# Vermont H.2: An act relating to increasing the minimum age for delinquency proceedings

Vermont H.2, An act relating to increasing the minimum age for delinquency proceedings, is a 2025-2026 Session House bill sponsored by Martin J LaLonde (Democratic); status signed, last action 2025-04-02 (House message: Governor approved bill on March 31, 2025) (as of 2026-11-01).

- Canonical: https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/VT-H2-2026
- As of: 2026-11-01
- Plain-text twin of the page above; the HTML and this file carry the same facts.

## Facts
- Bill: Vermont H.2
- State: Vermont
- Session: 2025-2026 Session
- Title: An act relating to increasing the minimum age for delinquency proceedings
- Status: signed
- Chamber: House
- Introduced: 2025-01-09
- Last action: 2025-04-02, House message: Governor approved bill on March 31, 2025
- Sponsor: Martin J LaLonde (Democratic)
- Cosponsors: 3
- Touches household money: no
- Roll calls: 1 (55 yes, 86 no in all)
- Economic provisions PRIA read: 3

## Summary

No summary available.

## Bill overview: provisions PRIA read

- Children under 12 avoid delinquency proceedings: benefit, medium. Beginning July 1, 2025, Vermont raises the minimum age for delinquency proceedings from 10 to 12. Children must be at least 12 when the alleged act happens. The law removes the exception for younger children accused of acts that would be murder if committed by an adult.
- More young adults enter family court: benefit, medium. Beginning July 1, 2027, covered cases generally start in Vermont's Family Division when the person was under 20 at the offense. Cases filed in other courts must move there when the person was under 20 and the offense is not excluded. Police must cite people over 16 and under 20 to the Family Divisi…
- Longer juvenile court oversight for older youths: cost, medium. Beginning July 1, 2025, juvenile court authority can last until six months after age 20 for offenses committed at 16 or 17. For offenses committed at 18, it can last until six months after age 21. Beginning July 1, 2027, authority can last until age 22 for offenses committed at 19. These limits app…

## Sponsors and cosponsors

- Sponsor: Martin J LaLonde (Democratic), House
- Cosponsor: Angela Arsenault (Democratic), House
- Cosponsor: Barbara Rachelson (Democratic), House
- Cosponsor: Karen N Dolan (Democratic), House

## Roll call votes

| Date | Chamber | Motion | Result | Yes | No | Other |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 2025-03-12 | House | Which was disagreed to on a Roll Call Failed -- Needed 71 of 141 to Pass -- Yeas = 55, Nays = 86 | fail | 55 | 86 | 1 |

## Actions (26)

- 2025-04-02: House message: Governor approved bill on March 31, 2025 (House)
- 2025-04-01: Signed by Governor on March 31, 2025 (House)
- 2025-03-27: Delivered to Governor on March 27, 2025 (House)
- 2025-03-26: Senate Message: Passed in concurrence (Senate)
- 2025-03-26: Rules suspended & messaged to House forthwith, on motion of Senator Baruth (Senate)
- 2025-03-26: Read 3rd time & passed in concurrence (Senate)
- 2025-03-26: Rules suspended & bill placed on all remaining stages of passage, on motion of Senator Baruth (Senate)
- 2025-03-26: Reported favorably by Senator Norris for Committee on Judiciary, read 2nd time and 3rd reading ordered (Senate)
- 2025-03-26: Favorable report by Committee on Judiciary (Senate)
- 2025-03-26: Second Reading (Senate)
- 2025-03-25: Entered on Notice Calendar (Senate)
- 2025-03-25: Favorable report by Committee on Judiciary (Senate)
- 2025-03-25: Second Reading (Senate)
- 2025-03-18: Read 1st time & referred to Committee on Judiciary (Senate)
- 2025-03-13: Read third time and passed (House)
- 2025-03-13: Action Calendar: Third Reading (House)
- 2025-03-12: Third Reading ordered (House)
- 2025-03-12: Report of Committee on Judiciary agreed to (House)
- 2025-03-12: Which was disagreed to on a Roll Call Failed -- Needed 71 of 141 to Pass -- Yeas = 55, Nays = 86 (House)
- 2025-03-12: Rep. Maguire of Rutland City demanded yeas and nays (House)
- 2025-03-12: Rep. Maguire of Rutland City moved to amend the report of the Committee on Judiciary (House)
- 2025-03-12: Rep. LaLonde of South Burlington reported for the Committee on Judiciary (House)
- 2025-03-12: Read second time (House)
- 2025-03-12: Action Calendar: Favorable with Amendment (House)
- 2025-03-11: Notice Calendar: Favorable with Amendment (House)
- 2025-01-09: Read first time and referred to the Committee on Judiciary (House)

## Bill text

- As Enacted (ACT 4)Opens in a new window, 2025-04-02: [PDF](https://legislature.vermont.gov/Documents/2026/Docs/ACTS/ACT004/ACT004%20As%20Enacted.pdf)
- As Passed by Both Chambers, 2025-03-27: [PDF](https://legislature.vermont.gov/Documents/2026/Docs/BILLS/H-0002/H-0002 As Passed by Both House and Senate Official.pdf)
- As Passed by Both Chambers (Unofficial), 2025-03-27: [PDF](https://legislature.vermont.gov/Documents/2026/Docs/BILLS/H-0002/H-0002 As Passed by Both House and Senate Unofficial.pdf)
- As Passed by the House, 2025-03-19: [PDF](https://legislature.vermont.gov/Documents/2026/Docs/BILLS/H-0002/H-0002 As passed by the House Official.pdf)
- As Passed by the House (Unofficial), 2025-03-19: [PDF](https://legislature.vermont.gov/Documents/2026/Docs/BILLS/H-0002/H-0002 As Passed by the House Unofficial.pdf)
- As Introduced, 2024-12-30: [PDF](https://legislature.vermont.gov/Documents/2026/Docs/BILLS/H-0002/H-0002 As Introduced.pdf)

## Related bills

- S.327: An act relating to economic development (signed)
- S.328: An act relating to housing and common interest communities (signed)
- S.323: An act relating to miscellaneous agricultural subjects (signed)
- S.326: An act relating to miscellaneous amendments to laws relating to motor vehicles (signed)
- S.313: An act relating to transforming Vermont’s career technical education system (signed)
- S.298: An act relating to voter protections (signed)

## Sources
- [As Enacted (ACT 4)Opens in a new window (PDF)](https://legislature.vermont.gov/Documents/2026/Docs/ACTS/ACT004/ACT004%20As%20Enacted.pdf)
- [As Passed by Both Chambers (PDF)](https://legislature.vermont.gov/Documents/2026/Docs/BILLS/H-0002/H-0002 As Passed by Both House and Senate Official.pdf)
- [As Passed by Both Chambers (Unofficial) (PDF)](https://legislature.vermont.gov/Documents/2026/Docs/BILLS/H-0002/H-0002 As Passed by Both House and Senate Unofficial.pdf)
- [As Passed by the House (PDF)](https://legislature.vermont.gov/Documents/2026/Docs/BILLS/H-0002/H-0002 As passed by the House Official.pdf)
- [As Passed by the House (Unofficial) (PDF)](https://legislature.vermont.gov/Documents/2026/Docs/BILLS/H-0002/H-0002 As Passed by the House Unofficial.pdf)
- [As Introduced (PDF)](https://legislature.vermont.gov/Documents/2026/Docs/BILLS/H-0002/H-0002 As Introduced.pdf)

## Related
- [S.327: An act relating to economic development](https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/VT-S327-2026)
- [S.328: An act relating to housing and common interest communities](https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/VT-S328-2026)
- [S.323: An act relating to miscellaneous agricultural subjects](https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/VT-S323-2026)
- [S.326: An act relating to miscellaneous amendments to laws relating to motor vehicles](https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/VT-S326-2026)
- [S.313: An act relating to transforming Vermont’s career technical education system](https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/VT-S313-2026)
- [S.298: An act relating to voter protections](https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/VT-S298-2026)
- [Vermont bills](https://policyrisk.com/states/vermont/bills)
- [Vermont state hub](https://policyrisk.com/states/vermont)
- [All state legislation](https://policyrisk.com/state-bills)

Source: PRIA, https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/VT-H2-2026 (as of 2026-11-01).