House Committee on Judiciary

AGENDA

Room 30

February 23, 2021 - February 26, 2021

Last Updated 5/20/2021 2:08 PM

Meetings will be livestreamed here unless otherwise noted

Tuesday, February 23, 2021

10:00 AM                   House Floor

After House Floor                   Caucuses and Lunch

1:15 PM                   H. 199 - An act relating to validating legal instruments used in connection with the conveyance of real estate

Committee discussion and possible vote

-                                   H. 133 - An act relating to emergency relief from abuse orders and relinquishment of firearms

Committee discussion

Erik FitzPatrick, Legislative Counsel, Office of Legislative Counsel

-                                   H. 195 - An act relating to use of facial recognition technology by law enforcement in cases involving sexual exploitation of children, sexual assault, homicide, or kidnapping

Testimony, committee discussion and possible vote

Michele Childs, Legislative Counsel, Office of Legislative Counsel

Matthew Raymond, Director, Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force

David Scherr, Assistant Attorney General, Vermont Attorney General's Office

Falko Schilling, Advocacy Director, ACLU of Vermont

Marshall Pahl, Appellate and Juvenile Defender, Defender General's Office

2:15 PM                   Break

2:30 PM                   H. 195 - An act relating to use of facial recognition technology by law enforcement in cases involving sexual exploitation of children, sexual assault, homicide, or kidnapping

Continued testimony

3:00 PM                   H. 87 - An act relating to establishing a classification system for criminal offenses

Rebecca Turner, Vice Chair, Sentencing Commission

Judge Thomas Zonay, Chair, Sentencing Commission

3:45 PM                   Adjourn

Wednesday, February 24, 2021

9:00 AM                   Request for review from House Committee Corrections and Institutions

Sexual exploitation of an inmate, possible amendment to 13 VSA 3257

Brynn Hare, Legislative Counsel, Office of Legislative Counsel

9:30 AM                   H. 145 - An act relating to amending the standards for law enforcement use of force

Testimony, committee discussion and possible vote

Brynn Hare, Legislative Counsel, Office of Legislative Counsel

Zachary Hozid, Staff Attorney, Disability Rights Vermont

Shawn Burke, Chief, South Burlington Police Department, Vermont Association of Chiefs of Police

Falko Schilling, Advocacy Director, ACLU of Vermont

Wilda White, Founder, MadFreedom

Ingrid Jonas, Major, Vermont State Police

Brian Peete, Chief of Police, Montpelier, Vermont Police Association

Robert Appel, Retired Director of the Human Rights Commission and Defender General, Attorney

Tracy Shriver, State's Attorney, Windham County State's Attorneys

James Pepper, Deputy State's Attorney, Department of State's Attorneys & Sheriffs

10:00 AM                   Break

10:15 AM                   H. 145 - An act relating to amending the standards for law enforcement use of force

Continued testimony from witnesses

11:45 AM                   Lunch

1:15 PM                   House Floor

15 Minutes after Floor                   H. 128 - An act relating to limiting criminal defenses based on victim identity

Review of proposed amendment, committee discussion and possible vote

Brynn Hare, Legislative Counsel, Office of Legislative Counsel

Rep. Mari Cordes, Sponsor

Rep. Taylor Small, Co-sponsor

Bor Yang, Executive Director, Vermont Human Rights Commission

Jessica Barquist, Director of Policy and Organizing, Vermont Network Against Domestic & Sexual Violence

Brenda Churchill, State House Liaison, LGBTQIA Alliance of Vermont

Anne Moyerbrailean, Interim Director, Pride Center of Vermont

James Pepper, Deputy State's Attorney, Department of State's Attorneys & Sheriffs

David Scherr, Assistant Attorney General, Vermont Attorney General's Office

Rebecca Turner, Head of Appellate Division, Office of the Defender General

3:45 PM                   Adjourn

Thursday, February 25, 2021

9:00 AM                   H. 128 - An act relating to limiting criminal defenses based on victim identity

Committee discussion and possible vote

-                                   H. 198 - An act relating to limiting the circumstances under which an asset is subject to judicial forfeiture

Rep. Barbara Rachelson, Sponsor

Rep. Felisha Leffler, Enosburg

10:00 AM                   Break

10:15 AM                   Automated Traffic Law Enforcement

H.433 Sec.13- 16 - automated traffic law enforcement system in work zones pilot

Anthea Dexter-Cooper, Legislative Counsel, Office of Legislative Counsel

Rep. Brian K. Savage, Liaison, House Committee on Transportation

Josh Schultz, Operations and Safety Bureau Director, Agency of Transportation

Ann Gammell, Highway Division Deputy Director and Chief Engineer, Agency of Transportation

Tony Facos, Director of Enforcement & Safety, Department of Motor Vehicles

Lieutenant Tara Thomas, Special Operations Executive Officer, Vermont State Police

11:30 AM                   Lunch

1:15 PM                   House  Floor

2:00 PM                   Results of the Votes for Sergeant at Arms, Adjutant and Inspector General, Trustees of the UVM and State Agricultural College

Joint Assembly

15 Minutes after Joint Assembly                   H. 428 - An act relating to hate-motivated crimes and misconduct

Xusana Davis, Executive Director of Racial Equity and Chair of the Governor's Task Force on Racial Equality, Agency of Administration

Rebecca Turner, Head of Appellate Division, Office of Defender General

James Pepper, Deputy State's Attorney, Department of State's Attorneys & Sheriffs

Amanda Graces, Director of Policy, Education and Outreach, Vermont Human Rights Commission

3:15 PM                   Request for Review from House Committee Corrections and Institutions

Sexual exploitation of an inmate, possible amendment to 13 VSA 3257

Sarah Robinson, MSW, Deputy Director, Vermont Network Against Domestic & Sexual Violence

A.J. Ruben, Supervising Attorney, Disability Rights Vermont

Ashley Messier, Executive Director, Women's Justice and Freedom Initiative

Matthew Valerio, Defender General, Vermont Defender General's Office

4:15 PM                   Adjourn

Friday, February 26, 2021

9:30 AM                   House  Floor

15 Minutes after Floor                   H. 195 - An act relating to use of facial recognition technology by law enforcement in cases involving sexual exploitation of children, sexual assault, homicide, or kidnapping

Committee discussion and possible vote

-                                   H. 183 - An act relating to sexual violence

Testimony, committee discussion, and possible vote

Michele Childs, Legislative Counsel, Office of Legislative Counsel

Rory Thibault, State's Attorney, Washington County

David Scherr, Assistant Attorney General, Vermont Attorney General's Office

Sarah Robinson, MSW, Deputy Director, Vermont Network Against Domestic & Sexual Violence

Rep. Sarah Copeland Hanzas, Sponsor

Rebecca Turner, Supervising Attorney, Appellate Division, Office of the Defender General

11:45 AM                   Lunch

1:15 PM                   H. 195 - An act relating to use of facial recognition technology by law enforcement in cases involving sexual exploitation of children, sexual assault, homicide, or kidnapping

Committee discussion and possible vote

Falko Schilling, Advocacy Director, ACLU of Vermont

David Scherr, Assistant Attorney General, Vermont Attorney General's Office

-                                   H. 128 - An act relating to limiting criminal defenses based on victim identity

Committee discussion and possible vote

-                                   H. 145 - An act relating to amending the standards for law enforcement use of force

Committee discussion and possible vote

Brynn Hare, Legislative Counsel, Office of Legislative Counsel

Falko Schilling, Advocacy Director, ACLU of Vermont

Wilda White, Founder, MadFreedom

Michael Schirling, Commissioner, Department of Public Safety

2:30 PM                   Adjourn

ATTENTION WITNESSES

Please email handouts to the committee assistant at least 24 hours before your scheduled meeting time. With few exceptions, any documents you send to a committee assistant, are open to the public and may be posted to the committee’s web page.

If you have any questions or comments, please contact

 Evan O'Connor at eoconnor@leg.state.vt.us