H 457 Vermont House · 2025-2026 Regular Session

An act relating to justifiable homicide

H 457 would change Vermont's justifiable homicide law by removing the requirement for people to retreat before using deadly force in their home or vehicle. It allows individuals to use deadly force without retreating if they reasonably believe they or others are facing imminent danger from specific serious crimes like murder, sexual assault, burglary, or larceny. The bill directly affects Vermont residents who may face violent threats in their home or car, expanding their legal right to defend themselves. This policy change would replace the current duty to retreat with a "stand your ground" standard for these specified situations. The bill is currently under review by the Judiciary Committee.
Bill status introduced 1 of 4 stages cleared
Introduction
Mar 2025
Committee Review
Floor Vote
Governor
Introduced Mar 11, 2025 Last action Mar 11, 2025
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Mar 11, 2025
Introduced
Read first time and referred to the Committee on Judiciary
lower
1 primary · 0 co-sponsors

Sponsors

Role
Legislator
Party
State
District
P
Photo of Debbie Dolgin
Debbie Dolgin
RRepublican
VT
Caledonia-Essex