An act relating to prohibiting civil arrest in sensitive locations

The official passed record shows an intermediate version that limited protected locations to court proceedings, state/county/municipal buildings, schools, community-based shelters/severe weather shelters/emergency housing under 33 V.S.A. chapter 21, and health care facilities. The enacted version expanded this to also cover DMV offices, public libraries, polling places, a detailed list of social services establishments (crisis centers, domestic violence shelters, victim services centers, child advocacy centers, supervised visitation centers, family justice centers, facilities serving disabled persons, homeless shelters, substance use disorder treatment facilities, food pantries), places of worship, and children's camps or day camps.

The intermediate version replaced the broad category of 'building owned and wholly controlled by the State or a political subdivision where members of the public may enter to conduct governmental business' with the simpler term 'State, county, or municipal building,' which is narrower in scope.

The intermediate version used the simple term 'school' while the enacted version uses 'educational institution' with a detailed nine-part definition covering public schools, independent schools, regional CTE centers, approved education programs, prequalified private prekindergarten providers, postsecondary schools, cooperative education services programs, tutorial programs, and adult education/secondary credential programs, plus grounds, activities, transportation, and related programs.

In the intermediate version, the remedies provision stated a violator 'shall be subject to contempt proceedings and may be liable in a civil action for false imprisonment' as a single combined statement. The enacted version separates these into distinct sub-provisions and adds that contempt proceedings apply specifically when the arrest is pursuant to the court proceeding protection.

The official passed record includes bill introduction metadata (sponsors: Senators Vyhovsky, Bongartz, Gulick, Hashim, Perchlik, Watson, and White; referred to Committee on Judiciary; date January 6, 2026) and a statement of purpose that is absent from the enacted version.

The protection structure was reorganized. In the Senate version, all listed locations were protected while a person was 'traveling to, entering, remaining at, or returning from' them. In the enacted version, only court proceedings and educational institutions retain that broader traveling-to/from protection. All other locations (government buildings, DMV offices, public libraries, polling places, social services establishments, places of worship, children's camps, health care facilities) are now only protected while a person is 'on the premises.'

Added 'building owned and wholly controlled by the State or a political subdivision of the State where members of the public may enter in order to conduct governmental business' as a protected location. This replaces the Senate version's broader 'State, county, or municipal building' language with a more specific definition limited to buildings the public can enter for governmental business.

Added 'office operated by the Department of Motor Vehicles that is open to the public' as a specifically protected location.

Added 'public library' as a protected location, with a new definition referencing 22 V.S.A. section 101.

The children's camp provision was simplified. The Senate version covered facilities 'regulated by the Child Development Division of the Department for Children and Families' or licensed as children's camps or serving as day camps. The enacted version only covers 'facility licensed as a children's camp or that serves as a day camp,' removing the broader Child Development Division regulation reference. A new definition for 'Children's camp' was added referencing 18 V.S.A. section 4301.

The term 'school' from the Senate version was replaced with 'educational institution,' which carries a detailed multi-part definition covering public schools, independent schools, regional CTE centers, approved education programs, prequalified private providers, postsecondary schools, cooperative education programs, tutorial programs, and adult education programs.

The document was restructured from a multi-version compilation (showing the bill's evolution through introduction, Senate passage, and House passage across 10 pages) to a single clean final text (6 pages). No substantive policy language was added or removed.

Removed 'State, county, or municipal building' as a protected location, narrowing protection for government buildings.

Replaced the narrow term 'school' with 'educational institution,' which is now defined to include public schools, independent schools, regional CTE centers, approved education programs, prequalified private prekindergarten providers, postsecondary schools, cooperative education services programs, tutorial programs, and adult education/secondary credential programs, plus their grounds, activities, transportation, and related programs.

Replaced 'community-based shelter, severe weather shelter, or emergency housing provided through 33 V.S.A. chapter 21' with the much broader term 'social services establishment,' which now includes crisis centers, domestic violence shelters, victim services centers, child advocacy centers, supervised visitation centers, family justice centers, facilities serving disabled persons, homeless shelters, substance use disorder counseling and treatment facilities, and establishments distributing food or other essentials of life to people in need.

Added 'place of worship' as a new protected location where civil arrest is prohibited.

Added a new category for facilities regulated by the Child Development Division of the Department for Children and Families, or licensed as children's camps under 18 V.S.A. section 4301, or that serve as day camps.

Contempt proceedings are now limited to arrests made at court proceedings (subdivision 1(A)) rather than applying to all protected locations. Civil liability for false imprisonment remains available for violations at any protected location.

Added explicit exclusions from the definition of 'civil arrest': temporary custody pending a warrant under 18 V.S.A. section 7505(b), and holding a person for emergency hospital examination under 18 V.S.A. section 7504.

Added a formal definition of 'polling place' as a location designated to the Secretary of State pursuant to 17 V.S.A. section 2502(f).