Act No. 161 Page 1 of 1
2024
This act summary is provided for the convenience of the public and members of the General Assembly. It
is intended to provide a general summary of the act and may not be exhaustive. It has been prepared by the
staff of the Office of Legislative Counsel without input from members of the General Assembly. It is not
intended to aid in the interpretation of legislation or to serve as a source of legislative intent.
Act No. 161 (H.878). An act relating to miscellaneous judiciary procedures
Subjects: Criminal procedure; court procedure; miscellaneous amendments
This act makes a number of changes to court and Judiciary procedures, including
establishing the requirements for Judiciary-employed Court Security Officers; providing
that sexual assault survivor’s rights include the right to be informed of the status and
location of the sexual assault evidence collection kit; repealing the Vermont statutes
related to capital punishment, which have been unconstitutional and unenforceable since
1972; permitting doctoral-level psychologists with training in forensic psychology to
conduct the initial examination of a criminal defendant’s competency to stand trial, and
allowing the psychiatrist or psychologist to testify remotely in such proceedings;
increasing the amount of the surcharge for criminal and civil violations that is paid to the
Victim’s Compensation Special Fund and the Domestic and Sexual Violence Special
Fund; requiring a power of attorney to be accepted so long as it is properly executed,
whether or not the statutory form is used, and making several technical revisions to the
forms; clarifying that a witness is not necessary for the execution of a power of attorney;
updating archaic language to make clear that a divorcing spouse rather than the court has
the authority to decide whether to resume the spouse’s prior name following a divorce;
making the penalty structure for using false identification to purchase tobacco products
the same as the structure when a person uses false identification to purchase alcohol;
repealing outdated Vermont statutes governing the transfer of Congregational Church
property in Vermont and authorizing congregational churches to transfer property in the
same manner as other religious corporations; clarifying that annually a new allocation of
not less than $900,000 must be made from the Justice Reinvestment II line item of the
Department of Corrections’ budget to support justice reinvestment initiatives for the next
fiscal year; repealing the sunset on the use of gun suppressors while hunting; regulating
the flying of a drone over private property without permission from the property owner;
providing that, after a property transfer tax is paid on an enhanced life estate deed, a
request for return of the tax may be made at any time if the deed is subsequently revoked
or modified; specifying that digitally created images may be prosecuted under the
“Revenge Pornography” statute when they are disclosed without the consent of the
person whose image has been altered; removing nonpayment of child support as grounds
for termination of parental rights; prohibiting placing a camera or other surveillance
device on private property with the intent to conduct surveillance on the person or the
property unless prior written consent is obtained from the property owner; and making
the penalties for trafficking crack cocaine the same as those for trafficking powdered
cocaine.
Effective Date: June 6, 2024
VT LEG #377641 v.2


Statutes affected:
As Introduced: 4-355, 4-1102, 12-1913(b), 12-1913, 12-3087, 13-3281, 13-3401, 13-4056, 13-4814, 13-4816, 13-7282(c), 13-7282, 13-7554c(e)(3), 13-7554c, 13-7554c(e), 14-4020, 14-4047, 14-4051, 14-4052, 27-305, 27-657, 15-293, 15-294, 15-295, 15-780(7), 15-780, 15-558, 15-788, 23-203, 27-349, 27-378, 27-1302, 27-1470(a), 27-1470, 27-1531(b), 27-1531, 27-1533(b), 27-1533, 27-1552(c), 27-1552, 27-1595(a), 27-1595, 28-126, 28-102
As Passed By the House -- Official: 4-355, 4-1102, 12-1913(b), 12-1913, 12-3087, 13-3281, 13-3401, 13-4056, 13-4814, 13-4816, 13-7282(c), 13-7282, 13-7554c(e)(3), 13-7554c, 13-7554c(e), 14-4020, 14-4047, 14-4051, 14-4052, 27-305, 27-657, 15-293, 15-294, 15-295, 15-780(7), 15-780, 15-558, 15-788, 23-203, 27-349, 27-378, 27-1302, 27-1470(a), 27-1470, 27-1531(b), 27-1531, 27-1533(b), 27-1533, 27-1552(c), 27-1552, 27-1595(a), 27-1595, 28-126, 28-102
As Passed By the House -- Unofficial: 4-355, 4-1102, 12-1913(b), 12-1913, 12-3087, 13-3281, 13-3401, 13-4056, 13-4814, 13-4816, 13-7282(c), 13-7282, 13-7554c(e)(3), 13-7554c, 13-7554c(e), 14-4020, 14-4047, 14-4051, 14-4052, 27-305, 27-657, 15-293, 15-294, 15-295, 15-780(7), 15-780, 15-558, 15-788, 23-203, 27-349, 27-378, 27-1302, 27-1470(a), 27-1470, 27-1531(b), 27-1531, 27-1533(b), 27-1533, 27-1552(c), 27-1552, 27-1595(a), 27-1595, 28-126, 28-102
As Passed by Both House and Senate -- Official: 4-355, 4-1102, 12-1913(b), 12-1913, 12-3087, 13-3281, 13-3401, 13-4056, 13-4814, 13-4816, 13-7282(c), 13-7282, 13-7554c(e)(3), 13-7554c, 13-7554c(e), 14-4020, 14-4047, 14-4051, 14-4052, 27-305, 27-657, 15-293, 15-294, 15-295, 15-780(7), 15-780, 15-558, 15-788, 23-203, 27-349, 27-378, 27-1302, 27-1470(a), 27-1470, 27-1531(b), 27-1531, 27-1533(b), 27-1533, 27-1552(c), 27-1552, 27-1595(a), 27-1595, 28-126, 28-102, 32-9617, 13-2606, 18-4201, 18-4231
As Passed by Both House and Senate -- Unofficial: 4-355, 4-1102, 12-1913(b), 12-1913, 12-3087, 13-3281, 13-3401, 13-4056, 13-4814, 13-4816, 13-7282, 13-7554c(e)(3), 13-7554c, 13-7554c(e), 14-4020, 14-4047, 14-4051, 14-4052, 27-305, 27-657, 15-558, 15-788, 23-203, 27-349, 27-378, 27-1302, 27-1470(a), 27-1470, 27-1531(b), 27-1531, 27-1533(b), 27-1533, 27-1552(c), 27-1552, 27-1595(a), 27-1595, 28-126, 28-102, 32-9617, 13-2606, 18-4201, 18-4231
As Enacted: 4-355, 4-1102, 12-1913(b), 12-1913, 12-3087, 13-3281, 13-3401, 13-4056, 13-4814, 13-4816, 13-7282, 13-7554c(e)(3), 13-7554c, 13-7554c(e), 14-4020, 14-4047, 14-4051, 14-4052, 27-305, 27-657, 15-558, 15-788, 23-203, 27-349, 27-378, 27-1302, 27-1470(a), 27-1470, 27-1531(b), 27-1531, 27-1533(b), 27-1533, 27-1552(c), 27-1552, 27-1595(a), 27-1595, 28-126, 28-102, 32-9617, 13-2606, 18-4201, 18-4231