BILL AS INTRODUCED H.395
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VT LEG #381118 v.1
H.395 1
Introduced by Representative Greer of Bennington 2
Referred to Committee on 3
Date: 4
Subject: Municipal and county government; police; Municipal Law 5
Enforcement Assistance Program 6
Statement of purpose of bill as introduced: This bill proposes to create the 7
Municipal Law Enforcement Assistance Program. This bill proposes to 8
authorize municipalities to vote to adopt a local penalty surcharge on civil 9
penalties collected by the Judicial Bureau for violations or offenses that 10
occurred within the municipality. This bill also proposes to require the Judicial 11
Bureau to administer the Program, collect the local penalty surcharge, and 12
remit the monies to the municipality for which the penalty was collected. This 13
bill further proposes to require any municipality that receives monies from the 14
Program to use those monies exclusively for establishing, supporting, 15
maintaining, or improving law enforcement services within the municipality. 16
An act relating to creating the Municipal Law Enforcement Assistance 17
Program 18 BILL AS INTRODUCED H.395
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VT LEG #381118 v.1
It is hereby enacted by the General Assembly of the State of Vermont: 1
Sec. 1. 24 V.S.A. § 1944 is added to read: 2
§ 1944. MUNICIPAL LAW ENFORCEMENT ASSISTANCE PROGRAM 3
(a) There is created the Municipal Law Enforcement Assistance Program to 4
provide funding to municipalities for the purpose of establishing, maintaining, 5
or improving law enforcement presence and operations within a municipality. 6
The Program and funds within the Program shall be managed by the Judicial 7
Bureau. 8
(b) If the legislative body of a municipality by a majority vote 9
recommends, the voters of a municipality may, at an annual or special meeting 10
warned for that purpose, by a majority vote, assess a local penalty surcharge of 11
$75.00 pursuant to this section. A local penalty surcharge shall only be applied 12
to civil money penalties assessed by the Judicial Bureau for any of the matters 13
under its jurisdiction pursuant to 4 V.S.A. § 1102. A local penalty surcharge 14
shall only be applied to civil penalties for violations or offenses committed 15
within a municipality that has voted to establish a local penalty surcharge. 16
(c) Within 10 days after an affirmative vote to assess a local penalty 17
surcharge, the clerk of a municipality shall notify the Judicial Bureau of the 18
results of the vote and provide a certified copy of the results of the vote. The 19
local option surcharge shall be effective beginning on the next fiscal year 20 BILL AS INTRODUCED H.395
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VT LEG #381118 v.1
quarter following 90 days’ notice to the Judicial Bureau pursuant to this 1
subsection. 2
(d)(1) Any local penalty surcharge imposed under the authority of this 3
section shall be collected and administered by the Judicial Bureau. The 4
Judicial Bureau may retain not more than $5.00 of the local penalty surcharge 5
to compensate the Judicial Bureau for the costs of administering and collecting 6
the local penalty surcharge. The fee shall be subject to the provisions of 7
32 V.S.A. § 605. 8
(2) Notwithstanding any other law or municipal charter to the contrary, 9
if the Judicial Bureau determines that a local penalty surcharge was assessed 10
for a violation or offense in a municipal corporation that has not authorized a 11
local penalty surcharge under this section, the Judicial Bureau shall refund the 12
surcharge to the payor of the surcharge. 13
(e) The monies collected by the Judicial Bureau pursuant to this section 14
shall be remitted on a quarterly basis to the municipality for which the 15
surcharge was collected. 16
(f) A municipality shall use the monies received pursuant to this section 17
exclusively to establish, support, maintain, or improve law enforcement 18
services and operations within the municipality. 19
(g) As used in this section, “municipality” means a city or town. 20 BILL AS INTRODUCED H.395
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VT LEG #381118 v.1
Sec. 2. EFFECTIVE DATE 1
This act shall take effect on July 1, 2025. 2