Vermont H 221: An act relating to the Firearm Surrender Order Compliance Working Group

Bill Text

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H.221 1
Introduced by Representatives Arsenault of Williston, Christie of Hartford, 2
LaLonde of South Burlington, and Rachelson of Burlington 3
Referred to Committee on 4
Date: 5
Subject: Crimes and criminal procedure; domestic relations; abuse prevention 6
Statement of purpose of bill as introduced: This bill proposes to establish a 7
temporary working group to develop a uniform process to ensure compliance 8
with court orders to surrender firearms and report its recommendations to the 9
General Assembly. 10
An act relating to the Firearm Surrender Order Compliance Working Group 11
It is hereby enacted by the General Assembly of the State of Vermont: 12
Sec. 1. FIREARM SURRENDER ORDER COMPLIANCE WORKING 13
GROUP; REPORT 14
(a) Creation. There is created the Firearm Surrender Order Compliance 15
Working Group to develop a uniform process to ensure compliance with court 16
orders to surrender firearms. The Working Group shall study what statutory or 17
policy changes are needed to create a uniform process to monitor compliance, 18
support entities charged with storing surrendered firearms, and identify a stable 19

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and reliable funding source for any additional resources needed to monitor 1
compliance. 2
(b) Membership. The Working Group shall be composed of the following 3
members: 4
(1) the Commissioner of Public Safety or designee; 5
(2) a member of the Vermont State Police, appointed by the 6
Commissioner of Public Safety; 7
(3) the Commissioner of Corrections or designee; 8
(4) the Chief Superior Court Judge or designee; 9
(5) two family law practitioners, appointed by the Vermont Bar 10
Association; 11
(6) the Defender General or designee; 12
(7) one State’s Attorney or designee, appointed by the Department of 13
State’s Attorneys and Sheriffs; 14
(8) the Attorney General or designee; 15
(9) a member, appointed by the Vermont Network Against Domestic 16
and Sexual Violence; 17
(10) a member, appointed by the Vermont Council on Domestic 18
Violence; 19
(11) a member, appointed by the Vermont Center for Crime Victim 20
Services; 21

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(12) a Victim Advocate, appointed by the Department of State’s 1
Attorneys and Sheriffs; 2
(13) an advocate from a culturally specific advocacy organization that 3
works with domestic violence victims, appointed by the Network Against 4
Domestic and Sexual Violence; 5
(14) a member who is a federal firearms licensee, appointed by the State 6
Police representative overseeing the current firearms storage program for the 7
Department of Public Safety; 8
(15) a member, appointed by the Vermont Office of the Bureau of 9
Alcohol Tobacco and Firearms; 10
(16) a physician, appointed by the Vermont Medical Society; 11
(17) the Commissioner of Mental Health or designee; 12
(18) a sheriff, appointed by the Department of State’s Attorneys and 13
Sheriffs; and 14
(19) a police chief, appointed by the Vermont Association of Chiefs of 15
Police. 16
(c) Powers and duties. The Working Group shall: 17
(1) Define a workable statewide compliance model that ensures 18
accountability of respondents and defendants while addressing safety needs of 19
the plaintiffs and victims. 20

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(2) Determine how such a compliance model would work in both the 1
Family and Criminal Divisions of the Superior Courts. 2
(3) Determine what legislative changes are needed to support the model. 3
(4) Assess the necessary capacity and resources of the Judiciary, law 4
enforcement, and the Department of Corrections to create a model for 5
statewide accountability and compliance with firearm surrender orders. 6
(5) Consult with the Domestic Violence Firearms Technical Assistance 7
Project to determine what additional actions should be taken under existing law 8
to promote and ensure compliance with firearm surrender orders. 9
(6) Engage with federal firearms licensees to understand their role in 10
storing surrendered firearms. 11
(d) Assistance. The Working Group shall have the administrative, 12
technical, and legal assistance of the Office of the Attorney General. 13
(e) Report. On or before November 15, 2025, the Working Group shall 14
report its recommendations to the House and Senate Committees on Judiciary 15
and to the Joint Legislative Justice Oversight Committee. The report may take 16
the form of proposed legislation. 17
(f) Meetings. 18
(1) The Attorney General or designee shall call the first meeting of the 19
Working Group to occur on or before June 1, 2025. 20
(2) The Working Group shall meet not more than six times per year. 21

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(3) The Attorney General or designee shall serve as the Chair of the 1
Working Group. 2
(4) A majority of the membership shall constitute a quorum. 3
(5) The Working Group shall