentity,andperceivedmembershipinanysuchgroup. BILLASPASSEDBYTHEHOUSEANDSENATE H.118
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Sec.2.EFFECTIVEDATE
ThisactshalltakeeffectonJuly1,2025.