| 1 | 1 | | BILL AS INTRODUCED H.380 |
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| 2 | 2 | | 2025 Page 1 of 3 |
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| 4 | 4 | | |
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| 5 | 5 | | VT LEG #381143 v.1 |
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| 6 | 6 | | H.380 1 |
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| 7 | 7 | | Introduced by Representatives Noyes of Wolcott and Yacovone of Morristown 2 |
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| 8 | 8 | | Referred to Committee on 3 |
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| 9 | 9 | | Date: 4 |
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| 10 | 10 | | Subject: Crimes; criminal procedure; conditions of release; violations 5 |
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| 11 | 11 | | Statement of purpose of bill as introduced: This bill proposes to enhance the 6 |
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| 12 | 12 | | penalty for a violation of conditions of release to a felony and to fully staff the 7 |
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| 13 | 13 | | Department of Corrections’ pretrial supervision program. 8 |
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| 14 | 14 | | An act relating to creating a felony penalty for a violation of conditions of 9 |
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| 15 | 15 | | release and to staff the pretrial supervision program 10 |
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| 16 | 16 | | It is hereby enacted by the General Assembly of the State of Vermont: 11 |
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| 17 | 17 | | Sec. 1. 13 V.S.A. § 7559 is amended to read: 12 |
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| 18 | 18 | | § 7559. VIOLATIONS OF CONDITIONS OF RELEASE; FAILURE TO 13 |
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| 19 | 19 | | APPEAR; WARRANTLESS ARREST 14 |
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| 20 | 20 | | (a) The State’s Attorney may commence a prosecution for criminal 15 |
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| 21 | 21 | | contempt under Rule 42 of the Vermont Rules of Criminal Procedure against a 16 |
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| 22 | 22 | | person who violates a condition of release imposed under section 7554 of this 17 |
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| 23 | 23 | | title. The maximum penalty that may be imposed under this section shall be a 18 |
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| 24 | 24 | | fine of $1,000.00 or imprisonment for six months not more than three years, or 19 |
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| 25 | 25 | | both. 20 BILL AS INTRODUCED H.380 |
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| 26 | 26 | | 2025 Page 2 of 3 |
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| 28 | 28 | | |
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| 29 | 29 | | VT LEG #381143 v.1 |
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| 30 | 30 | | * * * 1 |
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| 31 | 31 | | (c) A person who has been released pursuant to section 7554 of this title 2 |
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| 32 | 32 | | with or without bail on condition that the person appear at a specified time and 3 |
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| 33 | 33 | | place in connection with a prosecution for an offense and who without just 4 |
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| 34 | 34 | | cause fails to appear shall be imprisoned not more than two three years or fined 5 |
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| 35 | 35 | | not more than $5,000.00, or both. 6 |
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| 36 | 36 | | * * * 7 |
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| 37 | 37 | | Sec. 2. DEPARTMENT OF CORRECTIONS; POSITIONS; 8 |
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| 38 | 38 | | APPROPRIATION 9 |
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| 39 | 39 | | (a) To the extent funds are available, 12 new, permanent, classified Pretrial 10 |
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| 40 | 40 | | Supervision Officers are created in fiscal year 2026 within the Department of 11 |
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| 41 | 41 | | Corrections. In addition to any other duties deemed appropriate by the 12 |
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| 42 | 42 | | Commissioner of Corrections, the Pretrial Supervision Officers shall supervise 13 |
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| 43 | 43 | | Pretrial Supervision Program participants in accordance with 13 V.S.A. 14 |
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| 44 | 44 | | § 7555. 15 |
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| 45 | 45 | | (b) To the extent funds are available, two new, permanent, classified 16 |
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| 46 | 46 | | administrative support positions are created in fiscal year 2026 within the 17 |
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| 47 | 47 | | Department of Corrections. In addition to any other duties deemed appropriate 18 |
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| 48 | 48 | | by the Commissioner of Corrections, the administrative support positions shall 19 |
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| 49 | 49 | | assist in the administration and operation of the Pretrial Supervision Program 20 |
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| 50 | 50 | | in accordance with 13 V.S.A. § 7555. 21 BILL AS INTRODUCED H.380 |
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| 51 | 51 | | 2025 Page 3 of 3 |
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| 53 | 53 | | |
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| 54 | 54 | | VT LEG #381143 v.1 |
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| 55 | 55 | | Sec. 3. EFFECTIVE DATE 1 |
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| 56 | 56 | | This act shall take effect on July 1, 2025. 2 |
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