Vermont 2025 2025-2026 Regular Session

Vermont House Bill H0368 Introduced / Bill

Filed 02/25/2025

                    BILL AS INTRODUCED 	H.368 
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VT LEG #378846 v.1 
H.368 1 
Introduced by Representatives LaLonde of South Burlington, Harrison of 2 
Chittenden, Arsenault of Williston, and Black of Essex 3 
Referred to Committee on  4 
Date:  5 
Subject: Firearms; government buildings; possession prohibited  6 
Statement of purpose of bill as introduced:  This bill proposes to prohibit the 7 
possession of firearms in government buildings.  8 
An act relating to prohibiting possession of firearms in government 9 
buildings  10 
It is hereby enacted by the General Assembly of the State of Vermont:  11 
Sec. 1.  13 V.S.A. § 4028 is added to read  12 
§ 4028.  POSSESSION OF FIREARMS IN GOVERNMENT BUILDINGS 13 
              PROHIBITED  14 
(a)  A person shall not knowingly possess a firearm in a government 15 
building.  16 
(b)  A person who violates this section shall be imprisoned for not more 17 
than one year or fined not more than $1,000.00, or both. 18 
(c)  This section shall not apply to: 19  BILL AS INTRODUCED 	H.368 
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(1)  a firearm carried for legitimate law enforcement purposes by a 1 
federal law enforcement officer or a law enforcement officer certified as a law 2 
enforcement officer by the Vermont Criminal Justice Council pursuant to 20 3 
V.S.A. § 2358; or  4 
(2)  a firearm carried by a person while preforming the person’s official 5 
duties as an employee of the United States; a department or agency of the 6 
United States; a state; or a department, agency, or political subdivision of a 7 
state if the person is authorized to carry a firearm as part of the person’s 8 
official duties.  9 
(d)  Notice of the provisions of this section shall be posted conspicuously at 10 
each public entrance to each government building. 11 
(e) As used in this section: 12 
(1)  “Firearm” has the same meaning as in subsection 4017(d) of this 13 
title.  14 
(2)(A)  “Government building” means a building owned, leased, rented, 15 
or operated by the State, a political subdivision of the State, or a municipality. 16 
(B)  “Government building” does not include a building owned, 17 
leased, rented, or operated by a municipality, or a portion of such a building, if 18 
the legislative body of the municipality has by resolution or ordinance: 19 
(i)  designated the building or portion of the building as a location 20 
where firearms are permitted; or 21  BILL AS INTRODUCED 	H.368 
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(ii)  opted out of this section and designated that all buildings 1 
owned, leased, rented, or operated by the municipality are locations where 2 
firearms are permitted.    3 
Sec. 2.  EFFECTIVE DATE 4 
This act shall take effect on July 1, 2026. 5