Vermont H 880: An act relating to Abenaki place names on State park signs

Bill Text

BILL AS INTRODUCED H.880
2026 Page 1 of 3

VT LEG #385423 v.1
H.880 1
Introduced by Representatives Cole of Hartford, Greer of Bennington, Boutin 2
of Barre City, Carris Duncan of Whitingham, Emmons of 3
Springfield, Holcombe of Norwich, Hooper of Burlington, 4
Kleppner of Burlington, LaMont of Morristown, McGill of 5
Bridport, Priestley of Bradford, and White of Bethel 6
Referred to Committee on 7
Date: 8
Subject: Human services; child welfare services; reporting abuse of children; 9
mandated reporters 10
Statement of purpose of bill as introduced: This bill proposes to repeal the 11
four-pronged exception that permits clergy not to report child abuse and 12
neglect when it is received in confidence while acting as a spiritual advisor. 13
Additionally, the bill proposes to repeal a related provision mandating the 14
reporting of information that falls outside of the exception even though the 15
information may have been learned in a manner that falls within the exception. 16
An act relating to repealing the exception for clergy to report child abuse 17
and neglect 18

BILL AS INTRODUCED H.880
2026 Page 2 of 3

VT LEG #385423 v.1
It is hereby enacted by the General Assembly of the State of Vermont: 1
Sec. 1. 33 V.S.A. § 4913 is amended to read: 2
§ 4913. REPORTING CHILD ABUSE AND NEGLECT; REMEDIAL 3
ACTION 4
* * * 5
(i) Except as provided in subsection (j) of this section, a A person may not 6
refuse to make a report required by this section on the grounds that making the 7
report would violate a privilege or disclose a confidential communication. 8
(j) A member of the clergy shall not be required to make a report under this 9
section if the report would be based upon information received in a 10
communication that is: 11
(1) made to a member of the clergy acting in his or her capacity as 12
spiritual advisor; 13
(2) intended by the parties to be confidential at the time the 14
communication is made; 15
(3) intended by the communicant to be an act of contrition or a matter of 16
conscience; and 17
(4) required to be confidential by religious law, doctrine, or tenet. 18
[Repealed.] 19
(k) When a member of the clergy receives information about abuse or 20
neglect of a child in a manner other than as described in subsection (j) of this 21

BILL AS INTRODUCED H.880
2026 Page 3 of 3

VT LEG #385423 v.1
section, he or she is required to report on the basis of that information even 1
though he or she may have also received a report of abuse or neglect about the 2
same person or incident in the manner described in subsection (j) of this 3
section. [Repealed.] 4
* * * 5
Sec. 2. EFFECTIVE DATE 6
This act shall take effect on July 1, 2026. 7