The Vermont Statutes Online

Title 2: Legislature

Chapter 023: Joint Legislative Justice Oversight Committee

• § 801. Creation of Committee

  (a) There is created a Joint Legislative Justice Oversight Committee whose membership shall be appointed each biennial session of the General Assembly. The Committee shall exercise oversight over the Department of Corrections and work with and provide assistance to other legislative committees on matters related to juvenile justice and criminal justice policies.

  (b) The Committee shall be composed of 10 members: five members of the House of Representatives, who shall not all be from the same party, appointed by the Speaker of the House; and five members of the Senate, who shall not all be from the same party, appointed by the Committee on Committees. In addition to one member-at-large appointed from each chamber, one appointment shall be made from each of the House and Senate Committees on Appropriations and on Judiciary, the Senate Committees on Health and Welfare and on Institutions, and the House Committees on Corrections and Institutions and on Human Services.

  (c) The Committee shall elect a chair, vice chair, and clerk from among its members and shall adopt rules of procedure. The Chair shall rotate biennially between the House and the Senate members. The Committee shall keep minutes of its meetings and maintain a file thereof. A quorum shall consist of six members.

  (d) When the General Assembly is in session, the Committee shall meet at the call of the Chair. The Committee may meet six times during adjournment, and may meet more often subject to approval of the Speaker of the House and the President Pro Tempore of the Senate.

  (e) For attendance at a meeting when the General Assembly is not in session, members of the Committee shall be entitled to compensation for services and reimbursement of expenses as provided under subsection 23(a) of this title.

  (f) The professional and clerical services of the Joint Fiscal Office, the Office of Legislative Operations, and the Office of Legislative Counsel shall be available to the Committee. (Added 2005, No. 63, § 19; amended 2007, No. 64, § 5; 2007, No. 179 (Adj. Sess.), § 20; 2015, No. 58, § E.335.1; 2019, No. 144 (Adj. Sess.), § 15.)

• § 802. Duties

  (a) In addition to the general responsibilities set forth in subsection 801(a) of this title, the Committee shall:

  (1) review and make recommendations regarding the Department of Corrections’ strategic, operating, and capital plans;

  (2) review and make recommendations to the House and Senate Committees on Appropriations regarding departmental budget proposals;

  (3) provide general oversight on departmental policy development;

  (4) encourage improved communication between the Department and other relevant components of the administrative branch and the criminal justice system;

  (5) evaluate the statewide system of pretrial services, court diversion programs, community justice center services, and other relevant programs and services, and determine whether there is variation in policies, procedures, practices, and results among different areas of the State and the causes of any such variation;

  (6) make recommendations to the General Assembly regarding the creation of a consistent and cost-efficient statewide juvenile justice system and criminal justice system;

  (7) review and make recommendations to the General Assembly to ensure the juvenile justice and criminal justice statutes reflect principles of restorative justice; and

  (8) review and make recommendations to the General Assembly regarding the timeliness of judicial proceedings.

  (b) [Repealed.] (Added 2005, No. 63, § 19; amended 2013, No. 142 (Adj. Sess.), § 3; 2015, No. 58, § E.335.2.)