# Vermont H.44: An act relating to miscellaneous amendments to the laws governing impaired driving Vermont H.44, An act relating to miscellaneous amendments to the laws governing impaired driving, is a 2025-2026 Session House bill sponsored by Martin J LaLonde (Democratic); status signed, last action 2025-06-03 (House message: Governor approved bill on June 2, 2025) (as of 2026-11-01). - Canonical: https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/VT-H44-2026 - 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.44 - State: Vermont - Session: 2025-2026 Session - Title: An act relating to miscellaneous amendments to the laws governing impaired driving - Status: signed - Chamber: House - Introduced: 2025-01-21 - Last action: 2025-06-03, House message: Governor approved bill on June 2, 2025 - Sponsor: Martin J LaLonde (Democratic) - Cosponsors: 1 - Touches household money: no - Economic provisions PRIA read: 7 ## Summary No summary available. ## Bill overview: provisions PRIA read - Drivers gain limits on duplicate convictions: benefit, low. Beginning July 1, 2025, a person cannot receive more than one conviction under 23 V.S.A. § 1201(a) or (j) for the same incident. This protection covers only those two impaired-driving provisions. It does not limit convictions under other provisions. - Repeat drivers can receive shorter sentences: benefit, low. Beginning July 1, 2025, courts can make an exception to the five-year prison minimum for qualifying repeat impaired drivers. The exception applies when the current offense causes death or serious bodily injury and the person has at least two prior impaired-driving convictions. A court can impose le… - Drivers face suspension at alcohol limits: cost, medium. Beginning July 1, 2025, a test at the applicable alcohol limit—not just above it—can trigger civil license suspension. Limits include 0.08 for general driving, 0.02 for school bus operators, and 0.04 for commercial vehicle operators. In a suspension case, a qualifying test within two hours also cre… - Youth driving cases can require insurance proof: cost, medium. Beginning July 1, 2025, specified youth driving cases can lead to required proof of financial responsibility, such as insurance. The trigger is a court decision on the merits under 33 V.S.A. § 5229 for offenses listed in 23 V.S.A. § 801(a)(1). It replaces the prior delinquency-order trigger and inc… - Drivers face separate convictions per victim: cost, low. Beginning July 1, 2025, an impaired driver can receive a separate conviction for each person killed or seriously injured. This applies when a violation of Vermont’s impaired-driving law causes death or serious bodily injury to more than one person. - Drivers must follow blood collection warrants: cost, low. Beginning July 1, 2025, a person suspected of impaired driving must provide an evidentiary blood sample when a blood warrant issues. The warrant must be issued under Vermont’s impaired-driving testing law, 23 V.S.A. § 1202(f)(1). Knowingly hindering collection under that warrant can lead to a crimi… - More youth cases reach family court: mixed, low. Beginning July 1, 2025, Vermont’s Family Division handles covered juvenile and youthful-offender proceedings. Its authority over covered motor vehicle cases now extends beyond misdemeanors. Commercial license or learner’s permit holders remain outside this transfer when charged with traffic-control… ## Sponsors and cosponsors - Sponsor: Martin J LaLonde (Democratic), House - Cosponsor: Thomas B Burditt (Republican), House ## Actions (42) - 2025-06-03: House message: Governor approved bill on June 2, 2025 (House) - 2025-06-02: Signed by Governor on June 2, 2025 (House) - 2025-05-27: Delivered to Governor on May 27, 2025 (House) - 2025-05-23: House message: House concurred in Senate proposal of amendment (House) - 2025-05-22: Senate proposal of amendment concurred in (House) - 2025-05-22: Action Calendar: Senate Proposal of Amendment (House) - 2025-05-21: Action Calendar: Senate Proposal of Amendment (House) - 2025-05-20: Senate Message: Passed in concurrence with proposal of amendment (Senate) - 2025-05-16: Read 3rd time & passed in concurrence with proposal of amendment (Senate) - 2025-05-16: New Business/Third Reading (Senate) - 2025-05-15: 3rd reading ordered (Senate) - 2025-05-15: Proposal of amendment by Committee on Judiciary agreed to (Senate) - 2025-05-15: Reported favorably by Senator Norris for Committee on Appropriations (Senate) - 2025-05-15: Read 2nd time, reported favorably with proposal of amendment by Senator Norris for Committee on Judiciary (Senate) - 2025-05-15: Favorable report by Committee on Appropriations (Senate) - 2025-05-15: Favorable report with proposal of amendment by Committee on Judiciary (Senate) - 2025-05-15: Unfinished Business/Second Reading (Senate) - 2025-05-14: Favorable report by Committee on Appropriations (Senate) - 2025-05-14: Favorable report with proposal of amendment by Committee on Judiciary (Senate) - 2025-05-14: New Business/Second Reading (Senate) - 2025-05-13: Favorable report by Committee on Appropriations (Senate) - 2025-05-13: Favorable report with proposal of amendment by Committee on Judiciary (Senate) - 2025-05-13: Second Reading (Senate) - 2025-05-13: Entered on Notice Calendar (Senate) - 2025-05-07: Referred to Committee on Appropriations per Senate Rule 31 (Senate) - 2025-05-07: Favorable report with proposal of amendment by Committee on Judiciary (Senate) - 2025-05-07: Second Reading (Senate) - 2025-05-07: Entered on Notice Calendar (Senate) - 2025-02-25: Read 1st time & referred to Committee on Judiciary (Senate) - 2025-02-19: Read third time and passed (House) - 2025-02-19: Action Calendar: Third Reading (House) - 2025-02-18: Third Reading ordered (House) - 2025-02-18: Report of Committee on Judiciary, as amended, agreed to (House) - 2025-02-18: Report of Committee on Judiciary amended as recommended by Committee on Appropriations (House) - 2025-02-18: Rep. Squirrell of Underhill recommended for the Committee on Appropriations (House) - 2025-02-18: Rep. Goodnow of Brattleboro reported for the Committee on Judiciary (House) - 2025-02-18: Read second time (House) - 2025-02-18: Action Calendar: Favorable with Amendment (House) - 2025-02-14: Notice Calendar: Favorable with Amendment (House) - 2025-02-11: Referred to Committee on Appropriations per Rule 35(a) (House) - 2025-02-11: Notice Calendar: Favorable with Amendment (House) - 2025-01-21: Read first time and referred to the Committee on Judiciary (House) ## Bill text - As Enacted (ACT 41)Opens in a new window, 2025-06-04: [PDF](https://legislature.vermont.gov/Documents/2026/Docs/ACTS/ACT041/ACT041%20As%20Enacted.pdf) - As Passed by Both Chambers, 2025-05-27: [PDF](https://legislature.vermont.gov/Documents/2026/Docs/BILLS/H-0044/H-0044 As Passed by Both House and Senate Official.pdf) - As Passed by Both Chambers (Unofficial), 2025-05-27: [PDF](https://legislature.vermont.gov/Documents/2026/Docs/BILLS/H-0044/H-0044 As Passed by Both House and Senate Unofficial.pdf) - Senate Proposal of Amendment, 2025-05-20: [PDF](https://legislature.vermont.gov/Documents/2026/Docs/BILLS/H-0044/H-0044 Senate proposal of amendment Official.pdf) - Senate Proposal of Amendment (Unofficial), 2025-05-20: [PDF](https://legislature.vermont.gov/Documents/2026/Docs/BILLS/H-0044/H-0044 Senate Proposal of Amendment Unofficial.pdf) - As Passed by the House, 2025-03-11: [PDF](https://legislature.vermont.gov/Documents/2026/Docs/BILLS/H-0044/H-0044 As passed by the House Official.pdf) - As Passed by the House (Unofficial), 2025-03-11: [PDF](https://legislature.vermont.gov/Documents/2026/Docs/BILLS/H-0044/H-0044 As Passed by the House Unofficial.pdf) - As Introduced, 2025-01-17: [PDF](https://legislature.vermont.gov/Documents/2026/Docs/BILLS/H-0044/H-0044 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 41)Opens in a new window (PDF)](https://legislature.vermont.gov/Documents/2026/Docs/ACTS/ACT041/ACT041%20As%20Enacted.pdf) - [As Passed by Both Chambers (PDF)](https://legislature.vermont.gov/Documents/2026/Docs/BILLS/H-0044/H-0044 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-0044/H-0044 As Passed by Both House and Senate Unofficial.pdf) - [Senate Proposal of Amendment (PDF)](https://legislature.vermont.gov/Documents/2026/Docs/BILLS/H-0044/H-0044 Senate proposal of amendment Official.pdf) - [Senate Proposal of Amendment (Unofficial) (PDF)](https://legislature.vermont.gov/Documents/2026/Docs/BILLS/H-0044/H-0044 Senate Proposal of Amendment Unofficial.pdf) - [As Passed by the House (PDF)](https://legislature.vermont.gov/Documents/2026/Docs/BILLS/H-0044/H-0044 As passed by the House Official.pdf) - [As Passed by the House (Unofficial) (PDF)](https://legislature.vermont.gov/Documents/2026/Docs/BILLS/H-0044/H-0044 As Passed by the House Unofficial.pdf) - [As Introduced (PDF)](https://legislature.vermont.gov/Documents/2026/Docs/BILLS/H-0044/H-0044 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-H44-2026 (as of 2026-11-01).